# How to Sound Like Mikkey Dee — Motörhead / Scorpions Drum Sound Guide

**Drummer:** Mikkey Dee  
**Band:** Motörhead / Scorpions  
**Genre:** Heavy Metal / Hard Rock  
**Guide URL:** https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-mikkey-dee

## Overview

Mikkey Dee (born Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou, October 31, 1963, Göteborg, Sweden) joined Motörhead in 1992 and remained their drummer until Lemmy Kilmister's death in December 2015. Over more than two decades, he recorded on some of Motörhead's most celebrated later albums — Bastards (1993), Sacrifice (1995), Snake Bite Love (1998), and Inferno (2004) — and was present for nearly half the band's total recording career. Since 2016, he has served as drummer for Scorpions.

Dee's drumming is built on three pillars: enormous physical power delivered with precise timing, a floor tom-dominant fill style that punctuates phrases with authoritative weight rather than technical flourish, and an aggressive right-hand attack on the ride and crash that drives the rhythm section like a freight train. These qualities made him ideal for Motörhead's locomotive rock aesthetic and continue to serve Scorpions' arena-rock demands. His approach emphasizes impact and precision over complexity — every fill lands exactly where the song needs it, and the groove locks with Phil Campbell's guitar and Lemmy's bass as if they were one instrument.

## Kit Setup

Mikkey plays **Pearl Reference** (Motörhead era) / **Pearl Masters Premium** (Scorpions era) — all-maple professional kits:

- **Kick Drums:** 22" x 18" (x2, independent) with Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal
- **Snare:** 14" x 6.5" Pearl Free-Floating Brass or Steel
- **Rack Toms:** 10" x 9", 12" x 10"
- **Floor Toms:** 14" x 14", 16" x 16" (emphasized configuration reflecting his fill vocabulary)
- **Cymbals:** Paiste 2002 Series (Motörhead era) / Paiste Signature (current) — bright, loud, projecting
- **Pedals:** Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal (direct-drive mechanical link)
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5B or 2B (heavier sticks suited to arm-powered playing)
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke P3 Clear or Evans EMAD2 (kick), Remo Ambassador Coated (snare), Remo Emperor Clear (toms)

## Tuning & Setup

Dee tunes for maximum projection and attack — Motörhead's dense guitar sound requires drums that cut through at volume:

- **Kick:** Medium tension with internal muffling pillow touching both batter and resonant heads. Punchy, controlled thump with a defined attack transient that locks with guitar riffs. Ported resonant head common for faster decay and mid-range punch.
- **Snare:** Medium-high tension for cutting crack at rock volumes. Small tape strip at edge or one Moongel for live. The Free-Floating brass/steel snare projects over loud guitar — backbeats must be heard clearly in large venues.
- **Toms:** Medium-high tension, attack focused with moderate sustain. Emperor Clear heads project well at medium-high tension. Tune the 14" floor noticeably lower than the 12" rack for pitch separation that gives fills their weight progression.

## Technique Tips

Dee plays **matched grip** with a physical, arm-led technique that generates significant impact. Power comes from full-arm strokes rather than wrist-dominant playing.

**Signature patterns:**

- **Straight-Ahead Rock Groove with Ride Drive (140–200 BPM, Beginner-Intermediate):** Quarter notes or 8th notes on the ride with powerful, consistent right hand. Snare firmly on 2 and 4. Kick on 1 and the 3-and. The Motörhead engine is built on this locomotive groove — predictable in structure, overpowering in delivery. Each ride hit must have equal, authoritative weight; record yourself and verify no hits disappear.
- **Floor Tom Fill Punctuation (Variable, Beginner):** Fills are floor-tom dominant. Instead of ripping across the full tom setup, drive into the floor tom with one to three powerful strokes at phrase endings. One authoritative floor tom hit beats three tentative ones — commitment to each hit is the whole philosophy.
- **Aggressive Right-Hand Crash Accents (Variable, Beginner-Intermediate):** Full-arm crash strokes that bury the stick into the cymbal for maximum attack. Combined with simultaneous kick hits (crash-kick) on phrase boundaries. A quiet crash on a loud groove disappears; use full arm strokes aimed at the bell or upper bow for maximum projection.
- **Double Bass Drive in Straight Rock Context (160–200 BPM, Intermediate):** Both feet alternate to create a constant 8th-note kick stream beneath the groove on faster songs. Straight and even — pure propulsion, not technical display. Develop left foot to match right foot at equal weight before combining.

**Key songs to study:** *Sacrifice* (Sacrifice, 1995) · *Just 'Cos You Got the Power* (Bastards, 1993) · *Orgasmatron (Live)* (Everything Louder Than Everyone Else, 1999) · *Rock 'n' Roll* (Snake Bite Love, 1998)

## Gear Shopping List

| Item | Dee's Spec | Budget Alternative |
|------|-----------|-------------------|
| Drum Kit | Pearl Reference / Masters Premium | Pearl Export Series (~$550) |
| Snare | Pearl Free-Floating Brass 14" x 6.5" | Ludwig 6.5" Bronze or Pearl Sensitone |
| Cymbals | Paiste 2002 Series | Paiste PST 5 Series |
| Pedal | Pearl Demon Drive Double | Pearl P-2002C Eliminator (~$200) |
| Sticks | Vic Firth 5B or 2B | Promark 5B hickory |
| Kick Head | Remo Powerstroke P3 Clear | Evans EMAD2 Clear |

**Starter budget path (~$1,000):** Pearl Export + Paiste PST 5 Pack + Pearl Eliminator Double. See [/brands/pearl](https://metalforge.io/brands/pearl) and [/brands/paiste](https://metalforge.io/brands/paiste).

## Practice Routine

1. **Power Groove Builder (15 min daily):** Quarter notes on ride at 100 BPM with full arm strokes — every hit equally loud and positioned identically. Add snare on 2 and 4, kick on 1 and 3. Record: the ride should be the loudest element and every hit audible. Increase 10 BPM per week to 180 BPM.
2. **Floor Tom Fill Commitment Drill (15 min, 3x/week):** Play 4 bars of basic rock groove. On bar 4 beat 4, play one floor tom hit with maximum arm commitment. Then try beats 3-and and 4. Goal: floor tom fills with authority equal to a full-force snare backbeat.
3. **Crash-Kick Accent Drill (10 min daily):** Crash with full arm stroke + kick simultaneously at different metric positions. Both must land at exactly the same time. Practice at 100 BPM with a click to verify precise synchronization.

**Common mistakes:** Wrist-only ride strokes (Dee's ride projects because of full arm commitment); filling with too many notes (weight and placement, not speed); under-powered crash accents (must cut through a loud mix); uneven double bass (both feet need equal weight).

## FAQ

**Q: What drum kit does Mikkey Dee use?**  
A: Mikkey Dee played Pearl Reference drums throughout his Motörhead years, with dual 22" bass drums and an emphasis on floor toms (14" and 16") in his configuration. Since joining Scorpions in 2016, he has transitioned to Pearl Masters Premium drums. Both setups use all-maple shells. He is a long-term Pearl endorser.

**Q: What cymbals does Mikkey Dee use?**  
A: Mikkey Dee played Paiste 2002 cymbals throughout his Motörhead years — a series known for bright, loud, projecting character. His setup typically included 15" 2002 Big Beat hi-hats, 2002 Medium and Heavy crashes, a 2002 China, and a 2002 Heavy Ride. He has also used Paiste Signature cymbals with Scorpions.

**Q: What is Mikkey Dee's signature drumming technique?**  
A: Dee's signature is powerful straight-ahead rock timing combined with floor tom-dominant fills and an aggressive right-hand ride attack. His playing prioritizes physical authority and precise rhythmic placement over technical complexity. One powerful floor tom hit delivered with conviction characterizes his fill approach more than multi-surface cascade runs.

**Q: How does Mikkey Dee's style differ from Philthy Animal Taylor's?**  
A: Philthy Animal Taylor (Motörhead's original drummer) played with a looser, more chaotic feel that matched the early Motörhead's raw energy. Dee brought greater technical precision, more deliberate fill placement, and more consistent controlled power. Where Taylor's playing had a loose urgency, Dee's has controlled authority — the same aggression, more precisely channeled.

**Q: What are the best Motörhead songs to study Mikkey Dee's drumming?**  
A: Start with tracks from Bastards (1993) and Sacrifice (1995) — his earliest Motörhead albums in their most direct form. 'Just 'Cos You Got the Power' and 'Sacrifice' demonstrate his ride-driven groove and floor tom fills. For live performance, Everything Louder Than Everyone Else (1999) captures his full-power approach at Motörhead's classic velocity.

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**Full interactive guide:** [https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-mikkey-dee](https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-mikkey-dee)  
**Drummer profile:** [https://metalforge.io/drummer/mikkey-dee](https://metalforge.io/drummer/mikkey-dee)  
**Licks & patterns:** [https://metalforge.io/drummers/mikkey-dee/licks](https://metalforge.io/drummers/mikkey-dee/licks)  
**Related guides:** [Lars Ulrich](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-lars-ulrich.md) · [Dave Lombardo](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-dave-lombardo.md) · [Nicko McBrain](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-nicko-mcbrain.md)

*Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io) · Last updated: 2026-06-24*