Yamaha pedals?

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
In my quest of the perfect bass drum pedal (even after I de-modified a new Tama Camco by putting a 30 year old Tama cam on it with a strap) I started to look around for new cam-and-strap pedals and came across the Yamaha FP8500B pedal that's basically like the de-modified Camco. But what was more interesting, Yamaha also makes the FP9500D which is their top-line direct drive pedal. And at $159 it's an absolute steal.

Does anyone here play this pedal and what do you think about it?

I also cut my teeth on the old Speed King and also toyed around with the Axis and Trick pedals too in the past. It would be interesting to see how people like this Yamaha pedal, if any?
 
I have a FP8110 strap drive its the best pedal i've ever played.
 
The 9500D is nice. Lots of pros using them. I own several of the previous gen 9300 series pedals. Yamaha's been making some of the best pedals around since the 80's. Can't go wrong with them.
 
Yamaha pedals are excellent 'bang for the buck'. Most of my pedals are Yamaha.

A Yamaha FP9500D is my most recent pedal purchase.

I keep two kits set up. One has the Yamaha on it, and the other has a DW9000 on it. Even though they feel 'night and day' different, I like them both equally.
The Yamaha is very light, quick and natural feeling, almost you like forget it's there sometimes.
The DW doesn't let you forget it's there (yet), but despite its very solid feel, it's buttery smooth, and a pleasure for me to put my foot on - if that makes any sense at all. LOL

I've got two older sets of Yamaha doubles, and a bunch of older Yamaha singles and one Pearl single, and while they're nice and very useable, the two new pedals are definite improvements.
The only older set that's getting significant use is the oldest double Yamaha. Its foot boards are long enough that I can practice proper heel/toe with them. I keep it set up with an electronic pad.

Funny though, that I only use that technique (heel/toe), for one specific thing when I play with a single pedal, because with a single, it sounds kind of disjointed.
It's absolutely perfect for the jazz 'swing' beat though.
 
I think I'll pick one up. Not sure if I want the 8500 with the strap, or the direct drive. But I do recall I played a Yamaha 7-series pedal back in the late 80s, and I really liked it. Then I was blinded by that DW marketing at that point ;)

I almost want to do it because, again, it's a great deal I can't pass up. A direct drive pedal that's light and smooth for $159? Compared to an Axis A, the Trick, or the Pearl Demon, it is a major steal. BUT - I was spending some time playing my Camco/Flexi Flyer today and that pedal does everything I need to do too. Along with all those Tama Iron Cobra Jr's. that have been piling up in my garage. Although I do like the "light and flying" feel I get now, I get the impression that the Yamaha's will do that and more - not that I think it'll make me play better. I suppose I'm looking for a pedal that just disappears under my foot and whatever I make my foot do, it'll translate to the pedal instantly.

It's a never-ending quest, I suppose.
 
...It's a never-ending quest, I suppose...


Ya - just about the same thing as looking for the perfect ride cymbal. Probably never happen.
Sort of a sifting through the possibilities. Some of the differences are pretty obvious as soon as you try something in the store, and that's how you get your initial preferences.
Then you go through those preferences and the differences can become rather subtle.

I have noticed that I'm playing better with these newer pedals. But that also is rather subtle, except for a couple new techniques. And most of the difference can probably be chalked up to simply practicing more.

I'm set for pedals now. Would never have to get another one, and I'd be happy with what I've got.
Still - I find myself toying with the idea of checking to see if I could trade my two older Yamaha doubles in towards a Yamaha DFP9500D double pedal - LOL
 
agreed on the FP8500B belt drive pedal. one if THE BEST pedals for me in the last 20 years. my backstory is slingerland yellow jacket, ludwig speed-king, yamaha 8-series (1988). to this day, the yamaha '88 style is what i have the strongest reference to. even so over the years, i had bought & played DW 2002s, 2005, 2007, pearl (90s?) and pearl eliminator over the years. they all felt odd, too slow, to heavy (much mass) or just an action that felt un-natural.

the FP8500B is fast, light & the perfect replacement for the '88 yamaha. footboard is GREAT. i am having all sorts of great results especially w/ the Famularo / Kollias style swivel tech. i am still due to check out Jojo's sonor pedal plus the Axis...but for the $$$, the yamaha is awesome. the same series hi-hat is also unbelievable. the best hi-hat i have ever played.
 
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I play the 9500D direct drive, single pedal currently. Nice pedal, smooth and rigid, but I could possibly go for something that feels a bit lighter... I have yet to try a pedal with strap.
 
I hope I'm not "that guy" on this thread, but I sat down at my local Sam Ash with a Sonor Perfect Balance the week that they came out, and I was blown away. In the last 6 months since then I have not regretted this purchase at all.

It's pricey (retails at $249), but if you have no need of a double pedal and really want the smoothest, lightest feeling, most responsive strap pedal around, then this is the way to go. With this pedal, I have to continuously remind myself to relax, stop playing heel up so much (and using so much leg) and just let my foot to its thing.

Its definitely the king of the round cam + strap pedals out there. Every last bit of design and finish on this pedal is amazing, plus it folds up and I keep it in my gig "briefcase" with all of my "necessities" that I bring to every gig (in ears, metronome, etc). The briefcase + stick bag + cymbal bag (and usually snare bag) is what I take if I have to play someone else's kit and not having a bulky pedal bag greatly lessens the load that I have to manipulate.
 
Thanks for the tip on the Jojo pedal. I was at my Sam Ash today getting new sticks and they had both to try. The Yamaha FP9500c and the Jojo. I managed to get the Yamaha to match the Jojo pedal and bought the Yamaha. At $159 I couldn't pass it up and you get a choice: strap or chain. It's flying with the strap right now. I'm diggin it!
 
I play the 9500D direct drive, single pedal currently. Nice pedal, smooth and rigid, but I could possibly go for something that feels a bit lighter... I have yet to try a pedal with strap.


Are you sure about that? I feel like if it were any lighter, it'd float away - LOL.
 
Awesome Bo.

I picked up one of the predecessors to the 9500D, the 9415 for $99 a few years ago for a kit I was getting for church based on things I read here and I was totally blown away. To the point that I ordered a second one for my home kit and my DW9000 has become my backup pedal.

If you can swing the cash for the direct drive version 9500D or come across the 9410 or 9415 direct drive I think you'd be very impressed, especially since you are liking the feel of the one you just got.
 
Awesome Bo.

I picked up one of the predecessors to the 9500D, the 9415 for $99 a few years ago for a kit I was getting for church based on things I read here and I was totally blown away. To the point that I ordered a second one for my home kit and my DW9000 has become my backup pedal.

If you can swing the cash for the direct drive version 9500D or come across the 9410 or 9415 direct drive I think you'd be very impressed, especially since you are liking the feel of the one you just got.

I had thought about ordering the direct drive version, but after futzing around with this one and being able to play it full out in the store for almost an hour convinced me to just get it.

Many players I've talked to are kinda' on the fence about the direct drive thing, me included. I tried the Trick Pro-1v a couple of years ago and didn't like it. The only direct drive I did like was my old Ludwig Speed King, and I also thought the Axis A was pretty cool (albeit over-priced). But the Trick, and the Pearl Demon kinda' left me a bit cold. So since I had such a good time with this Yamaha, I went with it. If I get to try one in person and I like it, I might get one of those too.

On a side note - is it just me or does it seem funny that high-end pedals come with a bag of some sort? Tama gives out a plastic case, and my Camco came with a bag. This Yamaha came with a bag, as do DW pedals. My pedals usually travel in a trap case. Bagging them up never occurred to me. Was there some kind of public demand for a bass drum pedal case? Back in the dark ages, did drummers always hand-carry their case-less bass pedals? I don't understand how this practice came about ;)
 
Are you sure about that? I feel like if it were any lighter, it'd float away - LOL.

I haven't played many different pedals but the Pearl eliminators in the band rehearsal space for instance, feel a lot lighter. But I have more precision with my Yamahas, and I also haven't really found a setting that I'm entirely comfortable with so with time I may have to revise my initial statement.
 
I had thought about ordering the direct drive version, but after futzing around with this one and being able to play it full out in the store for almost an hour convinced me to just get it.

Many players I've talked to are kinda' on the fence about the direct drive thing, me included. I tried the Trick Pro-1v a couple of years ago and didn't like it. The only direct drive I did like was my old Ludwig Speed King, and I also thought the Axis A was pretty cool (albeit over-priced). But the Trick, and the Pearl Demon kinda' left me a bit cold. So since I had such a good time with this Yamaha, I went with it. If I get to try one in person and I like it, I might get one of those too.

On a side note - is it just me or does it seem funny that high-end pedals come with a bag of some sort? Tama gives out a plastic case, and my Camco came with a bag. This Yamaha came with a bag, as do DW pedals. My pedals usually travel in a trap case. Bagging them up never occurred to me. Was there some kind of public demand for a bass drum pedal case? Back in the dark ages, did drummers always hand-carry their case-less bass pedals? I don't understand how this practice came about ;)

Like you I started on speed kings,first three pedals actually, then to DW with the 5000 series back in the '80's with a double pedal, then to the first gen 5002 with the delta hinge, then the 9000 which I loved the minute I started playing them. In between I was trying out new pedals everytime I went to the shop just to see and nothing caught my fancy. Tama, Trick (didn't like the feel of those at all), Axis, Pearl and no one had anything but the cheap single chain yamaha so nothing to compare to there. I went from chain to strap on my 9000 and really liked how it changed the feel but my feet kept telling me something wasn't right..

Kept reading all the reviews on here from Harry and others about the Yamaha direct drive and did some searching and and found one for $99, needed a pedal for a new kit at church and said "I'm getting it let's give it a try". After about 15 minutes on it out of the box i was blown away, something I hadn't experienced with any other pedal in my ! Light, smooth, super responsive. Wife about killed me when she saw the smile on my face playing it then saw me searching for one, since she was the one that bought me the 9000 for my birthday a few years earlier. Which at that time I loved. Two years later and couldn't be happier with the decision I made to get one for my personal kit.

Yeah I'm not sure when the bag/case craze came from, never had one, never had a use for one. Now I have 3 sitting in my basement LOL!!!

Have fun with that new pedal!!!!!!!
 
I play the 9500D and like it a lot. I find it very light in feel and very responsive.

But it seems to be one of the most polarizing pedals there is when other drummers play mine. I have one student who SWEARS my Pearl Power Shifter Eliminator feels lighter to him. (Totally the opposite of the way I would describe them.) And I have had drummers at open mic nights play my kit and have a lot of trouble controlling it. They either love it or hate it. No middle ground.

Like I said, I love the 9500D, but it seems to be a quirky beast to the unaccustomed foot.
 
I've heard a lot of negative comments about direct drive, and it seems a lot of people dismiss them without ever having tried them.
I almost did too - LOL. But I liked this one right from the get-go.
 
I've heard a lot of negative comments about direct drive, and it seems a lot of people dismiss them without ever having tried them.
I almost did too - LOL. But I liked this one right from the get-go.

Maybe I'll dig it if I get a chance to try the Yamaha one. I've spent the near $400 for the Trick and after three weeks I really wasn't getting into it. Why it felt so different from that one to the Axis A I have no idea. But I don't want to be a guy who says bad stuff about it without having tried it. I've tried it. And the fact that I had different experiences with four of them makes me wonder why that would be, when I can get on a cam and strap pedal and be able to at least make it work without thinking how quirky it is.
 
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