Off-Set Double Bass Drum Pedal

paradiddler

Senior Member
This thread is dedicated to the Off-Set double bass pedal, since no thread has been created for it!

I came across this pedal several months ago, and I have to say that I'm very pleased with it! The two beaters are in the middle instead of on the right (or left), allowing the drummer to sit squarely in the middle behind his kit, as if he (actually, or she) had two bass drums.

I just published an article at my web site where I interviewed the creator of the Off-Set double bass pedal, Charles Fisher. I think you'll find it very interesting. In addition, there's a link in the interview pointing to an all-out review of the pedals themselves. All in all, a very informative couple of articles that will get you thinking that there are other options besides the typically configured double pedal. (Incidentally, in the aforementioned review, there's information regarding the Off-Set single pedal as well, for those who insist on using a single pedal, but still having the benefits of sitting with perfect balance behind the kit.)

So, below is the link to the interview. Don't forget to read the review of the pedals also! Leave comments here and there, especially if you have them, or if you're considering them. Enjoy!

Interview With Charles Fisher, Off-Set Bass Drum Pedal Company
 
Hey Omar, saw the YouTube vid, would like to see you slam on that pedal with the camera down at floor level.

Also some close-up video... the rear hinge, a shot from the front of the main, how the increase in drive-size works and what's under the rubber boots of those connecting shafts.
 
Hey Omar, saw the YouTube vid, would like to see you slam on that pedal with the camera down at floor level.

Also some close-up video... the rear hinge, a shot from the front of the main, how the increase in drive-size works and what's under the rubber boots of those connecting shafts.

Hi Les.

Great, now I have something else to add to my to-do list! :)

That's not a bad idea, so I'll see what I can do. I have several pots brewing, this will just have to be another one! In the meantime, I hope the articles help.

Drum on!
 
I use a single pedal most of the time (Yamaha Flying Dragon Direct Drive) ... but when I use a double, out come my Off-Sets.
 

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i would probrably find that to hurt my back playing with my body facing over the base drum then turning to play on the snare and hi-hat on the left of my drumkit.

Could someone suggest a different setup using that pedal that might help?
 
i would probrably find that to hurt my back playing with my body facing over the base drum then turning to play on the snare and hi-hat on the left of my drumkit.

The snare remains between your legs ... the hi-hat remains ... on the left. It's the kick drum that moves left, to a more central position.
 
I'm in the process of planning my new kit, and I'm wondering what your thoughts are on using this set up:

Snare in center, two toms above bass, slightly off to the left (to make room for ride on the right,) and a remote hi-hat behind/overtop of the toms/ride, dead center. Sort of like Danny Carey's set up.

I think having the snare and hi-hat centered like that, without having to cross hands, would open some interesting rhythmic ideas.

Is there anyone who's tried this?
 

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I'm in the process of planning my new kit, and I'm wondering what your thoughts are on using this set up:

Snare in center, two toms above bass, slightly off to the left (to make room for ride on the right,) and a remote hi-hat behind/overtop of the toms/ride, dead center. Sort of like Danny Carey's set up.

I think having the snare and hi-hat centered like that, without having to cross hands, would open some interesting rhythmic ideas.

Is there anyone who's tried this?


I tried HH centered for 6 moths of gigging, realized normal HH position is more efficient/easier.

Your wrists can't extend forward and back efficiently, you have to move your arms both upper and lower... a boxing motion, takes mucho energy.

If you watch the top pros, the guys with 10's of thousands of hours playing time in all styles, none of them 'cross' their hands when they play, even if their HH is at the 9 O' clock position.

Your wrists 'can' twist side to side with minimal upper arm movement-no boxing, side to side is way more efficient. Twisting the wrists is more efficient than moving the upper arms. Both movements are used in the drumming motion vocabulary, but one has to less than the other and usually the boxing motion (upper arm movement) is subconsciously minimized.

You can experience the effect by playing your mounted tom in front of your snare as a HH. Play a (two handed) 16th note groove, move from the simulated HH to snare and then around the kit, you'll feel the extra pull motion needed to get back to snare from that HH position in the upper arms, as opposed to one big side to side motion.




With OFF-SET Double Bass Drum Pedal, sure the slave doesn't feel 'lesser', because with OFF-SET you're playing two slaves and no primary.

Having the bass drum centered wouldn't work with my current playing style since my HH (at 10 o'clock) is only 6" from my bass drum mounted first tom... bass drum is square-forward and stool is square-forward and the distance between my knees (HH-kick) is only 14"
 
I'm not a fan of these types of pedals. One of the local shops down here actually had the off-sets & a Sleishman. I couldn't believe he had both. Dude let me take both home & try them out for a day. The design seems like a cool idea but not really practical, at least for me. I decided to stick with my current doubles.

The inventor of the Off-Set Charles Fisher almost looks like one of the "founding fathers" of the U.S. Like an almost even crazier Thomas Jefferson.
 
It may be cool if play with your feet that far apart.

OFF-SET (and SLEISHMAN) are designs that require you to conform to something outside of standard/traditional, as opposed to a traditional design that attempts to be more accommodating.

You're playing two slave pedals. I wouldn't expect the dominate playing foot's connecting shaft to last very long. Im pretty sure OFF-SETS shafts are not an advanced design, most likely pin and block U-joints.
 
The inventor of the Off-Set Charles Fisher almost looks like one of the "founding fathers" of the U.S. Like an almost even crazier Thomas Jefferson.

It may be cool if play with your feet that far apart.

OFF-SET (and SLEISHMAN) are designs that require you to conform to something outside of standard/traditional, as opposed to a traditional design that attempts to be more accommodating.

You're playing two slave pedals. I wouldn't expect the dominate playing foot's connecting shaft to last very long. Im pretty sure OFF-SETS shafts are not an advanced design, most likely pin and block U-joints.

Indian,

That's really funny! He does have that 'founding father' look. Maybe a Quaker or something. :)

Ismore,

The Off-Sets, in their default setting, are not very wide, and actually, can be lengthened on either side if the drummer so desired. Whereas the Sleishman's are not as flexible configuration-wise, from what I've seen, the Off-Sets are at minimum as configurable and accommodating as any typical double bass pedal, maybe even more so.

Although it could be seen as playing two 'slave' pedals, both sides are completely independent of each other adjustment-wise. You can make one more 'primary' than the other, if you will. Or make them feel exactly the same, or whatever. They are very flexible that way.

Good points on your part!
 
With regards to drive shaft length, Charlie offers 2 shaft lengths also. Mine are the longer of the two sizes. They are "comfy" for me, and me is the only guy who really gets to vote, on this issue. Me, also being the cat with the wallet.​
Seems perfectly logical, however, if the long shaft was "too long", I'd just switch out "long for short", and problem solved.​
In regards to shaft lifespan ... all things "wear out", including the human body. Gear needs to be maintained, cleaned, oiled, repaired and/or replaced, if necessary. As of today, I only know of 3 pedals (Sonor, Sleishman, and Off-Set) ... that are of center design. I test drove the all 3 pedals at the NAMM show, and, plain and simple, the Off-Sets came up for auction on eBay, and I scored them, for $250, or thereabouts. The Sleishman costs $499 ... and the Sonor, well, it costs an "astronomical" amount of money.​
 
The Off-Sets, in their default setting, are not very wide

Would love to hear that in inches- What is the pedal board center to pedal board center minimum?
 
I play with my 10" tom to the left of the kick 12" is over left side. In my case Im not twisted, everything is dead straight in front. If you play w/ toms on kick..I can see the benefit. My setup it's no different with regular pedals.
 
Hi guys, first-time poster here. I bought the Off-Sets about three years ago and found them to be the answer to all my problems. At the time of purchase, there was not that much info doing the rounds, so had to just jump and stump up.

They've since been nicked - along with my complete Sabian cymbal set, and Kaman Legend snare - but I swore by them, and I'm in the market for another set. I was hoping that in three years Pearl etc would've come up with their answer.

Other drummers sat in on the kit a few times, and after initial skepticism, thought them to be very comfortable alone, as well as the added benefits of symmetrical tom and cymbal lay outs.

Some niggles were that I did find that the default width was just too wide (I'm 6'') - it pushed my hi-hat pedal (Pearl H2000) too far away - so I cut about 1.5cm off the left shaft, which was the max I could cut off, though I needed more. I also found that when clamping the bass-drum hoop, the cams/beater housing scraped against the drumhead, and the centre-plate was a bit lightweight; the back end where the spikes are, tipped off the floor too much. As well as some annoying rattles around the hinging of the pedals.

Has anyone attempted making one from an Iron Cobra, or such like?

PS I did buy the Gibraltar No-Leg bendy hi-hat stand in response to the problem of the pedal being too far away, but found the cable action to be a bit delayed, and went back to the regular Pearl stand after I shortened the left shaft.
 
My Off-Sets ... retired ... soon to be sold on eBay .... and another door opened ...
 

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