# Metallica 'Load' Drum Setup — Lars Ulrich's 1996 Tama Star Classic Maple Kit

> Complete gear breakdown for Metallica's Load (1996). Discover Lars Ulrich's Tama Star Classic Maple kit, the Zildjian A Custom cymbal transition, Bob Rock's recording approach at The Plant Studios, and the drums behind 'Until It Sleeps', 'King Nothing', and 'The Outlaw Torn'.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Lars Ulrich](/llms/drummers/lars-ulrich.md)
**Band / Album:** Metallica — *Load* (1996)
**Genre:** Heavy Metal / Hard Rock

## Overview

Released on June 4, 1996, Metallica's sixth album Load marked the most dramatic single-album stylistic pivot in the band's history. After five records that built the architecture of modern thrash metal, Metallica arrived with shorter hair, blues-inflected riffs, and a sprawling 79-minute running time. Load debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, stayed there for five weeks, and went on to achieve 5× Platinum certification in the United States.

For Lars Ulrich, Load represented the third chapter of an evolution producer Bob Rock had driven since the Black Album (1991). Where the Black Album pushed Lars from thrash complexity toward groove and feel, Load took that direction further — Lars's most blues-influenced and deliberately understated studio performance. The drumming is sparse where the thrash era was dense, open where Justice was compressed, serving songs that breathe in ways "Blackened" never did.

The gear transition was equally significant. By 1995, Lars had moved from the Tama Artist Maple (Black Album) to the Tama Star Classic Maple — Tama's flagship series, offering greater warmth, projection, and resonance. Simultaneously, the Zildjian A series gave way to the A Custom series — a brighter, more articulate line that matched the shift toward hard rock. This A Custom era, begun at Load, has continued uninterrupted to the present day.

Recording took place at The Plant Studios in Sausalito, California, and Prairie Sun Recording in Cotati, California, with sessions stretching from early 1995 through early 1996. Bob Rock's approach for Load differed from the Black Album: reduced gated reverb, more natural room acoustics, and a philosophy that let the Star Classic's voice speak without heavy processing.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Tama Star Classic Maple (flagship series, above the Black Album's Artist Maple)
- **Snare:** Tama LU1465 Lars Ulrich Signature (production or refined late prototype), 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom Series
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Tama Iron Cobra Double Pedal / DW hardware (transitional era); Roc-N-Soc Original throne; Ahead Lars Ulrich Signature sticks
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 Coated (snare batter), Remo Ambassador Clear (toms)
- **Snare tuning:** Moderate tension — between the Black Album's dramatic low tuning and Justice's high-tension attack

### Drum Kit: Tama Star Classic Maple

For Load, Lars upgraded from the Tama Artist Maple (Black Album) to the Tama Star Classic Maple — Tama's premier maple offering. The Star Classic's improved bearing edges and shell construction allowed the maple to resonate more freely, a property Bob Rock exploited with moderate room microphone placement at The Plant Studios. The configuration retained Lars's Black Album template: 22" bass drum, 10" and 12" rack toms, 14" and 16" floor toms — tuned slightly warmer and lower to suit the album's blues-influenced character.

The extended recording timeline (early 1995 through early 1996) gave Lars unprecedented familiarity with the Star Classic before final tracking, contributing to the confident, settled quality of Load's drum performances. The Star Classic (1990s) is a distinct product from the later Tama Starclassic (one word) — the Load-era kit represents the earlier generation of Tama's flagship maple line.

### Snare: Tama LU1465

The LU1465 Lars Ulrich Signature, at 14" x 6.5" with a steel shell, sat at moderate tension for Load — tighter than the dramatically low-tuned Black Album snare prototype, but warmer and lower than the dry, cracking Justice-era sound. Bob Rock's reduced gated reverb treatment for Load let the drum's natural steel-shell character speak directly in the mix. The result is audible on "King Nothing" and "Until It Sleeps": a snare with naturalistic authority that contrasts clearly with the processed boom of "Sad But True."

### Cymbals: Zildjian A Custom Series

Load marked the beginning of Lars's relationship with the Zildjian A Custom series — the most durable equipment decision he made in the 1990s. The A Custom setup: 14" Dyno Beat Hi-Hats (replacing A New Beats), 16" and 17" Medium Thin Crashes, 18" Medium Crash, 22" Ping Ride, and 18" China. The A Custom's brighter, more overtone-rich character suited Load's production aesthetic. The Dyno Beat hi-hats' open, washy quality contributes to the organic feel of tracks like "Hero of the Day" and "Mama Said." This same cymbal configuration, evolved slightly, remains Lars's live setup today.

### Hardware: Transitional Era

Load's hardware represents a transitional moment. The Tama Iron Cobra double pedal remained a primary choice, but DW (Drum Workshop) hardware — including DW 5000 series pedals and DW 9000 boom stands — appeared as Lars explored the increasingly dominant professional hardware brand of the mid-1990s. Lars settled back into a consolidated Tama hardware setup in subsequent years, making this a genuinely transitional period. The Roc-N-Soc Original throne and Ahead Lars Ulrich Signature sticks continued from the Black Album era.

### Recording Approach: Bob Rock at The Plant Studios

The Plant Studios in Sausalito offered a large tracking room suited to natural room-mic recording. Bob Rock placed room microphones at moderate distances — closer than the Black Album's 15–20 feet — for natural room tone rather than theatrical reverb. The gated snare reverb that defined the Black Album was deliberately reduced for Load, producing a more naturalistic drum sound across both studios.

- Kick: Shure Beta 52A inside, AKG D112 outside
- Snare: Shure SM57 top, Sennheiser MD421 bottom
- Toms: Sennheiser MD421 on each tom
- Overheads: Neumann U87s (tighter than Black Album placement)
- Room mics: Moderate placement, natural room tone

## Key Facts

- Released June 4, 1996 on Elektra Records — #1 Billboard 200, 5× Platinum US
- First Metallica album to feature Zildjian A Custom cymbals — a transition that persists today
- Tama Star Classic Maple replaced the Black Album's Artist Maple
- Recorded at The Plant Studios, Sausalito CA and Prairie Sun Recording, Cotati CA
- Producer: Bob Rock (third consecutive Metallica album)
- Lars's most blues-influenced drumming performance on any Metallica studio record
- Load was followed by Reload (1997), which used the same Star Classic Maple and A Custom era setup
- Estimated kit value (1996): $4,500–$6,500 / Vintage today: $7,000–$10,000
- Estimated snare value (LU1465 today): $900–$1,400

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What drum kit did Lars Ulrich use on Load?**

A: Tama Star Classic Maple — the flagship series above the Black Album's Artist Maple — with a 22" bass drum, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms. Single bass drum with double pedal.

**Q: What cymbals did Lars Ulrich use on Load?**

A: Zildjian A Custom series: 14" Dyno Beat Hi-Hats, 16"/17" Medium Thin Crashes, 18" Medium Crash, 22" Ping Ride, 18" China. This marked the beginning of Lars's A Custom era, which continues today.

**Q: Why did Metallica change their sound on Load?**

A: Deliberate artistic choice influenced by blues and southern rock. Producer Bob Rock continued pushing Lars toward feel over complexity, and the songs' slower tempos and pentatonic riffs demanded different drumming than the thrash catalog. Load debuted #1 and went 5× Platinum, validating the direction commercially.

**Q: How does Load's drum sound differ from the Black Album?**

A: Three key differences: (1) reduced gated reverb on the snare — more natural, less processed; (2) room mics closer than the Black Album's 15–20 foot extreme placement; (3) the Tama Star Classic Maple has greater resonance than the Artist Maple, rewarding a more open recording approach with less internal muffling.

**Q: Where was Load recorded?**

A: Primarily at The Plant Studios in Sausalito, California, with additional sessions at Prairie Sun Recording in Cotati, California. Sessions ran from early 1995 through early 1996.

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**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/load-drum-setup

**Related articles:** [Lars Ulrich drummer profile](/llms/drummers/lars-ulrich.md) · [Black Album drum setup](/llms/articles/black-album-drum-setup.md) · [And Justice for All drum setup](/llms/articles/and-justice-for-all-drum-setup.md)

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*Last updated: 2026-06-27 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*