Strong Double Pedal for HEAVY Left Foot Playing

westicle

Senior Member
I'm learning to play open handed on a right handed set up so I'm using my left hand for hi-hat and crash on left side and right hand for crash and ride on the right side.

I'm also playing with my left foot when I'm playing open handed so I'm not doing super fast double pedals but I am playing hard when I'm playing open handed.

I just bought a brand new set of Iron Cobra doubles and within an hour the bar has twisted and buckled. It's clearly made for very light super fast playing.

Are there any double pedals that withstand heavy left foot playing? The bar on my old Pearl Eliminators looks rock solid but I don't like them as a pedal and they're old and knackered. I'll have to give them another go but I'd like to look at some alternatives. Any ideas?
 
Gee, you would think that Tama's reputation for sturdy hardware would mean something.

Have you considered direct drive pedals, I think the absence of a chain (instead replaced by a single rod) and normally solid construction (for heavy metal-head drummers) would stand up to heavy playing.

Apparently Pearls Demondrives have a crossbar made to have as less twist as possible
 
Looking at the bar on the Corbra it does look very weak and flimsy.

Dunno about direct drive - can you name some names to check out, I'm not really a gear head. I presume that means no chain?

The Eliminaters have a bar that looks like a steel girder but I just don't like the feel of the pedals.
 
It's not faulty hardware. It's just (relatively) weak and designed for people who play fast double pedal stuff so they're not playing heavy on the left foot. I'm playing fairly slow so there's a bit more weight going into each beat. I need to find a pedal for that way of playing.

I don't play excessivly heavy and I'm not a particularly big guy. I had the width at maximum so they were working at their weakest as well. With hindset and looking at the bar now it is VERY thin for what it's doing. I'd say it's a 3rd of the width of my eliminator bar.
 
I very much doubt that Tama designed the Iron Cobra for "super fast light playing" and nothing else; if anything Iron Cobras have a reputation for being some of the toughest pedals out there (at least when it comes to the pedals themselves, I haven't heard anything specifically about the link assembly).

You could always check out other pedals, but as was stated above: If you destroyed an Iron Cobra in an hour I believe you'd benefit from taking a serious look at your technique. These pedals go out on tours with the some of the hardest-hitting drummers in the business and perform flawlessly night after night... Maybe a Pearl Eliminator would stand up to a bit more abuse, but you might just find yourself wrecking that too after only a few hours.

Another solution might be to get a second kick drum and eliminate the link assembly altogether, and simply use two single pedals.
 
Well I would try a Sleishman. No bars, built like a brick s**thouse footboards are directly linked to the beater. I have one for sale too. Thinking of putting it on Ebay.
 
I very much doubt that Tama designed the Iron Cobra for "super fast light playing" and nothing else; if anything Iron Cobras have a reputation for being some of the toughest pedals out there (at least when it comes to the pedals themselves, I haven't heard anything specifically about the link assembly).

You could always check out other pedals, but as was stated above: If you destroyed an Iron Cobra in an hour I believe you'd benefit from taking a serious look at your technique. These pedals go out on tours with the some of the hardest-hitting drummers in the business and perform flawlessly night after night... Maybe a Pearl Eliminator would stand up to a bit more abuse, but you might just find yourself wrecking that too after only a few hours.

Another solution might be to get a second kick drum and eliminate the link assembly altogether, and simply use two single pedals.

I measured the 2 - the Iron Cobra bar is 6mm thick and the Eliminator is 10mm thick. That's a substantial difference but yeah you're right there must be hard hitters out there that use them. I do play them at their widest though which will increase the stress on the bar.

Working on my technique is exactly what I'm trying to do. That was about my 5th time playing open handed.

A second kick drum would be awesome but at our level I'm quite often not allowed to take my own kit to use. I second kick would be an absolute no no.
 
I measured the 2 - the Iron Cobra bar is 6mm thick and the Eliminator is 10mm thick. That's a substantial difference but yeah you're right there must be hard hitters out there that use them. I do play them at their widest though which will increase the stress on the bar.

Well, in that case you can always try the Eliminator. I just read up a bit on the Iron Cobra too, and the bar is (as far as I can tell) made of aluminium, which is pretty soft.

Maybe getting an Eliminator and also adjusting your kit a bit so that the link isn't extended so far is the solution.

Also try to control the power of the left foot. I'm guessing that most of the weight hits the pedal *after* the beater has impacted the head, which means that it will have zero effect on the sound of the kick, and all the energy goes into warping the link assembly and denting the kick head. Is your heel very high off the ground? I know that was a problem for me in the past, which meant that there was little or no flex in the ancle. Not only did this hamper my speed, but it put some serious strain and pain in my ancle and the balls of my feet. Now my heel is almost touching the heelplate when the beater hits the head, which gets me just as much power much more effectively. Not saying that's what your issue is, but doing that helped me a lot.
 
Well, in that case you can always try the Eliminator. I just read up a bit on the Iron Cobra too, and the bar is (as far as I can tell) made of aluminium, which is pretty soft.

Maybe getting an Eliminator and also adjusting your kit a bit so that the link isn't extended so far is the solution.

Also try to control the power of the left foot. I'm guessing that most of the weight hits the pedal *after* the beater has impacted the head, which means that it will have zero effect on the sound of the kick, and all the energy goes into warping the link assembly and denting the kick head. Is your heel very high off the ground? I know that was a problem for me in the past, which meant that there was little or no flex in the ancle. Not only did this hamper my speed, but it put some serious strain and pain in my ancle and the balls of my feet. Now my heel is almost touching the heelplate when the beater hits the head, which gets me just as much power much more effectively. Not saying that's what your issue is, but doing that helped me a lot.

I'm not happy with the feel of the Elims but I will try them again. I got the Tamas cos my Iron Cobra single is awesome and feels great to play.

Yeah you've got my technique down, heel up high, bury the beater. Something to work on.
Cheers dude.



Thanks to all for help and suggestions and sorry if I come across a little short - I'm constantly frustrated by the physical and financial cost of drumming. I find it hard to 'just cope' with a setup I don't like and I struggle to feel relaxed and comfortable behind the kit.

I figured someone must make an absolutely rock solid double pedal. I'm sure it's out there somewhere.
 
I'm learning to play open handed on a right handed set up so I'm using my left hand for hi-hat and crash on left side and right hand for crash and ride on the right side.

I'm also playing with my left foot when I'm playing open handed so I'm not doing super fast double pedals but I am playing hard when I'm playing open handed.

I just bought a brand new set of Iron Cobra doubles and within an hour the bar has twisted and buckled. It's clearly made for very light super fast playing.

Are there any double pedals that withstand heavy left foot playing? The bar on my old Pearl Eliminators looks rock solid but I don't like them as a pedal and they're old and knackered. I'll have to give them another go but I'd like to look at some alternatives. Any ideas?


Yes the TAMA drive shaft is a piece of garbage. Try the ELIMINATOR shaft on the TAMA pedals, it might fit(?).

You don't need new pedals, you need a new drive shaft and you also need to make sure the slave pedal stays in alignment while playing. Your feeble TAMA shaft probably broke due to heavy loads while out of alignment. The slave needs to be flat on the floor and not pulling/twisting on the primary side pedal, that's when the shaft eats it. Heavy slave foot strokes can easily wank the slave foot plate from making contact flat with the floor.

I always connect my drive shaft to the slave pedal first, then raise it in the air and lay it 'flat' on the floor w/o any stress/pull on the primary side. A chain to the stool, or bar between the two pedals (for real heavy playing) will hold it in place.

If you step on the slave and the primary side pedal moves side to side the slightest bit, the pedals are out of alignment- either the primary is not centered flat on the bass drum hoop (another big problem), or the slave is not flat and at the correct distance from the primary. In either scenario, the connecting shaft will get worked.

AXIS sell's a UDS for under $100 it will fit TAMA IC's it'll be the last connecting shaft you ever buy, fully user adjustable.
 
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Les

That's awesome. I understand why people may tell me it's a technique problem but it's damn good to hear someone confirm my thoughts - that it's a weak drive shaft.

I've tried the Eliminator and it fits perfectly. I was gonna take the pedals back to the shop but I think I'll stick with them. I'll keep an eye out for the Axis USD as well - always good to have a backup.

Good tips on setting up the pedals too - I'll make sure they're flat and there's no extra strain on the shaft.

If you're ever in St Albans in the UK....I owe you a beer.
 
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