DW MFG Bass Drum Pedals

92
| SUMMER 2017 WWW.MUSICRADAR.COM/RHYTHM
GEAR REVIEW
Also try…
M
y neighbour, a classical violinist,
once told me she’d just bought
a vintage violin bow. “It’s just a
cheap one but miles better than
my old one,” she gushed. How much then?
“Oh, only £6,000.” I mention this because
sometimes we drummers don’t know how
lucky we are. A £1,000 street price for a double
pedal may be pie-in-the-sky for most but, let’s
face it, you get a whole lot more than a stick of
wood strung with horse hair!
Build
The Machined Chain Drive (MCD) pedal is the
product of DW’s MFG (manufacturing) lab
where they experiment to push drumming-
world boundaries. The fi rst MFG product was
the MDD (Machined Direct Drive) pedal,
reviewed in
Rhythm January 2015. That pedal
had a direct link drive whereas this one
substitutes DW’s more familiar double chain.
Not only that, but the chain loops over an
adjustable, sprocket-less cam that incorporates
a ‘gear shift-style’ lever, “allowing players to
quickly shift between the most popular
chain-drive cam settings”.
But this is just one of a raft of features, all
working separately so they don’t clash with or
eliminate one another. It’s a monster alright,
but as it’s largely built from aircraft grade
aluminium it stays within the realms of
transportable. If it was all steel you’d have a job
picking it up! By the way, the pedals come with
handy tailor-made fabric carrying cases.
Hands On
The fi rst thing I did was to give the footboard
a shove with my hand and count the number
of swings before it came to rest. The average
was 33, which speaks volumes for the smooth
bearings and easy action.
Clamping the pedal to the bass drum, the
rubber gripping base plate slips under your
hoop and is tightened from the side, where
you can easily reach it. The Tri-Pivot Swivel
Toe Clamp itself has a clever rocking design
that allows for uneven surfaces or for
clamping off-centre without stressing your
hoop. Sliding your foot luxuriously onto the
footplate, you’re reminded of the one in your
From £667 If cutting-edge design and infi nite adjustability
are your kicking needs, DW might just have the solution
DW MFG (MCD) BASS
DRUM PEDALS
WORDS: GEOFF NICHOLLS
Ferrari (ahem), a smooth lump of Formula
One polished cast aluminium with perforated
holes for grip if needed.
So onto the adjustments. The ‘110 Control’
beater head rotates in a vertical plane on its
own rod axis. You can adjust it to the exact
angle to strike your batter skin fl at on – then
secure it using the special multi-tool, which is
docked in the base plate.
IT’S A MONSTER ALRIGHT, BUT AS IT’S
LARGELY BUILT FROM AIRCRAFT
GRADE ALUMINIUM IT STAYS WITHIN
THE REALMS OF TRANSPORTABLE
The beater head has three different faces
– fl at or curved felt, and hard plastic – which
are easily interchangeable by unscrewing
them by hand. This reveals a sort of
six-shooter (well, four-shooter) barrel, into
which you slot or remove the ‘bullets’, ie: the
small brass weights that help you to fi nd your
optimum beater-head thump. The massive
vertical support posts are hollowed out and
2
PEARL
ELIMINATOR
DEMON CHAIN
DRIVE PEDAL
We say: “ Amazingly
playable, incredibly
smooth, fast and
accurate. With excellent
build quality. ”
DOUBLE PEDALS
Connection between slave and
main pedals is via AB
All-Bearing universal joints,
which lead to both pedals having
virtually identical action
Also try…
Also try…
Also try…
1
SONOR JOJO
MAYER PERFECT
BALANCE PEDAL
We say: “After
exhaustive research,
Mayer designed this
foldaway pedal that
blends classic simplicity
and ergonomic
harmony with a sturdy
modern build. ”
RHY271.gear_dw.indd 92 13/07/2017 13:40