Drummers who neglect your feet – repent! Of course, you can stomp on any old bass pedal just like you can bash away on any old drum kit out there. But don’t you want your kick to sound its best? Don’t you want to have the smoothest feel and the most responsive pedal possible? Of course, you do.
And that’s why I’m putting together this list of the best bass drum pedals you can find on the market today. I’ve got something for every budget, from under $50 to, well, a heck of a lot more than that. So let’s get to it and start looking at some gear…
Top 8 Best Bass Drum Pedals of 2023
1 Lolunut: Bass Drum Pedal – Best Budget Bass Drum Pedal
Let’s start with something massively affordable. The Lolunut Bass Drum Pedal is a decent beginner or even intermediate pedal that comes in at under $50. This pedal is made from steel and aluminum alloy components making it lightweight and strong. We’re not sure it would stand up to death metal blast beats, but for everyday drumming, you’ll be fine.
This basic pedal is pretty much like every generic bass drum pedal that comes with every drum kit. In other words, it’s pretty good just the way it is.
The Construction
The 12” strike zone from the heel up the plate is even longer than average, which some big-footed drummers will appreciate. There is no toe stop, however, so you’re responsible for your own toes. The plate is inscribed to provide you some grip, but this is still a pretty smooth, slippery pedal, which some of us like.
The bottom plate is rubberized and has retractable spikes. These need a better design to adjust them than simply hand tightening, though, if you ask me. But this pedal will stay in place on a carpet with no problem. It clamps onto a bass drum rim with a standard metal clamp with no protection. If you’re worried about your rim, you’ll have to improvise something.
The beater is your standard hard-packed felt round. As with most pedals, you can easily replace the beater and also adjust its height with a drum key.
The best feature…
For this affordable pedal, it is the dual-cam/dual-chain construction. And why not? These aren’t the most expensive components in the world, but doubling up makes your pedal twice as strong and durable.
(4.3 / 5)Pros
- Cheap for a decent little pedal.
- Dual cam and dual chain construction for durability.
Cons
- Aluminum alloy parts won’t hold up to very heavy playing for long.
- Floor spikes are not all that easy to hand tighten.
2 Yamaha: FP7210 Single Foot Pedal – Best Lightweight Bass Drum Pedal
When we get to a brand that we recognize and associate with quality music products, we also see a jump in price. The question is whether Yamaha’s FR7210 Single Foot Pedal is any better than the cheaper Lolunut pedal. After all, this pedal costs nearly $75, which is 50% more.
What you’re getting…
With the Yamaha, we again see a mix of cast aluminum and steel parts. The construction is mostly similar, yet the Yamaha is only a single chain drive compared to the Lolunut’s double action.
The Yamaha also lacks a full base plate or floor plate. Instead, it uses two stiff chromed steel bars to hold the heel to the cast aluminum uprights. Now, this is an older design, basically, the one that all pedals used to follow back in the day.
It’s certainly solid enough for most drummers, and it makes the pedal a lot lighter. However, the lack of a floor plate gives you less stability and also less traction. Only the heel is rubber-coated to reduce slippage, and you don’t get carpet spikes here either.
On the other hand…
Yamaha does show that they know what they’re doing designing drum hardware with a few special features. First, the beater is shaped better here and is also made of much denser felt. Therefore, you’re going to get a more solid and longer-lasting sound.
The drive system is also smoother. Yes, the Lolunut pedal has double cams, but the Yamaha has shaped their single cam better to give a smoother feel. They also include a threaded hole for putting in a toe stopper (not included) if you want one.
In short, this is a reliable bass drum pedal with a classic design. It doesn’t take advantage of all the latest improvements in pedal tech, but it doesn’t cost much either.
(4.6 / 5)Pros
- Affordable and lightweight.
- Nice smooth action.
Cons
- No floor spikes and little rubber coating to prevent slippage.
- No floor plate to improve stability.
3 Ludwig: LAS15FP Atlas Standard Bass Drum Pedal – Best Dual Chain Drive Bass drum Pedal
Ludwig has a pedal right at the same price point as the Yamaha we just looked at – the Atlas Standard Bass Pedal. This is the baseline model in Ludwig’s Atlas Standard Series, so we can easily compare it to the first two basic pedals we’ve just looked at.
With this pedal, we’re looking at an aluminum footplate with steel uprights and a full base plate. The design of the footplate is unique to Ludwig pedals. It’s slimmer than most other pedals but has a rounded, expanded area in the power zone. This helps to make it lighter while still giving you enough contact area where you need it. For most drummers – everyone’s different!
Fantastic features
The big, wide steel base plate gives you a lot of stability. Plus, it’s rubberized, so it will stay put on smooth floor surfaces. Even though it does okay on a carpet, I’d like to see carpet spikes as well, just for the ease of it. I don’t think this would be a major extra cost for Ludwig.
The beater here is double-sided, with a felt panel on one face and hard plastic on the other. This gives you a choice for the sort of sound quality you want to achieve, with the plastic giving a lot more attack. I still prefer the felt, though.
Independant adjustment…
A great feature of this pedal is the adjustability of the beater and the footplate – independently. Normally these angles are tied together. So for more finicky players or those looking for big power from this pedal, it can be adjusted to deliver. It also has a double chain drive for that extra durability you heavy hitters might need.
(4 / 5)Pros
- Solid, stable steel base plate.
- Dual chain drive for extra durability.
- Independently adjustable beater and footplate angles.
Cons
- No floor spikes.
- A narrow footplate might not be comfortable for everyone.
4 Gibraltar: 6711DD Direct Drive Single Pedal – Most Affordable Direct Drive Bass Drum Pedal
Gibraltar has been gaining a lot of steam in the drum hardware arena lately. Since 2014, Gibraltar has been a part of DW. So you’ll see some overlap in the types of hardware that these companies put out. We’re looking at the Gibraltar 6711DD Direct Drive Single Pedal. And at under $90 is the cheapest direct drive bass drum pedal in my review.
What’s a direct drive bass drum pedal?
In case you’ve never come across one before, a direct drive is a solid metal arm that links the footplate to the pedal’s axle. This replaces either a chain or a belt that other drives use.
The direct-drive probably isn’t for everyone as it can feel a lot harder than a strap. However, if you’re looking to combine the speed of a strap drive with the power of a chain drive, this is what you need. And on this pedal, Gibraltar has nailed it, giving you lots of strength and speed.
Bells and whistles
The full steel footplate has a bit of Velcro on the bottom of the heel and two floor spikes or spurs. This will hold the pedal perfectly on a carpet. Unfortunately, if you play on a solid floor, there’s no rubber to keep the rig from sliding.
Again, we’re looking at independently adjustable angles for the footplate and the beater. This is an awesome feature and is also easy to adjust. You also get a memory lock on the beater stick to set the height perfectly. And like the Ludwig, you get a double-sided beater with felt on one side and hard plastic on the other.
Nicely designed…
The hoop clamp has some rubber on it to protect your rims. It’s also adjustable from the side using the provided drum key. That key also snaps into a holder conveniently located under the footplate.
(4.5 / 5)Pros
- Smooth, powerful, and fast pedal.
- Lots of adjustabilities.
- Great price for a quality pedal.
Cons
- No rubber surface on the bottom.
5 Pacific Drums and Percussion: Concept Dual Chain Bass Pedal – Most Versatile Bass Drum Pedal
Yet another brand owned by DW, PDP is sort of a budget line, if your budget is pretty fat. The Concept Dual Chain Bass Pedal is, you guessed it, a dual-cam, dual-chain drive model. That extra chain gives you not only more durability, it’s also harder and gets you more power than a single chain which can still stretch a bit.
Sheer power…
This is one of the most powerful bass drum pedals with a big, fat, smooth as a baby’s bottom footplate. If you like a lot of friction on your plate, this is not the pedal for you. There’s basically no grip here. But if you’re a barefoot, quick doubles slipper, you’re probably going to love it.
The PDP has independently adjustable footplate and beater angles which are much appreciated. It also has a height-adjustable 2-way beater. Again, we see tough felt on one side and hard plastic on the other. You’ve got floor spikes and a bit of rubber on the bottom of the big, sturdy floor plate. It also has a side-adjustable clamp for ease of access.
So, what’s wrong with this pedal?
I couldn’t really find any flaws unless you find slipperiness a flaw. Well, maybe one – the plastic clip to hold the included drum key looks a bit crappy. How’s that for a flame?
(4.8 / 5)Pros
- Strong and durable pedal for just under $100.
- Full adjustability.
- Slippery, smooth footplate (you might love it!).
Cons
- Cheap clip for a drum key.
- Slippery, smooth footplate (you might hate it!).
6 Tama: Iron Cobra 900 Single Pedal Power Glide – Best Heavy Music Genre Bass Drum Pedal
Moving on up, next on the list of the best bass drum pedals is one that’s double the price of the PDP pedal we just saw. This is the Iron Cobra 900 Single Pedal Power Glide by Tama. This pedal is Tama’s top-of-the-line chain-driven pedal. So let’s see how it compares to some of the excellent and much cheaper pedals we’ve already seen.
This pedal, like the others on my list, is made up variously of aluminum alloy and steel components. Its large base plate is solid steel, and so are the uprights. Making this a very tough but also heavy pedal. It weighs around 20 pounds! Luckily, the pedal comes with a hard plastic carrying case to protect it. And at this price, well it should, shouldn’t it?
Taming the beast
The action on this pedal is smooth as silk, and it’s one of the best rebounding bass drum pedals I’ve ever seen. This is thanks in no small part to the “Cobra Spring,” a coil under the footplate that pushes the plate back up after every strike.
The shape of the double cam drive is also different from what we’ve seen so far. The other pedals I reviewed have normal rounded cams, but the Power Drive name on this pedal comes from a differently shaped cam.
It starts out rounded but opens into a wider angle towards the beater. It’s all about physics, my friends. Basically, this helps transfer your stomping power to faster, heavier rotation towards the end of each stroke.
Strike first, strike hard, and show no mercy when you’re tearing it up
This pedal has a great hoop clamp with side adjustment. The angles of the footplate and beater are independently adjustable, and the tension is easy to play with. It also has a quick-release ring for striking down the pedal. And finally, the beater head is very small, thick, and dense, which provides a ton of attack for fast and powerful playing.
(5 / 5)Pros
- Excellent rebound and smoothness.
- Comes with a hard carrying case.
- Fully adjustable to allow you to get the right speed and power you need.
Cons
- Geared toward fast and heavy playing with too much attack for many styles.
- Not cheap.
7 DW: 5000 Accelerator Single Bass Pedal – Most Durable Bass Drum Pedal
For a slightly bigger investment, you can pick up the DW 5000 pedal instead. Let’s see why you might want to…
Heavy-duty thumps
The base plate is solid steel, like most of the pedals I’ve shown you so far. It has a rubberized base and floor spikes to help it stay put on the carpet. To attach it to the bass drum, they’ve redesigned the clamp so that the adjusting nut is on the side. The clamp opens up wide to say “ah” before bringing its tight rubber jaws down on your rim.
This is a really smooth pedal with great action, thanks to a dual-bearing spring rocker. This is similar to the Iron Cobra, and it’s certainly just as smooth. On the other hand, the return is faster on the Iron Cobra because this pedal lacks the Cobra Spring.
Lightfooted…
Other than that, we’re looking at a durable, smooth, and fast bass drum pedal. What I like best about the adjustability is that you can tone it down if you’re a less powerful pedaller. It can go from as hard and fast as the Iron Cobra to a very responsive pedal for the lighter-footed among us.
(4.8 / 5)Pros
- Strong and tough construction.
- Excellent smooth action and decent rebound.
- Can be adjusted for a lighter style of drumming.
Cons
- Not cheap.
- No carrying case included.
8 Pearl: Accelerator Demon Drive P3000D Single Bass Pedal – Best Premium Bass Drum Pedal
For my final pedal on this list of best bass drum pedals, we’re going to move up from “definitely not cheap” to just plain expensive. At over $350, this Demon Drive from Pearl is the Cadillac, or possibly even the Lambo of pedals.
Smooth and powerful…
Every component is strong steel and aluminum, and the whole thing looks sharp. This is a single post (upright) design for no particular reason. I guess it gets a bit of hardware out of the way. Although, a player will rarely have a piece of gear so close to the bass pedal. This right-posted pedal can be flipped around to lefty with a bit of work as well.
The direct-drive and double-bearing design make for a hugely powerful and smooth action that feels fantastic. You can still adjust the direct drive between two positions for lighter and harder playing. Plus, all the angles and tension are fully and independently adjustable.
The footboard has a few tricks to it…
First of all, the aluminum traction bumps can be rotated or reduced if you want more slipperiness to your pedal. It can also be converted between a long and short board with a few simple turns of the included drum key.
The beater heads here are Pearl’s patented control core beaters. One with a foamy and the other with a plastic feel. To me, these beaters are great for both heavy thrashing (hard) and booming reverb bass (soft) and every style in between.
Reassuringly expensive…
This pedal is plenty expensive, but it should be the last one you ever buy. And it comes with a case, which, for the price, is an absolute must. I used to have a car that cost less than this pedal.
(4.7 / 5)Pros
- Luxuriously smooth action.
- Great beater sound.
- Direct drive gives tons of power and speed.
Cons
- Expensive.
- Lacks floor spikes (you can buy them separately, lucky you).
Looking for Great Drums or Drum Accessories?
We can help you with that. Check out our in-depth reviews of the Best Portable Drum Kits, the Best Jazz Drum Sets, the Best Snare Drums, the Best Drum Practice Pads,the Best Drum Thrones, the Best Drum Tuners, or the Best Drumsticks you can buy in 2023.
And don’t miss our handy guides on What You Need To Know When Buying Cymbals, What You Need to Know About Drum Shells, What You Need to Know About Drumsticks, What You Need to Know About Cymbal Stands, and How Much Does a Drum Set Cost for more useful information.
So, what are the Best Bass Drum Pedals?
After a review of some excellent products, it’s almost impossible to choose the best pedal to recommend. The highest-end pedals are luxurious and will let you retire on them. But taking the price into account (a huge factor for most players), I have to go with the…
Gibraltar: 6711DD Direct Drive Single Pedal
This pedal is smooth and fast. It feels great out of the box but is also fully adjustable to give you the perfect feel. Plus, it’s priced comfortably under $100.
I hope I’ve given you a look at the best pedals out there in all price ranges. Choose the best one for you and have a great time stomping on it for years to come.
Until next time, may the beat go on.