Chip Clemmer's Webpage

Chip plays vintage Pearl Drums, Paiste Cymbals, and Vic Firth drum sticks.

Chip Clemmer plays early 1980 era Pearl drums. He plays a 4 piece kit on  most gigs, varying the size of the drums depending on the gig. Bass drums and tom toms are Pearl drums manufactured in Japan, before Pearl began manufacturing their drums here in the Untited States.  

Kit #1, for most general business applications:

• 14 x 22 bass drum, Evans EQ3 batter head, Evans EQ2 front head with sound hole. No extra muffling.
• 8 x 12 mounted tom, Evans Genera G1 coated heads top and bottom, no additional muffling.
• 15 x 15 floor tom slung from a cymbal stand, Evans Genera G1 heads top and bottom, no additional muffling.
• 5 x 14  brass shell snare drum, or a 6 1/2 x 14 brass shell snare drum, Evans Genera G1 batter head and Evans Resonance Snare Head on the bottom. 
• 14 inch Paise Signature Series Heavy Hi Hat cymbals
• 22 inch Paiste Signature Series Dark Energy Ride Mark I
• 16 inch Paiste Signature Series Full Crash Cymbal
• 18 inch Paiste Signature Series Full Crash

With the Joy B. Band:

• 14 inch Paiste Signature Series Dry Crisp Hi Hat Cymbals
• 16 inch Paiste Signature Series Mellow Crash
• 18 inch Paiste Signature Series Mellow Crash
• 22 inch Paiste Traditional Series Light Ride

For smaller rooms with the Joy B. Band and other applications:

• 14 x 18 bass drum
• 10 x 8 mounted tom
• 14 x 14 floor tom slung from a cymbal stand
• 4 x 14 wood shell Mapleworks snare drum
• 14 inch Paiste Signature Series Medium Hi Hats
• 16 inch Paiste Signature Series Thin Crash
• 17 inch Paiste Signature Series Thin Crash
• 20 inch Paiste Traditional Series Light Ride

My philosophy as far as equipment goes is as follows: Don't bring more gear than you need to do the job. For most applications, you don't need any more gear than a 4 or 5 piece drum set.

It took many years for me to figure this out. I used to drag a huge kit around on many gigs. Today, I realize that I could have accomplished the same job with about half the equipment.

When I was in the Air Force Band, I used a 4 or 5 piece kit. Now that I am retired, I limit myself to a 4 piece kit with a ride cymbal, 2 crash cymbals, and standard 14" hi hats.