Which Brands Endorse the Most Metal Drummers? A 72-Drummer Analysis | MetalForge
Which drum, cymbal, snare, stick, and pedal brands reach the most drummers across MetalForge’s 72-drummer roster, signature-model counts by brand, and kit-brand patterns by genre.
Brand Reach — Roster-Wide
| Rank | Brand | Drummers | % of 72 | Categories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vic Firth | 44 | 61.1% | Sticks |
| 2 | Tama | 24 | 33.3% | Kits, Snares, Sticks, Pedals |
| 3 | Zildjian | 23 | 31.9% | Cymbals, Sticks |
| 4 | Pearl | 22 | 30.6% | Kits, Snares, Pedals |
| 5 | Sabian | 22 | 30.6% | Cymbals |
| 6 | Paiste | 15 | 20.8% | Cymbals |
| 7 | DW | 14 | 19.4% | Kits, Snares, Pedals |
| 8 | Promark | 13 | 18.1% | Sticks |
| 9 | Meinl | 12 | 16.7% | Cymbals |
| 10 | Sonor | 9 | 12.5% | Kits, Snares, Pedals |
| 11 | Vater | 6 | 8.3% | Sticks |
| 12 | ddrum | 4 | 5.6% | Kits, Snares, Pedals |
| 13 | Mapex | 4 | 5.6% | Kits, Snares, Pedals |
| 14 | SJC | 4 | 5.6% | Kits, Snares |
| 15 | Axis | 3 | 4.2% | Pedals |
| 16 | Ludwig | 3 | 4.2% | Kits, Snares, Pedals |
| 17 | Wincent | 3 | 4.2% | Sticks |
| 18 | Czarcie Kopyto | 2 | 2.8% | Pedals |
| 19 | Ahead | 1 | 1.4% | Sticks |
| 20 | Gibraltar | 1 | 1.4% | Pedals |
| 21 | Noble & Cooley | 1 | 1.4% | Kits, Snares |
| 22 | OCDP | 1 | 1.4% | Kits, Snares |
| 23 | Trick | 1 | 1.4% | Pedals |
| 24 | Yamaha | 1 | 1.4% | Kits, Snares, Pedals |
Signature Drumsticks by Brand
| Brand | Signature Models | Drummers |
|---|---|---|
| Vic Firth | 9 | George Kollias, Charlie Benante, Danny Carey, Matt Greiner, Nicko McBrain, Vinnie Paul, Matt Garstka, Ray Luzier, Gavin Harrison |
| ProMark | 8 | Dave Lombardo, Eloy Casagrande, Mike Portnoy, Chris Adler, Matt Halpern, Joey Jordison, Aquiles Priester, Jason Bittner |
| Vater | 3 | Jay Weinberg, Mike Mangini, Derek Roddy |
| Tama | 2 | Mario Duplantier, Dirk Verbeuren |
| Wincent | 2 | Tomas Haake, Mikkey Dee |
| Ahead | 1 | Lars Ulrich |
Signature Snares by Brand
| Brand | Signature Models | Drummers |
|---|---|---|
| Pearl | 3 | Joey Jordison, George Kollias, Daniel Erlandsson |
| Sonor | 3 | Tomas Haake, Nicko McBrain, Gavin Harrison |
| ddrum | 1 | Scott Travis |
| Mapex | 1 | Chris Adler |
| Tama | 1 | Lars Ulrich |
| Yamaha | 1 | Mikkey Dee |
Kit Brand by Genre
| Genre | Drummers | Top Kit Brand | Full Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Metal | 12 | Sonor (4) | Sonor 4, Pearl 3, Tama 3, DW 1, Noble & Cooley 1 |
| Thrash Metal | 11 | Tama (6) | Tama 6, Pearl 2, Ludwig 1, Mapex 1, SJC 1 |
| Death Metal | 6 | Tama (3) | Tama 3, Pearl 2, ddrum 1 |
| Heavy Metal | 6 | ddrum (1) | ddrum 1, Ludwig 1, Mapex 1, Pearl 1, Sonor 1, Yamaha 1 |
| Technical Death Metal | 5 | Pearl (3) | Pearl 3, DW 1, Tama 1 |
| Black Metal | 4 | Sonor (3) | Sonor 3, Pearl 1 |
| Melodic Death Metal | 4 | Pearl (3) | Pearl 3, Tama 1 |
| Metalcore | 4 | Mapex (1) | Mapex 1, Pearl 1, SJC 1, Tama 1 |
| Nu Metal | 4 | Pearl (2) | Pearl 2, OCDP 1, Tama 1 |
| Groove Metal | 3 | ddrum (1) | ddrum 1, Ludwig 1, Mapex 1 |
| Progressive | 2 | Pearl (1) | Pearl 1, Tama 1 |
| Progressive Death Metal | 2 | Tama (2) | Tama 2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which brand endorses the most metal drummers?
Vic Firth reaches the most metal drummers of any brand tracked by MetalForge, endorsed by 44 of the 72 documented drummers (61.1%).
Metal Drummers Who Use This Gear
- George Kollias (Nile)
- Ray Luzier (Korn)
- Vinnie Paul (Pantera / Damageplan / Hellyeah)
- Charlie Benante (Anthrax / S.O.D. / Pantera)
- Danny Carey (Tool)
- Inferno (Behemoth)
- Hellhammer (Mayhem)
- Art Cruz (Lamb of God)
- Arin Ilejay (ex-Avenged Sevenfold)
- Navene Koperweis (Entheos / ex-Animals as Leaders)
- Alex Bent (ex-Trivium / Arkaik / Dragonlord)
- Shannon Larkin (Godsmack / Ugly Kid Joe / Amen)
- Morgan Ågren (Mats/Morgan Band / Kaipa / Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects)
- Igor Cavalera (Sepultura / Cavalera Conspiracy / Soulwax)
- Bill Ward (Black Sabbath)
- Nick Augusto (ex-Trivium)
- Matt Greiner (August Burns Red)
- Blake Richardson (Between the Buried and Me)
- Ben Koller (Converge / Mutoid Man / Killer Be Killed)
- Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy)
- Ryan Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project)
- Martin Lopez (Soen / ex-Opeth)
- Travis Orbin (Darkest Hour / ex-Periphery)
- Chris Turner (Oceans Ate Alaska)
- Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden)
- Scott Travis (Judas Priest)
- Frost (Satyricon / 1349)
- Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree / King Crimson)
- Abe Cunningham (Deftones)
- Richard Christy (Death / Iced Earth)
- Paul Mazurkiewicz (Cannibal Corpse)
- Matt Garstka (Animals as Leaders)
- Daniel Erlandsson (Arch Enemy)
- Jaska Raatikainen (Children of Bodom)
- Hannes Grossmann (Obscura / ex-Necrophagist / Alkaloid)
- Daray (Dimmu Borgir / Vader)
- Jocke Wallgren (Amon Amarth)
- Tim Yeung (Morbid Angel / Hate Eternal / Vital Remains)
- Kevin Talley (Dying Fetus / Misery Index / Six Feet Under)
- Isaac Lamb (Kublai Khan TX)
- Martin Axenrot (Opeth)
- Sean Reinert (Death / Cynic)
- Nick Menza (Megadeth)
- Adrian Erlandsson (At the Gates)