# John Otto Drum Setup: Limp Bizkit's 'Results May Vary' (2003) Gear Breakdown

> Discover the exact drum kit, cymbals, and gear John Otto used on Limp Bizkit's 'Results May Vary' (2003) — the OCDP kit and Zildjian cymbals behind the band's first album without Wes Borland.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [John Otto](/llms/drummers/john-otto.md)
**Band / Album:** Limp Bizkit — *Results May Vary* (2003)
**Genre:** Nu-Metal / Alternative Rock

## Overview

Released September 23, 2003, on Flip Records/Interscope, "Results May Vary" is Limp Bizkit's fourth studio album — and the first made without founding guitarist Wes Borland, who had departed in October 2001. With Mike Smith (formerly of Snot) stepping in on guitar, the record found the band reaching beyond its established rap-metal template into alternative rock, acoustic passages, funk, and jazz-tinged arrangements, trading some of the rapping and aggression of earlier records for more introspective, personal songwriting.

Despite the lineup upheaval and stylistic pivot, "Results May Vary" debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 with more than 325,000 copies sold in its first week — proof that Limp Bizkit's commercial pull remained enormous even in transition. Lead single "Eat You Alive" (with a music video featuring Thora Birch and Bill Paxton) kept a foot in familiar nu-metal territory, while the second single — a cover of The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes," built around an unusual Speak & Spell bridge — pushed the band toward a more melodic, radio-friendly register.

Throughout this transition, John Otto was one of only two members (alongside bassist Sam Rivers) who had played on every Limp Bizkit record to date, and his drumming provided a stabilizing rhythmic anchor while everything else around him — guitarist, genre, songwriting approach — was in motion. By 2003, Otto had fully transitioned to his custom Orange County Drum and Percussion (OCDP) kit and Zildjian cymbal setup, the mature rig that let him serve the record's wider stylistic range: groove-driven aggression on "Eat You Alive," textured restraint on the acoustic-leaning tracks, and the dynamic sensitivity "Behind Blue Eyes" required.

Critics at the time were divided on the album's stylistic detour, but few questioned the rhythm section's execution — Otto's playing across the record's seventeen tracks (including bonus cuts) shows a drummer capable of far more range than nu-metal's established conventions usually called for. That range would prove valuable again years later, when the band's classic lineup reunited for a harder-edged comeback record.

This article covers the OCDP kit, the Zildjian cymbal lineup, and the technique behind Otto's most stylistically demanding Limp Bizkit record to date.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Orange County Drum and Percussion OCDP Custom Kit (Custom finish, early-2000s touring configuration finish)
- **Snare:** Orange County Drum and Percussion OCDP Custom Snare, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian — Zildjian A Series and A Custom Series
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Gibraltar Professional Series; Zildjian 5A Wood Tip
- **Heads:** Remo Coated Ambassador (batter), Remo Diplomat Snare Side (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium tension — balanced for both aggressive backbeats and restrained, melodic passages

### OCDP Matures: A Rig for a Wider Sonic Palette

By "Results May Vary," John Otto had settled fully into his custom Orange County Drum and Percussion (OCDP) kit — the same maple-shell platform detailed in his full gear profile — and the timing suited the record's demands. With the band exploring alternative rock, acoustic, and funk textures alongside its established nu-metal core, Otto needed a kit capable of more tonal nuance than a straightforward metal record would require.

OCDP's maple shells gave Otto exactly that range: enough low-end warmth for the acoustic-adjacent passages on tracks like "Lonely World" and "Almost Over," while retaining the punch and projection needed for "Eat You Alive"'s more straightforwardly aggressive nu-metal groove. The single 22" bass drum configuration Otto had maintained since his 1997 debut remained unchanged — a deliberate constraint that kept his kick patterns musical rather than mechanical, even as the arrangements around him grew more varied.

The four-tom spread — unchanged in size from his earliest Pearl kit years — gave Otto a familiar physical layout to navigate the record's more unpredictable arrangement structures, including "Red Light – Green Light"'s tempo shifts and the extended, dynamically varied "Build a Bridge."

### The Snare: Versatility Across a Genre-Spanning Record

"Results May Vary" asked more of John Otto's snare than any previous Limp Bizkit record — the arrangement palette ranges from the aggressive backbeat of "Eat You Alive" to the melodic restraint of "Behind Blue Eyes" and the introspective, acoustic-adjacent passages elsewhere on the album. His custom OCDP snare, matched to his specifications, delivered the crack needed for the harder tracks while retaining the ghost-note sensitivity his jazz background brings to the record's more personal, downtempo material.

On "Behind Blue Eyes" specifically, Otto's dynamic snare control has to compete with an unusual arrangement choice — a Speak & Spell providing a synthetic voice during the bridge — without the drumming ever overwhelming the track's melodic core. That kind of restraint, serving a Who classic rather than pure nu-metal aggression, showcases the same dynamic intelligence he'd shown years earlier on "Re-Arranged."

### Zildjian A and A Custom: Range for a Record in Transition

John Otto's Zildjian setup on "Results May Vary" reflects the record's wider stylistic reach. The A Custom Series crash — lighter and faster-responding than standard A Series — gets more use here than on the band's earlier, more purely aggressive records, suiting the accent work on alternative-leaning tracks like "Almost Over" and "The Only One."

The 20" A Series ride's clear bell definition carries much of the album's more restrained material, giving Otto a cymbal voice between silence and crash for a record that spends more time in dynamically quiet territory than "Significant Other" or "Chocolate Starfish" ever did. The 18" China, previously a go-to accent throughout the band's heavier records, appears more sparingly — used only where the arrangement genuinely calls for aggressive trash rather than as a default heavy-track color.

## Key Facts

- Released September 23, 2003 — debuted #3 Billboard 200 with 325,000+ first-week copies
- First Limp Bizkit album without Wes Borland; Mike Smith (ex-Snot) plays guitar
- Broader stylistic range: alternative rock, acoustic, funk, and jazz textures alongside nu-metal
- Otto now fully on his custom OCDP kit and Zildjian cymbal setup
- Lead single "Eat You Alive"; second single a cover of The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes"
- Otto and bassist Sam Rivers were the only members to appear on every Limp Bizkit album to date
- Fully established OCDP custom kit — the mature rig Otto would keep for the rest of his career
- Maple shells provide the tonal range the record's broader stylistic palette requires
- Single 22" kick maintained since 1997 — groove-first philosophy unchanged through lineup upheaval
- Same four-tom physical layout as his earliest Pearl kit, refined into custom OCDP shells
- Kit tone supports both acoustic-leaning tracks and straightforward nu-metal aggression
- Estimated kit value: $2,000–4,000 (OCDP custom kit, 2003 era)
- Estimated snare value: $400–700 (OCDP custom snare, 2003 era)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What drum kit did John Otto use on Results May Vary?**

A: On Limp Bizkit's "Results May Vary" (2003, Flip Records/Interscope), John Otto played his custom Orange County Drum and Percussion (OCDP) kit — maple shells in a single 22" bass drum configuration with 10" and 12" rack toms and 14" and 16" floor toms. This was the same OCDP platform he used on subsequent albums, paired with Zildjian A and A Custom cymbals. Full drummer profile: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto). Previous album in the arc: [Chocolate Starfish drum setup](/articles/chocolate-starfish-drum-setup).

**Q: Why did Limp Bizkit sound different on Results May Vary?**

A: "Results May Vary" (2003) was Limp Bizkit's first album without founding guitarist Wes Borland, who departed in October 2001; Mike Smith (formerly of Snot) replaced him. The record also expanded beyond the band's established rap-metal template into alternative rock, acoustic, funk, and jazz-tinged textures, with less rapping and more introspective lyrics. John Otto and bassist Sam Rivers were the only members who had appeared on every Limp Bizkit album to that point. See: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto).

**Q: How did Results May Vary perform commercially?**

A: "Results May Vary" debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 with more than 325,000 copies sold in its first week upon its September 23, 2003 release — a strong result despite the band's lineup upheaval and stylistic shift. Lead single "Eat You Alive" and the "Behind Blue Eyes" cover (a reworking of The Who's classic) both received significant radio and MTV attention. See also: [Chocolate Starfish drum setup](/articles/chocolate-starfish-drum-setup).

**Q: What is the Speak & Spell bridge on Behind Blue Eyes?**

A: Limp Bizkit's cover of The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" on "Results May Vary" (2003) is notable for replacing the original's rock-oriented bridge with a section built around a Speak & Spell electronic toy providing a synthetic vocal element, alongside a new verse and an extra chorus. John Otto's restrained, dynamically controlled drumming on the track lets that unusual arrangement choice register as a genuine musical idea rather than fighting against the rhythm section. Full technique breakdown: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto).

**Q: What cymbals did John Otto use on Results May Vary?**

A: John Otto used Zildjian A Series and A Custom Series cymbals on "Results May Vary" (2003) — 14" hi-hats, 16" A Custom and 18" A Series crashes, a 20" A Series ride, and an 18" A Series China, used more sparingly than on earlier, more purely aggressive Limp Bizkit records. The A Custom crash's faster response suited the album's more melodic, alternative-rock-leaning material. See: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto). Context: [nu-metal drummers top 10](/top10/nu-metal-drummers).

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/results-may-vary-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-07-05 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*