Gregg Keplinger
Encyclopedia
Gregg Keplinger is an American drummer, drum maker, and drum tech
from Seattle, Washington
.
to New Wave to R&B.
to produce his snares, though he now produces them by himself again. Gregg handcrafts snare drums, cymbals, and percussion out of a variety of metals, mainly stainless steel. His drums have been used by the likes of Elvin Jones
, Matt Cameron
, Jeremy Taggart
, and Zach Hill
. Keplinger is best known for his stainless steel drums, which are often noted for their explosive sound as well as heavy weight and shell thickness (3mm).
and Pearl Jam
, Our Lady Peace
, and Sunny Day Real Estate
among others. He has also served as drum tech in the recording studio, perhaps most notably on Soundgarden's highly successful breakthrough album Superunknown
. Matt Cameron stated in the June 1994 issue of Modern Drummer
magazine that "Gregg (Keplinger) was in the studio this time to help me out with things, changing heads and putting up cymbals. But one of the biggest things to me was that he would play the drums while I went into the control room and helped dial in the sounds. That saved a lot of time and kept me fresh when it was time to do a take."
Road crew
The road crew are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians...
from Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.
As a drummer
Keplinger began playing the drums at the age of 14, and has played in a large variety of bands ranging across many different styles, from JazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
to New Wave to R&B.
Drum Making
Keplinger began making drums in the late 80's during a break in his own musical activity. During the 90's he teamed with Ayotte DrumsAyotte Drums
Ayotte Drums is a custom drum company based in Bedford, Quebec, Canada. It was founded in 1982 in Vancouver, BC by Ray Ayotte, who was forced out of the company after losing majority control to his investors. Ayotte is especially well-known for their use of wooden drum hoops, instead of diecast...
to produce his snares, though he now produces them by himself again. Gregg handcrafts snare drums, cymbals, and percussion out of a variety of metals, mainly stainless steel. His drums have been used by the likes of Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
, Matt Cameron
Matt Cameron
Matthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...
, Jeremy Taggart
Jeremy Taggart
Jeremy Ronald John Taggart is a Canadian drummer, best known for playing with Our Lady Peace since 1993.-Early life:Taggart was born in Toronto, Ontario and has two brothers and one sister. Music was a central part of his youth, as his parents were also musicians, and Taggart learned to play drums...
, and Zach Hill
Zach Hill
Zach Hill is a musician residing in Sacramento, California. Primarily known for his drumming, he performs/has performed in numerous Pacific Coast based groups, including his primary group, Hella, as well as Holy Smokes, Nervous Cop, and a diverse range of others including El Grupo Nuevo de Omar...
. Keplinger is best known for his stainless steel drums, which are often noted for their explosive sound as well as heavy weight and shell thickness (3mm).
Drum Teching
Gregg has toured the world as a drum tech for Matt Cameron with SoundgardenSoundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
and Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace
Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...
, and Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. In the 1990s, the group expanded upon the grunge style that was popular in the local scene to make a more melodic sound. While not the first band to be classified as emo, they were instrumental in establishing the genre. In...
among others. He has also served as drum tech in the recording studio, perhaps most notably on Soundgarden's highly successful breakthrough album Superunknown
Superunknown
Superunknown is the fourth album by American grunge band Soundgarden, released on March 8, 1994 through A&M Records. Soundgarden began work on the album after touring in support of its previous album, Badmotorfinger...
. Matt Cameron stated in the June 1994 issue of Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer
Modern Drummer is a monthly publication targeting the interests of on drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public...
magazine that "Gregg (Keplinger) was in the studio this time to help me out with things, changing heads and putting up cymbals. But one of the biggest things to me was that he would play the drums while I went into the control room and helped dial in the sounds. That saved a lot of time and kept me fresh when it was time to do a take."