DW 5000 ADH

Les Ismore

Platinum Member
Anyone have one of these?

My intuition is suggesting I get one this weekend.



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I wonder if heel down playing would be less comfy. As a mostly heel down player, it looks like it's missing something to me, like a place to put my heel.
 
I wonder if heel down playing would be less comfy. As a mostly heel down player, it looks like it's missing something to me, like a place to put my heel.

LOL!!!!

never seen that one, like the smoother surface footboard on the right, it's like a 9000 footboard which I liked much better than the 5000.

So what's got you itching for one of those?
 
I wonder if heel down playing would be less comfy. As a mostly heel down player, it looks like it's missing something to me, like a place to put my heel.

They advertised these as being BETTER for heel down playing, which makes absolutely no sense to me. I don't even understand why they would make this pedal. When I first saw it, I thought it was a long board pedal. Then I realized that it's the same pedal, but without the heel plate. That's just dumb.

Maybe a child-size long board?
 
They advertised these as being BETTER for heel down playing,

Well until I try it, I really don't know how it would feel. But looking at it, I am imagining my heel on the floor and the rest of my foot on the pedal. Which doesn't seem to be something I would feel is better for heel down playing. Like I'm not all the way on the horse so to speak. So that's my prejudice going in. But like I said, I wouldn't really know unless I tried it.

I like a heel plate, but I wish they would make them more comfortable for us shoeless drummers. Right now the surface of the heel plate on my DW 5000 resembles a meat tenderizer. I actually glued a piece of thick leather over it, but that fix didn't last. Maybe next time with enough epoxy to fill in the grooves it would work.

One time on a last note of a song, I got a little too enthusiastic and lifted my leg and came down hard on the pedal for the last note. My heel hurt for about a year after that. That's why I tried the leather. As I am keenly aware of the potential for a shattered heel, I am more mindful of last notes.
 
LOL!!!!

never seen that one, like the smoother surface footboard on the right, it's like a 9000 footboard which I liked much better than the 5000.

So what's got you itching for one of those?



Im being inspired by my CARMICHAEL throne, the whole need to sit right at the kit, no slouching, no back issues.

I've always preferred a thin heel plate, TAMA especially was into this earlier on, it went thick(er) with IRON COBRA in black. PEARL too, nice and sloping to the floor.

The idea is to allow your heel to be grounded on the floor, like you're walking, aids balance on the stool/kit.

We'll see.

Im not a 5000 fan, but can learn to love it with the DELTA hinge. Not sure of the foot board design, what's newer, hope its the smooth board that's in production now, seems like a logical improvement.
 

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Right now the surface of the heel plate on my DW 5000 resembles a meat tenderizer. I actually glued a piece of thick leather over it, but that fix didn't last. Maybe next time with enough epoxy to fill in the grooves it would work.

High speed grinder.

The heel plate puts my foot in an unnatural position, the thicker it is, the more so.
Probably one reason I gave up on my AXIS LB rig after 10 years of devotional use, would play a cheap PEARL P100 and the positioning felt so much better, finally faced the reality.
 
I like a heel plate, but I wish they would make them more comfortable for us shoeless drummers. Right now the surface of the heel plate on my DW 5000 resembles a meat tenderizer. I actually glued a piece of thick leather over it, but that fix didn't last. Maybe next time with enough epoxy to fill in the grooves it would work.

One time on a last note of a song, I got a little too enthusiastic and lifted my leg and came down hard on the pedal for the last note. My heel hurt for about a year after that. That's why I tried the leather. As I am keenly aware of the potential for a shattered heel, I am more mindful of last notes.

I used to be a shoeless player, but I have forced myself to start playing with shoes for that same reason.
 
Shoes really cramp my style. Shoes are easier with the heeI up technique. I do a lot with my big toe.

The natural inclination is to hit the last note extra hard. That's a bad habit to get into if you are recording. I noticed I would clip on the last note of studio recordings.

I think with this pedal, I would tend to want to have my whole foot on the pedal, which might put my tootsies kind of close to the linkage.

Exactly what is the reasoning behind the no heel plate design?

I'd like to see a pedal where your heel is in the heel up position, but cradled by a heel hammock. The higher your heel is, the more travel you have in both directions
 
Well I picked up an ADH 5k yesterday on the way to the gig. The first thing that I noticed is its really light, under 5 lbs which is about a pound less than the PEARL I've been using. A pound is pretty noticeable. This pedal is also petite due to no heel plate, which is another welcome feature.

Got to the gig and set the up the ADH's angles to match my PEARL and got the spring tension as close as possible. Im no stranger to 5000's played them for years exclusively after they came out in the 80's and occasionally on rentals so no hesitation having a go.

Looks like DW's not been sleeping in the RD dept, the cam on the ADH is a dual toothed affair hugging both chains down the center and it looks like they concentrated on making it low mass, its really light, Im not getting that weighty feeling in the center shaft area. The double chain is chrome plated and not that heavy, noticeably anyway. The chrome (or nickel) on the chain is a nice touch, gives the psychological impression of no dirt, grease, grime.

Its definitely an optical illusion this pedal, it looks small next to my PEARL P900 but I measured the foot boards and actually the ADH's is longer... sort of. The PEARLS is 9.5" useable due the the design of the heel plate hinge where as the ADH's board is 10" useable, the PEARLS heel plate adds a full 2 inches to length and the PEARLS bottom plate jets out another .5" So from bow to stern the PEARL measures 14" and the DW only 11" All other dimensions being right on with the industry standards, 7.5" hight to main shaft center, main shaft 5.5" long, foot plate close to 6" wide etc. etc. I'll highlite the ADH's operating features when I post pics... onto playing/feel.


Some pedals you meet don't make a great first impression, they come off as bulky, or robotic looking, too much make up or some sketchy colour(s) going on. The DW 5k ADH is non assuming, lines and curves classically beautiful, not muttley, put together looking in an industrial kinda way. The ADH 5k is the chick with a bob haircut, straight facial lines, petite but toned, in shape, confident but not cocky. The 'dw 5000' call out on the foot board lets you know she can perform and she does not disappoint.

First song what hit me was how smooth and light the ADH is, it seems lighter than any DW 5k I've ever played, but who knows, could be a popsicle illusion... "Whatever!" this pedal feels light. Me setting up the angles to match my previous stead makes for no issues with pedal burn in, the ADH felt really nice under my foot, no hesitation, no doubt, just a fun lets go! attitude is all I got from her.

The ADH excels when playing heel down IMO, since when heel up its like you're on any other horse in the game...duhh! Heel down, or getting close to it I did notice the straight back of the stern clipping the bottom of my foot (playing bare foot), an interesting feeling that I've never had b/f, it didn't cause panic tho.

Drop the heel to the floor and that's where the mechanics of this design (or lack of em) kick in, no heel plate means your foot goes (more) level, dare I say Moeller technique is enhanced(?), or so it seems anyways. Its a 'good' feeling, when your heel can touch the floor, it messes with your center of gravity in a subtle, progressively experimental way. I still need to do some tweeking, set the chain to its lowest hole setting, find my spring tension etc.

First gig impression- "Me like this little pocket rocket!".
 
This heel-less pedal was "invented" by Michael Packer. He's been here and has videos on the site as well.

It supports the technique that he uses and teaches on his DVD,(which is terrific) and at the LA Music Academy.

He refers to the technique as Moeller for the bass drum.
 
This heel-less pedal was "invented" by Michael Packer. He's been here and has videos on the site as well.

It supports the technique that he uses and teaches on his DVD,(which is terrific) and at the LA Music Academy.

He refers to the technique as Moeller for the bass drum.



Found an old thread obviously named in search b/f I posted this one, Packer doesn't seem to be in it, or at least by name and not with any videos.
 
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Found an old thread obvioualy named in search b/f I posted this one, Packer doesn't seem to be in it, or at least by name and not with any videos.

He used to have it for sale on his website, (which no longer seems to be up) and he talks about it in his DVD. At the time of the making of the DVD, it still wasn't in full production yet. Check his videos to see what his foot looks like. It doesn't seem like he rests his foot on the floor for any extended period of time but he is not a heel down player.

DW has another solid foot board pedal that they don't really advertise. Colin Bailey uses it in his Bass Drum Technique video and he is a heel down player for the most part,(though he does raise his heel for faster playing when playing 2 or more strokes in a row).

Again, no heel plate and a full foot board but it's not a long board pedal. This pedal has been around for along while because if you have Colin Bailey's book, the pedal is pictured. I have an old edition of the book and it's got the full foot board DW pedal in an all silver/chrome finish which was finish available long ago from DW. The video has an update of this pedal in the current, black 5000 finish.

Both of the pedals look very interesting and I'd love to feel what it's like to play them. They also leave out a potentially weak point of any pedal, the hinge at the foot plate.

An edit to add the link to the DW video from the old thread with Michael Packer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eL2Uu5VWgA
 
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Check his videos to see what his foot looks like. It doesn't seem like he rests his foot on the floor for any extended period of time but he is not a heel down player.

Yeah, he says his foot is an 8.5 which is on the small(er) side for a guy. My foot is about that size, but he has his foot all the way up on the foot board. If he brings it down a little he's off the stern with his heel.


DW has another solid foot board pedal that they don't really advertise. Colin Bailey uses it in his Bass Drum Technique video...

That pedal is not heel less, its an integrated board/heel plate design with the hinge underneath, actually an anti HEEL LESS design approach as it raises the heel off the floor (AXIS design like this too). The ADH allows one to plant their heel on the floor per absence of a heel plate.



Both of the pedals look very interesting and I'd love to feel what it's like to play them. They also leave out a potentially weak point of any pedal, the hinge at the foot plate.


The hinge is still present on the ADH. DW's DELTA HINGE is not weak anymore, they've up'd the design, its really solid/smooth.
 
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