Ludwig Speed King Bass Drum Pedal Demo

[@sweetwater]

The modern Speed King offers everything you need and nothing you don’t 🔥 Which upgraded feature are you most excited about?

[@awesomefanger]

I don’t like that it requires a drum key now, I prefer the wingscrew. I use vintage Ludwig hardware for local gigs because it all fits in a small suitcase, and anytime i can get away with not using tools is a plus. All the new flatbased stands are too big.

[@RedeyePerc]

I never had an original and wanted to see what all the hype was about, so I got a new one and I love the feel. This is my first direct drive. The crazy thing is that they did not fix the famous squeak. It was fine for a month and just started to make noise, which is pretty loud.

[@awesomefanger]

@@RedeyePerc it needs maintenance. Teflon or dry bicycle chain lube should do it

[@U2WB]

To me the best improvement is the drum key lockdown for the beater. My pedal still has a wing nut fastener there, and the last time it came loose while I was playing, and the beater flew off and out of my reach. That was when I decided I needed to switch to something more up-to-date, so I bought a Yamaha FP-9D direct drive (from Sweetwater, of course) and never looked back. I've found that the FP-9D can be adjusted to feel almost exactly like my Speed King, but is built like a tank (or more precisely, like a Yamaha motorcycle). Both great pedals !

[@paulreed1142]

"Since I've Been Loving You" is the best example of the Bonzo squeak.

[@jamescaliendo1030]

Thank you for that Paul...first thing I said to myself was " I wonder which Zeppelin song can I hear the squeak"

[@WatchesnguitarsDK]

Now, it is destroyed for you. It can't be unheard 🤣

[@donovanjones4175]

You mean good times bad times, no?

[@donovanjones4175]

Oh wait, that squeak, arrrrrgh. Now I remember what you are talking about

[@henrrycapiro2045]

@@donovanjones4175 No it’s since I’ve been loving you

[@CountrySingerWannabe]

I sure hope these drum makers pay Nick a pretty penny to promote their products because he does a bang up job every time. He literally makes you want to buy every thing he demos.

[@maxwellgordon9868]

My most loved pedal of all time.

[@lancerains4185]

One of the greatest pedals ever made...And still very relevant

[@hccarder]

until it starts to squeak when you're trying to record.

[@ralphbenites1312]

That looks so cool.still the same as the original. I still have my old speed king no squeak’s hear very smooth action.Ludwig rock’s

[@brosenbloom6318]

I used one for decades beginning in '65. I changed from time to time. Then 5 years ago I bought the cammed, chain Atlas version of the S.K. I am now going back to the mechanical redux of the original S.K. in my opinion, it is simply the best pedal ever made.

[@ronbyrd1616]

Cleaned and rebuilt and teflon greased my 1967 speed king in 2003...wouldnt trade it for any pedal made today .

[@timmotel5804]

Excellent. My first set of Ludwigs was about 1965 that my dad bought for me. a 5 piece set with a Speed King Pedal. I still have 2 of those old ones and I have never found a better or faster pedal than the Speed King Pedal. Bonzo knew the truth. Thanks

[@supraphonic88]

Honestly just clicked this open to see if you included a reference to Bonham's squeaky pedal and 3:03 delivered, thank you :)

[@brianchisnell1548]

It just needed a little grease as all pedals do.

[@samcook1545]

I absolutely LOVE this pedal! I pre-ordered this version from Sweetwater about a year and a half ago and it’s the best purchase I’ve made in a long, long time. I have always loved speed king petals and it’s hard to believe much could be improved, But this is squeak proof!

[@tonymuratori5896]

I just got my pedal from Sweetwater. Right out of the box I was doing doubles smoothly, and very quick patterns. I’m glad I bought this.

[@Leffabunkkeri]

I've played with the original '60s Speed King for years. A perfect pedal for me.

[@Rockin_Ross]

I have an original and use it more than I ever thought I would. It’s truly an unmatched classic and this upgraded version just makes it better.

[@CarloDaniel007]

Mine comes in tomorrow! So excited 😊

[@aboutthemetal8783]

I recently got two of these , they were very cheap ( 50% off recommended retail) I've got to say I'm bloody impressed and now I know how good it is ,it doesn't suprise me at all at the amount of top drummers who still use it .

[@jonashellborg8320]

The “how to fold it” was the one missing piece I didn’t know about the Speed King. Thanks Nick! Now i’m getting one!

[@tomlehr861]

Best pedal ever,had mine for 40 years

[@danielskoffa]

This pedal is so famous that Deep Purple even wrote a song about it.

[@bencharnley4670]

Love how light the Speed King is. Great for a busy working drummer doing small gigs.

[@tomsawyer2113]

Got my first real drumset back in 1966 in York, PA. It was a Ludwig Black Oyster Pearl just like Ringo's kit. Loved the speed king pedal. There was something about the internal springs and the pivot point on the foot pedal that I could get quadruplets on the kick with no problems. Never have been able to do that with any other pedal or should I say I couldn't do them as fast as I could on the Speed King.

[@j.wilcox3547]

My favorite pedal I ever used. The sqeak gave it its charm

[@erikschreiber9775]

I bought my first drum kit when I was 18 it was a 5 piece Rogers kit and it had a squeak king pedal. It worked great 👍

[@dugjay]

My first, actually two pedals were Speed Kings. I never thought about buying a double pedal for my Ludwig Blue Sparkle kicks. Mine squeaked like crazy but with a bit of WD-40 that would take care of the problem. An excellent pedal.

[@hccarder]

But the squeak always comes back.

[@ericl2969]

@@hccarder I have a Speed King pedal that's 60 years old, and between myself and the original owner, it has been used so much that the ridges on the shoe plate are partly worn off. It doesn't squeak and it never has, because I treat it they way a person ought to treat any similar mechanical device. I find that a single drop of genuine *oil*, properly placed at each friction point using a decent precision applicator (such an applicator costs about a dollar and lasts forever), eliminates any squeak for months or even years at a time. That's a far cry from "the squeak always comes back", but I bet you are using WD-40 instead of something that actually works. If you want real oil but need something that you can get at any grocery store or drug store, try '3-in-1' oil. One "micro drop" of '3-in-1' will lubricate better and keep doing its job about a thousand-times longer than WD-40, but without WD-40's inevitable mess. (WD-40's popular image as the go-to lubricant is 99-percent marketing hype. It's really not much good as a lubricant, and it's packaged as an aerosol primarily to make sure that you will apply it as wastefully as possible and then run out and buy more).

[@guillermo3564]

I've had mine since 1978. Got it because that's what the Professor used.

[@dferris7767]

Thanks for the product vid on this Nick! The Speed King was my first pedal too. When I was in college, I had a Speed King and a Chain drive pedal. I had made the mistake of leaving my Speed King pedal in the college band room and it mysteriously disappeared when a bunch of high school band students came to visit. When it was announced within the last couple of years that the Speed King was being revamped and issued again from Ludwig, I was excited. But, I feel I want one more for the nostalgic value or maybe it's just to have more gear.

[@kyleadamsdrums]

I really wanna try one of these out.

[@brendadavis140]

I still have my Speedking that came with a 4 pc red sparkle Rogers set I bought used in the 70s

[@stix9641]

I still use my 60s speed king bass pedal ....so fluid, also using the jo jo meyer pedal which is excellent for feel and dynamic also. Great pedals !!!

[@jehouse86]

Theyre perfectt. Old and reissue are identical, great pedals. I've been itching to try the Jojo mayer pedal, looks like a gem!

[@Adrian_Franco]

If you could only have one which would you choose?

[@pipis920]

King of the pedals

[@godsinbox]

in 1885, was the first time double kick was heard and was invented when Lars ulrich's great grandfather tripped on a ludwig. He passed the technique down to his son, then his son, then his son. But times were tough, and snares were actually kitchen pots, which was the fashion of the day

[@godsinbox]

oh, and in case you were wondering, my great grandfather was also kicking around then

[@emlix1]

That and wearing an onion on your belt.

[@godsinbox]

@@emlix1 t'was the fashion

[@thumperpaul]

The drum set at my old high school had a Speed King. Awesome pedal!

[@38FLY]

Bought one in the 60's. Fastest, smoothest pedal I have ever played. When I say fast, I mean it. I once overheard a couple of drummers saying I was using a "trick" pedal to get that kind of speed. Biggest mistake I ever made was to sell it when I got the Dynasonic.

[@sergioandresrodriguezcor-nf6mk]

This man plays amazing. I watch all sweetwater’s videos because of him

[@bradreed9986]

A friend of mine used to have just about that same foot pedal and it's a good foot pedal for real.

[@dedexyz8475]

Wow....a blast from the past; this was my first pedal in the late 1960's. My kit was a Ludwig 5 piece, white marine pearl. The only weakness w/ the pedal is the beater design.....IF not placed correctly/the tail, it will impact the "clip" connecting beater to the pedal. As I learned a few times.

[@robote7679]

Haven't played drums for years now but the only pedal that ever felt perfect while I did play was the classic Speedking (late 60's to mid 80's), just loved the feel of that pedal.

[@boomerguy9935]

Although I've never experienced this problem, the one complaint I've heard about this pedal - other than the squeeky bearing - is the narrow space between the compression speeds makes the operation for those drummer with very big feet.

[@kurtpatterson1296]

This is still the most popular,sold bass drum pedal of all time,my opinion. I never played them but I will admit the majority of drummers of my time did...

[@martinleicht5911]

I had a Squeak King in the seventies,, nice !! ✌

[@mlklotusmann6749]

Great review and great playing!

[@padistedor]

This was everyones pedal of choice before pedals like the DW5000 were available. I played a speed king for years before I replaced it with a DW5000 and still use it today.

[@FawleyJude]

Agreed. I had a Speed King for years, it was okay, but I thought the DW pedal I replaced it with felt a lot better.

[@Bruno-pr4tu]

for you which one is better? the Speed ​​king or the 5000???

[@padistedor]

@@Bruno-pr4tu the dw5000, only pedal i like as much was a double chain pearl

[@rodcole818]

The linkage gets very close to the drum head depending on hoop width. I glued a piece of 5mm x 5mm square timber across the front of the clamp section to give it more clearance. Or use a pencil.

[@mbj6555]

My first drum set came with Ludwig Speed Kings. I used them for three years before moving to chain-drive Yamaha pedals. It took me a long time to adjust away from the feel of the direct drive.

[@tapeinosG5011]

Dear Sweetwater! great video on the Speed King. Why did Ludwig stop making the "Ludwig drum case throne" that doubles as a seat and hardware container? These as you must be aware were made to match any Ludwig finish for the drum set of your choosing. Hopefully Ludwig will reconsider and bring this "drum case throne" back even if its on a "limited" basis. I believe many drummers would like to see this happen. You'll see drummers like Louie Bellson, Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Dino Danelli and a number of other highly respected and talented drummers using it. Lets just say! it's cool.

[@mikec7176]

I have always liked the feel and action of the Speed King, but my foot was too big to comfortably use it all the time, I found the early 70’s Sonor delux pedal to have similar feel and action as the Speed King and was also a better fit for my foot, been using them ever since and still have two original pedals. I wish Ludwig would have made a larger version as well as the original size Speed King, if they did that would have been my go to pedal. 👍🥁👍

[@Libentom]

Love it 😍

[@chickentwisties2298]

Definitely the best pedal ever made...

[@ricksoden6838]

I have my original 1967 speed king pedal that came with my deluxe blue classic set also 1967, with the original hi hat stand.....in other words, all original in cases in a closet

[@johnkru1295]

Nice foot work!

[@geraldroraback5432]

Absolute best peddle in the market.

[@grennmanalieshi]

happened to mine was the direct drive metal strap ending is hooked shaped! It eventually snapped in half! White metal so you couldn't weld it! I had to get my shop teacher to build on to it!

[@genebrohan2401]

the speedking never had a bearing in the heal it was a pin with peaned ends. it was metal on metal that got that squeak happening. i had one in 1985 that had been around since 1962 i used it until 1993. dam things are indestructible

[@U2WB]

Interestingly, my original Speed King's squeak was coming from the pedal-to-beater linkage. I solved it with a thin film of petroleum jelly applied to the metal linkage (where the pedal disconnects). It has never squeaked again !

[@planetrob555]

That direct drive coming apart like that has been a "thing" for decades.

[@RC-gf8cs]

I still have one from 1968 ..got it with my brand new marine pearl ludwigs .which i also still have

[@PabloJ1968]

Thanks Nick.

[@jdziennik1]

My first bass pedal was a Speed King. Straighten out the strap one to many times.

[@abovethefirehouse]

I still love the ghost. Perfect for my size 14.

[@bgnPrinceton]

Interesting comment about not being able to play other direct drives. Not sure he mentioned that when reviewing them.

[@frankspikes7858]

Great playing Nick!! It should be illegal to have that much fun!!

[@TriTones_Music]

Fits “up to” a snow boot 😀... that tear down was pretty solid I must admit! Nice demo \m/

[@WyattLite-n-inn]

That’s some good toe up bass drum pedal form ..

[@user-tp4ki3ty1x]

My favorite pedal though the new ones still squeak VERY LOUD but not where he shows

[@theothertroll]

Speed King is still the most versatile pedal, no latency in motion 🤪

[@apieceofdirt4681]

The only thing I didn’t like about the Speed King is it was a noisy pedal so I hope the new design is much quieter. Once I played the DW9000 that was it.

[@rickingraham4451]

The old squeek king improved..i loved my old one till it died..i cried..couldnt find anything like it back in the day..can any of you owners of this new version tell me if it rubs on the head at the outer pivot point of the drive mechanism.?

[@edwardthegreat3954]

The first direct drive. I think cozy powell use a pair of these

[@gostbatsohg]

Nice pedal! got one and love it

[@TheLovelifewinter]

I have one from 70es,still alive and kikin'.👍

[@swervature]

I don't play drums, but thanks for the info!

[@JakeStaffin]

I didn't know that the springs were inside the pedal, that's really interesting!!

[@jamilleh.cannon2407]

Beautiful base drum pedal. I don't know everything about the drums but I do play and I'm not that bad at it.

[@daleonov]

Wow, it's really compact when you disassamble it!

[@misfit2022]

The classic speed king with or without squeak? To those unaware it’s a Bonham reference.

[@russellesimonetta3835]

I liked the Rogers Swervomatic. It was fast. I could do fast triples when I was a kid. Ohh and Buddy up to the time he died was still using the Rogers. Leather strap but durable.

[@brianchisnell1548]

I like the Swervo too

[@dongkrakata]

fresh design 🔥

[@vandavis4331]

was my 1st pedal but i now play yamaha fp9

[@nikkifarris9873]

my 1st was a speed king loved it want one again bad good Christmas gift hent hent santa lololol

[@danbailey8182]

My first pedal was a speed king. I lost it in a fire and I sure miss it.

[@PSP6055]

I just purchased one. I can’t determine what level to adjust the spring tension to to make it feel right.

[@dan9558]

One of my faves!!

[@Drummer55]

Are those Van's shoes? That's what I wear too. Switched from Converse years ago.

[@alexhicks5889]

Darn. I was hoping for an explanation of the little heel plate that can be part of the main plate or can swivel separately. Had a SK for a while, and that always puzzled me. Did anyone here ever set it to swivel separately, and what's the advantage? Just seemed to make a bunch of noise for me. Did Bonham, Collins, or any other notables use it that way?

[@Scopay73]

I set mine to swivel. I use heel toe a lot and it's easier for me to get triplets that way.

[@brianchisnell1548]

It adjusts for heel down heel up

[@mike4175]

Check out Needles and Pins by The Searchers. You can definitely hear the SpeedKing squeak. It’s uncanny lol. I love this pedal though, i got an old beat up 60s Ludwig kit for my first kit and it had a SpeedKing from Im guessing the same era judging by how it looked. I played on it for about 4 years until I got a Pearl eliminator. It’s a good pedal and I’m glad it’s making a comeback.

[@ericl2969]

Well, this definitely proves that musicians are likely to know nothing at all about mechanical stuff. A person with even basic mechanical knowledge would realize how easy it is to eliminate that squeak. I know from experience with a Speed King pedal that one tiny drop of decent-quality oil at each place it is needed will stop that squeak for a really long time (even for years).

[@paulbruno8327]

Ludwig Speed King 🏆

[@musshwins412]

Wonder why they break so easy. I broke two in the early 80's and decided that socket and chain are far superior.

[@carlosserrano3985]

I still got one of those.

[@guitrus]

was told about the squeak at the beginning of Since I've Been Loving You years ago. I can't 'not' hear it now

[@roybeckerman7843]

What brand do you use these days, Nick…?

[@CountrySingerWannabe]

If it wasn't for my good sense I would have 10 drum sets, 10 kick pedals and countless cymbals watching Nick demo products.

[@nealsausen4651]

The internal mechanics of a speed king pedal is GENIUS! the linkage sucks! The linkage is horrible it’s just shit! that steel link or that steel strap (it also bends after a while))! They should’ve redesigned that decades ago if they could re-designed the pedal and get rid of that stupid steel strap,maybe put a chain on there instead or nylon strap that pedal would be a fucking winner and I mean a fucking winner! Because the mechanism is excellent They finally put ball bearings on the new speaking it’s about time that fucking pin on the old ones was stupid

[@creeps717]

every single double bass player: we have the fastest pedals ludwig: hold my speed king pedals

[@jumpinjojo]

*double

[@creeps717]

@@jumpinjojo oh right

[@CountrySingerWannabe]

I won't ever get a speed king. It is a great, light weight pedal but I don't want to be too spoiled with my kick pedal. I have a DW 9002 chain drive.

[@P9R]

I got mine used for $20 dollars it was all gummed up so I opened it up, cleaned the springs really well, and then re-packed with lithium grease. I can't play chain drives very well at all. I learned on belt & direct drives.

[@detlefvonkalben9577]

You should include a 10% coupon code for the product you advertise at the end of the video that is all

[@carlupthegrove262]

I've still got mine....from about 1963. :-)

[@guyinpajamapants6892]

Lol! I remember, “Dude! It’s got a chain!”

[@eduguterrez2925]

Does it come with the "squeak"?

[@MrFchank]

Sometimes,old school is best

[@handidrummed]

I hated the SK when I was 14 and unfortunately the Reissue didn't change anything.

[@MGMGRAND350]

will this pedal be faster than normal chain pedals?

[@sweetwater]

Hey, Marcus. Thanks so much for your interest. It depends. It’s a different style of pedal compared to a conventional chain drive pedal. Direct drive pedals like this tend to be a bit smoother. But it depends on how it feels to the individual. I personally am more comfortable with chain drive pedals. I hope this helps. Jason Thiele, Senior Sweetwater Sales Engineer, [phone] ext. 1391, [e-mail]