New pedal for a Speed King loyalist?

Neilage

Active Member
I used a Speed King pedal throughout the '80s and '90s and never gave it a second thought.
After about 20 years without playing drums, I decided to get a kit again and ended up with a cheap Pearl Forum series with a single chain P-890 pedal.
The response of the P-890 was incredibly slow, so I picked up a refurbished Speed King and I instantly noticed a huge improvement.

I've recently upgraded to a Gretsch Renown kit and I believe that I owe it to myself to see what other pedals may be a better fit for me than the Speed King.

1. I am anticipating that some will reply with, "if you like the Speed King, then why switch?"
As I have never played a pedal other than the Speed King and the Pearl P-890, I don't have a clue what other pedals I would prefer to the Speed King.

2. I also anticipate that some will reply with, "go to your local drum purveyor and try out a selection and see what you like."
I intend to do this as well, but I greatly value the expertise and opinions of my fellow forum drummers.

After my experience with the P-890, I have convinced myself that my issue is with chain drives and therefore I need a direct drive to get the action I prefer.
My opinion of chain drives may be off the mark based solely on the inferior P-890, without checking out other chain drive pedals.

So... for someone that has been a fan of the Speed King and wants to upgrade to newer technology, what does everyone suggest?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
 
I understand that there are no modern pedals like the SK.
Not my question, at all.

No he is suggesting posts #45 and #55 in the "Any modern pedals like the Speed King" thread might have something you would be interested in.

Maybe you might like some of the DD offerings from the other companies. I'm not a DD fan, so I have no suggestion.

DrumFactoryDirect offers the Demonator DD linkage for sale. You could convert the Pearl if you wanted to.
 
I used the Speed King from 65 to 75 when I left drumming for radio. Got back into drums 10 years ago and found out Speeds were no longer the big deal. Got a DW 5000 and liked it. No longer having 2 bass drums but liking the flexibility I wnt with double pedals. Iron Cobra 900 power glide. Great pedals. Then I walked into a local drum shop and saw Ludwig Atlas Pro with similar footboard to the Speed King. Bought the double pedal version and although they have quirks that the DW and Iron Cobra didn't, I'm still using them to this day after 5 years. Would I recommend them? I would recommend trying them. I've found that pedals are only as good as you're comfortable with.
 
Assuming "normal" pedals and not the 1000 dollar machined offerings these days...whatever you consider, I would include these pedals:
DW 9000 and 5000
Pearl Eliminator

Others will add their picks I'm sure.
My personal favorite is the DW 9000.
 
Wait a little while, you might just see its return. :)
Oh ....... that's a hint, isn't it?
I used a Speed King pedal throughout the '80s and '90s and never gave it a second thought.
So... for someone that has been a fan of the Speed King and wants to upgrade to newer technology, what does everyone suggest?
Speed King was my first "pro grade" pedal. I recently revisited it, and found the Camco (actually Camco by Tama) to be a good alternative.

As far as "modern" pedals ..... the Yamaha direct drive FP-9500D is a really nice pedal. I have the older "Flying Dragon" version.
 
Ludwig Atlas Pro Pedal, I was a speedking player for decades. Takes a while to re-adjust to a new pedal, but now I'm even faster with this one even though Im older.
 
Ludwig Atlas Pro Pedal, I was a speedking player for decades. Takes a while to re-adjust to a new pedal, but now I'm even faster with this one even though Im older.
I'm a much better player than I was "back then", although I did attract a lot of attention from local bands in the San fran Bay Area and got to play with a bunch of them. Age does play into what music you enjoy playing however. Back then it was all rock all the time. Now it's country, big band, jazz, latin, blues, even classical which is extremely fun. More so even than jazz. Anyway, back to the thread at hand. Ludwig Atlas Pro with a Trick P1V6 driveshaft. Smooth stuff
 
I was in the same situation couple of years ago and chose the Speed Cobra. I have switched it out with the SK occasionally and it still wins.
 
If you got bank, go with the Tama HPDS1.

pen_HPDS1_01.png
 
I used to play speed kings and now I was lucky enough to have a guy from here send me one he didnt want anymore. The feel is still great.
 
Thanks to everyone for the excellent feedback.

Based on Bermuda's cryptic responses, I think I will stick with my existing Speed King while waiting for news about a potential Speed King re-issue from Ludwig.
 
My research on this same topic led me to the JoJo Mayer Perfect Balance. I just haven't convinced myself to throw down all that $ on a single pedal without being able to try it first so I can't personally comment... But there are quite few Speed King fans who really enjoy that pedal.
 
Can't say anything about anything, but if you like the old Speed King, you'll LOVE the new one! I mean, IF there is one...

Well there is a newer one, made in the 2000's. Not the same, and the one I have needs a lube job and its hub caps keep falling off. So if there is new new one, I'd like to know. Its like the Paiste "reissues" that were reissued back then, they are already classics .
 
My research on this same topic led me to the JoJo Mayer Perfect Balance. I just haven't convinced myself to throw down all that $ on a single pedal without being able to try it first so I can't personally comment... But there are quite few Speed King fans who really enjoy that pedal.
The Perfect Balance is not the right replacement for the SK. The SK has a gear ratio of 6.9, so a (really) perfectly balanced pedal, while the JoJo pedal is clearly in the direction of sprinter with 8.6(P-890 even 8.75). The feel of the SK can not be found today, so you should take what is comparable. This is a gear ratio pedal around 7. My suggestion is Iron Cobra Power Glide or DW 5000 Accelerator. But there are also other pedals in this area. And do not forget: whether chain, strap, direct drive, linear, eccentric, etc. does not matter. Only gear ratio counts.
 
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