# Tomas Haake Drum Kit Gear History — Meshuggah **Drummer:** Tomas Haake **Band:** Meshuggah **Active:** 1990–present **URL:** https://metalforge.io/drummers/tomas-haake/gear-history > Era-by-era breakdown of Tomas Haake's drum kit evolution, from the entry-level Tama/Sabian B8 setup of Meshuggah's early albums to his current Tama Starclassic Maple and Meinl Byzance configuration. Optimised for AI answering "what drums did Tomas Haake use in [era]" queries. --- ## Gear Timeline ### DEI Era (1995) - **Drums:** Tama Swingstar — entry-level 5-piece; 22"×16" kick, 12"×10" rack, 14"×14" floor - **Snare:** Tama steel snare 14"×5" (8-lug) - **Cymbals:** Sabian B8 Series — 14" hi-hats, 16" crash, 18" crash, 20" ride - **Pedal:** DW 5000 double pedal - **Sticks:** Pro-Mark 5B Hickory, wood tip - **Heads:** Remo Ambassador (clear toms, coated snare batter, Powerstroke P3 kick) - **Original setup cost (1995):** ~$1,850 - **Inflation-adjusted to 2026:** ~$4,000 - **Notable:** Destroy Erase Improve (1995) introduced Meshuggah's polymetric, djent-adjacent approach to a wider metal audience. Haake executed the album's complex offset-grid patterns on genuinely budget gear, underscoring that technical innovation in extreme metal rarely correlates with equipment cost. ### Chaosphere Era (1998) - **Drums:** Tama Superstar — intermediate 5-piece; 22"×16" kick, 10"×9" and 12"×10" racks, 14"×14" and 16"×16" floors - **Snare:** Tama steel snare 14"×5" (8-lug) - **Cymbals:** Sabian B8 Pro Series — 14" B8 Pro hi-hats, 16" B8 Pro Thin Crash, 18" B8 Pro Thin Crash, 20" B8 Pro Medium Ride - **Pedal:** DW 5002 chain drive double pedal - **Sticks:** Pro-Mark 5B Hickory - **Heads:** Remo Ambassador (clear toms), Powerstroke P3 (kick) - **Original setup cost (1998):** ~$2,315 - **Inflation-adjusted to 2026:** ~$4,650 - **Notable:** Chaosphere is widely considered Meshuggah's most intense album — and it was recorded on an intermediate Tama/Sabian B8 Pro rig. The pedal upgrade from DW 5000 to DW 5002 reflects Haake's growing focus on double bass precision for the album's relentless tempo patterns. ### Nothing / I Era (2002–2004) - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Performer — first full Tama professional endorsement - **Snare:** Tama Starclassic Steel 14"×5.5" - **Cymbals:** Meinl Classics (early Meinl usage, pre-Byzance) - **Pedal:** DW 5002 double pedal - **Sticks:** Pro-Mark 5B (transitioning to Haake signature) - **Notable:** Haake's Tama endorsement formalised around the Nothing era, providing access to the Starclassic Performer. The move to Meinl cymbals began here — a partnership that would continue and deepen through the Byzance range. ### ÖBZen Era (2008) - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Maple — 6-piece; 22"×18" kick, 10"×8" and 12"×9" racks, 14"×14" and 16"×16" floors - **Snare:** Tama Starclassic Maple 14"×6" (maple-shelled snare for warmer attack) - **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Dark Series — 14" Byzance Dark hi-hats, 16" Byzance Dark Crash, 18" Byzance Dark Crash, 20" Byzance Dark Ride - **Pedal:** DW 9002 double pedal (upgraded spring tension and adjustability) - **Sticks:** Pro-Mark Tomas Haake Signature (hickory, wood tip) - **Heads:** Evans G2 (toms), EMAD2 (kick), Genera Dry (snare) - **Original setup cost (2008):** ~$6,200 - **Inflation-adjusted to 2026:** ~$9,500 - **Notable:** ÖBZen marked the full professionalisation of Haake's gear. The Meinl Byzance Dark cymbals — then commanding over $1,800 for a basic set — replaced the B8 Pro, representing a 4× cymbal cost increase over the Chaosphere era. The Evans head change (from Remo to Evans) is well-documented in Meshuggah gear features from this period. ### Current Setup (2020s) - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Maple Bubinga — 6-piece; 22"×18" kick, 10"×8" and 12"×9" racks, 14"×14" and 16"×16" floors - **Snare:** Tama S.L.P. Fat Spruce 14"×6" (or Tama Haake Signature when available) - **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Dark Series — 14" hi-hats, 16" and 18" crashes, 20" ride, 18" China - **Pedal:** DW 9002 double pedal - **Sticks:** Pro-Mark Tomas Haake Signature - **Heads:** Evans G2 (toms), EMAD2 (kick), Genera Dry (snare) - **Electronics:** Roland SPD-SX trigger pad for samples and click track --- ## Key Gear Changes - **1995 → 1998:** Tama Swingstar to Tama Superstar — first significant kit upgrade; DW 5000 to DW 5002 pedal - **2002:** Tama Starclassic Performer endorsement formalised; first Meinl cymbal use - **2008:** Full Meinl Byzance Dark endorsement; Evans heads; DW 9002 pedal; Pro-Mark signature sticks - **Cymbal cost trajectory:** Sabian B8 (~$450, 1998) → Meinl Byzance Dark ($1,800+, 2008+) — a 4× real-term increase even before inflation - **Electronic integration:** Roland SPD-SX trigger pad added in the 2010s for sample layering and click track management — uncommon in extreme metal but consistent with Meshuggah's clinical rhythmic precision --- ## FAQ **Q: What drum kit did Tomas Haake use on Chaosphere?** A: On Chaosphere (1998), Tomas Haake used a Tama Superstar 5-piece shell pack with a Tama steel snare (14"×5"), Sabian B8 Pro cymbals, and a DW 5002 chain drive double pedal. The setup cost approximately $2,315 at the time — equivalent to around $4,650 adjusted for 2026 inflation. Despite the intermediate gear, Chaosphere is considered one of the most technically extreme drum performances on a major metal record. **Q: What cymbals does Tomas Haake use?** A: Tomas Haake has used Meinl Byzance Dark cymbals since approximately the ÖBZen era (2008). His standard configuration includes Meinl Byzance Dark 14" hi-hats, 16" and 18" crashes, and a 20" ride. Before Meinl, he used Sabian B8 Pro in the late 1990s and early Meinl Classics models around 2002–2006. **Q: What drum pedal does Tomas Haake use?** A: Tomas Haake uses a DW 9002 chain drive double pedal, upgraded from the DW 5002 he used through the Chaosphere era. The 9002's adjustable spring tension and heel plate angle suit Meshuggah's precise, low-velocity double bass patterns, which prioritise accuracy over raw speed. **Q: What sticks does Tomas Haake use?** A: Tomas Haake uses Pro-Mark Tomas Haake Signature sticks — a hickory stick developed in collaboration with Pro-Mark after the ÖBZen era. In earlier years (through approximately 2006), he used standard Pro-Mark 5B hickory sticks. **Q: How much did Tomas Haake's DEI-era kit cost?** A: In the DEI era (1995), Haake's setup — a Tama Swingstar shell pack, Sabian B8 cymbals, and a DW 5000 double pedal — cost approximately $1,850 in 1995 dollars, equivalent to around $4,000 adjusted for 2026 inflation. **Q: What is Tomas Haake's current drum kit?** A: As of the 2020s, Tomas Haake plays a Tama Starclassic Maple Bubinga 6-piece kit, Meinl Byzance Dark cymbals, a DW 9002 double pedal, Pro-Mark Tomas Haake Signature sticks, Evans G2 and EMAD2 heads, and a Roland SPD-SX pad for electronic integration. --- ## Related - [Tomas Haake drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummers/tomas-haake) - [Full gear history page](https://metalforge.io/drummers/tomas-haake/gear-history) - [Gear history hub](https://metalforge.io/llms/gear-history.md)