Drum pedals are often underestimated by non-musical people, but true drummers know they are important. Drum pedals are as crucial as drum sticks, and choosing a proper model is way harder than many might think. Just like with any other musical gear, there are lots of models to browse through and lots of parameters to pay attention to.

This is exactly why we have decided to present this quick buyer’s guide. We hope that by outlining the most important tips, it will help you save time and money when it comes to the purchase. But before we begin,  check out the cajon pedal compilation made by our colleagues. There are several top-models with detailed reviews, which will also be useful when making a final decision.

Learn the Basics and Decide What You Need

As with any other gear, making the right choice requires you to perform a research. We will present some of the important information in the next sections. In this case it is very important to know the exact features you need.

Once you know enough about the drum pedals, you will be able to decide which one you need for your drum set. Unfortunately, there is no universal way to select a perfect set of drum pedals, taking into account how individual each instrument is. Nevertheless, being well-informed and knowing exactly what you need will both narrow the lineup of models and make your purchase more effective as you won’t overpay for features you don’t need.

Choose the Drive System

As this article is a list of quick tips, we won’t be going much into technical details. However, to outline the most important thing to look for while selecting a set of drum pedals, let’s take a closer look at a drive system. There are three types of drive systems:  direct drive system, chain drive system and belt drive system. They vary in price and features, so a little research will be helpful. To make it a little easier for you, here is a brief description for all the three types of drive systems.

Direct drive systems are made for professionals. They are more powerful and offer a faster response than other types of drive systems. Logically, direct drive systems are the most expensive ones.

Belt drive systems are the least popular ones as they feel a bit different than other types. Such pedals have a slight bounce after each hit and this requires getting used to. As for the advantages of such pedals, they are usually more durable than others and are great for playing fast.

Chain drive systems are the most popular ones as they are pretty universal and very affordable. This is a great choice to start, but these pedals are usually less durable and will require a replacement from time to time.

Test Drive

At this point you should know all the necessary information about your future pedals. Most likely, your choice is now narrowed to a certain lineup and you might already have some favorites. Unfortunately, it is impossible to think of everything beforehand, and it is important to test drive the models before buying them.

Visiting your local musical store and testing the models you liked online will wipe out some of the pedals from your list and leave you with one or even several models that you are comfortable with.

Maintenance Control

The last stage of making a proper purchase is learning about the maintenance. We recommend doing this after the test-drive to save some time on learning all that online. Simply asking the workers of your local music store is much easier than looking for dozens of video guides.

After doing a test-drive, try to find out if it is hard to maintain the instrument. After you are sure that you will cope with the maintenance, you are truly ready to buy the model you like the most that also fits your budget.

Retail Is Important

To sum up the article, we have to say that visiting your local musical store will be very important not to be disappointed once the online purchase is made. Online guides and videos cannot always represent all the necessary information and the feel of the instrument. However, the prices are much better online, so we recommend returning home from the musical store and ordering the desired set of pedals when you’re completely sure.