12 Best Bass Drum Pedals 2024

Your bass drum pedal is one of the most important pieces of hardware on your drum kit. It should feel like an extension of your leg, and it should allow you to easily play various bass drum patterns within grooves and fills.

A high-quality bass drum pedal will make a world of difference if you’re only used to playing with a cheap one, so it may be time for an upgrade.

DW 5000 Series Accelerator Bass Drum Pedal – Best Overall

The DW 5000 Series Bass Drum Pedal (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is a widely loved bass drum pedal on the market. It has such a strong reputation among performing drummers that it was easy to establish it as the pedal that tops this list.

If you want a highly reliable pedal that will never let you down and that feels incredibly comfortable to play with, you’ll undoubtedly be happy with this one.

There have been a few versions of this pedal come out over the years. This one is called the Accelerator, and it has a few updated features compared to the original 5000 Series pedal.

The Tri-Pivot Toe Clamp is one of its best features. This is a clamp design that allows the pedal to fit onto any bass drum hoop, no matter its shape. It also has rubber pieces that stop the bass drum pedal from damaging the hoop over time.

The pedal has a Dual-Bearing Spring Rocker that makes it feel a lot more responsive than most other dual-chain drive pedals. The Accelerator Cam also helps with sensitivity.

Overall, it’s one of the best single bass drum pedals available. It has no downsides, and it’s a pedal that will serve you well for countless years.

Drive System: Dual-chain drive

Base Plate: Yes

Beater: 2-way plastic and felt beater

Pearl P3000D Demon Direct Drive Bass Drum Pedal – Premium Option

The Pearl 3000D Demon Direct Drive Bass Drum Pedal (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is a fantastic high-end single pedal with an array of adjustment options.

The biggest thing that stands out to me about this pedal is that you can switch between having a shortboard and a longboard. This completely stops the debate on which type of pedalboard to get, as you can just use both with one pedal.

That’s a highly useful feature for drummers that like to use both. You won’t need to own two separate pedals, and that will stop you from laboring over getting their settings to feel the same.

This pedal has seriously smooth action, and it’s largely thanks to the Ninja skateboard bearings. There’s a noticeably low amount of friction, and it makes the pedal feel like butter when you play.

You can also adjust the beater position to give you a heavy or light feel. This further adds to the pedal’s overall versatility.

To top that all off, the pedal comes with a sturdy carrying case that is sleek and useful. It’s the perfect addition to the package to add even more value to the purchase.

While this pedal is very expensive, you essentially get a few pedals in one with all the adjustment options. So, I think the high price is more than worth it.

Drive System: Direct drive

Base Plate: Yes

Beater: Felt beater

Yamaha FP 7210A Bass Drum Pedal – Best Budget Option

The Yamaha FP 7210A Bass Drum Pedal (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is a more affordable option for this list. It’s Yamaha’s most entry-level pedal product, so it just offers the bare bones of what you need in a pedal.

With that being said, I think this is undoubtedly the best cheap drum pedal on the market. I used it for many years on a Yamaha kit that I taught students on, and it felt fantastic to use.

It has a light feeling to it, and you can’t adjust it to suit very specific preferences, but it does its job very well. The pedalboard feels great to play, and the single-chain drive mechanism allows for plenty of speed.

The one downside of the pedal is that it can be tricky to get a lot of power behind your bass drum strokes.

If you’re just looking for something simple and affordable, this should be your go-to option. It’s one of the better cheap pedals to get for electronic drum kits that don’t come with pedals.

However, I’d suggest swapping the felt beater out with a plastic or rubber one, as felt isn’t great for mesh heads. It can tear through them over time, so it’s always better not to use felt beaters. The felt beater feels fantastic on acoustic bass drums, though.

Drive System: Single-chain drive

Base Plate: No

Beater: Felt

Roland RDH-100A Bass Drum Pedal

The Roland RDH-100A Bass Drum Pedal (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is a great option for drummers with electronic kits that get noise complaints.

While electronic drum kits are much softer than acoustic ones, the vibrations from the bass drum pedal and pad still travel through the floors and walls, and neighbors can easily get bothered by that.

The easiest way to stop that from happening is by raising the kick pedal off the floor, and that’s what this Roland RDH-100A does.

The base plate of the pedal is called the Noise Eater Base, and it has air-filled rubber cups to stop vibrations from hitting the floor. I think it’s a fantastic design, as it stops you from having to make your own riser to keep the volume down.

In terms of playability, the pedal feels similar to most dual-chain pedals. You get plenty of power, and it’s smooth enough to easily play various types of kick drum patterns.

It comes with a hard plastic beater, which is perfect for drum kits that have a mesh bass drum pad.

This pedal is only compatible with electronic drums, so you can just skip over it if you’re looking for a pedal for your acoustic drum set.

Drive System: Dual-chain drive

Base Plate: Noise eater base

Beater: Plastic

Ludwig L203 Speed King

The Ludwig L203 Speed King (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is a recreation of one of the first bass drum pedals to ever be invented. The Ludwig brand shaped how drum kits were played with it, and this recreation adds a bit of modern durability to the design.

When looking at this pedal, it’s clearly not one that all drummers would love to have on their drum kit. It’s more of a special option for drummers that love vintage-style drums and drumming.

It has surprisingly responsive playability, and it’s a pedal that will easily allow you to play very quick patterns.

The responsiveness comes from the direct drive mechanism. The direct drive linkage that Ludwig has put on this pedal is far more durable than the original one that came on the first version of the pedal. It also has better cam bearings and heel plate bearings to further improve the durability and stability.

When you purchase the pedal, it also comes with a drawstring bag to keep it in. This carrying bag is far different from the decked-out cases that modern pedals come with, but it adds to the vintage appeal.

Again, this is only a pedal for drummers with a unique sense of nostalgia for old drum gear. It’s also not a pedal that many people will use as their primary option.

Drive System: Direct drive

Base Plate: Yes

Beater: Felt

Tama Speed Cobra 910 Bass Drum Pedal

The Tama Speed Cobra 910 Bass Drum Pedal (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is a good option for drummers that want a longboard single pedal. Tama’s two most popular pedals are the Speed Cobra and Iron Cobra, and I’ve suggested the Speed Cobra here due to its unique design.

It’s all in the name – this pedal is built to help you achieve high speeds with your bass drum foot. The two main features of that are the longboard and Iron Cobra Coil.

The longboard pedal will allow you to use certain bass drum techniques that are harder to pull off on shortboard pedals. The Iron Cobra Coil also acts as a rebound mechanism, pushing the pedal back to its original starting point after every stroke.

That small rebound push makes playing quick strokes far easier than on most other pedals.

The pedal also comes with the famous Speed Cobra beater. It’s a small rubber beater that feels fantastic when it makes impact with the batter head.

You can adjust the beater independently from the footboard, which is something that not all bass drum pedals offer. It allows you to customize the beater and footboard to suit your very specific preferences.

Many drummers have stated that this pedal takes a bit of getting used to. I tend to agree with them on that statement. I used a Speed Cobra pedal for years, and every drummer that played my kit wondered why my pedal felt so different compared to theirs.

Drive System: Dual-chain drive

Base Plate: Yes

Beater: Rubber

Yamaha FP9 Bass Drum Pedal

The Yamaha FP9 Bass Drum Pedal (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is Yamaha’s highest-quality bass drum pedal. This is a great option if you love Yamaha hardware and are looking for something high-end that you can use for decades.

The design of this pedal is inspired by Yamaha’s sports bikes, which is why this pedal looks a lot sleeker than most. It’s a high-performance tool, and it all starts with the appearance.

The first feature that stood out to me from this pedal was the removable weights for the beater. These allow you to change how much rebound the beater has by adjusting how much the rod weighs.

I also love the self-locking spring tensioner. It locks the springs in place after you adjust them, and that allows you to make very quick adjustments. This is an excellent feature for drummers that want to change how the pedal feels in the middle of a gig.

Finally, you can adjust the position of the cam to change how the beater responds to the pedal being moved. There are three settings that you can choose for this, giving plenty of personalization.

This pedal is quite pricey, but it’s a fantastic one to consider. You can also get a direct-drive version for a slightly higher price, but I’d be more than happy with the dual-chain drive version.

Drive System: Single-chain drive

Base Plate: Yes

Beater: Felt

Sonor Jojo Mayer Perfect Balance Bass Drum Pedal

The Sonor Jojo Mayer Perfect Balance Bass Drum Pedal (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is a highly unique pedal option for drummers of all levels to consider.

This is the signature pedal that Jojo Mayer designed in conjunction with Sonor, and it’s gained plenty of popularity since it was brought out to the market. If you’ve ever watched Jojo Mayer play, you’d know how flawless his bass drum pedal technique is. He created this pedal to become an extension of that.

The pedal has a belt drive design, giving it a fantastic balance of speed and power. It also has a very compact design, making it a great option to gig with.

Some drummers may not like the narrow footboard, but I thought it felt very comfortable when I tried this pedal out.

One of the more interesting design features is that you can fold the pedal down to make it easier to carry around. This is one of the only bass drum pedals that I know of that allows you to do this, adding to its overall value.

It comes with a stylish carry bag that is created to fit the mold of the folded-up pedal. It looks very similar to a horn case, which I personally enjoy.

This isn’t a pedal that everyone will love, though. The narrow footboard is something that I know a few drummers won’t be able to get past.

Drive System: Belt drive

Base Plate: Yes

Beater: Felt

Tama Dyna-Sync Bass Drum Pedal

The Tama Dyna-Sync Bass Drum Pedal (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is the priciest single pedal in Tama’s product line, and it’s the only direct-drive option that the brand offers.

It’s a newer pedal compared to the Speed and Iron Cobras, meaning it hasn’t gained as much traction. However, it’s a beautifully crafted single pedal that any drummer that loves direct drive pedals will thoroughly enjoy.

Tama has given this pedal what they call the Dynamic Synchronization System. It’s essentially a list of design features that boost the quality and adjustability of the pedal by a significant amount.

This system includes the Optimized Transmission Design, the Dual Linkage cam connection, and the non-stepped slidable cam. All these features give you a luxurious playing experience, and they allow you to customize the pedal to suit whatever your playing style is.

The pedal also has a spring underneath the footboard that helps with responsiveness. It’s similar to the Cobra Coil, but they’ve labeled it the Sync-Coil.

This is another pedal that costs big bucks. I’d only recommend getting it if the long list of features interests you. Some drummers may find it to be a bit over-engineered.

Drive System: Direct drive

Base Plate: Yes

Beater: Felt

Gibraltar 6000 Series Bass Drum Pedal

The Gibraltar 6000 Series Bass Drum Pedal (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is my top suggestion for drummers looking for an affordable dual-chain drive pedal with a baseplate.

This is one of the most affordable pedals I know of that has those two features, and those are the only two features that many drummers are looking for.

The pedal also comes with a switchable beater that has felt on one side and plastic on the other.

Other than that, this pedal doesn’t offer too much, but it’s the perfect option for drummers that want something simplistic yet very durable and playable.

It’s a great gigging pedal as well. This makes it a good option to keep as a second pedal. If you go to gigs where a drum kit is provided, you can never quite trust what the pedal quality will be. Having a pedal like this to bring with you is always a great idea.

With the pedal being so affordable, you won’t worry about moving it around as much as you would with a high-end pedal.

Drive System: Dual-chain drive

Base Plate: Yes

Beater: 2-way felt and plastic

Trick Drums P1V1 Pro 1-V Bass Drum Pedal

The Trick Drums P1V1 Pro 1-V Bass Drum Pedal is a good option for drummers that want something completely out of the ordinary. This pedal looks far different from most, and it’s because Trick Drums have recreated how their pedals function.

The first thing that stood out to me when I first saw this pedal was the large pedalboard. We’ve looked at thin pedalboards already, so here’s a pedal that offers more foot space than any other option on this list.

There are a few top-tier design choices that make this pedal function extremely smoothly. Firstly, it has an internal compression spring mechanism, whereas most other pedals have expansion springs. This internal one tends to work a bit smoother.

It also has a split cam that lets you adjust the pedalboard and beater angles separately. The pedal has a direct-drive design, ensuring that it functions as responsively as possible.

While direct drive pedals take a bit of getting used to, it’s even more with this one due to the unique design structure. It’s also another very expensive choice for a single pedal, so it won’t be great for everyone.

Drive System: Direct drive

Base Plate: Yes

Beater: Plastic

DW 9000 Series Bass Drum Pedal

The DW 9000 Series Bass Drum Pedal (compare price on Sweetwater and Amazon) is one of DW’s highest-quality and most popular pedals. I ranked the 5000 Series pedal above it, as that one offers better value for money, in my opinion.

However, this is also one of the best kick drum pedals on the market, so it fully deserves its spot on every best pedal list.

The biggest difference between this pedal and the 5000 is that it feels a lot more solid. It also has more rebound from the pedalboard, giving you the feeling that it does a lot of footwork for you.

There are other design features that are superior too, including the infinitely adjustable cam and the nylon strap. This nylon strap allows you to switch the pedal from a chain drive to a belt drive, which is an amazing feature to have.

This is the pedal of choice for countless professional drummers, and it’s been known to last many years without having any damaged parts. The overall durability is almost unmatched at this point.

It’s another pricey option, though. It’s only a few dollars less than the Pearl pedal that took the premium spot on this list. With that being said, you’ll never need to buy a single pedal again after getting this one.

Drive System: Dual-chain drive/belt drive

Base Plate: Yes

Beater: 2-way felt and plastic

What To Look For In a Bass Drum Pedal

Drive Type

A key feature to always look at in a bass drum pedal is its drive type. This refers to how the beater connects to the pedal and how the two interact with each other every time you press the pedal down.

There are three main drive types, and each of them make the pedal perform differently. They also affect how the pedal feels every time you play it.

One drive type isn’t better than another. They just offer different feels that certain drummers prefer. If you’re not sure which drive type you want, just go with any pedal that looks interesting to you.

However, it’s a good idea to know how these drive types affect the pedals. Here are a few key points for each one.

Chain Drive

Chain drive pedals are the most common type of pedal you’ll get. The beater is connected to the footboard by a chain. Some pedals have a single chain, while others have two chains.

The biggest feature that chain drive pedals offer is power. You get plenty of force behind your strokes as the chain causes the beater to whip into the bass drumhead.

If you get a single-chain drive pedal, it will offer slightly more speed. But it won’t feel as stable as a dual-chain drive pedal. The second chain adds sturdiness to the overall feeling of the pedal.

Dual-chain drive pedals tend to be a bit pricier, though, so keep that in mind.

I’d suggest choosing a chain drive pedal if you want to go with a safe option. Every drummer tends to love how these feel, while the other two drive types may feel a bit uncomfortable for some drummers.

Direct Drive

Direct drive pedals are built more for speed than anything else. They have a solid piece of metal that connects the beater and pedalboard together, so the energy you put into the pedalboard transfers directly through to the beater.

This stops the beater from getting that whipping motion, which means that you don’t get as much power. However, the beater reacts a lot quicker to your movements, so it’s easier to play faster patterns.

The downside of direct drive pedals is that you don’t get any slack that you can use to your advantage. Other pedals allow you to be lazy, as the weight usually brings the beater back into place.

With direct drives, you have to keep the beater under control with how your foot is positioned. This is why many drummers don’t enjoy using this drive type. I’d suggest trying it out if you never have, though. You may just end up loving it.

Belt Drive

Belt drive pedals are also known as strap drive pedals. Instead of having a metal piece or chains that connect the beater to the pedalboard, these pedals use straps. The straps are made from strong materials that rarely break or tear.

You get a bit of a middle-ground with this drive option. Belt drive pedals react slightly faster than chain-driven ones, but they don’t feel as weird to use as direct drive pedals.

A lot of vintage kick drum pedals have belt drive designs, so it’s common for older drummers that have been playing for decades to enjoy how these feel.

Some pedals allow you to switch between belt and chain drive mechanisms, so I’d say that belt drive pedals feel much closer to chain drive ones than direct drive ones. 

If you normally use a chain drive pedal, purchasing a belt drive option may just give you a fresh sense of inspiration.

Adjustability Settings

Bass drum pedals have the ability to feel seriously personal, and most of them do that by offering you a range of adjustment settings. The more adjustment settings you can play around with, the more comfortable you’ll be able to make the pedal feel when you’re playing drums.

You should always be looking for comfort, as that will also allow you to play better.

Different pedals have varying levels of adjustability. You’ll usually find dozens of adjustment settings on high-end pedals, while entry-level ones will only allow you to change their overall tension settings.

Two big adjustment settings to look for are the ability to change cam angles and beater angles. Some pedals offer that, while others don’t.

With that being said, many drummers aren’t fussy with their bass drum pedal settings. If that sounds like you, you could save money by getting a pedal that doesn’t offer dozens of features that you won’t use.

Pedal Length

There are two primary types of pedal lengths. You get standard footboards, which some people refer to as shortboards, and you get longboards.

Shortboard pedals are the most common option, which is why they’re also called standard footboards. These are great for most drummers, as they fit nicely within a drum kit setup, and the sweet spot for your foot to rest is somewhere near the top.

Longboard pedals are a unique option to consider if you want to experience the benefits of having a longer pedal. They’re a lot more common with double bass drum pedals, but you get a few single longboard pedal options.

Drummers typically choose to use longboard pedals for the sake of getting more speed. You can leverage the longer footboard a bit better to use different pedal techniques to play faster.

Longboard pedals are also fantastic for drummers with big feet, especially if they like to play with their heels down.

Base Plate

A base plate is a wide piece of metal that gets placed underneath the footboard of a bass drum pedal. Some pedals have one, while others only have two thick rods that keep the pedal secured to the floor.

Typically, having a base plate is a sign of a higher-quality pedal. However, that’s not always the case. Some pedals are solid enough to feel rigid without having a base plate built into them.

I’d suggest getting a pedal with a base plate in most cases, though. Having a more solid platform to play the pedal from will make you feel more secure when you’re playing.

Having your bass drum pedal feel wobbly is never a comfortable thing to deal with.

You’ll find that all the most affordable bass drum pedals don’t have base plates. They’re designed for beginners, and beginner drummers won’t really notice the improved stability when they first start playing. So, a base plate isn’t essential if you just started playing.

Kick Drum Beater

The kick drum beater will establish what tones you get when it strikes your bass drum. It will also slightly affect how the bass drum feels to play, but not as much as the drive system.

Kick drum beaters are easily replaceable, so you can always get a new one if you don’t like the one that came with your pedal.

However, it’s good to know what qualities all the different materials have and how they affect your playing experience.

Here are all the beater material types with a short description of how they perform:

Felt – Very common and affordable beater type. You get a soft yet powerful impact with the batter head.

Rubber – Offers more rebound than felt beaters. The sound is also a bit punchier on impact.

Plastic – Boosted attack when striking the batter head. These beaters are seriously durable.

Wood – Warm and natural sound from the bass drum. Many people don’t like how they feel, though.

Metal – Loudest beater type. Great for boosted volume, but these beaters can break a batter head quite easily.

Price

After understanding all these features, you need to decide how much you’re willing to spend on a single bass drum pedal. Keep in mind that pedals tend to last years, and there are many drummers that are still using bass drum pedals that they purchased over 20 years ago.

It’s a worthwhile investment to get a high-quality bass drum pedal that will serve you well for a long time. However, it’s also understandable that not every drummer is able to put down hundreds of dollars on a single piece of equipment.

You may have already purchased something like an electronic drum kit, and you’ll just need to get a pedal that wasn’t included with that purchase. Adding $300 onto that can be quite heavy.

We can place pedals into a few price categories, including entry-level, intermediate, and professional pedals. Just note that those categories don’t correlate with your level of drumming, as many seasoned drummers that play gigs for a living are happy to use entry-level pedals.

If you’re looking for an affordable bass drum pedal, you can find good entry-level options that will cost between $50 and $150.

Intermediate bass drum pedals typically cost between $150 and $250. High-quality professional bass drum pedals can cost anywhere from $250 to $600. If you want a double bass drum pedal, you’ll find ones that cost even more.

Best Bass Drum Pedal Brands

Every drum brand offers a variety of different bass drum pedals. However, some brands put more effort into their pedal designs than others. It’s common for drummers to use pedals from these brands, even if their drums are from another.

Here are four highly reliable brands to check out when looking for a new pedal.

DW

DW are known for both their drums and high-quality hardware. There are so many good single pedal options from the brand, and all of them will last decades of heavy playing.

They’re not the cheapest pedals around, though, so you should only consider them if you’re willing to spend a few hundred dollars.

Tama

There are a few good Tama drum pedals that have become industry-standard options. They all suit different purposes and needs very well.

Like DW, the Tama brand is known for offering high-quality and reliable hardware, and these pedals fall into that description perfectly.

Yamaha

Yamaha isn’t a brand that is known for numerous hardware options. However, they’ve created a few single pedals, and all of them have been a hit with the drumming community.

Whether you want a cheap and easy or an expensive and highly functional pedal, Yamaha has you covered.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is one of the few brands in the music industry that purely specializes in creating hardware for drum kits. The brand has dozens of hardware options in every hardware category, so you’ll easily find a few good drum pedals in their product range.

The drawcard for these products is that they’re a bit more affordable than the options from big drum brands. So, consider getting a Gibraltar pedal if you’re looking for high value for money.

Top Bass Drum Pedals, Final Thoughts

While all bass drum pedals offer various features and design settings, most drummers get used to any pedal after using it for a while. When looking for a new pedal, just choose the best one that fits all your preferences.

Otherwise, pick one that is vastly different from what you’re used to. That may give you an entirely fresh playing experience, and that could possibly inspire you to play new things on the kit.