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Thread: My favorite bass drum pedal

  1. #1

    My favorite bass drum pedal

    The Premier (made in England) PD 252: manufactured late-70's--'80.

    Premier-252 photo.jpg

    (forgive the ugly graphics)

  2. #2
    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    This thread has been just begging for a response.

    So here is my favorite pedal. No longer produced, it is sheer genius.

    https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...n-effect-pedal

  3. #3
    Interesting! I was familiar with the split pedalboard double beater, but not this heel/toe double beater contraption!

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    Member Yodelgoat's Avatar
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    This may not be in the spirit of the thread, but what did John Bonham use for a kick pedal? that stutter foot thing was/is awesome! My current double pedal does not give the same effect, and trying it using one foot is almost beyond the capabilities of the pedal. (its not me!)

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    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by syncopatico View Post
    Interesting! I was familiar with the split pedalboard double beater, but not this heel/toe double beater contraption!
    Yes, it really is one of the few pedal designs that actually does something different than most every other pedal.

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    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yodelgoat View Post
    This may not be in the spirit of the thread, but what did John Bonham use for a kick pedal? that stutter foot thing was/is awesome! My current double pedal does not give the same effect, and trying it using one foot is almost beyond the capabilities of the pedal. (its not me!)
    As I recall a rather ordinary pedal for the time. Ludwig I think (Zep Zealots please correct me). But the magic was in his foot. He was very skilled and had that feathering thing down pat. I still marvel at his technique.

  7. #7
    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    So here is the typical story on Bonzo (from http://johnbonham.co.uk/drumsetup/lu...m-pedal.html):

    Throughout Bonham's career, he used Ludwig's SpeedKing bass drum pedal with tight spring tension. Bonham used a felt beater, switching to a wooden beater towards the end of his career. This pedal has been nicknamed the "Squeak King" because of the large amounts of squeaking it produces!
    The squeak of the pedal is audible in the following Led Zeppelin recordings:

    'Since I've Been Loving You', 'The Ocean', 'The Rain Song', 'Houses of the Holy', 'Ten Years Gone', 'Bonzo's Montreux' and the live version of 'I Can't Quit You Baby' on Coda and 'All My Love' on In Through The Out Door.

    Jimmy Page has commented on the squeaking:
    "The only real problem I can remember encountering was when we were putting the first boxed set together. There was an awfully squeaky bass drum pedal on 'Since I've Been Loving You'. It sounds louder and louder every time I hear it! [laughs]. That was something that was obviously sadly overlooked at the time."
    From an interview with Jimmy Page in Guitar World magazine -1993

  8. #8
    Member Yodelgoat's Avatar
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    I wonder how much that just blended in with the overall ambience.... I wonder if I would miss it if it weren't there. Nowadays of course it would be a piece of cake to remove...

  9. #9
    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yodelgoat View Post
    I wonder how much that just blended in with the overall ambience.... I wonder if I would miss it if it weren't there. Nowadays of course it would be a piece of cake to remove...
    Blend in? LOL. Not at all. The squeak makes it impossible for my to focus on anything else when i listen to the beginning of "Since I've Been Loving You." Now I can hear the squeak across the room, at any volume, and in most every situation.
    Once the band jumps in, the relatively loud track does mostly obscure the squeak.

    I don't think we have discussed beaters here, have we? I did a rather deep dive late last year on them. I now have about 10 different ones but perhaps my favorites are from the Denver maker named Low Boy.
    https://lowboybeaters.com/

    I like the felt covered and the lamb's wool models.
    The ability to customize them is tres cool. I enjoyed doing two matching ones for my double-pedal.

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