---
name: "Matt Garstka"
band: "Animals as Leaders"
page_type: "gear_evolution"
profile_url: "https://metalforge.io/drummer/matt-garstka"
evolution_url: "https://metalforge.io/drummers/matt-garstka/evolution"
source: "https://metalforge.io"
last_updated: "2026-07-01"
---

# Matt Garstka Drum Kit Evolution — Complete Timeline

Matt Garstka is a Berklee-educated jazz-fusion drummer who reshaped what progressive metal drumming could sound like after joining Animals as Leaders in 2012, replacing founding drummer Navene Koperweis. His playing blends jazz fusion, electronic music, and progressive metal — complex polyrhythms, intricate ghost-note patterns, and traditional grip in a genre dominated by matched grip players. This timeline documents his complete gear evolution from anonymous Berklee-era student kits through the compact, articulation-first Pearl Masterworks setup that defines his sound today.

See also: [Matt Garstka drummer profile](/llms/drummers/matt-garstka.md)

---

## Pre-AAL / Berklee Years (2007–2012)

**Albums:** Session and studio work prior to joining Animals as Leaders
**Tours:** Boston-area jazz and fusion gigs, Berklee ensemble performances

Before joining Animals as Leaders, Matt Garstka studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, developing the jazz-fusion vocabulary — traditional grip, ghost-note sensitivity, dynamic control, and metric modulation — that would later distinguish his progressive metal playing. He worked through rotating student and session kits during this formative period, with a Ludwig Supraphonic snare and Zildjian K cymbals already signaling his jazz-standard gear preferences.

- **Drums:** Various kits (Berklee era) — rotating student and session kits, no fixed brand (whatever was available for a given session or ensemble class)
- **Snare:** Ludwig Supraphonic 14"×5" — aluminum shell, the jazz-session standard for crisp, articulate crack
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian K Series — dark, complex Turkish-style bronze suited to nuanced jazz dynamics
- **Hardware:** Standard single-pedal setups — no double kick in jazz/fusion contexts
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5A hickory (off-the-shelf, pre-endorsement)
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador clear on toms, coated on snare
- **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$2,000

**Key developments:**
- Enrolled at Berklee College of Music, Boston
- Developed traditional grip and jazz-fusion vocabulary that later defined his metal playing
- No fixed gear endorsement — rotating student and session kits
- Ludwig Supraphonic and Zildjian K established as personal gear preferences

> "Berklee wasn't about metal at all. It was about touch, dynamics, and listening. Everything I do now in Animals as Leaders comes from that training." — *DRUM! Magazine Interview, 2015*

---

## The Joy of Motion Era (2012–2015)

**Albums:** The Joy of Motion (2014)
**Tours:** The Joy of Motion World Tour 2014–2015

**Q: What drums did Matt Garstka use on The Joy of Motion?**
A: For his debut album with Animals as Leaders, The Joy of Motion (2014), Garstka built his signature setup around a compact Pearl Masterworks Maple kit — a 20"×16" bass drum, 10"×7" and 12"×8" rack toms, and a 14"×14" floor tom. Deliberately smaller than typical metal configurations, it prioritized articulation and dynamics over raw size. He paired it with an extensive Meinl Byzance cymbal array, switching from the Zildjian K he used at Berklee.

Garstka joined Animals as Leaders in 2012, replacing founding drummer Navene Koperweis. The Joy of Motion immediately established him as one of progressive metal's most important new voices.

- **Drums:** Pearl Masterworks Maple — maple shells, MasterCast hoops: 20"×16" kick, 10"×7"/12"×8" racks, 14"×14" floor *(new — compact 4-piece for quick attack and articulation)*
- **Snare:** Pearl Reference 14"×5" — maple/birch hybrid shell, pre-signature *(new — versatile tone bridging jazz articulation and metal projection)*
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series — 15" Dual Hi-Hats, 18" Extra Dry Thin Crash, 19"/20" Dual Crashes, 22" Sand Ride, 18" Vintage Trash Hat China *(switch from Zildjian K — dark, hand-hammered B20 bronze)*
- **Hardware:** Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal *(new — direct-drive precision for odd-meter, linear-independence passages)*
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5A Hickory *(pre-signature endorsement)*
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated on toms/snare, Evans EMAD on kick *(new — EMAD for a focused, controlled low end on the compact 20" bass drum)*
- **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$7,949

**Key developments:**
- Joined Animals as Leaders (2012), replacing Navene Koperweis
- The Joy of Motion (2014) — breakthrough debut album with the band
- Compact Pearl Masterworks Maple kit established as signature configuration
- Meinl Byzance and Pearl Demon Drive endorsements begin

> "I wanted a kit that would let me play quiet as easily as loud. The compact bass drum, the Byzance cymbals — it's all about articulation, not just power." — *Modern Drummer Interview, 2014*

---

## The Madness of Many / Signature Era (2016–2021)

**Albums:** The Madness of Many (2016)
**Tours:** The Madness of Many World Tour 2016–2018, international clinic circuit

**Q: What changed in Matt Garstka's gear for The Madness of Many?**
A: With The Madness of Many (2016), Garstka's gear became fully personalized. Pearl released a Matt Garstka Signature Snare — a 14"×5" maple shell with a custom bearing edge for sensitivity — and Vic Firth released a Matt Garstka Signature stick model with an elongated taper designed around his traditional-grip technique. His Meinl Byzance cymbal setup expanded for the album's denser arrangements while the core compact Pearl Masterworks kit stayed unchanged.

His Drumeo lessons, clinics, and YouTube presence made him one of the most-watched drum educators of the era.

- **Drums:** Pearl Masterworks Maple (refined) — same compact configuration, refined tuning and hardware
- **Snare:** Pearl Matt Garstka Signature Snare 14"×5" *(signature — maple shell, custom bearing edge for ghost-note articulation)*
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series (expanded) — expanded crash and effects configuration *(upgrade — broader tonal palette)*
- **Hardware:** Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal (continued)
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth Matt Garstka Signature *(signature — elongated taper for traditional grip)*
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated / Evans EMAD (continued)
- **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$8,500

**Key developments:**
- The Madness of Many (2016) — critically acclaimed; showcased evolved technical approach
- Pearl Matt Garstka Signature Snare released
- Vic Firth Matt Garstka Signature sticks released
- Became one of the most-watched drum educators via Drumeo, YouTube, and international clinics

> "Having a signature snare and sticks made me think harder about what I actually needed from my gear — not what looked cool, but what let me communicate the music clearly." — *Drumeo Interview, 2017*

---

## Parrhesia / Current Era (2022–Present)

**Albums:** Parrhesia (2022)
**Tours:** Parrhesia World Tour 2022–2023, continued clinic and educational touring

**Q: What is Matt Garstka's current drum setup?**
A: Garstka's current touring rig keeps the same compact Pearl Masterworks Maple philosophy and Meinl Byzance voicing that have defined his sound since 2014, now paired consistently with his own Pearl signature snare and Vic Firth signature sticks. Parrhesia (2022) — Animals as Leaders' most compositionally dense record to date — shows a decade of refinement built on a remarkably stable core setup rather than wholesale gear changes.

- **Drums:** Pearl Masterworks Maple — compact maple configuration, current touring spec (unchanged since 2014)
- **Snare:** Pearl Matt Garstka Signature Snare — current standard snare
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series (current configuration) — adjusted per tour, retains dark hand-hammered voicing
- **Hardware:** Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal (unchanged)
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth Matt Garstka Signature — current standard stick model
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated / Evans EMAD (unchanged)
- **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$9,500

**Key developments:**
- Parrhesia (2022) — most compositionally dense Animals as Leaders record to date
- Core Pearl Masterworks Maple / Meinl Byzance setup unchanged since 2014
- Signature snare and sticks now the standing default across all touring
- Continued expansion of educational presence alongside touring

> "My setup hasn't changed drastically since The Joy of Motion — because it already did what I needed. Parrhesia just asked me to say more with it." — *Modern Drummer Interview, 2022*

---

## Career Cost Overview

| Era | Years | Kit Cost (Original) | Inflation-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-AAL / Berklee Years | 2007–2012 | $2,000 | ~$2,900 |
| The Joy of Motion Era | 2012–2015 | $7,949 | ~$11,000 |
| The Madness of Many / Signature Era | 2016–2021 | $8,500 | ~$11,200 |
| Parrhesia / Current Era | 2022–Present | $9,500 | ~$9,800 |

---

## Gear Brand Partnerships Timeline

- **Ludwig (snares)** — 2007–2012 (Supraphonic, Berklee/session years, pre-endorsement)
- **Zildjian K (cymbals)** — 2007–2012 (jazz-fusion years before joining AAL)
- **Pearl (drums)** — 2012–present (Masterworks Maple compact configuration, unbroken since The Joy of Motion)
- **Pearl (snares)** — 2012–present (Reference 14"×5" → Matt Garstka Signature Snare from 2016)
- **Meinl Byzance (cymbals)** — 2012–present (switched from Zildjian K on joining Animals as Leaders)
- **Pearl Demon Drive (hardware)** — 2012–present (unchanged double pedal platform)
- **Vic Firth (sticks)** — 2012–present (5A → Matt Garstka Signature from 2016)
- **Remo / Evans (heads)** — throughout AAL career (Ambassador Coated / EMAD)

---

## FAQ

**Q: What drum kit does Matt Garstka play?**
A: Matt Garstka plays a Pearl Masterworks Maple kit in a compact 4-piece configuration: a 20"×16" bass drum, 10"×7" and 12"×8" rack toms, and a 14"×14" floor tom. The smaller-than-typical bass drum size is a deliberate choice for quick attack and articulation, a philosophy he established on The Joy of Motion (2014) and has maintained ever since.

**Q: What cymbals does Matt Garstka use?**
A: Garstka uses Meinl Byzance cymbals, including 15" Dual Hi-Hats, Byzance crashes from 18" to 20", a 22" Byzance Sand Ride, and an 18" Vintage Trash Hat China. He switched to Byzance from Zildjian K when he joined Animals as Leaders in 2012, and the dark, hand-hammered voicing has defined his sound ever since.

**Q: Does Matt Garstka have a signature snare?**
A: Yes. Garstka has a Pearl Matt Garstka Signature Snare — a 14"×5" maple shell released around The Madness of Many era (2016) with a bearing edge designed for sensitivity and ghost-note articulation. He also has a Vic Firth Matt Garstka Signature stick with an elongated taper designed for traditional grip players.

**Q: What grip does Matt Garstka use?**
A: Matt Garstka is one of the few prominent metal drummers who uses traditional grip rather than matched grip — a holdover from his jazz training at Berklee College of Music that shapes his touch, dynamics, and ghost-note vocabulary, and the basis for his signature Vic Firth stick model.

**Q: How did Matt Garstka's gear change from The Joy of Motion to Parrhesia?**
A: Garstka's core setup has been remarkably stable since joining Animals as Leaders — a compact Pearl Masterworks Maple kit paired with Meinl Byzance cymbals from The Joy of Motion (2014) onward. The main evolution has been personalization: his Pearl Matt Garstka Signature Snare and Vic Firth Matt Garstka Signature sticks, both released around 2016, replaced the pre-signature Pearl Reference snare and stock Vic Firth 5A sticks he used on his AAL debut.

---

## Related Pages

- [Matt Garstka Drummer Profile](/llms/drummers/matt-garstka.md)
- [Matt Garstka Gear History](/llms/gear-history/matt-garstka.md)
- [Animals as Leaders Band Profile](/llms/bands.md)
- [Pearl Drums Brand Guide](/llms/brands/pearl.md)
- [Meinl Byzance Cymbal Guide](/llms/brands/meinl.md)
- [Matt Halpern Gear Evolution](/llms/evolution/matt-halpern.md)
- [Metal Drumming Facts & Stats](/llms/facts.md)