Perfect Balance Pedal-- I played it, thoughts

In the store I really liked the round cam and the strap and just how light the thing felt. It felt effortless to play compared to my DW, so I bought it.

Since then it has totally changed the way I've played and for the better. It basically happened by accident. I was very used to wearing sneakers with good rubber soles, which helped stick to my old DW's and get some grip. Much of this was due to me feeling the DW's were laborious and needing some friction to dig in and get the slap I wanted.

On the PB pedal, it's obviously much lighter and smoother of a footboard. One day I got sick of hauling my shoes downstairs to play so I wore my socks. I figured the footboard wouldn't tear up my socks like it would on the old DW since the PB footboard was smooth. This is where it all changed.

I realized the PB board is smooth for a reason. After a while I was able to do all sorts of interesting doubles via slide techniques in my socks. I figured one day that if I finally went and got my sneakers that I would be able to do even more (because..."better grip!"). I was totally wrong. The friction of the sneakers really limited my playing and I couldn't pull off all the stuff I had learned in my socks sliding on the board.

Come to find out Jojo puts leather soles on his shoes for the same reason, so he can slide and pull off these tricks. After figuring this same thing out on my own I'm not sure I could ever go back to another pedal. Nothing else feels the same now, and I can't pull off half of the same stuff on many of the other pedals I've tried in music stores (funny enough the only one that really came close was an old Sonor pedal).

I'm not sure the PB pedal is for everyone, and I certainly didn't think it would change how I played a pedal, but I'm really glad it did.
 
I like the feel of this pedal but I feel as if they over-engineered it. I'm on my second one(Dave's Drum shop on Ottawa replaced the first one) and am having the same problem. the hinge where the pedal folds is loosening and I can't tighten or loosen it. it uses a hex key to adjust and will not budge. it's close to being unplayable at this point and i am getting another pedal this week(speed cobra) too bad its a great pedal otherwise
 
I have a little problem about pedal: when I am folding the pedal into playing position, button pops out, but I can still move the pedal base casting just a little bit, which is maybe a problem because it changes the angle of pedal during the gig?? Do you have the same thing happening? Thanks!
 
After having a few issues with this pedal when it first came out, (went through two pedals and then gave up, moved on to something else) - I am considering buying this pedal again.
Is there anybody out there that has been using the Jojo pedal for a couple years now with no issues? Please speak up…

Neal
 
After having a few issues with this pedal when it first came out, (went through two pedals and then gave up, moved on to something else) - I am considering buying this pedal again.
Is there anybody out there that has been using the Jojo pedal for a couple years now with no issues? Please speak up…

Neal

I bought one about a month after they came out and I've never had an issue with it. I never experienced the "stretched strap" problem. I love this pedal and while I keep a cheap backup pedal in the car just in case anything happens to it, I've never needed it.

I guess I did have one small problem last month...I didn't check that the bottom tension nut was tightened down and noticed about halfway through rehearsal that the tension was almost gone from the pedal. I stopped to check it and the nut was all but unscrewed and ready to fall off. Once I tightened it back up it to the normal position it was fine. This isn't a PB-specific problem and it would happen with any pedal, really, so I guess I wish that all hardware manufacturers would add a clip on the bottom tension nut similar to the Pearl 900 Demonator pedal (they have a small clip that keeps the nut from spinning, it's this kind of genius little design touches that I like).

I too get bored too, and I test drove a G-Class pedal for a couple of months last year and hated it. Went back to the PB and the only pedal that I might ever switch to would be a double pedal version of the PB if it ever comes out. I don't need a double pedal but it would be cool for a couple of songs and for "big song endings" and such.
 
I've had mine for going on six months, I put an average of 2 hrs a day playing time on it, more on days that I have band practice, and I've not had any issues, still love it!
 
After having a few issues with this pedal when it first came out, (went through two pedals and then gave up, moved on to something else) - I am considering buying this pedal again.
Is there anybody out there that has been using the Jojo pedal for a couple years now with no issues? Please speak up…

I've had mine for 2 years now. The only issue I had when I got it was that the hinge where the foot board attaches to the heel plate was a little snug. Not enough to make a difference in playing, but something I noticed. 2 years in, it's now perfect. Probably a good thing it was snug at first as some of my really old pedals are very loose in that same hinge after decades of playing.

No issues with the folding mech, and no issues with the strap. When I bought it I had heard about strap issues so as soon as I got it I just re-tightened everything down and it's been good ever since.

The only thing that gets me (still!) is I always forget to disengage the spring when I fold it up! You'd think I'd learn by now.
 
I have had one pedal replaced because the footboard hinge got too loose. Now I have the second one and the hinge is also getting looser. If it continues to get looser and looser, I have to say it's a really bad desing, and they really should have put some kind of a bearing in there or made it adjustable like the Pearl Eliminator hinge. Otherwise, it's byfar the best feeling pedal I have ever played.
 
I like the feel of this pedal but I feel as if they over-engineered it. I'm on my second one(Dave's Drum shop on Ottawa replaced the first one) and am having the same problem. the hinge where the pedal folds is loosening and I can't tighten or loosen it. it uses a hex key to adjust and will not budge. it's close to being unplayable at this point and i am getting another pedal this week(speed cobra) too bad its a great pedal otherwise

Well if you've nothing to loose, why not just open it with a longer hex key and more leverage , see if you can fix it internally.
I'd like to get a look inside the mechanism to see how it works, anyone else taken it apart yet ?
BTW only just got my pedal, loving it so far, no problems either
 
I noticed some kind of black powder going out between pedal column and part with push button. What is it for?
 
I noticed some kind of black powder going out between pedal column and part with push button. What is it for?

My guess would be that it's some sort of graphite lubricant or something similar, just to keep the moving parts functioning smoothly
 
Mine was squeaky down at the hinge by the heel plate - I contacted Sonor about it and was told to use machine grade oil to lubricate any squeaky parts. I had the issue right after I got the pedal, no longer experience it now.
 
I`ve had my pedal for about 6 months now..

It`s the best pedal i`ve played and i`ve played everything from a Trick to DW9000 to Iron Cobra. It just fits my jazz, funk, hip hop style. I have no doubts this pedal could also do rock, but maybe more classic rock, not no mars volta ish! Haha

It`s very smooth and very predictable. I love the folding feature since I move around alot. It`s very easy to transport and easy to set up once you got the connecting plates to how you want them.

I have had no trouble with any squeaky noises, heel plate hinges, or straps..
 
I'm a goober. When I unfolded the pedal after my most recent gig, I reattached the spring too far to the inside of the post, so that it wasn't in the groove that it usually sits in (terrible description, I know). Hence the squeaking.

Summary: I'm a dork. It's not squeaky.
 
On the PB pedal, it's obviously much lighter and smoother of a footboard. One day I got sick of hauling my shoes downstairs to play so I wore my socks. I figured the footboard wouldn't tear up my socks like it would on the old DW since the PB footboard was smooth. This is where it all changed.

I realized the PB board is smooth for a reason. After a while I was able to do all sorts of interesting doubles via slide techniques in my socks. I figured one day that if I finally went and got my sneakers that I would be able to do even more (because..."better grip!"). I was totally wrong. The friction of the sneakers really limited my playing and I couldn't pull off all the stuff I had learned in my socks sliding on the board.

Come to find out Jojo puts leather soles on his shoes for the same reason, so he can slide and pull off these tricks. After figuring this same thing out on my own I'm not sure I could ever go back to another pedal. Nothing else feels the same now, and I can't pull off half of the same stuff on many of the other pedals I've tried in music stores (funny enough the only one that really came close was an old Sonor pedal).

I'm not sure the PB pedal is for everyone, and I certainly didn't think it would change how I played a pedal, but I'm really glad it did.

Yes, Neil Peart wears leather bottom dancing shoes for the same reasons as you found. Same reason I wear socks when I play, slide is such a useful technique. I'm thinking of grinding my Iron Cobra foot boards flat as they're still too grippy with the raised lettering. I can manage to get some very fast quads and triplets when using slide on both pedals.

Less grip means less strain transfered back into your knee and ankle, and it also lets your foot find the sweet spot naturally.
 
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