Tama Camco

Jon B

Senior Member
Hi all! I was wondering about the camcos today. What do they feel like? what " modern" pedal is most like them? Compare them to the iron/speed cobras? Never had a chance to try em and I've been listening to a lot of gene hoglan, so I thought i would ask! :)
 
Re: tama camco

The Camco was basically the first (that I saw) modern chain drive pedal. And when it came out ... a lot of people considered it the "best" pedal you could get. Out of the ashes of Camco, Tama started making the pedal (and the drums, for ma short while). DW, who started out making thrones, bought the Camco tooling. And whatever else was left behind. They basically just renamed the Camco pedal ... the DW5000. This is also why the DW lug looks like a Camco lug.​
So, if you've ever played a DW5000 .... that's the feel. Of course, DW has tweeked and improved the pedal over a few decades. Added a floorplate, etc., etc.....​
The "other" pedal that comes to mind, as a similar feel, is the Iron Cobra Jr. And I prefer the Jr. over the "senior", probably because it feels like a Camco/DW5000.​
 
Re: tama camco

Not sure this'll help in any way, but... ;-)

Haven't tried the Camco, but do very much like both the DW 5000, as well as the Iron Cobra.
The Speed Cobra I did not get into - first pedal ever that I sold after a few months.

Gene Hoglan: lots and lots of practice.
He's probably pretty fast on any pedal.
Even if you got Gene's pedals, with his settings, there'd still be plenty of work to do. ;-)

He's got a DVD out.

Also check Dom Famularo's "Pedal Control" book/CD.
Hoglan studied with him & mentions him on the DVD.

Patrice
 
Re: tama camco

Gene Hoglan: lots and lots of practice.
He's probably pretty fast on any pedal.
Even if you got Gene's pedals, with his settings, there'd still be plenty of work to do. ;-)

im not looking to get pedals to go fast, ive worked my butt off the past months to get fast with my double bass work :). Ive got speed cobras and im not really even considering buying a set of camcos, im just curious about em.

And i knew that Dw and tama got their hardware stuff from camco, but i had always heard that Dw got the machinery and tama got the patents. Is this wrong?
 
Re: tama camco

I played with the Tama Camco for almost 30 years, at the time of it's release it was one of this pedal with a great future, chain driven, light feel, fast and most of all, it has the possibility to carry adjustement to suits your preference, nowadays almost all pedals offers some kind of adjustements and even extra options, such as different cams, different driving mode and so on.

As far as adjustement is concern, by today's standard, it's a bit limited, but nervertheless this is what you could do with it, by unscrewing the screw on the cam wich secured the chain and moving the said chain on the cranked cam into a different position (the cam featured five or six predertemined positions) you could adjust the footboard up or down, this action however, had an influence on the beater angle, which in turn had 3 position setting on the top arm of the spring assembly to choose a different angle, and obviously you could adjust the spring tension, the early version did not have a cover over the chain to prevent the chain to come out of the cranked cam during heavy and powerful strokes, having said that, I owned both types and I never had a problem the chain, I also used both single pedal and double pedals (which came fully equipped with 3 complete spring assembly to use each pedal as a single one).

It has a light, fast feel, with a reasonably heavy felt beater which allow all types of drumming, from rock to jazz, a very versatile pedal, which is comparable to a DW 5000 which share the same design.

Hope this help. :)
 
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Re: tama camco

I have played original Camco's, Camco by Tama,DW 5000 and IC's and speed kings.

The Camco style pedal has always had a "floating" type feel,and when it came out was considered pretty high tech as far as adjustments went, and like others said does a pretty good job no matter what style of music you play and performs pretty well for almost every playing style IMO.It might not be your cup of tea if you don't like a floating feel,or if you need a powerful heavy stroke,but can be made to play heavier by modifying with different beaters and beater weights.

IMO the Camco by Tama pedals play much more similar to my DW 5000 than to my Iron Cobras,both the power glide and rolling glide.

I guess no one will ever know who got what as far as the original Camco tooling and dies went,obviously Tama got the name,but the Camco style lugs tama did were different from the original Camcos,and the Camco by Tama pedals were very close to the camcos,in look and feel IMO.
 
Re: tama camco

I just ordered one and I am waiting for it to arrive.
I have an 80's Tama version of the Camco pedal. It has an ugly footboard!
I leave at a friends studio with my practice kit.
It is one of my favorite pedals.
I am looking forward to getting the Camco reissue.
 
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I think it's cool that drummers are discovering, or re-discovering the joys of the lighter pedal. I myself found an old (80s) Tama Flexi-Flyer, and have just replaced the strap and the spring and that pedal absolutely slams. It feels like there's nothing under my foot. I love it.

Congrats on the Camco re-issue. Maybe I'll find one of those and put my cam and strap on it!
 
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Why are they so expensive? $130? Come on. I want to get one, but not at that price.
 
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Why are they so expensive? $130? Come on. I want to get one, but not at that price.
Think of it this way, You will have it forever. Thats how I justified it.
You could always find a used one for a bit less.
 
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I think other than the exclusivity of it, the price is sorta' justified. It's competing with other pedals in the same range, DW's 6000 (I think there's a DW with a single chain too), and is itself a classic from the 80s. People are still using theirs from the 80s, when you think about it. If you want cheaper, the Tama Iron Cobra Jr. sells around the $90 mark, but it can't claim to be the "Camco" pedal, either. $130 for a pedal that will basically last forever? Not a bad investment, I say.
 
Re: tama camco

.... for a pedal that will basically last forever?
True that. Under most drummers feet. I saw 2 Camco pedals that formerly were owned by Billy Cobham .... and he pretty much turned them into "former" bass drum pedals.​
 
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Why are they so expensive? $130? Come on. I want to get one, but not at that price.

Ditto Bob, Bo and Harry's view, it will last forever, my current one is over 23 years old and still in mint condition, a very reasonably priced pedal IMO, much cheaper than my single Mapex Falcon pedal. :)
 
Re: tama camco

Do they feel lighter than a 5000? Because the 5000s never felt light to me, maybe its just me, i dont know. I like the lighter feeling though, thats why i went with the speed cobra instead of the iron, it felt lighter to me.
 
Re: tama camco

Do they feel lighter than a 5000? Because the 5000s never felt light to me, maybe its just me, i dont know. I like the lighter feeling though, thats why i went with the speed cobra instead of the iron, it felt lighter to me.

I don't know, I only played a DW 5000 once on somebody else kit, many years ago, I don't really remember how it felt for me, but I've owned a Ludwig Speed King, a Tama King Beat and currently a Mapex Falcon, the Camco has a lighter feel than any of these 3 pedals, however, the smoothness and fluidity of the Falcon is superior IMO, it's quieter too. :)
 
Re: tama camco

@ Jon B ,I think the Camco is lighter feeling than the DW,whether that is because of the DW's bottom plate,or the chunky beater,or something else I don't know.
 
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Love the iron cobra juniors too. To me, the IC jnr is a beefed up Camco. because theyve got fantastic hinges like a DW, there no need for doubling up the chain to compensate for wobble. The other pedal which is quite good is the Pearl P1000, bit of a dark horse this one, however quite clumsy feeling compared to all of the above really. I have IC's back in the UK, but they're just way over engineered for guys with small legs who like playing 'off' the drum and not burying the beater. For heavy rockers, yes.
 
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I tried one of these pedals a couple of weeks ago. My biggest grip is that the footboard is just too small for my size 13 feet. The pricing on them seemed fair enough.

Dennis
 
Re: tama camco

so does the camco have a smoother feel like a demon drive or a responsive feel like a really tight iron cobra (newer ones). I use those pedals as loose examples of what i mean
 
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Its not gonna feel like a DD or IC. Its gonna feel like a Camco. Metal guys have been using them sice the early 80's right up to today. You can find used ones for cheap all day long, try one out, see if you like it.
 
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