Beginning double bass

[SacredSerenity]

Hey everyone. I've been drumming for a good while now, and I think I'd like to invest in a double bass pedal fairly soon. I've played in my band (pretty heavy, with some fast tempos here and there) since September, and we all agree that advancing to double bass could both improve our existing material and enable us to create more interesting beats in the future. Everyone else in the band has been getting better equipment, so I thought I'd look into upgrading/moving on to keep things consistent on all fronts--and of course, try something that could be a lot of fun. I figured I'd ask around here to see what would be a good double-pedal set for a beginner. How much should I be looking to spend? I can give you more specifics about my set if that'll be necessary for advice.

Thanks.

 

[xenophobe]

Iron Cobra for heavy hitting... Axis for speed. Umm.. not sure how much prices range, but do a search on ebay, I'm sure you'll find a few sets.

 

[JonnyD]

OK this is coming from the veiw and Hearing of a bass player

Dont get a double Pedal get another Bass Drum it sounds about 500 times better!
But Xenos got it with the Iron Cobra pedals thats what My drummer uses and he loves em! but like I said IMO you would be much better off with an entire Bouble Bass Drum setup!

 

[SacredSerenity]

I was thinking of the second bass drum option, but I thought a double pedal might be better at first. Space is a bit of an issue too, so another drum might be out of the question for some time. But anyway, thanks to both of you for the advice.

 

[StillLife]

yeah, until you get more space and you know you're comfortable with it, stick with the double pedals i say...
iron cobras seem to be the best
but to start eh, just test them out an feel

this also coming from a bass player

 

[Akronaes]

Friend of mine has Axis pedals... if you're into fast double kicks, I'd highly reccomend those... I've dinked around with them a few times, and they have literally no resistance whatsoever... even a non-drummer like me can kick out a few fast kicks with those pedals.

 

[K of London]

iron cobras are all you need, my friend recorded 2 albums with them playing double bass at over 1200 bpm on some parts

 

[SacredSerenity]

Thanks a lot for the input, everybody. One more thing: if I'm doing a fast double bass beat, should I be sitting a little higher than I would for a slower/single beat? I heard that it's easier to get speed, or feels more natural, or something along those lines. I just thought I'd ask those who've done it before I go test it out. What do you guys find more comfortable?

 

[_t a l o n_]

iron cobras are all you need, my friend recorded 2 albums with them playing double bass at over 1200 bpm on some parts

1200? Are you sure? The world record is like 1407 for double kick I think.

 

[K of London]

yeah i am sure, theyre called mithras, www.mithras.org i think is the site, and leon is fucking fast, he does all the guitars and keys as well. theyre the most extreme band from the UK

 

[FailingAcension]

Hey, give a the song where he goes that fast, because my computer is slow and I don't want to waste time downloading stuff looking for it. But I'll check them out!

And practice slow before you try and go fast!!!!!!! But I sit pretty low compared to other drummers around here, I believe. But I'm short and do lots of heel-down playing too, so find what is comfortable for you.

 

[Cimmerian]

You are absolutley better off starting with a double pedal...a second bassdrum is a hige monetary investment, and if you don't get the exact same model as you are currently using, you're asking for a world of trouble. Iron Cobra's are good, but if you want slightly cheaper pedals, you may want to try the new yamaha series. As far as seat height, the general rule is your legs should be at no greater than a 45 degree angle, though really sit however you feel most comfortable. I tend to sit relatively high, with my legs at maybe a 40 degree angle, and it doesn't seem to hinder my double bassing.

 

[Cimmerian]

By the way, I have the Mithras cd world's beyond the veil, and there is some suitably ripping double bass drumming on that album...pretty interesting band overall.

 

[Alpha Crucis]

i heard that you're supposed to sit back so there's absolutley no weight on your feet, it makes it easier to move them fast i suppose

 

[Cimmerian]

Actually, one should always sit at the ede of the seat for balance and leverage purposes...and so one;s legs are actually free to move.

 

[Alpha Crucis]

I stand corrected. I'm not a drummer, therefore I don't care

 

[K of London]

falling ascension: yeah try the song worlds beyond the veil, thats a fast one.

leon does all the guitars and keybords too, and recorded the album at home. Hes also only been playing each intrument for about 6 years i think! although he does to the gym a lot and practises 7 hours a day as often as he can