Gavin Harrison vs John Otto — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree / King Crimson) vs John Otto (Limp Bizkit). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Gavin Harrison use?
Gavin Harrison uses Sonor SQ2 Series with Zildjian K Custom Special Dry Series (14" Hi-Hats, 16" & 18" Crashes, 21" Special Dry Ride, 18" Trash China). Gavin Harrison plays a Sonor SQ2 kit with thin maple shells, his own Sonor Gavin Harrison Signature 14x5.25" brass snare, and Zildjian K Custom Special Dry cymbals developed in direct collaboration with him, paired with his Vic Firth Gavin Harrison Signature stick. John Otto plays an Orange County Drum & Percussion (OCDP) Custom Type 5 Acrylic kit with dual signature OCDP snares and Zildjian A Custom cymbals, driven by Gibraltar G Class pedals — Harrison's dry, articulate rig favors restraint, while Otto's acrylic shells and single-pedal setup are built for cutting through Limp Bizkit's dense rap-metal mix.
What drum kit does John Otto use?
John Otto uses Orange County Drum & Percussion (OCDP) Custom Type 5 Acrylic with Zildjian (13" A Custom Mastersound Hi-Hats, 16" & 17" A Custom Projection Crashes, 20" A Custom EFX, 20" FX Oriental Crash of Doom). Gavin Harrison plays a Sonor SQ2 kit with thin maple shells, his own Sonor Gavin Harrison Signature 14x5.25" brass snare, and Zildjian K Custom Special Dry cymbals developed in direct collaboration with him, paired with his Vic Firth Gavin Harrison Signature stick. John Otto plays an Orange County Drum & Percussion (OCDP) Custom Type 5 Acrylic kit with dual signature OCDP snares and Zildjian A Custom cymbals, driven by Gibraltar G Class pedals — Harrison's dry, articulate rig favors restraint, while Otto's acrylic shells and single-pedal setup are built for cutting through Limp Bizkit's dense rap-metal mix.
Which is better, Gavin Harrison or John Otto?
Gavin Harrison and John Otto both draw on jazz training, yet arrive at opposite destinations. Harrison channels his jazz-honed instincts into meticulous, odd-time polyrhythmic layering for Porcupine Tree and King Crimson, treating technical complexity as the point. Otto channels the same jazz foundation into disciplined, hip-hop-informed restraint that made Limp Bizkit's rap-metal commercially unstoppable. The debate is composed technical sophistication versus groove-first economy — both prove jazz training can serve radically different heavy music goals.