Double Bass Pedal Buyers Guide

FacebookOnce you start shopping for double bass pedals, you are going to want to educate yourself before you start spending any money at all. There are many aspects that make bass drum pedals good or bad depending on your styles of drumming. It is important that you take the time to figure out exactly what you want from a bass drum pedal before you make your purchase. This article is going to educate you on the various questions that you should be asking yourself before you go shopping for double bass pedals.

There are three main types of double bass pedals. The three main types of pedals are direct driven, chain driven, and belt driven bass drum pedals. Each style has their advantages and disadvantages; it all depends on what style of drumming you are playing, and how you prefer your pedals to feel. When comparing these different types of pedals its important to realize that the only difference is the connection between your pedal and the beater.

Direct Drive Advantages
Direct Drive Disadvantages
Chain Drive Advantages
Chain Drive Disadvantages
Belt Drive Advantages
Belt Drive Disadvantages

 

 

Adjustability Of Your Double Pedals

The next thing that you want to look for is the adjustability of your bass drum pedals. A good bass drum pedal will let you adjust any aspect of the bass drum that feels uncomfortable to you. Some examples of things that you might want to adjust are: beater height, beater action, footboard angle, spring tension, lateral positioning, and horizontal positioning of your beater. You basically just want to make sure that you can adjust the pedal so it’s comfortable for you.

Double Bass Pedal Accessories

The next thing that you want to look for is the type of accessories/add-ons that are included with your pedal. Each major double pedal manufacturer tries to add something that makes their pedals different from anyone else. Accessories like built in drum keys, toe stops, heel raisers, interchangeable drive systems (chain, strap), and included carrying cases are all great accessories to have with your pedals. You also want to make sure that your double pedals can sit closely to your hi-hat stand, some pedals have a large base under the pedal and it makes it hard to keep the hi-hats close to your left pedal, which makes it harder to switch back and forth between your double pedals and your hi-hats. A lot of drummers just buy new hi-hats when they buy double pedals, generally if you buy both from the same company, you shouldn’t have a problem. It’s a good idea to go to your local music store and try out some of these accessories, try and see what ones you would actually use, and which ones are just lame.

Double Bass Pedal Pricing

Next you are going to want to consider the price of the pedals. Look for things like warranties, accessories, and the comfort of the pedal before deciding that a pedal is too expensive. Generally speaking you can easily spend anywhere from $150-$1000 on a pair of double pedals. But ultimately you will get what you pay for, usually pedals around the $400-500 mark are all you will ever need, I recommend if you are new to drumming that you should get a cheap set, just so you don’t end up investing too much money, just in case you don’t end up to be too serious about playing the drums.

Basically, the main thing is to educate yourself before you make a large purchase, see if your local music store will let you take some pedals home to try them out, or see if they rent them out for a reasonable rate. Also try looking on eBay or other similar websites to try find a good set of used pedals.

FacebookAny double pedal that you decide to purchase will ultimately get the job done. When you are starting to develop different techniques like the heel-toe technique you will be able to perform this technique on virtually any bass drum pedal. The pedal itself isn’t a huge part of drumming, but it will make you more comfortable if you practice a lot during the week, and play for long periods of time.

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Bass Drum Secrets DVD

For more information, check out Jared Falk's Bass Drum Secrets training video. It covers the basic method, and it teaches you how to apply the technique in beats, fills, and drum solos.

This instructional DVD is very detailed, and is priced fairly. You could probably pay upwards of a few hundred dollars for private lessons with a teacher that may not even be able to properly teach this method. Therefore, I would definitely recommend that you check out this option for best results.