LOL! The original Speedking pedal is just like any other piece of vintage gear -it has its strong points and it has its weak points. Of course, the knowledge about what's good and bad takes time. The problems that were uncovered in the "Squeak King" over the years are well-known and it appears that the new pedal addresses these bad points without changing any of the good points. I'm hopeful. I think Ludwig is moving in the right direction, in this case......backwards.

I always loved the Speed King pedal as a result of my "smaller and lighter is better" credo, having been a gigging drummer in Manhattan in the 1970s. The beauty's of the Speed King's simple and elegant design, included its small size and light weight, no worries about the the linkage breaking or getting twisted like a leather strap or modern chain drive, and as a result of its internal compression springs there was no chance of damage to the springs or accidental adjustments to the spring tension when packed with other hardware. It was a no-brainer. Just detach the beater and pedal from the base in just a couple of seconds and throw them (not literally) into a trap case tray.

they got rid (or so they say) of the metal to metal wear 'slap

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHXS0Fc8SaI"]Ludwig Speed King Pedal - Cosmo Music at NAMM 2020 - YouTube[/ame]

check all the namm 2020 Lud videos

it's in every one

Thanks. I saw all the videos. I was hoping someone here had actually seen the pedal at NAMM or somewhere else.

Thanks for that news and discussion. I too am a Speed King fan, having played one since the 1960s. And I'll probably buy the reissue, just for fun. In the last decade, I've tried the Iron Cobra and the DWs, but nothing can beat my old Speed Kings.

I've gotten rid of the squeak - most of the time - by using a dab of heavy grease (axle grease or gun grease) on the link....Question: the speaker in those two videos mentions that the reissue Speed King is a "3 stroke performing pedal" versus the "1 stroke type design."

Forgive my ignorance, but I have no idea what he is talking about. Can someone educate me here? Thanks and regards, MB

I'm not sure either but it may have to do with the responsiveness of the pedal and I'm guessing it may relate somehow to the number of back and forth swings the beater will make on it own when you depress and release the pedal. In any case, the improved bearings should make the pedal action smoother and faster.

There is a dedicated Speedking group on Facebook. Some people there have seen the new reissue, and it is very nice according to them. Also, the reissue is made in Taiwan, not the US like the previous iterations. Personally, I am a fan of Taiwanese hardware and drums (which is not to be confused with PRC, i.e. China). And I have two of the black/blue early 2000s Speedkings, the last ones to be made in the US, and the quality of those is not as good as the older ones. So I think manufacturing in Taiwan may be a step in the right direction.

/Magnus

HA! You should get the pedal for your son just for the cool box alone!

Just to echo what BosLover said, when Uly mentioned the 3-stroke, he was talking about full compression/pressing the pedal once and counting how many times it rocks/strokes or oscillates back and forth in a "playing" arc. The more strokes you get from one compression the assumption is that it is far less prone to being robbed of energy by friction. The old SK getting one oscillation, the new SK getting three oscillations,

I don't recall seeing any 2020 demo's of the SK motion offhand, but Uly did demo the technique on the Speed Flyer pedal. See the vid link at the 13:00-minute mark for that example to really move.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbCTcBRnqnM"]Rhythm - Ludwig Stand Tour - Namm Show 2020 - YouTube[/ame]

Dan, (my son) saw the NAMM video and also thought the box was very cool.