Bass pedal springs

[trephine]

hey all

my beater at rest sits very close to the bass drum skin

it seems like i need to get a new (tighter) spring

but ive never heard of this before, has anyone had to do this?

[Drummerboy_25]

I think it depends on what brand of pedal you have. I have a pearl elimanater and you can adjust the distance between the beater and the head of the bass drum. I think with your situation you might and to get a new spring or see if you can adjust the beater somehow. I hope this helps.

 

Elliott

[trephine]

thanks man

i guess there are heaps of different pedal mechanisms

[Old Steve]

What kind of pedal is it? To me it sounds like you need to adjust the beater angle, not tighten the spring.

 

Here's how to check:

Take your foot off the pedal and let it sit freely. If the angle is too close to the head, use your hand to pull downward on the spring (as if you had put a tighter spring on). If the spring is even remotely tight, the angle shouldn't change because the cam that the spring pulls on is already in the 6 o'clock position. If the angle stays the same, then you need to figure out how to adjust the beater angle on your pedal...let us know which one it is, and it's likely that somebody here will have one and be able to tell you how to do it.

 

If, on the other hand, when you pull the spring downward, the beater moves closer to the head, then the spring is too loose. The first step is to try to tighten it. Usually the bottom of the spring attaches to some sort of screw that can be used to increase the tension. If you tighten the spring and it still doesn't work, then maybe you need a new spring.

 

Finally, if the problem only occurs when your foot is resting on the pedal (i.e. the wieght of your foot pressing down on the pedal makes the beater move too close) then you have some choices. Some people like playing with very loose springs, and have developed their technique to be light on their feet when they play. Others like to really stomp their pedals and like more spring tension. The key here is that beater angle and spring tension are independent things to adjust. In other words, if you like the feel of your pedal, but only have a problem with the angle, tighening the spring (or replacing it) might not be the right answer.

[trephine]

hey steve

its a tama pedal that came with my swingstar its pretty budget.

good thinking, with the pulling down on the spring to see if a tighter one would work and it does, pulling down on the spring moves the beater away so looks like i definately need a new spring

thanks for the help guys