Yamaha Flying Dragon Direct Drive old vs new
- Thread starter konaboy
- Start date
Les Ismore
Platinum Member
No difference in the double pedals drive linkage, its still a feeble pin and block design constantly in a state of unadjustable wear when used, an afterthought, a poor example of Yamaha engineering.
scorch whammin
Gold Member
Hmm....never had a problem with my yamaha double pedal...
konaboy
Pioneer Member
O.K. so if we leave the whole double linkage out of the equation, any real differences between the new one and the last generation one? Only reason I ask is I'm considering getting one and found a killer deal on the 9415 but if there have been improvements to make the 9500 better I'd be willing to spend the money if they are worth it.
jondrumming
Senior Member
I've been able to play on both the chain drive and the direct drive (newer models and older models), and I preferred the newer direct drive. Not very many differences at all, the only differences I picked up on were:
1. Newer footboard is a little bit heavier than the older one, which can be good or bad
2. New beater is absolutely heavier than the old one, so I would recommend swapping it out for some Tama CB90s right off the bat.
3. This doesn't really matter unless you're a freak about looks, but the actual direct linkage on the newer pedal has a shiny chrome finish, the older one has a more dull finish.
4. This may be related to bad adjustments, but one of the times i played the newer one, there was WAY too much throw on it... I would put my foot down on it and the beater would literally FLY forward uncontrollably. However, the second time I tried it at a different store, it felt great under my foot.
I'd say go with the 9500, I think they have made more improvements over the 9415 than meet the eye.
scorch whammin
Gold Member
I don't believe there have been any signiifcant changes to the pedal (as in the DD linkage)...new beaters, new footboards and a change to the attachment mechanism...other than that it doesn't appear to be anything else...
...if you can get a deal on a 9415..I'd say go for it...I saw them listed on ebay (new) for $220 for the double pedal, which I thought was a really good deal..
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Polymetrix1618
Senior Member
This is my first impressions of the 9500D direct drive pedal. The only weaknesses are not present in the single pedal, so I would go with the new ones in a heartbeat. They look better and feel smoother.
I own both a 9415 direct drive - the older FD - and 9500 direct drive, which I would recommend over chain drive. I previously owned Pearl Eliminators and have used plenty of other pedals, but the Flying Dragon pedals are without a doubt my favorites. They're super adjustable, well-built, and extremely smooth. They're not super heavy like Eliminators and not super light like Iron Cobras. There are some major improvements and drawbacks of the 9500 to the 9415 that I wrote about a while ago:
The Good: It's smoother and looks less industrial. The new springs are black and the whole pedal has been streamlined and modernized, which makes for the best looking pedal on the market. The adjustments are all done with a drum key, so no more Allen wrench. The driveshaft is much heavier-duty and the beaters are a vast improvement over the old one. A great improvement is that the new hoop clamp is all rubber, so no more hoop-marring metal clamp. The new case is like the Eliminator case and the pedal doesn't fold up, which I like, but some others who like the portability of the old pedal will hate.
The Bad: It no longer comes with a drum key, which isn't a big deal, but for that much money you should get one. The beater, which is no longer round felt, is not self-aligning.
The Fatal: You can no longer convert it from a double into two singles. The old slave pedal came with a hoop clamp, so all you needed to do was switch the spring and beater from one side to the other and you'd have two singles. Although you can switch the spring to the slave pedal, the base is completely different. If you only want to use it as a double it's perfect, as it has spikes where the hoop clamp should be that will keep the pedal stationary on carpet. The beater assembly is also absent on the slave pedal.
The new pedal is the ultimate double pedal, as it comes with a stabilizer instead of a hoop clamp, but it can't convert to a single in 30 seconds like the old Flying Dragon. If you only want a double pedal it's a great choice, and IMO the best choice, but if you want to switch between a double and two singles like I do it's not the right pedal for you.
scorch whammin
Gold Member
$99 is a good price for the single pedal...the $220 price I mentioned earlier was for the double pedal..
nickg
Silver Member
$99 is a good price for the single pedal...the $220 price I mentioned earlier was for the double pedal..
i paid $99 for my 9410, the double-chain version, a few years back. BEST $99 i ever spent on gear!!