vancitydrums

Junior Member
I'll keep it as short as possible. I owned a single Tama Iron Cobra chain drive pedal and have since switched to a double pedal. They have been used on 2 different Yamaha kits (currently a Birch Custom Absolute) and try as I might I am not able to attach them to the kick drum hoop so that the beater strikes the batter head exactly parallel (always about 15 degrees past a regular 90 degree angle). I'm not able to push the pedal any further onto the hoop because of the beefy metal base.

I'm aware that Iron Cobras are supposed to be highly adjustable. I can't seem to get the feel that I want from them, and having to reach an extra 15 degrees or so just to reach the drum head with every stroke is not helping by any stretch. I'm finding it very difficult to stay in time, which is not normally a problem when I play with other kits/pedals. I'm considering switching to a DW 9000 single pedal which look like they are more compatible with bass drum hoops.

ANY tips/tricks/advice/recommendations/DW9000 owner experience would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. I can add photos if the problem isn't completely clear.
 
Two things come to mind and that's the hoop is too deep which keeps the pedal too far away or that your bass drum isn't raised high enough thus tilting the bass drum back toward you. When you raise the front, the top rear of the bass drum tilts back toward you and makes the distance from your beater to the head shorter.

Two things about raising the bass drum, one it should be raised so that it's not touching the floor so it resonate's better and so the beater stops at a 90 degree angle, two my idea of raising it is not a proper fix to your problem IF the pedal is not sliding onto the hoop fully or if the hoop is too deep for that pedal.

It's certainly and odd problem though and yes pictures would be great so we could see what you're working with.
 
did you adjust the knob on the clamp? not the one on the side but the one in the middle. loosen it up some to get clearance.
 
yes i fiddled with the clamp on both pedals for a long time (loosen, tighten, etc.). i pushed the pedal as far onto the hoop as it will go. i've also experimented with many different bass drum tilt variations, with no luck. i believe you guys have the right idea of what the problem is. it does seem as though the bass drum hoop is too deep, but Yamaha design/hardware is about is basic and standard as they come. is that not a significant design flaw on Tama's part? not really sure what to do. sounds like it involves either a new hoop or a new pedal. I have read about this problem before, as well.
 
Then the only thing left is to take pics and get the best angles as possible to show us what it looks like. Very odd problem and even though it's not my problem I am now annoyed lol!!
 
here's the photo. you can see that the angle of the beater is off by a few degrees. the pedal is as far onto the hoop as possible. (i don't know why it's sideways).
 

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It's ok I saved it and rotated it. Yes it is going past the 90 degree mark too much.

Can you get a few shots of the clamp area? With some light? Get all the shots you can that you think will help us see the problem.
 
phone just died on me as i was trying to get some more photos. i attached a different photo of the front of the same pedal i have. i circled in red one of 2 metal nubs that prevents the pedal from being pushed further onto the hoop. that is the problem area.
 

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yeah try lifting the front of the drum up a little, also loosen the clamp all the way and try not tightening the clamp so much.or maybe your head is tuned lose causing to much distance between the head and hoop? i have used my cobra on a Yamaha kit with no problem it should work its got to be something simple take a pic showing the hoop and pedal.
 
This just happens with some pedals on some hoops. The only pedals that I've used on my Yamaha kit was a Yamaha and Trick Pro 1 V pedal and both worked out well. Are you sure that your batter head was properly seated and not tilted on the bearing edge. This will affect how the hoop will sit on the head. Also the head itself comes to mind. A number of variables could cause this problem. I have quite a few Tama Iron Cobra pedals on a few kits and none caused this type of issue.

The Trick Pro 1 V pedal has a hoop adjustment to fine tune for this type of problem by adjusting the front plate of the pedal forward or back to compensate for the width of the hoop.

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Dennis
 
Quite frankly, I've never seen a beater shaft perfectly parallel to that head at the point when the beater makes contact. That's why the Tama pedals have that adjustable beater head.

Does it really matter anyway?
 
I have had difficulty of my own attaching my old iron cobra to my 2box electric kit but maybe the hoop is slightly ridiculous and you'll have this problem with other pedals anyway. How much deeper is it than other hoops? A shallower hoop might be a cheaper solution..
 
So I'm supposed to have my bass drum beater straight at a 90 degree angle? I've never even thought about it or checked it. Hm... Just something else to keep me up at night. LOL
 
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