Question about getting started
Question about getting started
okay guys, new member here with a few questions I'm hoping you can help me with. First off, I've been playing drums for several years now but am just getting into the cocktail scene. Is there any other foot pedals that will work for the reverse effect for a floor tom? I see alot mentioned of the DW 5000 pedal, is that about the only choice out there or what? Another question is this, and I have read alot of the post already on here, but what is the general concenus of the the Global percussion sets that are on ebay right regularly? Is there a better route to take to build a set or what? Any advice would be appreciated. Great site, thanks guys.
New Cocktail Drummer
Hey Scott,
Welcome to the board!
As far as pedals, I think that there are several out there that will 'work' if you reverse them. The real questions is 'how well'? The DW pedals are very well made, professional pedals with a great amount of adjustability. The adjustability is part of what makes it good for a cocktail pedal. You can actually remove the cam and turn it around and then adjust the chain position to suit the new arrangement.
I have an old Slingerland pedal with a leather strap that someone literally attached the strap around the other way. It certainly works, and pretty well, but does not feel as solid as a properly converted pedal.
There are also plenty of Ludwig Speedmasters around (check eBay). They work well and are designed to be reversed. They are, however, a lighter weight pedal so it might not feel solid enbough for your needs.
As far as kits go, it looks like Global Percussion has upped the quality on their kits recently (maple shells instead of fiber resin and better hardware). So far the reviews are quite good and it's hard to beat the price!
Making your own drum is always a reqarding project but you should be prepared for the time and effort that it takes if you plan on going down this route. There are plenty of people here to help you out if you decide to give it a try. If you are in a hurry, the GP might just do the trick!
Let us know what you decide,
- John
Welcome to the board!
As far as pedals, I think that there are several out there that will 'work' if you reverse them. The real questions is 'how well'? The DW pedals are very well made, professional pedals with a great amount of adjustability. The adjustability is part of what makes it good for a cocktail pedal. You can actually remove the cam and turn it around and then adjust the chain position to suit the new arrangement.
I have an old Slingerland pedal with a leather strap that someone literally attached the strap around the other way. It certainly works, and pretty well, but does not feel as solid as a properly converted pedal.
There are also plenty of Ludwig Speedmasters around (check eBay). They work well and are designed to be reversed. They are, however, a lighter weight pedal so it might not feel solid enbough for your needs.
As far as kits go, it looks like Global Percussion has upped the quality on their kits recently (maple shells instead of fiber resin and better hardware). So far the reviews are quite good and it's hard to beat the price!
Making your own drum is always a reqarding project but you should be prepared for the time and effort that it takes if you plan on going down this route. There are plenty of people here to help you out if you decide to give it a try. If you are in a hurry, the GP might just do the trick!
Let us know what you decide,
- John
-
mangorockfish
- Posts: 182
- Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:23 pm
- Location: arkansas
Hi Scott
Welcome to da board! My .02 on pedals and build...
Pedal: I reversed a few pedals and each worked well, though I settled on a DW5000 electronic trigger model (probably now discontinued). Deciding factors included the comparative build quality, the resulting feel and adjustability, and the fact that my particular model included a substantial footboard that holds its place and allows me to position it without mounting brackets.
Buy or Build: I'm a bit biased here since I've modded and/or built a bunch of drums in the past. I designed and built my cocktail kit after a good amount of research and based on prior knowledge. It was a good amount of effort, took some time, and definitely cost more than buying a GP kit (which appears to be a killer deal). HOWEVER I have exactly what I designed and wanted. And I do love the kit.
I think because of the unique nature of cocktail kits and ctail drumming, many of us here are inclined to customize our kits, and to that end, you may find yourself tweaking a 'bought' kit to varying degrees. If you do buy a GP kit, budget for some extra costs and time to make it your own.
Also you'll find that whether you build or buy, you'll want to do some practicing - cocktail drumming is different. For me the cocktail approach is about discovering new aspects of my playing, and that's been inspirational.
Last thing about building: if you're not eager or interested in the effort of building your own cocktail kit, Kyle from this forum is offering a unique service where you're the designer and he builds it for you. See: http://www.swingdrummer.com/loungecaster. I'm not associated with him nor familiar with his work, but he's built his own (see also his DIY here) and this may be another avenue to explore.
Perhaps more than .02, but there you have it. Good luck and start playing soon!
Welcome to da board! My .02 on pedals and build...
Pedal: I reversed a few pedals and each worked well, though I settled on a DW5000 electronic trigger model (probably now discontinued). Deciding factors included the comparative build quality, the resulting feel and adjustability, and the fact that my particular model included a substantial footboard that holds its place and allows me to position it without mounting brackets.
Buy or Build: I'm a bit biased here since I've modded and/or built a bunch of drums in the past. I designed and built my cocktail kit after a good amount of research and based on prior knowledge. It was a good amount of effort, took some time, and definitely cost more than buying a GP kit (which appears to be a killer deal). HOWEVER I have exactly what I designed and wanted. And I do love the kit.
I think because of the unique nature of cocktail kits and ctail drumming, many of us here are inclined to customize our kits, and to that end, you may find yourself tweaking a 'bought' kit to varying degrees. If you do buy a GP kit, budget for some extra costs and time to make it your own.
Also you'll find that whether you build or buy, you'll want to do some practicing - cocktail drumming is different. For me the cocktail approach is about discovering new aspects of my playing, and that's been inspirational.
Last thing about building: if you're not eager or interested in the effort of building your own cocktail kit, Kyle from this forum is offering a unique service where you're the designer and he builds it for you. See: http://www.swingdrummer.com/loungecaster. I'm not associated with him nor familiar with his work, but he's built his own (see also his DIY here) and this may be another avenue to explore.
Perhaps more than .02, but there you have it. Good luck and start playing soon!
Correction: links to Kyle's loungecaster cocktail drum-building service
http://www.swingdrummer.com/loungecaster/
http://www.cocktaildrum.com/rap/viewtop ... ce49deca38
http://www.swingdrummer.com/loungecaster/
http://www.cocktaildrum.com/rap/viewtop ... ce49deca38
-
Pat McNeil
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:20 pm
If money is an issue, get a Pulse bass drum pedal from Musiciansfriend.com. The cheap one is about $20 and the expensive one is about $30. The cheap one feels like a Pearl powershifter and the expensive one is like a DW 5000 Turbo. Both have metal baseplates with velcro, which reduces your need to attach the pedal to the bass of the drum. It's really easy to convert them and they work great.
Just a update guys, I've been studying my options and went with a GP set off of Ebay for $299 delivered. From what I can gatherer GP has improved these drums to some degree. The set I bought has all maple shells and a laquer finish, instead of the 9 ply poplar/basswood with the pvc covered shells they use to make. I haven't recieved them yet, suppose to be here by the 7th of this month, look forward to getting them and seeing if they will be alright. Great board, love all the info guys, lots of great tips here.
-
mangorockfish
- Posts: 182
- Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:23 pm
- Location: arkansas