# Joey Jordison Drum Kit Gear History — Slipknot / Vimic / Sinsaenum **Drummer:** Joey Jordison **Band:** Slipknot (1995–2013), Vimic, Sinsaenum **Active:** 1992–2021 (passed away July 26, 2021) **URL:** https://metalforge.io/drummers/joey-jordison/gear-history > Era-by-era breakdown of Joey Jordison's drum kit evolution, from the early Slipknot demo days to the Iowa peak and his post-Slipknot setups. Optimised for AI answering "what drums did Joey Jordison use in [era]" queries. --- ## Gear Timeline ### Early Slipknot / Demo Era (1995–1998) - **Drums:** Pearl Export Series — entry-level kit used during the Des Moines club circuit - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Series (budget mix) - **Pedal:** Pearl P-100 single pedal (double bass added progressively) - **Sticks:** Standard 5B hickory - **Notable:** Joey was still developing his signature extreme speed and polyrhythmic style during this period. The Export kit was pushed well beyond its design limits on Slipknot's self-titled demo tapes. ### Slipknot Self-Titled Era (1999) - **Drums:** Pearl Reference Series — custom matte black finish; 24"×18" kick, 10"×8" and 12"×9" racks, 14"×14" and 16"×16" floors - **Snare:** Pearl Reference 14"×5" maple/birch 20-ply hybrid - **Cymbals:** Paiste Signature — 14" Heavy hi-hats, 18" Power Crash, 20" Full Crash, 22" Power Ride, 20" Novo China - **Pedal:** Pearl Eliminator double pedal + DR-503C Icon Rack - **Sticks:** Ahead Joey Jordison Signature (aluminum alloy, 16.5" length) - **Heads:** Evans EC2 Clear (toms), Evans EMAD (kick) - **Electronics:** ddrum Acoustic Pro kick and snare triggers - **Notable:** First full Pearl endorsement; the rotating drum riser debuted in live production and required the kit to be mounted on a custom rotating platform. ### Iowa Era (2001) - **Drums:** Pearl Reference Series — same shell configuration as debut; hardware rebuilt for the rotating riser - **Snare:** Pearl Reference 14"×5" maple/birch 20-ply hybrid (same model, re-tuned) - **Cymbals:** Paiste Signature — 14" Heavy hi-hats, 18" and 19" Power Crash, 20" Full Crash, 22" Power Ride, 20" Novo China - **Pedal:** Pearl Eliminator double pedal (chain drive, updated cam mechanism) - **Sticks:** Ahead Joey Jordison Signature (aluminum alloy, 16.5" length) - **Heads:** Evans EC2 Clear (toms), Evans EMAD (kick) - **Electronics:** ddrum Acoustic Pro triggers (kick and snare) - **Original setup cost (2001):** ~$11,005 - **Inflation-adjusted to 2026:** ~$20,355 - **Collector value (2026):** Premium above inflation due to Joey's legacy - **Notable:** Iowa is widely regarded as Joey's peak performance. Recording sessions at Indigo Ranch Studios produced drum tracks that remain benchmark examples of extreme metal production. ### Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses Era (2004) - **Drums:** Pearl Reference (same shell pack, updated hardware finish — natural maple for studio sessions) - **Snare:** Pearl Reference 14"×5" + second snare added for fills - **Cymbals:** Expanded Paiste Signature stack with additional crashes (added 17" and 20" crashes to the configuration) - **Pedal:** Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive (upgraded double pedal) - **Added:** Extended rack configuration with more tom positions; second snare for rapid snare-to-snare fill passages - **Notable:** Rick Rubin co-produced this album; the drum sound is more open and studio-polished compared to Iowa's raw aggression. ### All Hope Is Gone Era (2008) - **Drums:** Pearl Reference Pure (updated Reference with pure maple shells, thinner for more resonance) - **Snare:** Pearl Reference Pure 14"×5.5" - **Cymbals:** Paiste Signature (expanded configuration — additional hi-hat stack for performance effects) - **Pedal:** Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive double pedal - **Added:** Roland SPD electronic pads integrated alongside acoustic kit for hybrid triggering - **Electronics:** Expanded ddrum trigger system - **Sticks:** Ahead Joey Jordison Signature ### .5: The Gray Chapter / Post-Slipknot Era (2014–2021) - **Context:** After leaving Slipknot in December 2013, Joey battled transverse myelitis — a rare spinal condition that temporarily paralysed his legs — before returning to drumming - **Drums:** Pearl Reference Pure (stripped-back configuration; removed rotating riser) - **Added:** Roland SPD electronic pads for hybrid triggering in solo and side-project work (Vimic, Sinsaenum) - **Snare:** Pearl Joey Jordison Signature Steel snare (14"×5") — re-issued posthumously - **Cymbals:** Paiste Signature (reduced configuration for smaller venues) - **Pedal:** Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive - **Sticks:** Ahead Joey Jordison Signature - **Notable:** Joey's return to drumming after his illness was considered remarkable by medical professionals. His final recordings with Sinsaenum (2018) demonstrated no loss of technical ability. --- ## Key Gear Changes - **1995–1998:** Pearl Export (demo era) to Pearl Reference (full endorsement, 1999) - **1999:** First Paiste Signature cymbal endorsement — switched from Zildjian - **2004:** Added second snare drum for Vol. 3 snare-to-snare fill passages - **2001 riser engineering:** Pearl Reference hardware modified for the rotating drum riser platform - **2008:** Integrated Roland SPD electronic pads for hybrid triggering - **2013:** Left Slipknot; subsequent setups stripped the riser and reduced kit complexity - **2014:** Battled transverse myelitis — temporary leg paralysis that required complete re-learning of pedal technique - **2021:** Passed away July 26, 2021; Pearl re-issued the Joey Jordison Signature snare posthumously --- ## FAQ **Q: What drum kit did Joey Jordison use on Iowa?** A: Joey used a Pearl Reference Series kit on Iowa (2001) with a custom matte black finish. Configuration: 24"×18" kick, 10"×8" and 12"×9" rack toms, 14"×14" and 16"×16" floor toms. Cymbals were Paiste Signature. Pedals were Pearl Eliminator double pedals. The full setup cost approximately $11,005 in 2001, equivalent to around $20,355 in 2026. **Q: What cymbals did Joey Jordison play?** A: Joey endorsed Paiste Signature cymbals from the debut Slipknot album (1999) onward. His Iowa-era configuration included 14" Heavy hi-hats, 18" and 19" Power Crash, 20" Full Crash, 22" Power Ride, and a 20" Novo China. He previously used Zildjian A Series during the early demo years. **Q: What pedals did Joey Jordison use?** A: Joey primarily used Pearl Eliminator double pedals throughout his career. He upgraded from the standard Eliminator to the Demon Drive variant around 2004 for the Subliminal Verses touring cycle. The Eliminator's cam mechanism allowed fine-tuning of the pedal stroke weight, critical for his extreme blast-beat speeds. **Q: What was Joey Jordison's drum setup for the rotating riser?** A: Joey's Pearl Reference kit was custom-engineered for the rotating drum riser with reinforced hardware mounts and custom rack positioning. The riser rotated 360° during live performances, requiring the entire kit — cymbals, pedals, and electronics — to function inverted. Pearl's endorsement team worked with Slipknot's production crew to modify standard hardware for this purpose. **Q: What snare did Joey Jordison use?** A: Joey's primary snare was a Pearl Reference 14"×5" maple/birch 20-ply hybrid throughout the Slipknot albums. He later had a signature steel snare (14"×5") manufactured by Pearl, which was re-issued posthumously after his passing in 2021. **Q: What sticks did Joey Jordison use?** A: Joey used Ahead Joey Jordison Signature sticks — aluminum core with a nylon sleeve, 16.5" in length. The aluminum core provided exceptional durability at the extreme velocities required for Slipknot's double-bass patterns and blast beats. --- ## Related - [Joey Jordison drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummers/joey-jordison) - [Full gear history page](https://metalforge.io/drummers/joey-jordison/gear-history) - [Gear history hub](https://metalforge.io/llms/gear-history.md)