The Simmons drum set used by DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen for the band’s “Hysteria” tour circa 1987 is being auctioned via the largest online music marketplace Reverb, dedicated to buying and selling new, used and vintage musical instruments.

In December 1984, the legendary DEF LEPPARD drummer lost his left arm to amputation following a near-fatal auto accident in England, but he didn’t let the tragedy stop him from honing his craft. This genuine electronic drum set is modified to Allen‘s specs, allowing him to use his left foot to play the parts his left hand would have previously played, making it one of a kind. Rick completely reinvented the way he played the drums. He learned to play all the parts previously played with his left hand, with his left foot. He used a series of custom pedals with his left foot to electronically trigger sounds he would have otherwise played with a drumstick in his left hand. It took several years of practice as well as years of experimenting with different electronic drum configurations. In 1987, he returned to the stage with DEF LEPPARD for the most triumphant comeback in the history of rock and roll.

Allen lost his arm after he was thrown through the sunroof of his car, and his left arm got caught in the seatbelt when it came undone during the crash. As a result, the arm was severed from his body. Initially, doctors reattached the arm but they would eventually have to amputate because of an infection.

After Rick‘s life-altering accident, he had to relearn how to play drums and drum manufacturer Simmons worked with him to build a kit. His DEF LEPPARD bandmates stuck with Allen through the difficult time and the drummer persevered through an accident that would have ended most people’s careers.

Allen spoke about his accident during an interview with Modern Drummer. He said: “I remember coming around in the hospital and then realizing what had happened to me after the accident, and honestly, I wanted to disappear. I didn’t wanna do this anymore. And then I started getting these letters from all over the world… I got encouragement from everywhere — from my family, from the guys in the band, from people all over the world. And I don’t know what happened, but I discovered the power of the human spirit and just said, ‘You know what? I can do this.’ It was really a collective thing. It was all this encouragement I was getting from other people, and then it just manifested in wanting to succeed. And that’s exactly where it came from.”

Rick also talked about the support he received from his bandmates in DEF LEPPARD who stuck by him through his recovery and waited patiently for his return.

“They left the decision to me, whether I wanted to go on or not, and they gave me time to grow and develop, really, a whole new style of playing,” Allen said. “And that’s all I needed — I just needed the time. I needed the time to build my confidence and realize that I could do it. Nobody ever said, ‘Well, you have to make a decision now.’ I think that was the most important thing — just that time that they gave me just to find myself.”