Weird issue with Gibraltar Intruder pedal

brady

brady

Platinum Member
Looking for a new pedal, I ordered a strap drive version of the Gibraltar Intruder. I had played one in a store before so I thought I knew what I was getting into.

I spent about 2-3 hours with this thing trying to figure out where an annoying buzz/rattle was coming from. It thought it was the spring or something since it had a slight resonance to it. I couldn't replicate it every time, but when I would play at a moderate tempo/intensity it would come back. After tightening every conceivable item on the pedal I discovered it was the uprights. I could imitate the buzz sound by simply bumping my hand on either upright. Nothing I could do would get rid of it.

I don't mean this as a slam on Gibraltar at all. 90% of the hardware I own is Gibraltar and I think it's the most solid stuff you can buy...especially for the price. I just wasn't impressed with the pedal. Just a warning of sorts for those that may consider buying one of their pedals online.

I'm not stuck with it by any means, it's just always a bit of an inconvenience to return something you bought online and I thought I may save someone else the trouble.
 
GRUNTERSDAD said:
Does it have internal springs like a Ludwig Speed Master.?
Click to expand...

No. External; like a normal pedal. I isolated every part I could think of. When I would bump either of the upright posts, it would make a weird buzzing sound. It was even worse when I was actually playing the bass drum.

It's almost like there should be a gasket between the upright frame and the metal footboard plate because it sounds like vibrating metal. Which, technically it is, I suppose.
 
have you checked to see if the bearings are loose? i had that problem on my big dog pedal. or have you checked the actual bass drum its self for rattling parts?
 
jammy313 said:
have you checked to see if the bearings are loose? i had that problem on my big dog pedal. or have you checked the actual bass drum its self for rattling parts?
Click to expand...

Yeah. That's what took a couple hours.

The sound was definitely from the pedal. The two vertical shafts on either side, to be exact. It only made the weird buzz/rattle sound when I bumped it with my hand. And of course, when I played it. Everything else was tight though.
 
hi brady.
i actually came on here today to ask about a similiar issue with a Gibralter chain-drive single pedal i bought yesterday. mine was making a similiar rattle.

after scrutinizing it, i was able to determine that the rattle was coming from the top of the right-hand upright, near where the spring connects. i loosened the clamp-like piece that the spring connects to at the top and slid it off the shaft. it is clamped onto a textured bushing with two set screws. when i loosened the screws with an allen wrench, the bushing slid off easily revealing a chamber containing a loose spacer ring, maybe 5/16" deep in front of what i assumed was the housing for the bearings. the inside diameter of the spacer ring was too large for the diameter of the shaft by about .015" and the ring rattled around freely, producing the noise i had been trying to pinpoint.

i suppose a permanent fix for this would involve machining another better fitting spacer ring, but i simply put it back together and made sure i slid the textured bushing as tight as i could against the spacer ring before retightening the two set screws. that seems to have done the trick for now.

so i'm wondering if you have a similiar issue? and if this is an existing problem with some Gibralter pedals? or if my pedal is defective?
 
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