Gibraltar Catapult

Rockingfreakapotamus

Senior Member
I Recently purchased myself a brand new bass drum pedal: The Gibraltar Catapult.

Having read plenty about this product in various drum mags I was fairly interested in it.
So yesterday(Monday) i was in Glasgow getting some stuff for the snare im making and then going to the flicks to see Shrek 3 (which is crap, incidentally), I dropped into my local drum store and seen the pedal on sale at a meagre 99 quid (about 180 dollars?)
I asked if i could give it a shot and so they threw me onto some old beat up Roland to batter away until my heart was content.
I didnt get as long trying the pedal as i wanted 'cause my girlfriend was rolling her eyes and looking mighty bored. So i decided that i might aswell stop being a tight arse and buy it, and i must say. Its awesome.
When i got it home i put it straight onto my Gretsch and gave it a whirl.
Needless to say it takes some getting used to and as far as adjustability is concerened, there isnt a wide scope for getting it perfect.
The action is not exactly tight but i have played faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar worse, and its smooth, like its made of oil or water.
It has a rediculously large footboard and no heel plate which is awesome for me as i have big feet ( ahem ) and i also play heel toe like oor JoJo.

So, verdict you ask?

Awesome pedal that takes getting used too, has nice action and is big for those who play heel-toe and are well endowed (in relation to feet). This pedal also, contrary to popular belief, does NOT cost two limbs and a pledge to the devil, it was only one hundred of the Kings Own Pounds (Sterling)

So if you are thinking of buying one, try it out first cause its not going to be to everyones tastes.

Does anyone else own one, tried one or HATE them? pics and discuss.

Heres a pic.
 

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From what I heard they make the bass drum sound real loose and baggy....
lol, msn for ya...

Seriously, this pedal looks so awesome - I tried on in a music store and didnt fall for it, but its very unique.
 
How exactly does the pedal function? It looks like the footboard has a roller on it and it slides down the beater bar that is connected to a spring, and that pushes the beater forward, and when you let up on the pedal, the beater bar comes back and that pushes the footboard back up?

Is the spring tension the only thing adjustable on it?
 
How exactly does the pedal function? It looks like the footboard has a roller on it and it slides down the beater bar that is connected to a spring, and that pushes the beater forward, and when you let up on the pedal, the beater bar comes back and that pushes the footboard back up?

Is the spring tension the only thing adjustable on it?


Yeah it works on a "unique bearing drive" system. When you apply pressure the bearing roll's towards you, forcing the shaft away from you and striking the surface of the drum.

And yes, as far as i can tell the spring is the only thing adjustable but i aint had a propper look over it yet, so i may be wrong.

x
 
And yes, as far as i can tell the spring is the only thing adjustable but i aint had a propper look over it yet, so i may be wrong.

We see you have your spring MAXED out. When I tried one of these pedals I maxed out the spring and still it wasn't strong enough to make anything happen comfortably. Had Gibby made the pedal board bearing adjustable forward/back, that would have given at least some beater angle adjustment.

And how about the turning/clamping power of the round knob that clamps the pedal to the hoop ? Ooooouch! They should'a used a T- bolt, way more torque with less effort.

The jury is still out on the build quality of this pedal. Get back to us after you put a thousand hours on it, we're curious to see if it falls apart by (before) then. I pedict the base of the 'beater/main stalk' will give way long before then. Even new, the stalk has too much slop at the base. When the stalks pins and holes ware-out some, I can see it breaking there.

This from Gibby's site:The Catapult Linear Motion pedal is designed to provide true response from the players' foot to the playing surface of the bass drum using natural ankle motion thus avoiding muscle fatigue. The mechanical advantage of the design is in harmony with the biomechanics of how the foot wants to work.

I like the last line The mechanical advantage of the design..... Lets see, the pedal board moves 'up and down' not side to side or forward/back. Up and down, just like any pedal. They go on to say conventional pedals use 'springs' to create resistance which causes fatigue. I guess they forgot they put a spring on this pedal, or maybe they don't think you'll notice. They go on to say:The mechanical advantage of the design is in harmony with the biomechanics of how the foot wants to work.

Wow ... big words for drummers to comprehend, well probably what they're hoping anyway. Do you need med school to figure out the foot is limited to the working movement of the foot board, which is 'up and down'? No matter what the foot may 'want' its limited to the motion of the foot board. If you use the same spring tension on your conventional pedal, no fatigue. This pedal has very little spring tension, even maxed out. A lightly tensioned 'conventional' pedal is pretty easy to play, once you adapt to its limitations. Watch for a flood of peeps dumping these pedals on ebay in the comming months.

Why would anyone want to be a slave to any drum pedal that's not adjustable (save for simple spring tension and beater height)???? Please explain yourself.
 
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The spring tension and the pedal beater height are all I see adjustable. Cant Imagine why the technology would go backward on this. The principle is OK but without footplate angle and beater angle, I can't see it being on the market long unless it is so cheap that it becomes a beginner model. I also don't see it ever adapting to a double pedal model, not that that is necessary but the option would be nice. I have no complaints with their hardware but wonder if this was rushed to make it to the next drum show.
 
QUOTE: Yeah it works on a "unique bearing drive" system. When you apply pressure the bearing roll's towards you, forcing the shaft away from you and striking the surface of the drum.

Actually the way the pedal is made, when you push down on the foot plate, the roller moves away from you in an arc, toward the curved piece, that holds the pedal beater rod. This arc pushes the bar away from you, and because of its reverse curve, causes the beater rod to also move forward. I need to study this some more but it seems that these two arcs, the one the roller travels and the one the curved rod travel, would make this pedal slower than a normal pedal. Normal pedals have a chain, strap or direct piece that works on a cam or an axle which reduces the amount of travel for the beater. I may be wrong but it seems this pedal may take a lot of vertical foot travel to get the beater to the drum head. More studying to follow.
 
I am suprised you like this pedal(that is not an attack on you BTW). I tried this pedal at my local shop and was not impressed. It felt very strange and very uncomfortable, like I would have to re-learn my pedal technique. You are the first person I have heard say they liked it. I am glad you like since you spent the dough on it....I do hope it works out for you.
 
Like i said before, if i tried it and didnt like it, i wouldnt have bought it. Simple....Anyway, i sensed that this thread was becoming hostile in a subtle way so im going to say this...

I'll probably buy one eventually, whether I like it or not, simply becaise it's so unusual. Being I own a Speed King, a Ghost, and a Tama HP55...not because I use them, but simply because they're all Direct Drive pedals. You are right, different strokes for different folks. A buddy drummer of mine has owned and played the DW 5000 and 9000, the Axis, the Iron Cobra and a host of others and he keeps going back to the Ludwig Speed King. And he's got a really fast right foot. John Bonham, Ian Paice and Carl Palmer all played Speed Kings, as well as countless 1000's of other drummers. Still in production, and if you modify it by mounting it onto a floor plate (which I'm suprised Ludwig hasn't done), it's even more effective.
 
hey guys just thought id throw a lil bit in here,i work in auto body,i work with metal all day,and ive tried the pedal.the way its set up no matter what its made out of this thing is a money pit,horrible design.seems like it was built for two purposes looking kinda cool and breaking down.where the spring is placed is the completly wrong spot for any type of resistance and or responsiveness,and look at how the foot board is anchored.if you have perfect techniqe it might last, if you come down perfectly straight on the pedal.but if your a newbie who has slight side push motion,or a high speed player that heel rocks you'll have that footboard ripped out in no time.honestly the materials and and design dont support the intended use adequetly.
 
I'm quite sure it would be possible to put a heavier spring on it..

Just like I'm quite sure yor asking for trouble if you do. The black piece at the bottom of the spring between the finger nuts is plastic. What will you do if it breaks?

Good luck getting parts from Gibby, especially that one. That piece of plastic is rated for the stock spring. I honestly can't say I'm positive, but I'll bet money the plastic piece has no metal thread insert, just a screw through the bottom plate into plastic threads.
 
sorry if i didnt clarify.i meant and side to side motion (left to right) that it would eventually put to much strain on the singular bolt that anchors the footboard,but if this pedal is working for you,then thats great dude.i just can't see it lasting very long with out perfect up and down techniqe.
 
I had a demo brought in to me to try. I didn't care for it. It was smooth but didn't quite feel right. Plus, the footboard sits back about 4" further than most boards so you would have to move your BD further away.
 
For 30 dollars less you can have a well built Vexdrums.com double pedal sent to your door with no shipping costs. Thats two pedals for the price of this innovative idea.
 
I got this in my email today from the designer of the pedal. I'm not sure why he felt like I was looking for information because I still feel there are design flaws and really don't need to spend the money to experiment with it, but in the spirit of fairness will reprint his letter as he has requested.

His name is Mark Orr.. Which may be why he put an extra R in flexor muscles. Just a Joke there. Here is his letter.



Hey There,
I was reading your comments about the Gibraltar Catapult and would like to make a couple of pointers with you since you were looking for some info.
As the original designer of this pedal I have some valid info.

The pedal does not require adjustable componentry simply because it will not benefit the player. I carried out a lot of research to come up the geometry that plays best.
When using the pedal for the first time, try and feel the return motion (rebound)the same way we have the feeling of a drum stick rebound in our hand. Spring tension is not the problem.The larger the spring, the more resistance you create and that reduces sensitivity and playability.

Most people have developed fatigue in the flexorr muscles(at the front of the lower part of your leg) because the return springs on conventional pedal designs. This is why the pedal feels very light under the foot. If you can start to work with the rebound lifting your foot rather than expecting the spring to push your foot up for the rebound, things start to improve.

I have been using a prototype for 18 months now and it has not had any breakdown. There are no weak spots in the design. I have had many people comment on how they could break this pedal but honestly, with all the heavy playing I have done with this pedal there has been no incident.

The Hoop clamp screw was made deliberately simple because the design has proven that it does not have to be clamped to the hoop with enormous load / clamping strength. It is easy to think that since conventional designs seem as though you need to bolt the pedal to the hoop, that the Catapult requires the same clamp. This is not the case. Because of the base plate set up, there is very little clamping force required. (fact) It also prevents damaging the hoop!

The beauty of the design is also the height adjustment where you do not have to change anything but the height. I personally think that is a huge plus. The pedal plays the same through all dynamic ranges no matter what height of the beater.
As far as speed of the pedal, use both feet on the single pedal (like a double pedal and work with the rebound) and see how fast you can play . Personally I can develop the fastest playable movement of any pedal I have ever seen.
I feel people looking for more adjustments are fishing for a pedal response that does not exist. The feeling that can be achieved from endlessly adjusting components some don't fully understand helps them feel as though they are improving their playing.

There is nothing to adjust but the mind set and work on the rebound the same way you do with a drum stick and watch you playability improve in the next 6 months.
Nothing happens over night.
By the way, I am working 0n the double pedal which should follow in the next year or so.
Hopefully you can pass this info on to the world of Drum Forum readers. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of time to spend talking about it online but I thought I would let you see what perspective I have.

Hope this helps
Regards
Mark
 
and this was my reply...

Thanks for your email. By reading the other forum members impressions of your pedal and from what I can tell from the photos, I still have issues with the design. I play heel down and not heel up so this pedal would work for me in this regard. I don't think it would work as well nor be as fast for the heel up players since you can't adjust the amount of travel by adjusting the beater angle. That being said I don't carry a big enough wallet to afford to experiment with a new design, but if you cared to send me one, on loan, for a period of time, decided by you, I will be glad to write a truthful review of my findings and return the pedal. I will post my findings in the Drummerworld forum which has over 12,000 members so that all can benefit from my trial.

Thanks,
Johnny Getz
 
Hope you get a demo GRUNTERSDAD.

Well people, this is one mans interpretation of what a drum pedal can be, though the market has yet to speak.

I feel people looking for more adjustments are fishing for a pedal response that does not exist. The feeling that can be achieved from endlessly adjusting components some don't fully understand helps them feel as though they are improving their playing.

That just about said it all.

BTW I've found very desirable responce 'with' the help of adjustments, as you improve your technique, you fine tune your adjustments. In the future I'll rely on being able to make any adjustment my improved technique may require. With Catapult, its a dead end, you can only get that good, it won't let you improve.
 
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