Alex Van Halen's drum kit and setup

Documented by Drum Faster

Van Halen's co-founder, and the man behind the biggest drum sound of the 1980s. Ludwig shells and Paiste cymbals for most of it, and for 1984 a kit of Roto-toms, Simmons pads and Octobans that half the decade copied within months. Also: the "Hot for Teacher" shuffle.

Read our full Alex Van Halen feature →

2012 — A Different Kind of Truth

The last Van Halen tour, with David Lee Roth back out front. Same brands, bigger rig, and his own Paiste signature ride now on the kit. This is the kit that later went to auction.

The 2012 kit at a glance. Tap a piece to find it below; sticks, pedals and hardware aren't drawn.

Ludwig double-bass kit custom finish, oversized toms ⤷ who plays this

Ludwig 14"x6.5" metal snare ⤷ who plays this

Paiste 2002 15" Sound Edge Hi-hats ⤷ who plays this

Paiste 2002 20" Crashes ⤷ who plays this

Paiste 2002 24" "Reverend Al's Big Ride" his signature model — built so the bell survives Eddie ⤷ who plays this

Paiste gongs ⤷ who plays this

1984 — 1984 — Roto-toms and Simmons

The commercial peak, and the kit that made the decade sound the way it does. The toms on the record are mostly Remo Roto-toms over a Ludwig floor tom with the resonant head taken off, the bass drum on much of it is a Simmons pad rather than a bass drum, and Simmons toms carry a few tracks outright — "Hot For Teacher" among them. The tour then went further: Simmons kicks and toms at the centre of the kit, Octobans fanned out in front of them, and an acoustic snare in the middle of it all.

The 1984 kit at a glance. Tap a piece to find it below; sticks, pedals and hardware aren't drawn.

Simmons SDS-V kit SDS 5-series pads on an SDS-V brain — kicks and toms, and the core of the touring kit ⤷ who plays this

Remo Roto Toms several sizes — the main toms on the record ⤷ who plays this

Ludwig floor tom resonant head removed, under the Roto-toms ⤷ who plays this

Tama Octobans fanned in a V in front of the Simmons pads, which made the kit read bigger from the back of an arena ⤷ who plays this

Tama 14"x6.5" rosewood snare the acoustic snare in the middle of the electronic kit, under Remo CS black dot heads ⤷ who plays this

Ludwig Supraphonic 14"x6.5" snare customised aluminium — the other 6.5 he switched between ⤷ who plays this

Paiste 2002 15" Sound Edge Hi-hats ⤷ who plays this

Paiste 2002 20" Crashes a wall of them ⤷ who plays this

Paiste 2002 24" Ride the forerunner of his signature "Reverend Al's Big Ride" ⤷ who plays this

Gongs and timbales the touring rigs kept growing ⤷ who plays this

1978 — Van Halen

The debut. A Ludwig Pro Beat in silver sparkle, used from around 1970 right through to this record — big shells, high tuning, no muffling, and everything ringing.

The 1978 kit at a glance. Tap a piece to find it below; sticks, pedals and hardware aren't drawn.

Ludwig Pro Beat kit silver sparkle — 24" kick, 13" rack, 16"/18" floors ⤷ who plays this

Ludwig Supraphonic 14"x6.5" snare aluminium, customised ⤷ who plays this

Paiste 2002 15" Sound Edge Hi-hats ⤷ who plays this

Paiste 2002 20" Crash several ⤷ who plays this

Paiste 2002 22" Ride ⤷ who plays this

Coated batters, tuned high no gels, no rings — the length of the note is the sound ⤷ who plays this

2012 — A Different Kind of Truth

1984 — 1984 — Roto-toms and Simmons

1978 — Van Halen

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