I bought my first pedal in 2007, the iron cobra, buying into its reputation as the most solidly built pedal, and then failing me by having to tighten things with an allen wrench all the time, which i often lost as well. I was ready to forgive what it lacked in finesse in return for sturdiness, but i didn't deliver. Also they seem to be targeting metal players, which turns me off. I do admit however, that i miss their quick release spring which makes it possible to pack up without removig the beater, and their hardshell case.
My second was a pearl eliminator, bought back in 2010, i simply ate through it through constant use. The chains ate through the plastic cams, and my shoes ate through the rubbers in the foot plate. It was really sad because i loved them, way better than the iron cobra i previously had in terms of refinement. Too bad because of where i was living at the time i didn't have access to replacement parts.
After my time with the elimimator, i asked myself what i really needed. And so i bought a 6000 series gibraltar without all the frills of the high end ones, just a simple round cam and a double chain. But after a couple of months the beater came of in the middle of a gig. It was really embarrassing. It kept doing so from that point on.
This time, 2020, i decided to get a really good pedal.
The pedal feels good and the quality is evident. It is also as nice looking as the pictures show. I havent touched much of the settings yet,as it already feels comfortable with the default, but soon i will try the different settings. This is my first long board pedal, it takes getting used to, but i do like that It is smooth and my foot has more room to perform certain techniques. it comes with a drum key, which is used for all adjustments. No extra allen wrenches needed!, 2 beater weights, and a Replacement strap drive. The case it comes with is good. Better than the dw soft bag, but of poorer quality than what the pearls come with, and nothing beats the iron cobra hardcase.
If i had to be quite nitpicky about it, i would say the negatives i find would be that there is no housing for the included drum key, you need to keep it in the bag. there is no included memory lock for the beater, so each time you set it up on a different bass drum without your patch, you’ll have to estimate or feel where It needs to be. Also the weights for the beater cannot be used at the same time, i tried, one fell after a few hits.
Overall i don’t really mind these things, as i forget all about them once i start playing. It is that good! One thing that worries me however, is that i can’t find replacement parts (beaters, springs, weights, cams, chains, straps, screws, etc) for sale online, in thomann, or in other shops, while the other brands have everything you would need.This could be a problem In the future, as i have a history of losing things, and of pushing my pedals to the limit.
