Sleishman claims they were the first in 1972 with a production double pedal.

http://www.sleishman.com/html/history/twin_pedal.html

Cool. How about something actually mass produced and played? I am guessing it was either Tama, Yamaha, Pearl, DW? I would think people would make a big deal out of this. I am surprised I dont know. Maybe its because they stole the design from Sleishmann much like the story of GM and the automatic windshield wiper maybe?

Hmmm

Adam

The Sleishman and Zalmer Twin pedals were the first production pedals I'm aware of. Both were available by 1973. Most modern double pedals seem to follow the Zalmer's basic design with a second pedal connected via a shaft.

That was Ford, AD. They stole the innovation from an employee and then fired him when he requested compensation for his design, as they also did to another designer that came up with the high mileage carb that is, to this day, still the highest mileage carb available with the ability to bring over 100 mpg, and this is not what they call "urban legends". The man committed suicide because of Ford's deep investments in Mobile Oil. If you can't read between the lines, I am really down on Corporate America at the moment as they are stealing us blind, leaving us unemployed and banking higher percentages of cash than at any other time in our history....sorry about the rant.

from what heard in the biz (and read a interview with dw heads and jim kentner...) it was jim kentner that either had the idea or worked with dw to make the first dbl pedal.

you've seen them on ebay i'm sure...you have the regular main kick pedal, then another pedal housing next to it with a angled beater.a connection rod went from that to the slave.it was primitive but worked.

back when i couldn't afford a dbl pedal (this was around the mid to late 90's) the version we know now was already out. but since i couldn't afford it,i found enough pieces of the old original dw dbl pedal at the music store i worked at at the time.i made my own by flipping the support plate and mounting everything in reverse (i'm a lefty)

Here are a couple of Sleishman pedals I found while visiting a dealer in Brisbane in Dec.

Double pedals were on the market before DW started making pedals.

i really wouldn't know if dbl pedals were made before dw.but thats what i read and they said.perhaps they ment the first to mass produce,modernized (at the time) and polularize it.

if the Sleishman's were popular,they would of came into vogue sooner.but that's just me.besides,its funky looking.

These are cool-- kinda like those foot-measuring devices seen in shoe stores!