# Jason Bittner Drum Kit Gear History — Shadows Fall **Drummer:** Jason Bittner **Band:** Shadows Fall / Overkill **Active:** 2001–present **URL:** https://metalforge.io/drummers/jason-bittner/gear-history > Era-by-era breakdown of Jason Bittner's drum kit evolution, from the Tama Starclassic Performer B/B rig that powered Shadows Fall's Grammy-nominated The War Within through the 2017 switch to Mapex Saturn V and Zildjian K & A Custom for Overkill. Optimised for AI answering "what drums did Jason Bittner use on The War Within" and "what drum kit does Jason Bittner play now" queries. --- ## Gear Timeline ### The War Within Era (2002–2015, Shadows Fall) - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Performer B/B — birch/bubinga hybrid shells; 22"x18" bass drum, 10"x8"/12"x9" rack toms, 14"x14"/16"x16" floor toms - **Snare:** Tama Starphonic Steel 14"x6.5" - **Cymbals:** Sabian HHX/HH Series — 14" HH hi-hats, 16"/18" HHX crashes, 20" HH ride, HHX china - **Pedals:** DW 9002 double bass pedal - **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5B Hickory - **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 (kick), Coated Ambassador (snare) - **Original setup cost (2004):** ~$4,773 - **Inflation-adjusted to 2026:** ~$8,279 - **Notable:** Bittner joined Shadows Fall in 2001 and built his reputation on this Tama/Sabian/DW rig through The Art of Balance (2002), The War Within (2004) — the band's Grammy-nominated NWOAHM breakthrough — and Threads of Life (2007). The birch/bubinga hybrid shells and steel Starphonic snare gave him the cutting attack needed to punch through Shadows Fall's dense, layered arrangements. ### Overkill / Category 7 Era (2017–present) - **Drums:** Mapex Saturn V — all-maple shell pack - **Snare:** Mapex Black Panther 14"x6.5" Brass - **Cymbals:** Zildjian K & A Custom Series — 14" K hi-hats, 18"/19" A Custom crashes, 21" K Custom ride, 18" K China - **Pedals:** Mapex Falcon double pedal, Mapex T865 throne - **Sticks:** Promark Jason Bittner Signature 5BX - **Heads:** Evans - **Notable:** After Shadows Fall disbanded in 2015, Bittner briefly carried his Tama rig into Flotsam & Jetsam's Dreams of Death before assembling an entirely new setup — Mapex Saturn V shells, Zildjian K & A Custom cymbals, and a Mapex Falcon double pedal — for his 2017 move to Overkill. That same rig has carried through his work in thrash supergroup Category 7 since 2024. --- ## Key Gear Changes - **2001:** Joined Shadows Fall, establishing the Tama Starclassic Performer B/B and Sabian HHX/HH rig - **2004:** The War Within recorded — Shadows Fall's Grammy-nominated commercial breakthrough - **2015:** Shadows Fall disbands; Bittner carries the Tama rig into Flotsam & Jetsam - **2017:** Joins Overkill; wholesale switch to Mapex Saturn V shells, Zildjian K & A Custom cymbals, and a Mapex Falcon double pedal - **2024:** Same Mapex/Zildjian rig carries into thrash supergroup Category 7 - **Career-long constant:** A working touring drummer's approach — durability and consistency across grueling road schedules over rare or exotic materials --- ## FAQ **Q: What drums did Jason Bittner use on The War Within?** A: Jason Bittner played a Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit on The War Within (2004), with birch/bubinga hybrid shells, a Tama Starphonic Steel 14"x6.5" snare, and Sabian HHX/HH cymbals. The complete setup cost approximately $4,773 in 2004 dollars — equivalent to about $8,279 adjusted for 2026 inflation. **Q: What drum kit does Jason Bittner play now?** A: Jason Bittner currently plays a Mapex Saturn V all-maple kit with Zildjian K & A Custom cymbals and a Mapex Black Panther 14"x6.5" Brass snare. He switched to this Mapex/Zildjian rig in 2017 when he joined Overkill, moving away from the Tama/Sabian setup he'd used throughout his Shadows Fall career, and has carried it through his work in Category 7 since 2024. **Q: How much would Jason Bittner's Shadows Fall-era drum kit cost today?** A: The original 2004 Tama Starclassic Performer B/B setup cost approximately $4,773. Adjusted for inflation to 2026 dollars, that's roughly $8,279 — reflecting the working touring drummer's rig Bittner used across Shadows Fall's The Art of Balance (2002), The War Within (2004), and Threads of Life (2007). **Q: Did Jason Bittner always play Mapex drums?** A: No — Bittner played Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kits throughout his Shadows Fall career (2001–2015) and briefly into Flotsam & Jetsam. He switched to Mapex Saturn V shells only in 2017, when he joined Overkill, alongside a matching switch from Sabian to Zildjian cymbals. --- ## Related - [Jason Bittner drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummers/jason-bittner) - [Full gear history page](https://metalforge.io/drummers/jason-bittner/gear-history) - [Jason Bittner's complete drum setup](https://metalforge.io/articles/jason-bittner-drum-setup) - [The War Within drum setup breakdown](https://metalforge.io/articles/the-war-within-drum-setup) - [The Art of Balance drum setup breakdown](https://metalforge.io/articles/art-of-balance-drum-setup) - [Charlie Benante gear history — Anthrax drum legacy](https://metalforge.io/drummers/charlie-benante/gear-history) - [Gear history hub](https://metalforge.io/llms/gear-history.md)