Mikkey Dee vs Charlie Benante — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Mikkey Dee (Scorpions / Motörhead) vs Charlie Benante (Anthrax / S.O.D. / Pantera). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Mikkey Dee use?
Mikkey Dee uses Sonor SQ2 with Paiste Signature Series (14" Sound Edge Hi-Hats, 19" & 20" Power Crashes, 22" Power Ride, 18" Heavy China). Mikkey Dee plays a Sonor SQ2 kit with an 18"x22" bass drum and a Sonor Mikkey Dee Signature 14"x7.25" Birch snare, paired with Paiste Signature Series cymbals (14" Sound Edge Hi-Hats, 19" & 20" Power Crashes, 22" Power Ride, 18" Heavy China), driven by a DW 5000 Series double pedal and Wincent Mikkey Dee Signature sticks. Charlie Benante plays a Tama Starclassic Maple kit with a Tama Charlie Benante Signature 14x6.5" snare, Paiste RUDE & 2002 Series cymbals (14" Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Crashes, 20" Power Ride, 18" China), a Tama Speed Cobra double pedal, and Vic Firth Charlie Benante Signature sticks.
What drum kit does Charlie Benante use?
Charlie Benante uses Tama Starclassic with Paiste RUDE & 2002 Series (14" Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Crashes, 20" Power Ride, 18" China). Mikkey Dee plays a Sonor SQ2 kit with an 18"x22" bass drum and a Sonor Mikkey Dee Signature 14"x7.25" Birch snare, paired with Paiste Signature Series cymbals (14" Sound Edge Hi-Hats, 19" & 20" Power Crashes, 22" Power Ride, 18" Heavy China), driven by a DW 5000 Series double pedal and Wincent Mikkey Dee Signature sticks. Charlie Benante plays a Tama Starclassic Maple kit with a Tama Charlie Benante Signature 14x6.5" snare, Paiste RUDE & 2002 Series cymbals (14" Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Crashes, 20" Power Ride, 18" China), a Tama Speed Cobra double pedal, and Vic Firth Charlie Benante Signature sticks.
Which is better, Mikkey Dee or Charlie Benante?
Mikkey Dee and Charlie Benante are two of heavy metal's most enduring multi-decade veterans, built on very different strengths. Dee spent 23 years as the thunderous engine behind Lemmy Kilmister's Motörhead before carrying that same raw power into Scorpions in 2016. Benante wrote the rhythmic vocabulary of American thrash metal with Anthrax and continues to tour with both Anthrax and the reunited Pantera despite a chronic arthritis diagnosis. The debate is stamina-driven hard-rock groove versus thrash metal's foundational blast-beat precision.