I own a Speed Master, was a Red painted model I believe, although most of the paint is gone. Haven't used it much, but it's a solid pedal.
Does anyone have a preference or a reason that one is better than another?
I know the Speed King is obviously more common, but there isn't much info on my Speed Master because of this.
The "Universal " Speedmaster was Ludwig's budget pedal, & came w/ their budget sets; Club Date, Combo, & Spotlight. Those that bought the Classic sets got a Speed King.
The Speedmaster was thinner, w/ a solid foot board, external single spring action & leather strap. (a nice pedal, but not nearly as good, responsive or comfortable as a Speed king).
In many years of collecting & refurbishing vintage drums, I've seen very few Red Speedmasters. For drummers who replaced their pedals, or bought a pedal, a Speed King was the pedal of choice.
ive seen many more red speedmasters than the rest of them. occasionally see the black frame wfl twin spring speedmaster and from time to time see the blue frame speedmaster . they didn't just come with budget kits though. the blue frame was catalog listed in the 60's with the downbeat kits which were 20/12/14 super classics...
mike
> The Speedmaster was thinner, w/ a solid foot board, external single spring action & leather strap. (a nice pedal, but not nearly as good, responsive or comfortable as a Speed king)
There's a video interview with Joe Morello floating around on You Tube where Joe expressed a preference (as a flat-footed heel/toe player,) for 'single-piece footboard' pedals. He didn't mention a model name, but considering the fact that he was a Ludwig guy, I'm sure he had to be referring to these Speed Masters. Ludwig never made a 'single-piece footboard' Speed King. Only the Speed Masters had them.
John
The "Universal " Speedmaster was Ludwig's budget pedal, & came w/ their budget sets; Club Date, Combo, & Spotlight. Those that bought the Classic sets got a Speed King. The Speedmaster was thinner, w/ a solid foot board, external single spring action & leather strap. (a nice pedal, but not nearly as good, responsive or comfortable as a Speed king). In many years of collecting & refurbishing vintage drums, I've seen very few Red Speedmasters. For drummers who replaced their pedals, or bought a pedal, a Speed King was the pedal of choice.
That's opinion and not really factual. I found the Speedmaster to be every bit as responsive and prefer it over the bulkier Speedking. With a new spring the Speed-Master was always faster, and to me a lot more sensitive than the tank like and often sluggish speed king...Plus I liked the strap drive and ow easy it is to feather the bass drum without getting cramps in your calfskin which always happened with the speed king. Personal preference yes, lower quality? Not a chance!
Amazingly, after about 30 years of drumming, I have very little experience with a Speed King. I can't even remember ever playing one - though I likely have. I DO remember the pedal that came with my first drumset in 1986 - a Red Speed Master. I played that for about 12 years, including recording a rather progressive album. I laid down a gazillion quick doubles with that pedal over the years. I appreciate the lightweight and sensitivity of it.
I almost sold it a couple months ago - glad I didn't. Some pieces are just meant to be kept.
Here's a shot of my all time top 5 favorites. The Speed Master, The Slingerland, then the Camco followed by the USA made dw. The Slingerland pedal feels very much like the Speed Master in that it's light, quick and responsive.
My impression was that the OP was about the Red SpeedMaster. The Blue Reversible is engineered very differently, & is a very coveted pedal. No doubt some drummers have a preference for the Red, but evidence shows that there is an overwhelming number of Speed Kings for every Red Speedmaster on the market. This must reflect something about the choice drummers made.
(someone may chime in and tell us what Joe Morello actually did use).
...Time for everyone to cast their vote on the OP Poll.
My impression was that the OP was about the Red SpeedMaster. The Blue Reversible is engineered very differently, & is a very coveted pedal. No doubt some drummers have a preference for the Red, but evidence shows that there is an overwhelming number of Speed Kings for every Red Speedmaster on the market. This must reflect something about the choice drummers made.(someone may chime in and tell us what Joe Morello actually did use)....Time for everyone to cast their vote on the OP Poll.
I thought they were both reversible?
the blue and red are basically the same pedal. the blue model does have reversible written on the pedal. it was shown and marketed with some cocktail drums. but the red model does just the same.
I agree that the speed kings have always been more popular. I have several of both models. I like them both equally for different reasons I guess. the red model was the first vintage drum item that I ever bought. still have it and play it often.
mike
