4 Best Double Bass Pedals – Double Down on Drumming Style

double bass pedal

Finding the right pedal can be difficult for any drummer, but if you’re looking for the best double bass pedal life can become even harder. A more complex mechanism and more to go wrong means that making the right decision is even more vital, too.

Double bass pedals for drum kits are popular in a few different types of music including metal, and a few of the more contemporary subgenres of metal and progressive music. Drummers in these genres often have the curse of having to deal with unusual time signatures and some very fast and complex playing. This is the whole need for the double bass pedal in the first place. Two beaters allow a double hit of the kick or bass drum, allowing patterns that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.

Double Bass Pedal Reviews

Pearl P932 Demonator Right Footed Single Chain with Interchangeable Cam Powershifter

If you’re looking for a brand with a great history and a track record of providing brilliant drum products, Pearl is exactly that. Double bass pedals are one of many products they offer, and the P932 Demonator is a great example of their quality.

This is another single-chain pedal, yet it manages to achieve a surprisingly fast response time due to the quality of its build. It also sports a very sleek design that will easily blend in with the rest of your gear.

The Demonator has longboard style foot pedals, these provide a stable and easy-to-play feel. The double-sided beaters, made of plastic and felt are completely rotational and can be customized to the angle you prefer. An offset cam is also removable in order to alter the sound for a snappier kick sound. What the brand describes as an ‘infinitely adjustable beater angle’ means you can get exactly the power and feel you are looking for.

The clever locking mechanism is used as an alternative to screws in order to keep the tension within the strings. It is even patented by Pearl so the same technology isn’t available elsewhere.

A look at some of the reviews by drummers already using this double bass pedal will show a huge amount of satisfied customers. For the price of this product, it is very hard to argue with the flexibility and durability on offer.

TAMA Speed Cobra 910

Another powerhouse of a drumming brand, Tama, has a few different offerings for double bass drum pedals. The Speed Cobra 910 is a very impressive product and although a little more costly than some others it is superbly made with all the durability and power you could hope for.

The brand, Tama, describes it as delivering both power and lightning speed. We definitely agree that it is impressive, and somewhere along the line, most double bass pedals have to make a compromise on either their power or their flexibility. The Speed Cobra does a good job of retaining both. The footboards are very long, just like many of the other pedals on the market that do similar things. This is designed to increase the number of techniques which can be used.

This pedal has something called a Super Stabilizer design which creates the solidity and rigidity on offer. It has a generous baseplate and a well-built frame, meaning you can rest assured of its quality when playing. This is a pedal that simply won’t let you down.

DW 9000 Double Bass Pedal

Here is a double bass pedal that is sure to make you drool. The DW 9000 is one of the best out there and is used by lots of professional drummers. It is easy to see why. The build quality, feel and flexibility of this pedal are just one step above most of the others.

This is another pedal with infinite adjustability so you can get exactly the feel and power you want, setting it up to your specific needs.A clever toe clamp system (patented by DW) and a rugged non-slip plate which is made of rubber to keep your pedal stable and in the right place make this super easy to play.

The adjustable cam is really easy and quick to use, and you can change from turbo to accelerator styles with ease.

As far as we can see, the only thing this lacks is a super crazy name like the ‘Terminator’ or something equally intimidating and ‘metal’ sounding! A look at some other consumer reviews on Amazon show many people praising this pedal. It is not only smooth and easy to play but durable, and designed to last for many years of playing even at the highest level.

Are There Decent Cheap Double Bass Pedals?

We’re realists and sometimes the budget people have for their bass pedals isn’t that of a professional, touring musician. You may want something under $200 or even under $100. Although you simply can’t get the professional level on this kind of budget, you can get a passable pedal for practices and learning to drum.

PDP By DW 400 Series Double Pedal

DW (AKA Drum Workshop) are at it again. This is nowhere near the quality of the DW 9000 or DW 9002, but if you are a beginner or are on a tight budget then it can be a very good option for your first double bass pedal. A single chain product available for left and right-sided drummers. It doesn’t stack up to the other models in terms of its speed or reliability, but for the price range, this truly is the best we’ve come across. Something of a stepping stone pedal with plenty of decent features without setting the world alight.

Which Pedal is Right For You?

The types of drumming that need a double pedal can sound very impressive, but if it goes wrong on stage or during recordings you can end up looking rather silly if your kick drum stops working. That is why we’ve put together this list of the best double pedals for kick drums. We look at the most durable and reliable pedals here but also keep an eye on price and value for money. These aren’t cheap products generally, a quick look at some of the cheapest drum pedals will show you that there are many with mediocre or poor reviews. There are some gems out there though, as we have explored here.

There is something for every budget, but the quality difference between a pedal costing $100 and one costing $600 is stark as you might imagine. To get a product that is ‘professional’ you may have to be willing to splash out a little on something that is going to last a few years of solid playing.

If you’re looking for some great techniques for beginners and pros alike, check out the video below which talks you through some of the first techniques to try when you get your pedal.

Perfecting your drum sound is about so much more than just your kit, everything from your drumsticks to your pedals to your drum heads. Paying attention to these kinds of details can separate the good drummers from the great.

Conclusion

It might seem like a really simple decision to make, but which double pedal is best for your own needs is down to you. Unfortunately budget does play a big part here, and with some of the cheaper pedals not being up to scratch it is easy to fall into one of the many pitfalls. In general, the technology behind the top pedals means that they are becoming more and more durable. Make the right choice and go with a trusty brand such as Tama, DW or Pearl you can end up with a drum pedal that can last many years.

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