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The actual technology offered by bass drum pedals did not change much throughout its history. Significant change developed in their cosmetic appearance. Drum pedals do look beautiful today. Although nice feature to look at, the beauty is not a playing technology. What is important to drummers is the improvement in technology of pedal drive and technology of the footplate. CHAIN DRIVE is the only true change in technology of pedal drive. LUDWIG "SPEED KING" offers a first major change to the technology of pedal footplate designed for "heel down " technique VRUK introduces revolutionary footplate technology designed for " heel up" players.
LUDWIG ' SPEED KING

The inventor and designer of " Speed King " simply created " the legend". This is a drum pedal with beautiful design and advanced technology combined together. Just like Jaguar E-type " Speed King " is timeless The inventor of " Speed King " knew that the most important factor which influence speed and power is a " footplate release '.The inventor also acknowledged that control over the release should be by performer's foot not by spring tension.
The inventor dismissed the fixed heel plate as unnecessary obstacle and simply created the footplate as a lever. Drummer's heel finally got some purpose.
" Speed King " technology enables drummer to lift the footplate with the heel. This arrangement creates ideal pedal environment where the toe controls forward and the heel controls backward beater motion. Such arrangement enables spring tension reduction thus making striking easier

PERFECT SOLUTION? Absolutely, if you play "heel down" technique. The moment you lift your heel up the advantages of " Speed King " are sadly lost. During the time the "Speed King" was produced, all drummers were playing " heel down ". Today, only small minority do. Advantages of "heel lift" are lost but Speed King is equally good for heel up players as any other drum pedal .

 
VRUK

 
   
Created in late 1987 Vruk introduced to the world of drums revolutionary technology. The Vruk offered a " Speed King technology designed for " heel up " players .Facilities offered by Vruk went much further then " Speed King Vruk is simply "perfect tool " for heel up players. In heel up technique, drummer's heel is virtually unused .However, Vruk technology and technique provides multiple function for the heel. The heel aids the striking, provides resting point during the footplate release, pulls the footplate and the beater and enables reduction in spring tension.
   
BASS DRUM PEDAL PATENTS
Number of extremely talented people offered exciting new solutions to technology of pedal drive and pedal footplate. Their patents are collecting the dust, but from time to time drum manufacturers would clear the dust and find the " inspiration and vision " to create " their new and advanced " products. We, at Vruk, believe that the names of these true inventors must be mentioned. Most of the inventors never received any financial reward for their work. However, public acknowledgement of their work is sometimes more rewarding to them then any financial gains.

 

Gladstone - September 16, 1924

 More then seventy years ago Mr. William David Gladstone realised that spring tension creates muscle fatigue to performer. He also realised that heel power should be used as well as toe.
Mr. Gladstone doubles action pedal never seen the production line. It just looks too complicated but it definitely offers a wealth of ideas and solutions. Simplified, it resembles " Speed King " pivotally mounted footplate.Mr Gladstone is, as far as we know, first inventor who proposed double action pedal using the heel and toe.

Pignocco - 1st July 1930

 " The drum being struck once when the foot treadle is forced down and again when the foot treadle is automatically returned to its normal position, production of a drum beater which can be readily converted from one making double beat as described above, to one making the single beat ". These are the claims for which Mr. John Pignocco received grant for his patent in 1930. Mr. Pignocco is original inventor of the pedal drive, which enables the beater to strike the drum for each downstroke and upstroke footplate movement, and incorporated a switch that could disable this feature. The invention of Mr. Pignocco proposed one beater for such operation. This sounds familiar and certainly is. Concept of award winning " Duallist " could be different. It offers two beaters. One strikes the drum on downstroke, other on upstroke footplate movement and features a " Speedswich " which disables this feature

Bills -19th February 1980

"A double acting drum beater device is provided having a beater adapted to strike an adjacent drumhead once for each downward movement of a foot operated pedal, and then a second time during the subsequent upward movement of the pedal ". This is the claim by Mr. John E. Bills. We are very surprised that Mr. Bills got his patent granted as his idea and claims are same as Mr. Pignocco's. Nevertheless Mr. Bills, as seen on the picture, is proposing two beaters arrangement. . This concept does have striking similarity to" Duallist".
We praise the makers of "Duallist" for their design and truly believe that they could consider naming Mr. Pignocco and Mr. Bills as original inventors behind their concept.

DUALLIST COMENT: We are looking forward to receive the comment from "Duallist " manufacturers. It would be posted here as soon as we receive it.

DUALLIST COMMENT : During Frankfurt Exhibition Mr. Kevin Mackie explained the differences between Bills patent and Duallist. The idea might appear similar but there is a significant difference in drive system of two beaters. Bills pedal incorporates striking of both beaters on up-stroke and both on down-stroke. In difference to this Duallist strikes one beater on down-stroke and other on up-stroke. The Duallist arrangement makes it more playable. Bills pedal would actually offer some sort of "crazy" striking but would probably not be " musical" or under much of drummer's control. However it could be nice "effect" pedal if ever comes in production.

 

Fearns - 21st October 1969

Mr. John A. Fearns offers a simplified solution to double acting bass drum pedal.
Although very interesting pedal drive, we simply do not see drummers playing this way

Simpson - 18th of July 1972

Mr Allan R. Simpson proposed the idea that is self-explanatory. Mr. Simpson invented a concept with the split footplate, where the heel strikes one portion of the footplate connected to the beater, and toe strikes separate footplate with the same beater arrangement.
Although it looks relatively ridiculous, it is based on the idea where the heel and toe are striking a separate footplate.
 

Escamilla 2nd of November
1976

 

THE ORIGINAL IDEA AND PATENT BEHIND THE CONCEPT KNOWN TODAY AS SONOR " GIANT STEP

Sonor " GIANT STEP " drum pedal is praised for " advanced vision " and famous German manufacturing and inventive technology.
In reality Sonor's " GIANT STEP TO FUTURE could be a GIANT LEAP TO PAST and in particular to year 1976 where Mr.Gus Escamilla patented his true
" Advanced vision" DRUM PEDAL ASSEMBLY.
The idea and claims by Mr. Escamilla could appear almost identical to "Giant Step".
We praise Sonor for manufacturing Giant Step ", but truly believe that Sonor should consider naming Mr. Gus Escamilla as true inventor of their concept.
We enclose Mr. Escamilla's patent and "SONOR INVENTION GIANT STEP" for you, the drummers, to compare and judge our comments.

SONOR COMMENT: We are looking forward to receive the comment from Sonor. We would post Sonor answer as soon as is received

SONOR COMMENT : Sadly for Sonor, the comment was never received. However, Sonor continue to advertise and promote Giant Step as their Invention. We at vruk believe that this is a massive injustice to actual Inventor Gus Escamilla and an extremely surprising move by large drum manufacturer to actually make a false claim of ownership and in simple terms -commit the intellectual theft.

VRUK COMMENT

Playing a drum pedal is an art in motion. It is the art created by our foot. By playing drums or drum pedal, we project ourselves and the drum pedal should project our motion. The moment when machinery takes over, the art is gone. We do not project achievement and art of ourselves anymore, we project the MACHINERY.

The reason of why most of these patents did not come to production is very simple.
No true drummer would allow " machinery " to play for him. Even if we do achieve the speed and power playing these double action pedals, it would still be the speed and power of double action pedals NOT OURSELVES.
That is certainly not art or challenge at all, and possible "false " speed and power achieved will not make us artists.

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