double-BD pedal recommendation ?

[Geoff_G]

hey all --

i have decided that i need to ditch my Pearl double-bass pedal circa 1990 (chain drive) for something new, mebbe direct or strap. my old jazz favorite (single kick) is the Yamaha 7-series strap deal. i just bought a 2-leg yamaha hi-hat pedal that work great, super HD & stays put. what about a DBL-bass pedal ?

i am gonna try some out tonight...last time i looked, the new Pearl eliminator seemed very nice, new Yamaha was not yet out, i have never tried the Tama iron cobra & i have basically written off the Axis due to cost & the feeling that i may have to re-learn the action i am used to.

my main goal is a left slave pedal that feels almost exactly the same as the main pedal (UGH!!)...and probably an improvement in the action overall since 1990. thanks.

Geoff

[Derek DeFields]

ahh yes... I'm a gear slut and thus love the equipment threads!

If you like a lighter feel, the only two pedals worth checking out IMO are the Pearl and the new Yamaha.

The Pearl is certainly built better but I prefer the feel of the Yamaha. Much of this is due to the beaters. They use some other material for the shafts which is MUCH lighter than everyone else's. I use them on my DW's and it improves the feel so much it's amazing.

Build quality wise, the DW's are generally the best IMO but others like Randy W. have had some problems with the baseplates bending under certain circumstances.

I'm looking at the Pearl or yamaha right now. either is a great choice for a light feel if that's your preference.

[Geoff_G]

yeah...i just went on a test "thump" at guitar center.

Pearl Eliminator was very nice, but i wanted to adjust it. i think out of the box it is sprung pretty loose. middle tension should be about perfect, the action is insane...smooth & fast. what is the deal with the cams ? red / blue / etc. ? nothing on the http://www.pearldrum.com/hardware.asp page. the remote cable hi-hat was no slouch, either...nice action.

same with the new Yamaha pedal...very light & fast, i like it...tension was good. i just wanted a 3-sided beater (like the Pearl) to try instead of the typical felt beater that i have to shave down.

the Iron Cobra felt very nice, fast & snappy with the tama "hammer head" beater. but the beater seemed to snap back a bit too far, probably ok when you are dug in a bit. the double wasn't hooked up...could be a contender.

DW looked cool, very HD...something about it feels to slow & heavy...smooth, firm action, but i didn't exactly love it. no Axis double pedels there. then there was this Pacific or something pedal that sucked ass.

also what is with the Johnny Rabb stick ? with the black covering at the last top 1/8th of the stick ? his "workout" stick ? these guys were selling them for $2.50 a stick to get rid of them.

GBG

[Randy walker]

Jonny Rabb is no longer in business, so that is why they are blowing the stock out. As to pedals, AXIS I do not recommend if you are going to be gigging quite abit with them, 1 reason, they do not take being dropped well. They will go out of adjustment very easy.
DW pedals are nice, but as Derek said I go thru base plates about every 6 months due to bending. The Yamaha or Pearl look very nice.

[chris perra]

i personally love the iron cobra's... although some people dislike the beater it comes with, you can also get the different cam setups to adjust the throw of the beater.

i really like the solidity of them, as well as the double beaters come out of the box perfectly alinged, dw's were always a bitch for that. i had dw 5000 deltas for 5 years before i got the iron cobras.

if you want the right to feel like the left , the iron cobras can do it. the construction is like a mercedes benz, total precision.

they were the fist pedal that had absolutely no play in the chain assembly, rock solid.now everybody is modeling them.


also the counter weights with the iron cobras make a big difference to the feel and action.

i just tried the new yamahas, they were cool, somewhat like an axis pedal. i hate the older yamahas but these were quite smooth.they didn't have quite the power of the iron cobra's though.

chris perra

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ March 21, 2003 03:02 AM: Message edited by: chris perra ]</font>

[Jean-Paul]

Hey Geoff,

I recently purchased the Pearl Eliminator and I am quitte happy with them. The only thing I hate are the beaters of Pearl but that's an inexpensive thing to change. I used to play DW but I have always had roadprove concerns. The hinges weren't really reliable. Feel is almost the same. I have set the spring tension and beater angle equal as my DW with the blue cam instead of red (accelerator) and the result is very satisfying. Too bad I have broken my chain within two weeks but I hope it was an incident. Fortunately I am always carrying spare parts with me. Good luck. Jean-Paul the Netherlands

[leedavies22]

iron cobras anyday.. .. ..Powerglide..ummmm

[beats]

Pearl Eliminator Strap drive.I use them and i usually suggest them as an option if anyone asks.Ill never use chains again.Strap is way more smooth.The Eliminator has so many adjustment options.Easy to use.Durable.At one time(recently) i was shopping for a new pedal just like you.And if i wasnt so duly impressed by the Eliminator,i would have purchased a Iron Cobra,or DW.Heres my selling point on these pedals-i can cop (albeit only for a very short amount of time,mind you,im still muscle memorizing the technique.)double strokes with my feet,loudly,with heel down;only because i can adjust that pedal system so minutely......beats....

[palmerlouie]

right on beats......the eliminator pedal is gorgeous. i also have the strap drive and its like butter!!!! so many different pedals in one due to the various cams that come with it.....highly recommended!!!

[McKenzie]

How much do you guys take into consideration the opinions of the greats when looking for equipment. Obviously it is what fits for you. But for example when you look at say Virgil using Eliminators does it make you take that particular piece of equipment into serious consideration? Just wondering.

Digital