Beater Weight Questions

Berry_Bopz

Junior Member
Hello everyone. I have a few questions about beater weights:

A) Do you prefer to use/add weights on your beaters?

B) Do you prefer lighter or heavier beaters overall?
I'm guessing that using a really heavy beater might be strenuous, but I've read that a beater which is heavier by the beater-side has better rebound action.

I ask because it usually takes me a long time to tweak my setup and run tests and experiments to see what suits me. Any insight into this would be appreciated.

Here are the sets of beaters I currently own:
- Tama Iron Cobra beaters model CB90F = 87.90 grams
- Pearl Quad beaters model B200QB = 88.70 grams
- Danmar Classic Felt beaters model 206 = unable to weigh accurately

Here are the sets of of beater weights I own:
- Iron Cobra beater weights = roughly 13 grams
- Pearl Eliminator beater weights = roughly 5.30 grams

I'm thinking about using the pearl eliminator beaters with the iron cobra weights attached. I was also thinking about using both sets of beater weights at the same time.

What do you think? Any input is appreciated.
 
99.99% of the time I just use the felt side of the dual sided beater that came with my DW pedals. Nothing extra.

I would be comfortable with these lighter modern beaters. I want control of my dynamics. I prefer the accelerator setting for the same reason. It makes it easier.

This is really just as personal as sticks when you get down to it.
 
I think lighter is better, especially for subtle playing. And if the kick drum is mic’d, it can be as loud as needed. In a live situation when the kick is not mic’d, a heavier beater will provide more volume.

While I was using a DW5000, it felt heavy and sluggish. When I tried an Iron Cobra 900, it felt lighter & quicker, but the beater + shaft weight were the same. This really suprised me ‘cuz I figured the mechanics of the two brands were similar.
 
There are two ways to adjust how heavy the beater feels: adjust beater height, or add weights/memory locks. Adjusting the height affects rebound for better or worse. This can greatly affect how well you do doubles, and how well you control the pedal in general.

Adding weight gives you another option, for example if you like your beater somewhat shorter but it feels too light.
Actually that word "light" is misleading. Don't assume more weight means more resistance or less speed. A shorter beater will actually feel heavier in a sense because the weight of the beater ads momentum and helps keep the pedal in motion. Reduce that weight and your calves have to compensate and do a bit more work.
Reducing beater weight also reduces how much you feel the pendulum motion, and increases how much you simply feel the up/down motion of the pedal instead. This is not a good feel to me.

As a rule (for me), lighter or shorter beater = decrease spring tension, heavier or taller beater = increase spring tension. I suppose everyone already knows that lol.
 
I regularly swap between an 18" and a 20" with my 5000 pedal.

I slide the shaft down a bit for the 18, then back up for the 20.
I've found that mounting the counter weight below the axle helps keep the balance consistent. When I extended it for the 20, the counterweight acts as a memory lock, and has minimal effect on the weight. When I slide it back down the counterweight adds a little inertia below the axle, making up for the shorter length.
 
Hey everyone. I appreciate the input thus far.

+ Sliding the beaters up/down is generally out of the question for me because my bass drum has a sticky pad on it and I like to hit the pad in the center of the circles. The sticky pad is a bit higher than the center of the bass drum. This position suits me well because it keeps the beaters at a high position. Also, my bass drum doesn't have any muffling inside, and hitting it off-center like this sort of provides a 'concert bass drum' type of effect.

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Get the Gibraltar felt beater. Looks like Danmar but it’s cheaper.

Thanks for this. Now I know what to buy when I need new felt beaters. I love the feel and sound of the classic felt beaters, but Danmar's are priced much higher depending on where you get them.

+ Has anyone tried using 'classic' felt beaters with weights? I might use the eliminator weights with the cobra weights to see how it feels, once my new pedal arrives.

***On a side note, the used Pearl Eliminator (old, not Redline) I bought from ebay was a huge mistake. Do not buy used pedals off of ebay or anywhere else for that matter. There was side-to-side play in the entire footboard (seemingly unfixable) and also the main cam shaft was loose and would wobble (it was able to slide back and fourth) and make loud vibrating noises every time you hit the bass drum with it.

I called up SamAsh and ordered a completely new Redline from them. When it arrives, I'll try to see how it feels to add the cobra weights on top of the weights it comes with.
 
A shorter beater will actually feel heavier in a sense because the weight of the beater ads momentum and helps keep the pedal in motion.

Wouldn't a shorter beater feel lighter? The shorter the length, the less mechanical advantage the beater has over the pedal when playing. In my experience, the taller the beater, the heavier it felt, and it necessitated a tighter spring tension as you mentioned.
 
I like them light. Yamaha double sided beater is pretty light, but I've been digging Trick Pro 1V's beater. It's light, and it hits hard.
 
the used Pearl Eliminator (old, not Redline) I bought from ebay was a huge mistake. Do not buy used pedals off of ebay or anywhere else for that matter. There was side-to-side play in the entire footboard (seemingly unfixable) and also the main cam shaft was loose and would wobble (it was able to slide back and fourth) and make loud vibrating noises every time you hit the bass drum with it.
It probably just needed a new hinge and some bolts tightened.
 
Im currently using weights, a 1 oz weight about a half inch down on a DW beater, or the DW little memory lock thing for the beater shaft about a half inch down from the top. DW 5000's and TAMA IC
 
Originally Posted by bud7h4
A shorter beater will actually feel heavier in a sense because the weight of the beater ads momentum and helps keep the pedal in motion.


Wouldn't a shorter beater feel lighter? The shorter the length, the less mechanical advantage the beater has over the pedal when playing. In my experience, the taller the beater, the heavier it felt, and it necessitated a tighter spring tension as you mentioned.

You're right. I should have specified "very" short beater. There's a point at which the beater is so short that it's weight no longer contributes to the sway of the pedal. For a more extreme example, if you've ever pressed a pedal with no beater it feels heavy because all you have is spring resistance with no pendulum action.
 
You're right. I should have specified "very" short beater. There's a point at which the beater is so short that it's weight no longer contributes to the sway of the pedal. For a more extreme example, if you've ever pressed a pedal with no beater it feels heavy because all you have is spring resistance with no pendulum action.

Doing double strokes on my kit I have fought with this for years.

Beater height makes a huge difference. short feel light yes, but you have to put more effort into getting the power. Longer feel a bit heavier but they get more velocity and have a better rebound from the power at contact.

I find a similar thing with weight too.. Lighter beaters require more force from your legs to get volume. Heavier ones require more energy to play with the same speeds and will tire you out faster. (if that makes sense)

I use danmar wood beaters and can not find an even match for my playing. I have swapped em out a bit but they feel like the perfect weight to me.

spring tension, beater weight, beater height, distance from head, head tension, pedal action like cams etc. They all make huge differences in feel.

You didn't say what your favorites were, or what you were trying to accomplish. Play around. experiment as we all like different things. I know guys who max their springs, and some guys who pull the beaters back so the springs get tension from having to travel so far. others crank the head tension. 3 ways to accomplish the same result.
 
You're right. I should have specified "very" short beater. There's a point at which the beater is so short that it's weight no longer contributes to the sway of the pedal. For a more extreme example, if you've ever pressed a pedal with no beater it feels heavy because all you have is spring resistance with no pendulum action.


As a drummer I hold these truths to be self-evident also, tho Its been my experience beater height is related to throne height, sit high(er) and the beater is higher, sit knees level'ish and the short shaft beater height can work.



Im in a low sitting phase and so the beater a litter higher, I need a heavy set of wheels.
 
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