No more slave pedal please!

Have any of you ever bought just two identical bass drums rather than purchasing a new kit so that you could use two master pedals rather than a double pedal with a slave pedal and drive shaft? Im big on intricate double bass work and i am so tired of using a drive shaft to connect my slave pedal in. I know the cons of having two bass drums include having to keep them both identically tuned, lugging them both around to anywhere i go with my kit, and it takes up more space but most of that doesent bother me. What does bother me is that i can never have my slave pedal quite as quick as my master obviously because some of the kinetic energy is lost in the drive shaft.


Im not ready to buy an entirely new kit because im not sure of what tom sizes id want and how many toms as well as what Brand and series i would even go with, plus because of expense. If i bought a whole new kit with two identical bass drums it would cost a little to much for me right now im thinking. So my idea is to buy just the bass drums, two identical bass drums that i could tune the same and use master pedals with allowing me to have the level of comfort i want with all the double bass work i do.

Any thoughts? Has anyone else done this because they were tired of double pedals too? I would greatly appreciate any thoughts you guys may have, thanks

I can't recall ever seeing a drummer use 2 bass drums. I think you have stumbled upon a fresh new concept that nobody has tried ever in the history of drumming.

Are you talking metal where you feel both drums have to sound alike for blast beats etc. Many drummers have two bass drums and don't tune them the same for another voice or sound. Try eBay for a second bass drum that matches your current one even if a different size.

uniongoon said:

I can't recall ever seeing a drummer use 2 bass drums. I think you have stumbled upon a fresh new concept that nobody has tried ever in the history of drumming.

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Hahahahaha! Yep. It's a fresh new idea!

sarcasm is not appreciated uniongoon, you can take that elsewhere.....


Gruntersdad, my problem there is I have a vintage Ludwig kit from the 60's that is no longer in production, if that was an option i most definitely would have done that already. I could buy another bass drum the same diameter and depth but I would prefer to have two exactly identical bass drums so that getting the same sound out of both will be easier. I wish i could just call Ludwig up and have them just make me another bass drum that is the same series as my own!

I am with you tho, i would love to have three bass drums when i finally do buckle down and get a completely new shell kit. Two bass drums exactly the same for my regular bass work and one bass drum with a completely different size that has another voice, that would be amazing to have at my disposal.

Clearly having two bass drums is not new, but most people when they have a double bass drum set up they will have the entire kit (with exception of the snare drum(s)) the same brand and series. I.E. the bass drums will be the same as the Toms and what ever other drums they may have such as gong drums etc... So what i am talking about is having my vintage 60's ludwig Toms with two bass drums that are not the same series and brand as the toms.

Likestodrum334 said:

but I would prefer to have two exactly identical bass drums so that getting the same sound out of both will be easier

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Don't get too bogged down with exact specifics. Just get two shells of the same diameter and similar shell composition and employ your tuning skills.

You'll be able to get them close enough that all but the most discerning of ears would be able to notice anyway. And let's face it, once you mic 'em up and put 'em behind a band in full flight, who will possibly be able to tell?

But even so, in the case of your Luddies you shouldn't have too much trouble finding an orphan 3 ply bass drum from the same era, should you?

Likestodrum334 said:

sarcasm is not appreciated uniongoon, you can take that elsewhere.....

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Au contraire. It was very giggle worthy from where I was sitting. Where I come from, a gentle good-natured piss take should never go unappreciated. .

Even if you can't find your *exact* bass drum, you can probably find an old ludwig with the same construction and dimensions. Even if it's a different color, you could get a new wrap for it.

Also, any ply drum of identical dimensions and comparable thickness will probably sound identical to your bass with the same heads and tuning. The brand, model, and even the wood will probably not have enough impact on the sound to tell the difference. And again, it can be re-wrapped to match your current drum.

Likestodrum334 said:

What does bother me is that i can never have my slave pedal quite as quick as my master obviously because some of the kinetic energy is lost in the drive shaft.

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If you don't have bearings in your driveshaft (like the trick one), then you have plain old wiggly universal joints that cause your left pedal to feel delayed and sloppy. If you have something like the trick driveshaft (way cheaper than a pedal and a drum or two), then there's no delay, and with proper pedal settings the only difference is a little bit more inertia, which can mostly be made up for with settings and weights.

Wanting two drums is still understandable, since the sound you get from faster double bass patterns is different than a double pedal on one drum...overlapping sustain and all that. And it looks cool.

Likestodrum334 said:

sarcasm is not appreciated uniongoon, you can take that elsewhere.....


Gruntersdad, my problem there is I have a vintage Ludwig kit from the 60's that is no longer in production, if that was an option i most definitely would have done that already. I could buy another bass drum the same diameter and depth but I would prefer to have two exactly identical bass drums so that getting the same sound out of both will be easier. I wish i could just call Ludwig up and have them just make me another bass drum that is the same series as my own!

I am with you tho, i would love to have three bass drums when i finally do buckle down and get a completely new shell kit. Two bass drums exactly the same for my regular bass work and one bass drum with a completely different size that has another voice, that would be amazing to have at my disposal.

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But wait - you can! Ludwig makes the Legacy series which is supposed to be 3-ply with re-rings, and they just released mahogany drums at this year's NAMM. Heck, you could probably call them and tell them what you have, and they could make you another one. Provided you wanted to spend that much money.

Wherever did that thread go with the engineer explain U-Joint oscillations and such? Anyways, I used the setup guidance in that thread and bought myself a Trick retrofit driveshaft and my slave pedal's behavior is 100% improved. Something to consider if you haven't already. Certainly cheaper than another bass drum.

harryconway said:

The Sleishman is a double pedal (invented around 1971) that has no traditional primary side and "slave" side. Both pedals are chain drive primaries.​

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I keep forgetting about the Sleish'!

Actually, Sonor makes the same type of double pedal too - although they're so expensive I've never seen one in a shop.

Exactly which '60s Ludwig kit do you own? I'll bet if you give the Ludwig guys here some more information, or better yet a picture, and they can tell you exactly which modern Ludwig bass drum you need to match the one you already own. This is the only logical way to go if you want to double up on bass drums.

GeeDeeEmm

A good driveshaft makes all the difference.

I used to think the same thing, that my slave pedal was holding me back. I've owned many pedals, two different ICs, two 5000s, a 7000, a 9000, and a Giant Step. I thought the linkage was sucking up all my speed and power, until I sat down on a left footed IC Power Glide. My right foot was practically the same as always and my left foot was still five drinks back. This changed my perspective drastically. The Pearl, Trick, and Axis links all improve things, but very marginally. Two bass drums also greatly limits pedal placement. If you are sure it's hardware and you aren't like me, an otherwise competent player with a really dumb foot, start with the pedal and linkage.

It is also worth mentioning that a lot of guys who use two bass drums in their setup only play one. Ray Luzier, Deen Castronovo, and Todd Sucherman have all stated in interviews that they use double pedals for micing, positioning, or ease reasons. Derek Roddy's primary bass drum has a double pedal, the last time I saw In Flames I could clearly see a link between his bass drums, and even The Rev was known to use a double pedal with his giant kits. Then you have guys like Thomas Lang, Gavin Harrison, Virgil and Vinnie who can smoke anyone with a double pedal.

Don't blame the hammer. Just my $0.02...