Drums

Michael Miller is a talented drummer and the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Playing Drums. He attended Indiana University’s prestigious Jazz Studies program, and currently is the lead drummer for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, Minnesota.

Michael plays a 2000-era Drum Workshop kit with DW hardware and pedals. The kit is in natural maple satin oil finish with brass lugs and rims. His current configuration is:

• 6 1/2″ x 14″ DW/Craviotto solid-maple snare drum
• 8″ x 10″ small tom
• 10″ x 12″ small tom
• 12″ x 14″ floor tom
• 14″ x 16″ floor tom
• 18″ x 22″ bass drum

Currently, Michael plays this kit without the 8″ x 10″ small tom. He mounts the 10″ x 12″ tom on a snare stand.

Michael also plays a vintage 1974 Fibes fiberglass drum set (made by CF Martin) in Antique Copper finish. This set (what Fibes called the Forte set) includes the following drums:

• 5″ x 14″ SFT 690 snare drum
• 8″ x 12″ small tom
• 9″ x 13″ small tom
• 16″ x 16″ floor tom
• 14″ x 22″ bass drum

Currently, Michael plays this kit without the 8″ x 12″ small tom. The original Fibes Uniball double tom holder has been replaced with a late-70s Rogers MemriLoc holder. All other drum hardware is original.

In addition, Michael plays a 5″ x 14″ Ludwig Supraphonic snare drum. It’s the most versatile snare drum in his collection!

Michael currently plays the following Zildjian cymbals:

• 10″ A. Zildjian Armand series splash
• 14″ A. Zildjian Armand series hi-hats
• 16″ A. Zildjian Armand series thin crash
• 16″ A. Zildjian thin crash (1970s vintage)
• 17″ A. Zildjian thin crash (1970s vintage)
• 19″ A. Zildjian Armand series “Beautiful Baby” ride
• 20″ A. Zildjian Armand series ride

Michael plays Vic Firth black 5A sticks and uses a Roc-n-Soc drum throne. He uses Evans heads on all his drums:

• Toms: G2 coated batter, G1 clear resonant
• Snare drum: G1 coated top, 300 series resonant
• Bass drum: EMAD 2 clear batter, Remo/DW logo head resonant w/ 5″ port