How To Fix And Adjust Your Bass Drum Pedal 

@Matej Petras that's great to hear! Thank you very much

Yeah they definitely help on a video. Thanks for watching

That's brilliant! Always good to hear that it's been helpful. Thanks for watching

@CrazyColin glad it helped. Thanks for watching

Glad to hear it helped! Thanks for watching

Yeah it's surprising how much better it can feel to play when your pedals have been adjusted to how you like them. Thanks for watching

Thank you very much!

Thanks very much for your kind comment. This was my first video so it's great to hear that it's going down well. I may well do a double pedal set-up guide video at some point if there's enough demand for it. Thanks for watching. Pete

That's great. Glad it helped

You're welcome @HOUSE GRACE thanks for watching.

You're most welcome. Thank you

Glad it was helpful. Thanks for letting me know

Thanks for the nice comment, Shriya. Glad it was helpful!

That's great to hear! Glad the video helped

I'm glad the video helped. Thanks for watching

@Obi-Wan-Kenobi thanks for watching. Great user name by the way. Use the force of the pedal's spring tension, Luke.

@@BeatmastersGuild Haha I will do😂

@FLUPP NUTS thanks for watching. Glad it was helpful

@Rebekah Cannon glad it was useful. Thanks for watching

That's great to hear. Welcome aboard, let me know if you get stuck and have any questions. Happy drumming Shawn

@@BeatmastersGuild Careful. as a newb my ignorance is vast, at the start is seems like Everest, just trying to take small steps and you helped.

Hey @Matt Alvarez thanks for checking out the video. I hope you managed to solve the pedal issue. Without seeing the pedal in person, my guess is that the other drummer had disconnected it from the bass drum hoop (probably to use a different pedal all together which is quite common when sharing kits) and then just put it back near it afterwards. It's really easy to reconnect. Just lift the bass drum slightly and connect the pedal clamp back on to the hoop see 5:34 in the video. Thanks again. Pete

@@BeatmastersGuild hey thx for the replay back yea that's what happened i talked with their pastors wife she said she was using her own pedal but suddely didn't feel good (that's why they asked me to fill in on drums cuz she's sick) im like wow that's not good but yea with my church this morning i got there at 7:45am cuz im like: this might take about 15 mins sure enough it did and then our band showed up they were like ready matt im like yea once second (i paused your video to tell them that lol) in my head im like hold on haha

@@mattalvarez4500 well done for sorting the problem out, I'm really glad the video helped and glad you got the pedal fixed back on. Happy drumming

@@BeatmastersGuild yea thx im glad this crazy pandemic is halfway over my church is going to the streets of san fran and im so happy this means i'll be able to pull out my kit that's been in the back of our church for an entire yr (yea the other church im only taking my cymbals) that's it for saturday see my church was like omg the drums are too loud and i was like well iv'e talked to her about tuning her drums but she doesn't do that so then my pastor one day last year goes here: a small thick towel for the snare ugh oh well

@Gelo Alcantara thank you. Glad it's helpful.

Thanks for watching Abraham. Glad it was useful

@KuntalSen Thanks very much! It's great to hear that the video has been helpful. Enjoy your drumming. Cheers. Pete

@@BeatmastersGuild hi..I noticed your bass drum legs? Were angled just straight down? Most drummers have them more out front..does this matter? Thanks

@@paulaeden5934 my bass drum spurs do look straight down in the video, but they are angled slightly forward - it's hard to tell in the video. It's also partly down to the style of this drum - it's a 1990's Premier Signia and the bass drum spur design has a fixed position to set to which isn't angled as far forward as modern kits. Most modern kits allow you to angle the spurs further forwards than these which is better. This will help to keep the bass drum anchored to the floor when you're playing. Just make sure they're not angled too far. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.

Glad it helped you out. Thanks for watching

Thanks @Spencer !

That's what we were hoping for, so it's great to hear it helped. Thanks for watching

@Mr Nemnax glad it helped. Thanks for watching

Brilliant. Glad it helped. Thanks for watching

Thank you, that's great to hear

That's great Eddie. Thanks for watching

That's great to hear! Thank you

No problems. Hope it helps

Good for you Larry. Best of luck with your drumming! I'll be doing some beginners lessons soon, so stay tuned and let me know if you have any questions

@@BeatmastersGuild I'll be watching thanks

You're very welcome. Thanks for watching

@C F you're welcome. Thanks for watching

@Steph Grace thank you. Glad it helped

@@BeatmastersGuild It totally did! Informative, clear and just at the right pace. Would love to see more videos if you have any other tips :)

@@MissStephGrace really glad to hear that, thank you, very kind of you. Yes there are many more videos in the pipeline. Lots of how-to's and lesson content too. Watch this space

Thank you glad it was useful

@Jim Nim no problems. thanks for watching

yes I know what you mean. It's a surprisingly good pedal, and it folds up small too.

That's great to hear. Thanks Gabriel. Happy drumming

@Dan Christian It's well worth oiling the moving parts on any pedal that gets regular use - chain, heel plate hinge and bearings on the axle etc. But If you have the time, you can disassemble the pedal completely and soak the metal parts in white vinegar for a day or two to remove the rust (it might remove paint too though), then put it back together and oil the parts mentioned above. If the pedal has been heavily used and has a lot of play in the bearings, then they can be replaced fairly cheaply if needs be and you may even be able to find a replacement chain on eBay. Good luck with the restoration.

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

That's thorough. I wouldn't worry too much about the beater position then (provided that it's not too far off centre)

Thank you 👍

Glad it was helpful, Alex. Thanks for watching

@cianosbach thank you

Glad it helped. Thanks for watching. Stick around for more videos that'll hopefully help you out. Best of luck

Thank you, Tom. Glad it was helpful.

You're welcome. Thanks for watching.

@Shaguolo Precious thanks for watching. There are many ways you can improve the depth of sound from a bass drum and get a deeper bass sound from it but there are lots of factors affecting it - what size bass drum is it? What heads are on it currently? How much (and what type) of dampening are you using? And what style do you play? Depending on what style you play, you can try using a good quality front resonant head - like a Remo Powerstroke or Evans EQ head. That will make a difference. Also the choice of batter head too - single ply will have more sustain whereas a double ply head will give you a lower fundamental pitch. Don't go too mad with the damping too - loads of pillows and blankets etc will just muffle out the sound too much. experiment with your tuning too - resonant head slightly higher pitched will give a nice sustain

@kasuu58 That's great. Thanks for watching

You're welcome. Happy drumming

@brandenlikesbeer if you've tried every pedal setting and it's still happening, then it could be a technique issue. But try setting the spring tension very low and see if it still happens (you wouldn't necessarily leave it set low - it's just an experiment to test it out). Are you playing heel up or heel down on the pedal? That can have an affect - does it increase with louder playing for instance. My experience of teaching people with double-triggering issues is that it's sometimes down to tension in the leg (and often whole body too). Try burying the beater into the head when you play simple beats and see if you can make one really solid, and defined note. Worth double checking that the pedal isn't bottoming out on the wing screw underneath by the way, or hitting the drum at an angle past where it's intended to because the drum isn't angled up enough at the reso side. Check the height of the bass drum spurs to make sure the drum is in a comfortable position for the beater to hit it. Not too high off the ground and not too low. Good luck. Hope you can resolve

Hi, Luke, yes the same techniques will apply to setting up a double bass drum pedal. Just remember to set the same spring tension and angle of attack on both pedals. Cheers

You're very welcome. Thanks for watching.

No problems. Thanks for watching

That's quite a common problem for sure. Thanks for watching

That is frustrating. It sounds like a couple of possible things; the beater shaft diameter is perhaps the wrong size for the pedal? or perhaps the key screw is cross-threaded or "threaded" and therefore only becoming tight enough to hold it for a short time, or perhaps you may have over tightened it and stripped the threads inside. If it is not these issues, then you could try using loctite or another similar metal thread glue to hold it in place. Hope you get it fixed. Thanks for watching.

No worries Josh. Thanks for checking out the video

Hi @FretBunch There's a few reasons to elevate the reso side of the bass drum. Firstly, it creates a better point of contact for the beater on the batter head, essentially meaning that the beater can hit the head without the pedal's footboard bottoming out and fouling on the rails or hoop-mount wing screw. Secondly, the elevated reso head increases the resonance of the drum slightly (less contact with the floor) and thirdly, it allows the bass drum spurs to have a better grip on the carpet and stop the drum sliding forward when being played. (obviously you twist to select rubber feet if playing on a hard floor surface.) Hope this info helps, thanks for taking the time to watch. Cheers

@@BeatmastersGuild thanks for the answer Sir. 👍

It can be adjusted using the drum key fitting that I point to at 1:01 in the video. Loosen that screw off and slide the beater up or down to the desired height

There might be a way of doing it if you take it all apart and reassamble the axle with the cam in a different position, but it can be complicated and not really worth it. I will say this though, if you upgrade your pedal to even a budget second hand one, you'll notice a big improvement in feel and how nice it is to play. Treat yourself

Firstly, what a great set up! Dw5000 pedal with a SJC custom kit!? - I bet that's fantastic! As for the beater position, don't worry too much. It's quite normal for the beater to hit just off dead centre, especially on smaller bass drums. The 5000 pedals, although excellent, are slightly harder to position in my opinion than some other makes. You can adjust the beater holder on the axle and slide it along (left or right ) a bit if you need (think it's an hex key adjustment just underneath) but a tiny bit off centre is generally ok. Thank you for watching and enjoy the new kit!

Oh yeah. It’s a beautiful setup. I’ll be 40 soon and I’ve always wanted to customize my own kit. I’m grateful for it no doubt. Thank you so much for the detailed reply. I figured it’s probably nothing to be concerned about, it’s just the OCD side of me wanting it to be in the center. lol. I actually have the DW 9000 pedal not the 5000 and I can’t really figure out how to adjust the cam position horizontally but if you think it’s nothing to worry about and I’m not missing out on any punch then I’ll leave it for now. Thank you kindly good sir.

@@DrumN4Jesus oh yeah, I've just re-read it and saw that it was a 9000 pedal you have, not the 5000, sorry. I'm not so familiar with that model as I don't have one, but a quick look online myself and I couldn't see an obvious way of adjusting the beater position L-R on the axle, so it might be difficult to get dead-centre alignment. The main thing to consider, is the sound and the feel of it - if the pedal feels good to play and the sound is good, then I wouldn't worry too much. After all, concert bass drums aren't played dead-centre and it's less-critical on an acoustic kit than it is on an electric kit (for triggering consistency reasons). As long as it isn't miles off! Happy drumming and enjoy the great set up you've got! Thanks for watching

Hi Bart, some pedals don't have that ability, but most do. What make and model have you got? - I'll google it and tell you if it has the ability to be adjusted or not

Hi @Edster this can be a common problem on double bass drum pedals. Try increasing the height of the front of the bass drum from the floor by lengthening the spurs (shown at 5:10 in the video). That should stop it bottoming out because the beater can hit the head sooner. If your left foot pedal is still bottoming out on the clamp under the footplate) before the beater hits the bass drum, then you could always try removing the wingscrew from under the left footboard (if it's the left pedal then it's not needed to clamp the pedal to any bass drum hoop). Hope this helps. Pete

That's annoying. Assuming that it's just one nut - and not two nuts done up tight against each other - then It might just have been over tightened, in which case, finding a suitable sized mini wrench or spanner will help to undo it. Make sure you're turning the correct way to undo. If it still won't undo, then. Maybe try a drop of penetrating oil first, let it soak in and it will soften it up - you may need to reapply a few times. If you do get it undone, clean the oil off the threads before reassambling. If you're really desperate to get it off and adjust it, then you may be able to just cut it off with a hacksaw and buy a new spring and nut assembly and fit it. Make sure to check compatibility first though. If it's a Cheap pedal though then it would be better and cheaper to just upgrade the pedal, even if it's a second hand one. Good luck with the fix. Thanks for watching

You could always try using a drop of loctite or similar thread lock fluid to hold it in the position that you want it - once you've got it in the right position for you obviously. Failing that, an upgraded pedal will definitely make a difference. It'll feel nicer to play too.

@@BeatmastersGuild oh yeah, true! Thanks for the recommendation :). I was talking with a guitar center worker who I’ve sorta known from the store for a while who recommended (for me not wanting to spend d a lot) tama iron cobra 200 or DW 2000 so I might invest soon!

@@jacobfurst4266 they're both good pedals. You'll notice a difference if you do upgrade. Good luck and happy drumming

As far as I know, they are cast metal. Die cast probably, or some type of alloy. It's a surprisingly weak material, which is why they often break or crack. More expensive pedals are less likely to break than the cheaper ones

That's because the beater now has to move further to hit the drum, so it takes more pressure to press it and the spring tension feels tighter.

@gatlinproduction yes using WD40 or similar is always a good idea to keep things moving freely. However, if your pedal isn't moving well and it's not because of a spring tension issue, then it could be that the bearings for the axle have worn out and become clogged up with debris which slows movement down and makes the pedal noisier. Try oiling every moving part - spring, chain bearings and hinge where the heel plate is and see if that makes a difference first before looking at replacing bearings. I think that DW do sell them seperately though if you need to replace them. Hope you get is sorted.

I seen another video where a guy said not to use wd40 I think he said to use lithium grease but I honestly don’t know

Yes try problem three, but possibly also the angle of the bass drum reso head side playing a part too. Watch around 5:10 onwards and then check yours

Most likely to be the clamp coming undone yes, check the clamp is tightening properly. You may need a hoop protector strip on the hoop too if the clamp doesn't tighten up properly. but also check that the angle of the bass drum is correct too - not too steep or wonky. What type of pedal is it? Is it like the basic one I show here with a flat bar underneath it? Or is it like the other two I show with rails underneath

Mine's the inch level one the first one you show in the video when you go through them!

@@jordonpolete7381 in that case you need to make sure that the flat bar underneath is attached to the clamp properly, before you tighten the clamp down onto the hoop. If you have done that and it still comes away, then I would strongly suggest a cheap second hand upgrade would make a massive difference to your playing and enjoyment of it. There's loads of bargains on gumtree/marketplace etc and you can probably pick up a decent make mind range pedal by the likes of tama, pearl, Mapex, sonor, Gibraltar etc, nice and cheap. It's definitely worth it. Those really cheap pedals are notoriously bad for falling apart in every way, they're also horrible to play on

This can happen because of the problems shown at 0:50 or 4:14 in the video. If it's not either if those, then something somewhere else has come loose. Hope you get it fixed. Good luck

@Sport Boy thanks for watching. I have, occasionally, come across pedals where the nut is fixed and therefore can't be adjusted. This is rare though. Maybe worth checking that yours is a model with adjustability first of all. Assuming that it is though, there are a couple of things you can try - firstly, check that there isn't a second nut done up tight against the first one, as this will stop it moving (common trick done to stop them undoing whilst playing). If there is, then turn one nut one way and the other nut the other way to separate them. Secondly, you could try soaking the nut and threads in WD40 or similar oil for a while to try and loosen the threads, or you could heat it to expand it, or you could try tightening and loosening it to see if you can get it to free-off. Best of luck fixing though. Cheers. Pete

@@BeatmastersGuild hey thank you so much, Im gonna look into it further with this in mind

Best way of stopping it coming loose is to get a second nut (a hardware store will help find you the right size if you're not sure) and tighten that up against the first one (once you've set the desired tension first). Or, you could get some loctite or thread lock fluid, and apply a bit to the thread of the nut - this will be harder to adjust in the future though. First method will be better.

@Jake Zee on some pedals, the nut is fixed to the frame so it won't turn at all. It's most likely this. However, If you're sure it is separate from the frame, then try soaking it in penetrating oil to loosen it up first. My bet is that it's fixed though and not able to move

So how do you adjust it then? Mine can only move a little then it stops

If you take the assembly to a hardware store you can probably buy a generic nut to fit on - possibly 6mm/8mm - different makes are different sizes so I don't know for sure. However, the easiest route is to buy a new 'bass drum pedal spring tensioner assembly'. It'll come with the spring washer that's needed too. Make sure you get the correct make though and make sure it is compatible with your model of pedal

@Faith Devanny it's possible that the spring has come completely loose?

I'm not sure what the thread size is exactly but I'd guess it's either 6mm or 8mm. You could contact Ludwig and see if they'll send you one, but it'll probably be more expensive. Alternatively, buy yourself a set of assorted nuts (and bolts too maybe) and you'll be able to get a 6mm or 8mm to match. Maybe even try a hardware store.

Saying that, check to see if you have two nuts locked up together on the bottom of the spring assembly threaded bar

Have you checked that everything is tight? Especially on the axle? That would be my first recommendation to check. Nothing should feel loose.

Without seeing and hearing it it's hard to tell exactly, but could be a few things; firstly the spring tension could be set too tight, or the sensitivity threshold setting in the module or 'brain' is set too high and it's double triggering, or finally, it could potentially be a technique issue - where you place your foot on the footboard and how you play (heel up or down etc) all makes a difference. Do you get the same issue on an acoustic kit? If so, it might be technique, if not, it'll be the wrong spring tension, angle of attack and/or module threshold setting. Good luck, hope you solve it either way

@@BeatmastersGuild I adjusted the spring tension and now feels WAY better! Thanks! 🙏

@JosiahBown most beaters have a shaft diameter of 6mm or 1/4", so yes they should fit most standard pedals. It's worth checking pedal maker's info to make sure though

It's hard to say, without seeing it, but I'm going to have a try and guess what it could be anyway: Assuming you're definitely tightening it and not loosening it, the hook could be lifting up too high when you turn the screw, perhaps crushing the hook slightly to be more closed might help. If it's a decent pedal, then maybe the spring assembly is worn out, if it's a cheap pedal though, the hook won't be very adjustable unfortunately and it will keep happening. Sorry I can't be any more help, if you are able to describe the problem in better detail I will try to advise more - does it fall off while you turn it? Or whilst playing? What make is it? How tight is the spring set? That sort of info might help. Hope you can solve it.

If you mean the clamp that clamps to the hoop, then perhaps it's just jammed or stuck? Make sure you're turning it anti clockwise to undo it. If it is stuck, then maybe a bit of a tap or knock might free it off. Hope you get it sorted

@@BeatmastersGuild I think mine is broken :( I have no idea how to make in normal, unfortunately I can't send you photo thru youtube

Could be a few things. Maybe the floor isn't level, or it's on an angle, or the pedal isn't centred correctly to the hoop. Finally, it could be to do with the height and angle of your bass drum spurs (legs) - if they are set too low or not matched, and the front bass drum hoop is touching the floor, then it will bring the back of the pedal up when you tighten the pedal down. I'd start by looking at the spurs. It's covered in this video near the end. Hope you get it sorted.

Hi @FlyingSpoon4657 I've had a look at some pictures of the PDP pedal and it seems to have the same small grub screws for adjusting the angle of attack on the beaters. There is one screw to adjust to right side beater and one to adjust the left beater. Both screws are located on the right foot pedal. Follow the springs up to where they join the axle and they are located above that on the top of the cam (like in the video). They look to be very small grub screws. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions and I'll be happy to try and help. Cheers

@@BeatmastersGuild thanks for the help! but whats really weird is that those holes right above the springs where the alan key fits into it doesnt seem to work. ive been trying to screw to the left to loosen it, but nothings happening, and ive almost broken the damn key with trying to unscrew it! its really weirdly designed.

@@Djent_Djeneratordid you buy the pedal new or is it second hand? Sometimes the grub screws can back out and fall out, is there definitely a grub screw still in the threaded hole?

@@BeatmastersGuild i bought it brand new just recently. its a solid set of pedals, just that i want to adjust it. when i can, ill make sure to check it again to see if theyre there!

@@Djent_Djenerator yes they are good pedals. The grub screws could be held in with loctite or similar from new (this is to stop them coming loose over time). If the screws are definitely there and you can feel them coming loose when you unscrew them, then try keeping the Allen key in with one hand and rotating the beater angle with the other hand (sometimes it can be stiff). If you cant feel anything loosening at all, then it might be worth contacting PDP or the retailer you bought them from rather than risk rounding off the head off the screw with force. If they won't help you and you're still stuck, then you can film the issue and link it in this comment thread here and we'll see if there's something obvious we've missed. Hope you can get it resolved either way. Pete

Ha brilliant

Not much info in your comment for me to be able to give more advice, but assuming that the first problem I outlined in the video was what's wrong with your pedal, then it's worth checking that the beater diameter is correct for your pedal (if it's too small then it won't tighten), and secondly worth checking that the screw isn't cross-threaded too. Happy to try advise further if you give me some more info. Cheers

@@BeatmastersGuild it’s staying on now my dad just tightened it really tight and it’s staying on now

Assuming that it's quite corroded, try soaking it in WD40 or similar penetrative oil for a while before trying again

@@BeatmastersGuild Thanks for the tip :)

Thank you