So I got a DW9000 single pedal

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
I guess bass drum pedals are an obsession for me. I grew up on any of the late 60s Camco variants pretty much made by everybody, and even played alot of Speed Kings. But like cowboy boots, you get used to one feel and that feel transfers to every pedal since. I tweak alot of vintage pedals, and have even discovered that I even tweak new hi-tech pedals to make them feel like my old Camco'. After this latest "downgrade" to my trusty 5000 pedal, I decided to get a 9000. And the cool thing is the 9000 has all of the tweaks built-in that I added to my 5000 (namely, a smooth bearing for the rocker spring), a choice of either double chain or strap (I immediately installed the strap). Cooler engineering that I couldn't really do to my 5000 is on the 9000 - like the plate bottom covered in RUBBER instead of velcro (no more pulling up anybody's carpeting picking up the pedal), and the nice three-points of contact for the hoop clamp, which means it's not cast metal crunching down on my bass drum hoop, but three rubber points - this was a nice touch. The only adjusting I did to the pedal after installing the nylon strap was the spring tension. I left everything else as it came out of the box and it feels great!

The attached pictures are of the old 5000, first, showing what I was dealing with, and then the new 9000. Although they feel identical, I think the 9000 is the ultimate Camco pedal to have. And at $329, it better be. I was tempted to try the new DW CNC machined pedal, but I'm not ready to spend $500+ on a single bass drum pedal just yet. Right now I'm debating getting the 9000 hi-hat, so I can have heavy duty where I need it (pedals, and throne), and then use the Yamaha Crosstown stuff for the cymbals and tom. That might be a good way to go. I like the Yamaha Crosstown hi-hat, but I know it'll never be as stable as something heavier, and I'm not sure how much abuse it will actually take.

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I’m pretty sure the current 5000 model has a rubber base and the 3 point rubber clamp, and the spring bearing is replaceable. But the strap option is unique.
 
I like the built in hoop pads. Prevents having to come up with something else on the hoop for every drum used. Well done.
 
Good Post Bo. I upgraded from a 5000 DP to a 9000 DP and, out of the box it was night and day better for me. The straps will be even more so.
 
Bo can you describe the differences you feel between chain and strap drive?

I have a hard time seeing how the feel could change that much, so your opinion would help.
 
I don’t know Bo, based on all you said about converting the 5000 to a strap drive, then going with the base Yamaha 6110a strap drive, I picked one up and have been blown away by how stupid simple and yet effective the cheap pedal is. I have the Falcon pedal which wasted my DW9000 for feel and the $40 Yamaha feels just as good.

I used to have a 7210 back when they had the double pedal version and while the slave was clunky, the master was always smooth. Then began my quest for the perfect pedal and $$$ spent on countless top end pedals which left me longing, including the double chained 5000 and 9000. The single chain 5000 is still an amazing feel, but doesn’t open wide enough to fit my hoop with the hoop guard on it. That old design lived chewing hoops, so won’t use it without the guard.

Fast forward to last week when my used 6110a arrived and I just can’t find anything to complain about it. The only thing I ran into was the spring adjuster loosening continuously, which was the same as with my 90s 7210. A coupling nut for 75 cents solved the issue by adding just enough friction to keep it put. Light, fast, quiet and super cheap. That’s a win. Will sit on the Falcon for a while, but man I couldn't get the same feel I have now with anything costing 5x as much.

I think we’ve just way over thought pedal requirements, adding more and more rotational weight with each element.

I don’t gig regularly enough to say I would or wouldn’t need a heavier pedal. What I do remember running into with my pedals with baseplates though was the slightest unevenness making them wobble or rock. Never had this issue without the base plate. Is that where you’re thinking the heavier pedal will rule!

Has you HH stand walked away? I ask, because my CrossTowns will be here Friday. It’ll be a while before I’ll ever get to experience if the stand will walkaway while being played, so curious.
 
I don’t know Bo, based on all you said about converting the 5000 to a strap drive, then going with the base Yamaha 6110a strap drive, I picked one up and have been blown away by how stupid simple and yet effective the cheap pedal is. I have the Falcon pedal which wasted my DW9000 for feel and the $40 Yamaha feels just as good.

I used to have a 7210 back when they had the double pedal version and while the slave was clunky, the master was always smooth. Then began my quest for the perfect pedal and $$$ spent on countless top end pedals which left me longing, including the double chained 5000 and 9000. The single chain 5000 is still an amazing feel, but doesn’t open wide enough to fit my hoop with the hoop guard on it. That old design lived chewing hoops, so won’t use it without the guard.

Fast forward to last week when my used 6110a arrived and I just can’t find anything to complain about it. The only thing I ran into was the spring adjuster loosening continuously, which was the same as with my 90s 7210. A coupling nut for 75 cents solved the issue by adding just enough friction to keep it put. Light, fast, quiet and super cheap. That’s a win. Will sit on the Falcon for a while, but man I couldn't get the same feel I have now with anything costing 5x as much.

I think we’ve just way over thought pedal requirements, adding more and more rotational weight with each element.

I don’t gig regularly enough to say I would or wouldn’t need a heavier pedal. What I do remember running into with my pedals with baseplates though was the slightest unevenness making them wobble or rock. Never had this issue without the base plate. Is that where you’re thinking the heavier pedal will rule!

Has you HH stand walked away? I ask, because my CrossTowns will be here Friday. It’ll be a while before I’ll ever get to experience if the stand will walkaway while being played, so curious.
I still like that cheap Yamaha, but both will always be on the gig, one as a spare for the other. As far as the Crosstown hi hat, I notice a bit more wobble with the 17” hats, something theres less of when I use my DW7000 hi hat, and definitely none of when I used the 5000 hi hat. So I figure jumping to the 9000 hi hat, although that stand alone weighs in at 13 lbs., would be the end-all of hi hat stability.
Regarding the strap, the strapped pedals always feel lighter to me than with the chain, and I’ve always played a strap when I was a kid, so I like it better since I have the option. But I can still play a chain drive, and a direct drive for that matter. I just prefer the strap.
 
I still like that cheap Yamaha, but both will always be on the gig, one as a spare for the other. As far as the Crosstown hi hat, I notice a bit more wobble with the 17” hats, something theres less of when I use my DW7000 hi hat, and definitely none of when I used the 5000 hi hat. So I figure jumping to the 9000 hi hat, although that stand alone weighs in at 13 lbs., would be the end-all of hi hat stability.
Regarding the strap, the strapped pedals always feel lighter to me than with the chain, and I’ve always played a strap when I was a kid, so I like it better since I have the option. But I can still play a chain drive, and a direct drive for that matter. I just prefer the strap.
Does the stand still move around if you raise the base off the ground a bit, so as to put more pressure on the legs? I may discover this as well, but I've been on a two legged stand for years, so use to some movement.
 
Does the stand still move around if you raise the base off the ground a bit, so as to put more pressure on the legs? I may discover this as well, but I've been on a two legged stand for years, so use to some movement.
I have mine raised a little off the ground too. I think it’s physics - 17” hats just throw more weight around. I’m sure it’s stable if I use the 14’s. I’m just used to rock solid at those three points: hi hat, throne, and pedal. If I don’t have to worry about those, then I can worry about the music instead.
 
Bo can you describe the differences you feel between chain and strap drive?

I have a hard time seeing how the feel could change that much, so your opinion would help.
It's really about rotational weight and how the stroke is absorbed by chain vs strap. Strap has near zero weight, so the pedal feels way lighter and faster. The straps of today are kevlar, so not like they are going to break like back in the day..
 
The strap that DW includes with the 9000 seems really flimsy to me. I can see it breaking where that extra hole is eventually. I prefer the way Yamaha deals with the optional strap. They have each end wrapped around a square metal "washer" for stability.

My other complaint with the 9000 has to do with the position of the bolt that fastens the beater. Normally you press the beater into the head, slide it up or down until you get it into your preferred position, and then tighten the bolt. With the 9000, that bolt is on the other side, facing the head. :mad:

I'm still tempted to get the machined version some day.... :p?
 
The strap that DW includes with the 9000 seems really flimsy to me. I can see it breaking where that extra hole is eventually. I prefer the way Yamaha deals with the optional strap. They have each end wrapped around a square metal "washer" for stability.

My other complaint with the 9000 has to do with the position of the bolt that fastens the beater. Normally you press the beater into the head, slide it up or down until you get it into your preferred position, and then tighten the bolt. With the 9000, that bolt is on the other side, facing the head. :mad:

I'm still tempted to get the machined version some day.... :p?
Tough customer ?
 
My other complaint with the 9000 has to do with the position of the bolt that fastens the beater. Normally you press the beater into the head, slide it up or down until you get it into your preferred position, and then tighten the bolt. With the 9000, that bolt is on the other side, facing the head. :mad:

I'm still tempted to get the machined version some day.... :p?

This bugs me as well but I use the supplied memory locks so, it's just the initial set up that is annoying. On the MDD's, they don't have the grooves for the locks so, you have to go through this annoying process every time. The machined "MDD" is a brilliant pedal though but takes a little getting used to :)
 
This bugs me as well but I use the supplied memory locks so, it's just the initial set up that is annoying. On the MDD's, they don't have the grooves for the locks so, you have to go through this annoying process every time. The machined "MDD" is a brilliant pedal though but takes a little getting used to :)
One year at NAMM, they had on display a huge CNC machine that was making parts for the DW MDD pedal. I had never seen one of those machines in action so it was fascinating to see this thing just crank out parts for that pedal. I just find it ironic that the system that creates the pedal, which is designed for you to be able to make parts quicker and cheaper, renders one of the most expensive pedals on the market.
 
We're buying similar gear lately. I bought a DW9000 last year along with the Crosstown hardware. The 9000 immediately has become my main pedal for all situations. I really love it. That and my Crosstown hardware is what I've been taking to everything the past year or so. I haven't adjusted anything yet, it's all exactly as it came out of the box. The chain may be overkill for me, but the pedal feels so good that I'm inclined to not change anything at this point.
 
One year at NAMM, they had on display a huge CNC machine that was making parts for the DW MDD pedal. I had never seen one of those machines in action so it was fascinating to see this thing just crank out parts for that pedal. I just find it ironic that the system that creates the pedal, which is designed for you to be able to make parts quicker and cheaper, renders one of the most expensive pedals on the market.
Oh, but it's so pretty. Everyone knows that's worth big $$$! Normally one would say you'd have to recoup the development, cost of CNC machine and manufacturing costs, but I'm sure Uncle Good had a few of those CNC machines already. Not knocking the pedal. I actually refuse to try it. I don't want it to be something I end up really liking, then spend months figuring out how to get it.
 
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