# Best pedal for doubles and setup



## Ancestor (Jul 22, 2007)

Need some advice. What's the best pedal for double bass playing? What's a good way to set them up so they work the best (easiest to play)?


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## Oogadee Boogadee (Jul 23, 2007)

just get some iron cobra rolling glides (tama) or eliminators (pearl). both are great (durable and super adjustable) - the DW's suck ass for a lot more dough. 

there is only so much 'easy' that you can achieve. When it comes down to it, there is no easy way to set things up. easy = sacrifices. you can have the beater rest at a wussy angle leaving little distance between beater and head.... but then you give up power and volume, for example. 

i've said it many times.... hoglan, lombardo, etc recorded legendary performances looong ago on older less advanced pedals like the old tama camco pedals, first generation DW's, etc. one guy is a short italian and the other is a 7' sasquatch. but both kicked ass on rickety shit. gear only gets you so far (unfortunately, i know this  )


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## bostjan (Jul 23, 2007)

+1 for Iron Cobra by Tama. My drummer has a DW pedal that he paid $$$ for, but he likes my Iron Cobra almost as well.

Only down side is that the beater heads seem to wear out faster than most single pedals I've had.


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## Zepp88 (Jul 23, 2007)

Hoglan still uses the old Camco pedal if I remember correctly.

Our drummer loves Axis pedals, and his double bass work is typically spot on


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## HannesNysten (Jul 23, 2007)

I`ve been using Axis A Longboards for years, and i`ve tried almost every pedal out there, but nothing beats Axis in feeling imo. If i was going to change, i probably going to get a Sonor P433 double pedal again, cheap but still pretty damn good.

I use A longboards with Axis E-kit triggers and Pearl Quad-beaters, awsome combo.






Pedals is a personal taste, go to a store and try out every pedal they`ve got.


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## Loserchief (Jul 23, 2007)

Our drummer uses Axis longboards and says there's nothing better for him. His double bass has reached insane tempo now and those pedals seem to give him way more power on the hits than with a shorter board(that's how i hear it).
I've treid his kit before he got the Axis and then with the Axis and i gotta say the feel is really night and day compared to regular boards.


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## bostjan (Jul 23, 2007)

Axis pedals definately have a different feel to them than other pedals.


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## DeL07 (Sep 8, 2007)

Axis are great pedals for high-speed tempos, but lack power, so they have to be triggered... I've tried multiple beaters and setups, but could never get them to project much in an acoustic environment...

IMO the best pedal is the Pearl Eliminator... Highly adjustable, feel great and light and they can be converted into two singles!  

And if you really want to go fast, learn flat foot technique... but it requires triggering...


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## JJ Rodriguez (Sep 8, 2007)

You don't NEED to trigger using Axis. If you practice you can get power out of it. And they're fine for lower tempos, non-metal players use them too, and they don't play 200+ bpm double bass. I have Pearl Elims and Axis Longboards, and once I get a part I need for the Axis I'm selling the Elims. But that's not to say that the Elims aren't better for you, Axis have a very weird feeling if you're used to another pedal, and since I learned on Axis, it's the opposite for me, every other pedal feels odd. The only real way to find a pedal that's good for you is to go and try them out. If you don't have any music stores around you, order a pedal from Musician's Friend or something, try it out for their trial period, and return it if you don't like it. Isn't that what Zimbloth does for his guitars?


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## Maniacal (Sep 9, 2007)

Axis don't HAVE to be triggered, Its all down to the drummer at the end of the day. It is also possible to get hard strokes with flat foot you just have to spend a long time focusing on power over speed. Besides, I am yet to see a drummer play 16ths at 260bpm on any pedals WITHOUT using triggers. All bands trigger at that speed because you simply have to.

I think Longboards are the hardest hitting and tightest pedals I have used. They are also by far the best pedals for double strokes because the foot board is so long. 
IMO of course..


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## MerlinTKD (Sep 9, 2007)

My own  :

- Never played the Axis, but they're very popular among the faster drummers... the longboard in particular. They look pretty damn interesting to me, but for myself, I'd rather test drive before buying. Just me. 

- DW 5000 or 9000, Tama Iron Cobra, Pearl Eliminator, and Gibraltar Intruder are all great pedals, slightly different in feel from each other, but you can't go wrong with any of them. Between them, I'd advise getting the one you get the best price on.

I used to use an older model Gibraltar Intruder that I liked a lot, but it was used when I got it, etc... went to Sam Ash for a big sale, all set to pick up an Iron Cobra, but grabbed a deal on a pristine used DW 5002 - not a regret since. The feel is much like the Gibraltar, IMO, while the Tama and Pearl are somewhat similar, all four are good quality.

They ARE all a little different, though, so it's important to at least tap your foot on them in the store, to get an idea of the feel... but I don't think you can lose with any of them.

As far as setup goes... if you've never used a double pedal (or two singles), first off: SET THEM UP THE SAME!  Your less dominant foot will struggle for a bit, as you develop the muscles and nerve responses, but in the long run you'll be much better off - nice even strokes with both feet, instead of a weird horse-gallop 

For specifics... set the beater about 45 degrees, not too close, not too far away; if there's a shaft weight, experiment with it, see what feels good; and set the springs loose enough you don't have to fight to make the stroke, but tight enough it bounces back on it's own. Again, you'll have to experiment, see what's best for you.

Good luck!!


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## DeL07 (Sep 10, 2007)

Now what you say is true, Axis don't necessarily have to be triggered, but it's extremely hard to get them to cut through in an acoustic environment... Mic wise, you could always mic near the beater skin to get a decent and loud note but at the sacrifice of tone, and anything at a Port hole won't do... Especially if you play fast... 

I've always been extremely proficient with my double bass and power has NEVER been a problem for me.. But even after getting used to the "unique" feeling of Axis I just never had as good note definition as the "big 3"... Even after adjusting my technique, adjusting the pedals and beaters... etc... Even in the studio I went in with an old band, the engineer asked that I match my acoustic tone with a 35% mixed in trigger because he wasn't getting it in the mix... 

Now this is my personal impression....

Obviously when I'm referring to high speed tempos and all that, it's because this is mainly a rock/metal oriented forum....


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## Oogadee Boogadee (Sep 10, 2007)

there's an extensive review and comparison of the tama/pearl/dw models. all strictly from and adjustability and durability standpoint. read it. it's stickied in the hardware section.

Pearl Drummers Forum - Iron Cobra DW 9000 5000 and Eliminator: Information and Reviews

the reviewer is a highly experienced drum tech who's really been around for many top national touring drummers.

check it out.

i've owned axis longboards, iron cobras, and eliminators. I totally agree that the longboards are great for double strokes and heel toe. I also agree that they suck for power. I tried every little adjustment under the sun - enough to make me puke. No matter what, untriggered and unmiced (rehearsal situations), I was always struggling to hear myself above the two half stacks of Mike and Dave. Even after severely adjusting my technique.

they're great for some.... they suck for others. there's no real middle ground with them. doesn't mean they're bad. I'd actually be willing to try the shortboards though. that might be a good middle-ground. Direct linkage, with a normal feeling throw.


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## Jason (Sep 10, 2007)

DW9000 SUCK.. there is a design flaw in them..


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## D-EJ915 (Sep 10, 2007)

Jason said:


> DW9000 SUCK.. there is a design flaw in them..


yeah the boards snap...


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## Seedawakener (Sep 11, 2007)

Jason said:


> DW9000 SUCK.. there is a design flaw in them..



My drummer just got those!  He says they rule.


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## Ancestor (Sep 11, 2007)

She went with the 9000s. There were some factors that influenced her choice. Most particularly the fact that DW has very good support. The sales guy (who I trust) told us that DW had a turn around time on replacement parts as fast as a day or two.

We did adjust the cam and beater length for better speed. Still really need to spend a few hours dialing it in. Faster = less power, seemingly. But the tone sounds better to me. Overall it seems to be a lot better. Even the angle for the beaters is better.


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## TMM (Sep 12, 2007)

what about using double Sonor Twin Giant Steps?


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## JJ Rodriguez (Sep 12, 2007)

Everyone here seems to think that using those is cheating


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## Benzesp (Sep 12, 2007)

Speed King! The name says it all


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## Oogadee Boogadee (Sep 12, 2007)

DW are good at getting replacement parts out to customers.... b/c they always need to!!!

If you're a gigging drummer, get the IC's or Eliminators... then special order spares of the parts most likely to break (but from these companies, they RARELY will).... just to be safe. Set of extra footboards, set of dual-chains (or straps), set of beaters. that's in. Maybe an extra double-pedal slave-pedal connecting rod thingie (that bar with the universal joints).

it's basically wasting your money, with Pearl and Tama, b/c you'll probably never need them... but you never know! be safe so that you can do a quick replacement for an upcoming show.

if it's DW... buy 10 of everything when stocking spare parts. Keep a Kanban system.


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## Ancestor (Sep 14, 2007)

Benzesp said:


> Speed King! The name says it all



Holy shit! Those are cool pics.


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## Ancestor (Sep 14, 2007)

Oogadee Boogadee said:


> DW are good at getting replacement parts out to customers.... b/c they always need to!!!



I won't say it's impossible, since I don't have enough experience. Her old DWs (which were the cheapest pedal available) only broke one spring in over two years of heavy use. We'll see.


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## Psychoface (Oct 5, 2007)

bostjan said:


> +1 for Iron Cobra by Tama. My drummer has a DW pedal that he paid $$$ for, but he likes my Iron Cobra almost as well.
> 
> Only down side is that the beater heads seem to wear out faster than most single pedals I've had.



My bro has one too.... he says "much suport for Tama" so it must be good...? well.... drums arnt my thing i prefer to stick to  but he insists that tama rocks so ill suport it :

 TAMA


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