# Reinventing the Steel Drum Setup: Vinnie Paul's Gear on Pantera's Final Album (2000)

> Complete breakdown of Vinnie Paul's drum gear on Pantera's final studio album, Reinventing the Steel. The white marine pearl Pearl Reference kit, Sabian HH/AAX Custom cymbals, and Pearl Eliminator P-3000E pedals behind the band's last record before their 2003 breakup.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Vinnie Paul](/llms/drummers/vinnie-paul.md)
**Band / Album:** Pantera — *Reinventing the Steel* (2000)
**Genre:** Groove Metal

## Overview

Released on March 21, 2000, "Reinventing the Steel" is Pantera's sixth and final studio album — the last time Vinnie Paul, Dimebag Darrell, Phil Anselmo, and Rex Brown would ever record together. It debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by the RIAA that May. Three years later, Pantera quietly dissolved. Four years after that, Dimebag was murdered on stage with Damageplan. Heard today, "Reinventing the Steel" carries a weight none of the band could have known about at the time: it's the closing statement of the classic Pantera lineup.

The album marked a deliberate return to basics after the fractured, experimental extremity of "The Great Southern Trendkill." Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell produced the record themselves alongside engineer Sterling Winfield — the first Pantera studio album since 1988's "Power Metal" not produced by Terry Date. Tracked once again at Chasin' Jason Studios, Dimebag's home studio near Arlington, Texas, the sessions were reportedly more unified than "Trendkill's" split-coast recording, with the whole band back in one room chasing a simpler, riff-first sound.

Vinnie Paul's drumming on "Reinventing the Steel" is widely regarded as some of the most groove-focused, pocket-heavy playing of his career. Tracks like "Goddamn Electric" and "Revolution Is My Name" — the latter voted Song of the Year in the 2000 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Awards — showcase the power-groove approach Vinnie had spent a decade refining, now delivered with a leaner, more direct production than the trigger-heavy records of the mid-90s.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Reference (White Marine Pearl finish), 6-ply maple/mahogany hybrid shells
- **Snare:** Pearl Free-Floating Steel Snare, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Sabian HH / AAX Custom blend — 14" HH hats, 18" HH crash, 16"/19" AAX Custom crashes, 22" HH ride, 18" HH china
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Pearl Eliminator P-3000E double pedal; Pearl 2000-Series stands; Roc-N-Soc Nitro Throne; Vater Vinnie Paul 5B signature sticks (played backwards)
- **Heads:** Remo Pinstripe (kick batter), Remo Ambassador Coated (snare), Remo Ambassador X (tom batters)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension for a tight, immediate crack

### White Marine Pearl: Vinnie's Final Pantera Kit

For Pantera's final album, Vinnie Paul returned to the Pearl Reference line he'd used on "Far Beyond Driven," but in a strikingly different form: a white marine pearl finish that stood out against the darker, black-lacquer kits (ddrum, Pearl Masters Custom) he'd played through most of the 90s. The dual 22" x 18" bass drums carried over from "The Great Southern Trendkill," prioritizing articulation over the cavernous low end of the 24" kicks used on "Vulgar Display of Power" and "Far Beyond Driven." On tracks like "Hellbound" and "Death Rattle," the tighter kick response let Vinnie's double-bass patterns read clearly without smearing into the mix.

The three rack toms and two floor toms gave Vinnie his usual melodic range for fills, and the maple/mahogany hybrid shells produced the same warm-but-punchy fundamental that had defined his Reference-era sound since 1994.

### Sabian HH Meets the New AAX Custom

By 2000, Sabian had begun rolling out the AAX Custom line — a brighter, more aggressive evolution of the AAX series aimed squarely at heavier styles. Vinnie's setup on "Reinventing the Steel" reflects that transition: his core HH hi-hats, 18" crash, and 22" ride carried over from "The Great Southern Trendkill," while newer AAX Custom crashes were mixed in for extra cut on the album's more aggressive passages. The 18" HH china continued to provide the trashy accents that punctuate tracks like "We'll Grind That Axe for a Long Time." This HH/AAX Custom hybrid setup would be the last cymbal configuration Vinnie played on a Pantera studio album, carrying forward largely unchanged into his Damageplan work a few years later.

### Simplifying the Sound

After the geographically split, trigger-heavy sessions of "The Great Southern Trendkill," Pantera made a conscious decision to strip things back for "Reinventing the Steel." The whole band tracked together again at Chasin' Jason Studios, and with Terry Date not involved for the first time since "Cowboys from Hell," Vinnie Paul, Dimebag Darrell, and Sterling Winfield took a leaner, more direct approach — reducing reliance on the heavy trigger-blending of the mid-90s records for a more organic, room-present drum sound.

## Key Facts

- Pantera's sixth and final studio album, released March 21, 2000
- Debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200; certified Gold by the RIAA on May 2, 2000
- First Pantera album since 1988's Power Metal not produced by Terry Date
- Produced by Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell with engineer Sterling Winfield
- Tracked at Chasin' Jason Studios, Dimebag's home studio near Arlington, Texas
- The last studio recordings of the classic Abbott/Anselmo/Brown lineup before the 2003 split
- "Revolution Is My Name" won Song of the Year in the 2000 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Awards
- Pearl Reference kit in white marine pearl finish — a visual departure from the black kits of the mid-90s
- Estimated kit value: $4,800-6,800 (2000)

## FAQ

**What drums did Vinnie Paul play on Reinventing the Steel?**
Vinnie Paul recorded Reinventing the Steel in 2000 on a Pearl Reference kit finished in white marine pearl. The configuration included dual 22 inch by 18 inch bass drums, rack toms at 10, 12, and 13 inches, and floor toms at 16 and 18 inches, built from 6-ply maple/mahogany hybrid shells. It marked a return to the Pearl Reference line he'd used on Far Beyond Driven, but in a brighter finish that departed from the black kits he'd played through most of the 1990s.

**Was Reinventing the Steel Pantera's last album?**
Yes. Reinventing the Steel, released March 21, 2000, is Pantera's sixth and final studio album. It was the last time Vinnie Paul, Dimebag Darrell, Phil Anselmo, and Rex Brown recorded together — the band dissolved in 2003, and Dimebag Darrell was killed on stage with Damageplan in December 2004. The album debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold by the RIAA in May 2000.

**What cymbals did Vinnie Paul use in 2000?**
On Reinventing the Steel, Vinnie Paul used a blend of Sabian's established HH series and the newly introduced AAX Custom line. His setup included 14 inch HH hi-hats, an 18 inch HH crash, 16 and 19 inch AAX Custom crashes, a 22 inch HH ride, and an 18 inch HH china. The mix reflected Sabian's 2000-era transition, giving Vinnie the darker HH voice he'd relied on since 1996 alongside the brighter, more aggressive attack of the new AAX Custom crashes.

**Who produced Reinventing the Steel?**
Reinventing the Steel was produced by Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell alongside engineer Sterling Winfield. It was the first Pantera studio album since 1988's Power Metal not produced by longtime collaborator Terry Date, reflecting the band's push for a more direct, self-directed sound on their final record.

**How does Reinventing the Steel compare to The Great Southern Trendkill?**
The Great Southern Trendkill (1996) was tracked with the band split between Texas and New Orleans, on a Pearl Masters Custom kit with heavy trigger-blending. Reinventing the Steel (2000) brought the full band back into one room at Chasin' Jason Studios, with Vinnie moving to a white marine pearl Pearl Reference kit and a more natural, less-triggered production. See the [The Great Southern Trendkill drum setup article](/llms/articles/great-southern-trendkill-drum-setup.md) for that preceding chapter.

## Related Albums

- [The Great Southern Trendkill drum setup](/articles/great-southern-trendkill-drum-setup) — 1996, Pearl Masters Custom and Sabian HH era; the band's most fractured record
- [Far Beyond Driven drum setup](/articles/far-beyond-driven-drum-setup) — 1994, Pearl Reference Pure and Zildjian Z Custom era; the #1 Billboard debut
- [Vinnie Paul kit profile](/articles/whats-in-vinnie-pauls-kit) — complete career gear overview from Cowboys from Hell through Hellyeah

## Structured Data (LLM Reference)

**Person:** Vinnie Paul Abbott — drummer, Pantera, Damageplan, Hellyeah; born March 11, 1964, Arlington, Texas; died June 22, 2018; primary instrument drums; genre groove metal / heavy metal / hard rock; co-produced Pantera's final studio album
**MusicAlbum:** Reinventing the Steel — Pantera (EastWest Records America / Elektra, March 21, 2000); genre groove metal; debuted #4 on Billboard 200; certified Gold; notable tracks: Hellbound, Goddamn Electric, Revolution Is My Name, We'll Grind That Axe for a Long Time
**MusicGroup:** Pantera — American groove metal band; formed Arlington, Texas, 1981; members Vinnie Paul Abbott (drums), Dimebag Darrell Abbott (guitar), Philip Anselmo (vocals), Rex Brown (bass); active 1981–2003

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/reinventing-the-steel-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*