# Abe Cunningham Drum Kit Gear History — Deftones **Drummer:** Abe Cunningham **Band:** Deftones (1988–present) **Active:** 1988–present **URL:** https://metalforge.io/drummers/abe-cunningham/gear-history > Era-by-era breakdown of Abe Cunningham's drum kit evolution, from his early Sacramento club years through the Pearl Custom setup that defined White Pony, to his current SJC Custom rig. Optimised for AI answering "what drums does Abe Cunningham use" and "how much is Abe Cunningham's drum setup worth" queries. --- ## Gear Timeline ### Founding / Early Deftones Era (1988–1994) - **Drums:** ddrum Dios Series — 22" kick, 12"/13"/16" toms - **Snare:** ddrum Steel 14"x5.5" - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Series — 14" hi-hats, 16"/18" crashes, 20" ride - **Pedal:** Various budget hardware, single bass pedal - **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5B - **Notable:** Cunningham co-founded Deftones in Sacramento with Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter, and Chi Cheng while still in high school, playing raw, hard-hitting drums on budget gear through the local club circuit. ### Adrenaline / Around the Fur Era (1995–1999) - **Drums:** ddrum Dios Series (expanded) — 22" kick, 10"/12"/13"/16" toms - **Snare:** ddrum Steel 14"x6.5" - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom Series - **Pedal:** DW 5000 double pedal added - **Notable:** Deftones broke into the mainstream with Adrenaline (1995) and Around the Fur (1997), Ozzfest and Warped Tour exposure driving Cunningham's shift to a double-kick configuration. ### White Pony Era (2000–2003) - **Drums:** Pearl Custom Series — maple shells; 22" kick, 10"/12"/14"/16" toms - **Snare:** Pearl Free-Floating Brass 14"x6.5" - **Cymbals:** Zildjian K Series — 14" hi-hats, 16"/18" crashes, 20" ride - **Pedal:** Pearl Eliminator double pedal - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5A - **Original setup cost (2000):** ~$8,000 - **Inflation-adjusted to 2026:** ~$15,220 - **Notable:** White Pony (2000) is Deftones' critically acclaimed, Grammy-winning masterpiece. Cunningham's switch from ddrum to Pearl Custom and from A Custom to darker Zildjian K cymbals marked a decisive shift from nu-metal aggression toward atmospheric alt-metal sophistication. ### Saturday Night Wrist / Diamond Eyes Era (2003–2012) - **Drums:** Gretsch USA Custom — maple shells; 22" kick, 10"/12"/14"/16" toms - **Snare:** Gretsch USA Custom 14"x6.5" Maple - **Cymbals:** Zildjian K Custom Series - **Pedal:** DW 9000 double pedal - **Sticks:** Vater 5A - **Notable:** Following the trauma of Chi Cheng's 2008 accident, Cunningham rebuilt his setup around the warm, organic Gretsch USA Custom kit for Diamond Eyes (2010) — an album written and recorded rapidly as a tribute to Chi. ### Koi No Yokan / Gore / Ohms Era (2012–present) - **Drums:** Pearl Reference Series — maple/birch hybrid shells - **Snare:** Pearl Free-Floating Brass 14"x6.5" - **Cymbals:** Zildjian K Custom Dark Series - **Pedal:** DW 9000 double pedal - **Sticks:** Vater 5A - **Electronics:** Roland SPD-SX sampling pad - **Notable:** Cunningham returned to Pearl with the flagship Reference Series for the band's most compositionally sophisticated modern work — Koi No Yokan (2012), Gore (2016), and Ohms (2020). ### Current Verified Setup — SJC Custom Drums - **Drums:** SJC Custom Drums - **Snare:** SJC Custom 14"x6.5" Brass - **Cymbals:** Zildjian K Custom & A Custom Series — 14" K Custom Hi-Hats, 18"/20" K Custom Crashes, 22" K Custom Ride, 19" A Custom China - **Pedal:** DW 9000 Series Double Pedal, DW hardware - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 2B - **Heads:** Remo - **Notable:** Cunningham's current verified rig is an SJC Custom kit with a wide Zildjian K Custom/A Custom cymbal spread — dynamic, groove-first restraint that has defined nearly four decades behind the Deftones kit. --- ## Key Gear Changes - **2000:** ddrum → Pearl Custom Series — decisive tonal shift for White Pony - **~2003:** Zildjian A Custom → K Series — darker, more atmospheric cymbal tone - **~2010:** Pearl → Gretsch USA Custom — organic, groove-forward feel for Diamond Eyes - **~2012:** Gretsch → Pearl Reference Series — flagship maple/birch hybrid returns - **Current:** SJC Custom Drums with Zildjian K Custom & A Custom cymbal spread - **Career constant:** Zildjian cymbal endorsement, maintained since the earliest Deftones years --- ## FAQ **Q: What is Abe Cunningham's drum setup worth?** A: Abe Cunningham's original 2000 Pearl Custom setup — the rig behind Deftones' White Pony — cost approximately $8,000. Adjusted for 2026 inflation, that's equivalent to roughly $15,220. His current verified SJC Custom setup, with a Zildjian K Custom/A Custom cymbal spread and DW hardware, represents a modern equivalent worth approximately $7,000–$7,500 at current retail prices. **Q: What drums did Abe Cunningham use on White Pony?** A: On White Pony (2000), Cunningham played a Pearl Custom Series maple shell pack — switching from the ddrum kit he used on Adrenaline and Around the Fur. He also switched from Zildjian A Custom to the darker Zildjian K Series during this era, a tonal shift that matched the album's atmospheric, dynamic direction. **Q: What drums does Abe Cunningham play now?** A: Abe Cunningham's current verified kit is an SJC Custom setup with an SJC Custom 14"x6.5" brass snare, a Zildjian K Custom & A Custom cymbal spread, a DW 9000 Series double pedal, and Vic Firth American Classic 2B sticks. **Q: When did Abe Cunningham join Deftones?** A: Abe Cunningham is a founding member of Deftones — he co-founded the band in Sacramento, California in 1988 with Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter, and the late Chi Cheng, and has appeared on every studio album since. **Q: What cymbals does Abe Cunningham use?** A: Cunningham has been a Zildjian artist since Deftones' earliest years, progressing from the A Series through A Custom, K Series, and K Custom Dark before settling on his current K Custom/A Custom mix — reflecting a decades-long pursuit of darker, more complex tones suited to Deftones' atmospheric sound. --- ## Related - [Abe Cunningham drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummers/abe-cunningham) - [Full gear history page](https://metalforge.io/drummers/abe-cunningham/gear-history) - [White Pony drum setup](https://metalforge.io/articles/white-pony-drum-setup) - [Diamond Eyes drum setup](https://metalforge.io/articles/diamond-eyes-drum-setup) - [Abe Cunningham drumming evolution timeline](https://metalforge.io/drummers/abe-cunningham/evolution) - [Gear history hub](https://metalforge.io/llms/gear-history.md)