Jay Weinberg‘s transition into Slipknot as the replacement for long-serving drummer Joey Jordison was an act of stealth. Not only had the band intended to keep the identity of their new drummer under wraps, but Weinberg even had to commission his first drum kit to use with the band without telling the manufacturer what he was going to use it for.
In a series of Instagram posts, the drummer recollected the his first attempt at designing his own drum kit back in 2012. Armed with acrylic and spray paint, he occupied a corner of the SJC Drums warehouse and got to work.
The result, as seen in the first photo slideshow Instagram post below, was what Weinberg has dubbed the “PokéVomit” kit. He explained that the kit had a “brief touring life and resides in Europe at the moment.”
“Painting this drum set was a thrill,” he wrote. “Such a trip to paint on a circular canvas; hoping things would connect, mirror each other, make sense, and line up on the other side. I’m still pretty stoked with the design.”
“But these wouldn’t be the last drums I’d design with SJC,” continued Weinberg, setting up his next post nicely. “Not by a long shot…”
Flash forward a year-and-a-half and Weinberg found himself in need of a serious kit upgrade, ready to hit the road after recording .5: The Gray Chapter with Slipknot. The drummer phoned his friend Mike, employed by SJC, and said, “OK…something’s happening, and I can’t tell you about it…but…can you make two giant double-bass kits with five toms and snare drums and marching snares and gong drums by mid-October?…..Yeah, no, I can’t tell you what it’s for…..OK, yeah, it’s going to be awesome…..OK, great.”
The finished kit, seen in the follow-up Instagram post below, was dubbed the “A-Rig” and Weinberg described it as “all-mirrored finish on Maple shells and a ‘B-rig’ set of stained Bubinga shells.”
Mike didn’t even find out what the kit’s intended purpose was until before Weinberg’s debut with Slipknot at Knotfest in 2014.
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