# Mikkey Dee Gear Evolution — Motörhead & Scorpions Drum Kit History

> From King Diamond's theatrical metal to 23 unbroken years behind Lemmy's band: the complete history of Mikkey Dee's drum gear evolution across King Diamond, Motörhead, and Scorpions.

**Type:** Gear Evolution Timeline
**Drummer(s):** [Mikkey Dee](/llms/drummers/mikkey-dee.md)
**Band / Album:** Motörhead
**Genre:** Heavy Metal / Hard Rock

## Overview

Mikkey Dee holds one of the longest unbroken tenures in metal drumming history: 23 years as Motörhead's drummer, from Bastards (1993) to Lemmy Kilmister's death in December 2015. In that time he appeared on eleven studio albums, toured relentlessly across every major market, and became the sonic engine behind what many consider the definitive version of Motörhead's classic lineup.

His gear evolution spans four phases: a King Diamond apprenticeship that built professional discipline, an early Motörhead era with Premier drums that defined his sound across the 1990s, a late Motörhead era with Pearl Reference that reached its climax with the Grammy-winning Bad Magic (2015), and an ongoing Scorpions chapter that continues today. Pearl and Premier, Zildjian throughout, Evans heads for the final decade — the progression is steady rather than dramatic, reflecting a drummer who found what worked and refined rather than reinvented.

What makes Dee's evolution significant is not radical change but extraordinary consistency maintained across four decades of professional touring. Every upgrade was driven by the demands of an ever-larger stage, not by fashion or endorsement convenience.

## Era 1: King Diamond Era (1988–1992)

**Kit:** Pearl Masters Professional (22" kick, 10"/12"/14"/16" toms)
**Snare:** Pearl Free-Floating 14"×5.5" steel
**Cymbals:** Zildjian A Series (14" hi-hats, 16"/18" crashes, 20" ride)
**Pedals:** Pearl P-2002C Eliminator
**Heads:** Remo Ambassador

Mikkey Dee joined King Diamond's band in 1988, appearing on Them (1988), Conspiracy (1989), The Eye (1990), and the live release In Concert 1987: Abigail (1991). The King Diamond years were his professional apprenticeship: technically demanding melodic metal with theatrical staging requirements that taught him the discipline of precise performance within complex arrangements.

The Pearl Masters Professional was the touring standard for professional hard rock and heavy metal drummers of the late 1980s — durable maple shells, reliable hardware, and wide availability of replacement parts on tour. Zildjian A Series cymbals provided the bright, projecting character needed to cut through King Diamond's elaborate stage productions. The Pearl Eliminator double pedal served the double bass passages in King Diamond's more demanding compositions.

Four albums and multiple world tours in four years gave Dee the professional foundation that made his Motörhead tenure possible.

*Albums:* Them (1988) · Conspiracy (1989) · The Eye (1990)

## Era 2: Early Motörhead Era (1993–2004)

**Kit:** Premier Signia / Artist Series (22"×18" kick, 10"/12"/14"/16" toms)
**Snare:** Premier Signia Steel 14"×6.5"
**Cymbals:** Zildjian A / A Custom Series (14" A New Beat hi-hats, 16"/18" A crashes, 20" ride)
**Pedals:** Premier / DW 5000 double pedal
**Heads:** Remo Emperor (toms), Remo Powerstroke 3 (kick)

Mikkey Dee joined Motörhead in 1992, replacing Phil Taylor ahead of Bastards (1993, ZYX Music). The switch to Premier drums for the Motörhead era was meaningful: the British drum company's punchy birch character aligned with Lemmy's British-rooted rock aesthetic, and the resulting sound — Dee's Premier kit driving Lemmy's Rickenbacker bass through Marshall stacks — became one of the defining drum tones of 1990s heavy metal.

The Premier Signia steel snare's deep, walloping crack became Dee's signature sound across Bastards, Sacrifice (1995), Overnight Sensation (1996), Snake Bite Love (1998), and We Are Motörhead (2000). Motörhead's touring schedule during this period was among the most relentless in rock — up to 200 shows per year — demanding hardware that could withstand extraordinary abuse. Premier delivered.

Through all of it, the Zildjian relationship continued unbroken from the King Diamond years. A Series brightness suited Motörhead's raw production approach better than darker alternatives would have.

*Albums:* [Bastards (1993) drum setup](/articles/bastards-drum-setup) · Overnight Sensation (1996) · [We Are Motörhead (2000) drum setup](/articles/we-are-motorhead-drum-setup)

## Era 3: Late Motörhead / Bad Magic Era (2004–2015)

**Kit:** Pearl Reference Series (22"×18" kick, 8"/10"/12"/14"/16" toms)
**Snare:** Pearl Free-Floating Steel 14"×6.5"
**Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom / K Custom Dark (14" A Custom hi-hats, 17"/18" crashes, 21" K Custom ride, 19" China)
**Pedals:** Pearl Demon Drive (direct drive)
**Sticks:** Vic Firth Mikkey Dee Signature
**Heads:** Evans G2 (toms), Evans EMAD (kick)

The final and most refined chapter of Dee's Motörhead tenure. Returning to Pearl for Kiss of Death (2006), Motörizer (2008), The Wörld Is Yours (2010), Aftershock (2013), and Bad Magic (2015), Dee's setup reached its most polished form as Motörhead's stages got larger. The Pearl Reference's maple/birch hybrid shells provided fuller resonance for arena and festival contexts; the Demon Drive direct drive pedal offered more precise response than the chain pedals of the Premier years.

Evans heads represented the era's critical change: G2 on toms for warm, resonant attack with defined transient; EMAD on kick for focused, projecting low-end at arena volumes. The Vic Firth Mikkey Dee signature sticks reflected his consolidated status as one of hard rock's most recognised drummers.

Bad Magic (2015) won a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for "Thunder & Lightning" — Motörhead's first and only Grammy. Lemmy Kilmister died on December 28, 2015, 23 days after receiving his cancer diagnosis. Motörhead disbanded. Dee's 23-year tenure — the longest in the band's history — ended.

*Albums:* [Kiss of Death (2006) drum setup](/articles/kiss-of-death-drum-setup) · Aftershock (2013) · [Bad Magic (2015) drum setup](/articles/bad-magic-drum-setup)

## Era 4: Scorpions Era (2016–Present)

**Kit:** Pearl Reference Series (22"×18" kick, 8"/10"/12"/14"/16" toms — refined)
**Snare:** Pearl Free-Floating Steel or Maple 14"×6.5" (alternated by setlist)
**Cymbals:** Zildjian K Custom / K Hybrid (14" K Custom Dark hi-hats, 17"/18" crashes, 21" K Custom ride, 19" China)
**Pedals:** Pearl Demon Drive (continued)
**Heads:** Evans G2 (toms), Evans EMAD2 (kick)

Mikkey Dee joined Scorpions in 2016, appearing on Rock Believer (2022) — his first full studio album with the band recorded from the start. The move from Motörhead's three-chord thunder to Scorpions' broader melodic hard rock dynamic required adjustments in approach rather than wholesale gear change.

The cymbal evolution reflects the difference most clearly: K Custom Dark hi-hats and K Hybrid crash choices produce darker, more complex tones suited to Scorpions' broader dynamic range — from the delicate passages of ballads like "Wind of Change" to full-power anthems. He now alternates between steel and maple Free-Floating snares depending on setlist demands: steel for the heavier material, maple for more dynamic passages. EMAD2 kick heads replace EMAD for tighter, more refined low-end suited to Scorpions' polished arena production values.

The Pearl Reference platform that served him through Motörhead's final decade continues unchanged — a testimonial to a setup refined over fifteen years of the most demanding touring in hard rock.

*Albums:* Rock Believer (2022) · [Bad Magic drum setup](/articles/bad-magic-drum-setup) (final Motörhead album, informing current era)

## FAQ

**Q: What drum kit did Mikkey Dee use with Motörhead?**
Mikkey Dee used Premier Signia drums during his early Motörhead era (1993–2004) — birch shells with a 22"×18" kick, 10"/12"/14"/16" toms. For his later Motörhead era (2004–2015), he switched back to Pearl Reference Series — maple/birch hybrid shells with the same basic configuration plus an added 8" rack tom. The Pearl era encompasses Kiss of Death (2006), Motörizer (2008), The Wörld Is Yours (2010), Aftershock (2013), and Bad Magic (2015).

**Q: What snare drum does Mikkey Dee use?**
Mikkey Dee's primary snare across most of his career has been the Pearl Free-Floating steel drum in 14"×6.5" — its explosive crack is central to his signature sound. During the Motörhead years, this consistent choice drove the walloping snare tone across eleven studio albums and thousands of live shows. In his current Scorpions era, he alternates between the steel Free-Floating and a maple version depending on dynamic requirements.

**Q: What cymbals does Mikkey Dee use?**
Mikkey Dee has used Zildjian cymbals throughout his career. In the King Diamond and early Motörhead years, he used Zildjian A Series. The late Motörhead era (2004–2015) saw him move to A Custom and K Custom Dark for a broader tonal range on larger stages. His current Scorpions setup uses K Custom Dark hi-hats, K Hybrid crashes, and a K Custom ride — darker, more complex choices suited to Scorpions' melodic hard rock context.

**Q: Did Motörhead ever win a Grammy?**
Yes — Bad Magic (2015) won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the track "Thunder & Lightning." It was Motörhead's first and only Grammy. Lemmy Kilmister died on December 28, 2015, just weeks after the award was announced. Mikkey Dee was the drummer on Bad Magic — making him part of the band's only Grammy-winning recording in their entire 40-year career.

**Q: What band is Mikkey Dee in now?**
Since Motörhead's dissolution following Lemmy Kilmister's death in December 2015, Mikkey Dee has been the drummer for Scorpions. He joined in 2016 and appeared on Rock Believer (2022) — his first full studio album with the band. He continues to tour with Scorpions on their ongoing world tour schedule.

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## Related Articles

- [Mikkey Dee drummer profile](/drummer/mikkey-dee) — Career overview, technique, and complete gear breakdown
- [Bastards drum setup](/articles/bastards-drum-setup) — Dee's Motörhead debut; Premier Signia era begins
- [We Are Motörhead drum setup](/articles/we-are-motorhead-drum-setup) — Peak of the Premier era; early 2000s Motörhead
- [Bad Magic drum setup](/articles/bad-magic-drum-setup) — Final Motörhead album; Grammy winner; Pearl Reference at its most refined

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/drummers/mikkey-dee/evolution

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*Last updated: 2026-06-28 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*