Best Bass Drum Pedals for Any Playing Style

It’s no surprise the company which makes the best single bass drum pedal is the company which produces best double bass drum pedal as well. Tama's Iron Cobra line is once again at the top of the list for offering a perfectly balanced double bass drum pedal. It has all of the great features the single pedals which includes a small beater that allows for precise playing and a detachable spring for easy adjustment. It also has the "Cobra Coil,” which is a spring under the footboard that pushes the pedal back to the foot and helps with response time.

Just like the single pedals, the Power Glide is one of 3 Iron Cobra double Pedals in the 900 series. The Power Glide and the Rolling Glide are both chain driven, while the Flexi-Glide has a strap. The Rolling Glide has a rounded cam and the Power Glide has a cam shaped more for power; personally I prefer the Power Glide because I think it’s the most powerful. And unlike other pedals where the screws get stripped, springs bend, and countless other problems arise, the Iron Cobra double bass drum pedal is built to be extremely durable therefore avoiding these issues.

The Pearl P-3000D is my favorite direct drive pedal because of its quickness. I don’t have to work hard to create a lot of sound from the pedal. It is probably the fastest pedal on the market because the direct link is so responsive. The direct link can actually be adjusted to the players preference. It features “ninja bearings” that contribute to its speed and smoothness. The footboard has unique traction dots that can be adjusted for the desired amount of grip. The height of the footboard can be adjusted, and it can actually be converted from a shortboard to a longboard. It's almost like purchasing two different pedals for the price of one and it also includes a custom bag and beater. This pedal is a little more expensive than its competitors but has some features that aren't offered elsewhere.

DW has long been associated with the very best in drums and hardware with their DW 9000 single bass drum pedal reigning at the top of the pyramid. It is the smoothest pedal I've ever played as it allows the player to produce fast doubles with ease. Most DW pedals have a rather large beater that can feel heavy to the foot, but the 9000 feels as light as a feather. It's incredibly responsive at all dynamic levels, while still allowing for consistent loud strokes. The 9000 also stands out for featuring a fully adjustable cam which makes it easy to customize the pedal to a feel specific to your liking. Although one of the quietest pedals for recording situations, one drawback of this pedal is it's difficult to adjust the tension of the tension spring. The main structural arm blocks the tension spring which makes it difficult to reach the tension screw on the spring. While more expensive than other pedals, this pick well worth it for the smoothest pedal available. As a bonus, this pedal also includes a strap so it can be switched from chain to strap driven.

It seems like the most popular bass drum pedal is the DW 5000 series, a chain driven pedal that combines speed and power s. With the distinct red base and black and silver footboard, these pedals are easily recognizable behind any drummer’s setup and they’re almost as smooth as the DW 9000 at a fraction of the price.

I usually reach for my 5000 double pedal when I need more volume from my kick drum; I actually switched away from 5000 pedals many years ago because they simply did not stay attached to the bass drum. DW noticed this too and has developed a better toe clamp and it also features three independent rubber pads that firmly attach the pedal to the hoop. This is a great improvement in the design of the pedal while the two-way beater is built for pure power, providing you with a lot of thump.

It’s important to note there are several different models of 5000 series double pedals with the biggest difference being the cam design. I prefer the “Accelerator” cam because it feels a bit faster than the “Turbo” cam as it feels like the “Accelerator” requires less effort to play. Also worth mentioning is that the new spring rocker that makes the pedal feel smoother. To me DW 5000 pedals have always required a lot of effort to get going and the new spring design makes it much easier to play. Another noteworthy option is that these pedals are available without pedalboards.

The Mapex Falcon was introduced as a chain driven pedal that could be converted to a direct drive, but is now available pre-fitted with the direct drive. I highly recommend using the direct drive option on this pedal for its responsiveness. It actually has interchangeable drives so the players can choose if it is chain, strap, or direct driven while the footboard height and beater angle can easily be adjusted to fit any drummers preferred playing position. The baseplate is a bit smaller than other pedals, but it's still very sturdy overall. The small baseplate is useful for drummers that have a lot of hardware or multiple pedals while the weight of the beater itself can be adjusted to the players preference. This is a solid pedal that is very responsive and can be as fast as you want it to be, making it a great option for all skill levels.

The Gibraltar G-class pedal is a newer pedal that has quickly become a favorite of mine. It's a very sturdy pedal that can move quickly and features a smooth pedal board that is very responsive to any heel-toe gliding technique. My favorite feature is that all of the adjustment mechanisms are marked for consistency, making it easy to reproduce particular settings for different styles or feels. The spring is easy to adjust and is enclosed to keep everything secure. It also has the best mounting clamp of any pedal because it has a one step release, the pedal is easy to attach and detach from the hoop, and the footboard height/beater angle are easily adjusted. The beater has adjustable weights that change the feel and balance of the pedal in addition to a very solid foundation plate for grounding the pedal, thereby limiting excess movement. As nice extra, the adjustment tool is attached to the pedal itself so you won't lose it and there's also a a soft travel bag included to keep your new pedal safe during light travel.

Pearl’s P-932 double bass pedal is the best value for an inexpensively priced double pedal. Many years ago, when I first purchased a double pedal, my options were limited to my budget. I was forced to buy a clunky pedal because I simply could not afford a better one. Pearl has solved this problem many drummers have faced with the introduction of the 932 double bass drum pedal. This pedal is more durable than other entry level double pedals and features a design similar to the far more expensive “Demon Drive” pedal.

Driven by a very smooth and responsive single chain, this pedal has a good balance from right to left, featuring adjustable beater angles. Pearl’s foot pedals are built for speed and the responsive footboards are long enough for heel toe technique building. I highly recommend this pedal for any drummer that wants to learn how to play double bass drums.