Korn drummer Ray Luzier recently opened up about the story behind his iconic center China cymbal setup, sharing the details in an interview published on Drummer’s Review.
The conversation touched on how Luzier’s unconventional cymbal placement came to be — and how it even sparked a clash with rock legend David Lee Roth, for whom Luzier worked from 1997 to 2005. When asked directly about the China cymbals positioned in the center of his kit, Luzier explained the surprisingly practical origin of the setup.
“Everyone always asks me like why do you have that center china?” he said. “And I think I’ve said this in other interviews and it’s not a fancy phenomenal story. I just used to have the two 80s China like a lot of drummers did. You know, the Aldridges and Tommy Lee and so many drummers had that.”
Luzier went on to describe how a cracked cymbal and his ambidextrous playing style led to the now-signature arrangement.
“I saved up and bought these two red Pisty cymbals back in the day and I cracked one because you know I painted buildings, did whatever I could to buy a cymbal,” he continued. “Cracked one and I’m like but I play kind of ambidextrous. I’m not full ambidextrous like a Simon Phillips or someone but I do play a lot of left-hand lead and I do play a lot of weird things — I lead with my left foot. There’s a lot of strange ways I play and I was like what do I do?”
“I’m like well just temporarily I’ll just put it in the middle so I can hit it with both hands,” he said. “Well, I was like 14 when that happened. And then when I moved to Hollywood, my mates would come over and go like, ‘Why do you have that stupid cymbal in the center of this five-piece kit?’ And I’m like, ‘It’s weird, but I have to have that because I hit both.’ So it’s been with me forever.”
Despite the cymbal becoming a defining part of his identity as a drummer, not everyone was supportive — including some high-profile names.
“I’ve had lead singers like, you know, David Lee Roth said, ‘Get rid of that stupid cymbal. People want to see you, not that stupid thing,'” Luzier recalled. “And even Richard Patrick in Army of Anyone, he’s like, ‘What — the video shoot? You can’t have that cymbal there.’ I go, ‘I have to have that cymbal there.’ He’s like, ‘No, just for the video, take it down.’ I’m like, ‘No, you don’t understand. That’s kind of my thing.’ And you know, so it’s weird to explain to non-drummers.”
The anecdote highlights how a teenage workaround eventually became one of the most recognizable elements of Luzier’s drumming style — one he has defended even against the wishes of the artists he has worked with.
The clash with Roth was just one chapter in a career that had already taken Luzier through some of rock’s most demanding stages. Long before the center China cymbal became a talking point, Luzier had built a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most versatile and technically accomplished drummers. That journey began well before his name became synonymous with Korn.
Wikipedia notes that Luzier began drumming at age five and went on to study at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, graduating in 1989. He then taught at the institution from 1992 to 2001, all while maintaining an active career as a session and touring drummer. It was during this period that he landed the gig with David Lee Roth, a role he held for eight years before eventually finding his way to Korn.
As reported by Ultimate Guitar, Luzier himself reflected on the breadth of his pre-Korn work, noting: “I did David Lee Roth from Van Halen for about eight years. I was the original drummer in the band called Metal Shop that turned into Steel Panther.” The quote underscores just how deeply embedded Luzier was in the Hollywood rock scene long before joining one of nu-metal’s biggest acts.
The Musicians Institute confirmed that Luzier joined Korn in 2007 as a touring drummer. He played his first show with the band in January 2008 and became a full-time member in April 2009. His path to the band was not an overnight success story. It was the result of decades of disciplined work, session credits, and high-profile touring experience that made him the right fit when the opportunity arose.
Pearl Drums lists Luzier’s endorsements as Pearl drums, Sabian cymbals, Evans heads, DW hardware, and Vic Firth sticks — a setup he adapts to suit the musical demands of each project he takes on. That flexibility, combined with his signature center China cymbal, reflects a playing philosophy built on practicality and feel rather than convention. It is a philosophy that no amount of pushback from lead singers has managed to change.
