Ludwig Lambs Wool Beater for L201 Speed King Pedals

Nice beater....my only complaint is that the shaft is not machined with a flat face....which would form a more secure interface with the set screw. C'mon guys...think!

I loved everything about this beater until the second gig...... It sounds great, the feel is perfect, and looks cool but I quickly realized that one night of use would wear a hole in the lambs wool. The wool is not attached to lambskin like you would think, but to a not too sturdy mesh. I'll rotate it each time but I figure I'll get about 6 nights out of it before it falls apart..... Back to the Vater I guess.

This beater fits my Pearl and DW pedals and adds a definite old school sound that much of my music requires. If you are familiar with the  Vater Vintage Bomber Beater  this is a heavier beater than still produces the same, full resonant notes as that one. The sizes of both are nearly the same. The key difference between the two is this has a similar head to the hard felt style beaters, whereas the Vater is like a big fluffy ball.The heavier business end of this one has a nice feel that allows me to better control velocity and attack. For me anyway, because the feel is all personal preference.To get the best results you need an unmuffled bass drum - or a very lightly muffled one. If I use muffling at all it's  Gibraltar SC-BF Bass Drum Felt Strips , and typically on the batter side, but in some rooms on both sides. You can hear and feel every note using such a configuration with this beater. Not a thump, but a real, resonating note.For folks who play heavier music most of the time and are not used to a felt-but-not-heard approach to bass drum playing, this beater will save a lot of frustration, especially in very small venues where normal playing and a typical, modern beater would be overwhelming.Note, though, that this beater is too one dimensional to use in every situation (unless you only play in acoustic trios), but is a valuable tool in your arsenal. For jazz and authentic blues players it is essential.