 Carter Beauford has one of the largest and most diverse drum kits in the drumming industry. With its sparkling chrome hardware, rich ebony shells, and shimmering bronze cymbals, his kit lures you in as it sits on stage. If you're not drawn in by its remarkable appearance then the kit's sheer size will demand your attention. Carter's drum kit includes an array of professional drums, cymbals, hardware, and percussion equipment.
What sets Carter's kit apart from other drummer's equipment is its inclusion of so many different percussionist elements (cowbell, chimes, timbales, etc.). Carter credits Miguel Valdez as his inspiration to become the role of a percussionist behind a drum kit.
Valdez played percussion with the Dave Matthews Band occasionally when the band first got started in the early ‘90s and also moonlighted as a member of the musical group the C-ville All Stars. After Miguel's unfortunate passing in 1993 Carter felt it was necessary to include in his kit more instruments that a percussionist would normally play. Carter explains that with Miguel gone he was noticing the absence of so many things, percussion-wise, which he felt he needed to fill in.
Every year it seems that Carter's kit is growing larger and larger. One year Carter even decided to add a second bass drum to his kit. The one thing that seems to change the most is his cymbal setup. Every now and then Carter will experiment with new cymbals and sounds. It's not rare to find Carter playing different hi-hats, rides or crash cymbals each tour.
In addition to what's included in his drum kit, Carter also plays the bongos, congas, and other hand percussion on many of the band's albums. It can be said that Carter's drum kit is a continuing experiment that keeps evolving. One of the biggest thrills of being a Carter Beauford fan is waiting to see what he'll add to his trap set next.
 Much credit should be given to Carter's drum tech, Henry Luniewski. Luniewski is responsible for assembling and disassembling Carter's kit and mics before and after each show. Henry also tunes the kit to percussive perfection. He can often be seen lingering around the kit onstage while Carter's pounding away to ensure that each lugnut is tight and all of the trap set's parts are stable.
 Continue to page two, Carter Beauford's Drumkit Diagram.
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