Here's my 2-cent review.
Backstory:
I've been playing a Tama Speed Cobra since they came out and I while I initially really liked this pedal I just couldn't get used to the longboard. Now that I look back on the last 18 months or so with this pedal, it seems to have caused me to play a great deal more heel up and to use my whole leg to play, just stomping my toe down onto the middle/lower part of the heel plate. I had done some research on the Sonor Perfect Balance pedal and also the Tama Camco and had decided that at some point I would see if I could test out a Camco and/or a Jojo pedal and possibly switch to one or the other. I was intrigued by the design of the Jojo pedal (hinge, strap drive, round cam, etc...) and also wanted to get back to a lighter/smaller pedal like the old Camcos.
On Friday, I went to my local Sam Ash on the way to a gig to pick up a couple of things that I wanted but really didn't need (new cymbal bag, a new soft case for a snare, etc...). Maybe y'all can relate to that, LOL. As I was walking around, I was looking at the kick pedals and saw that they had just received their first shipment of 6 Jojo pedals. I almost didn't see them, since they didn't have one down on the floor as a demo model. I picked one of the boxes up, slid open the box and the bag and took a look at the pedal itself, and fell in love.
The drum department manager happened to be there (on his day off, no less) and came over and asked if I would like to to try it out on one of the drums out on the floor and of course I said yes. He had just got them in and the staff hadn't had time to play around with one yet since they were getting ready for inventory over the next couple of days. We took it out of the bag and clamped it onto a kick drum (love the folding/clamp system) and we both were amazed at how smooth it was. I immediately dropped everything that I had picked up that day and headed to the counter to buy it. They took a picture of me for their Facebook page since I was the first one in San Antonio to get one, LOL.
Review:
I've got to say, this was the smoothest pedal I've ever played. Took it right to a gig that night (and another one the next night) and played it without any adjustments at all. It responded like I had a direct link from my brain to the kick drum. I actually had to force myself to relax and to let the pedal do its thing. I played way more heel-down and felt 10 times more relaxed than I normally do. The pedal really lived up to its name, it has the Perfect Balance. You can really tell that this is a well-engineered piece of equipment that will stand up to the test of being played on for years. It is light but strong, the hinge/clamp mechanism is solid (at least on the one I have, I've heard of a few glitches in that department), and the foot board is the perfect size for my foot (a
tiny bit longer than "standard" foot boards, nowhere near as long as a longboard).
I've played 1/2 a dozen pedals over the last 25 years but this will be my last!