Pearl P3002D Double Bass Pedal Review

Practical Buying Guide

Introduction:

The Pearl Demon Drives are some of the most popular pedals on the market. They’ve gone through a few updates over the years, with the current lineup offering some of the best features available. 

In this review, we’re going to specifically look at the Pearl P3002D Demon Direct Drive Double Bass Drum Pedal. 

It’s an amazing pedal with a bunch of cool features. We’ll look at what those are an explain which drummers the pedal would work best for. 

Key Features

The most notable feature of this pedal is that you can switch between a longboard and shortboard design. 

It has skateboard bearings for an incredibly smooth response. It also has two changeable beater positions. One is for a heavy feel, while the other is for a lighter one. 

It has Aluminum Traction Dots on the bottom, which you can adjust to get a varying amount of grip. 

Finally, it comes with two Control Core Felt beaters with an elastomer core. That sounds fancy, but they’re basically just really high-end beaters compared to most others. 

Build Quality
99%
Performance
96%
Price to Value Ratio
92%
PROS: THINGS WE LIKED
  • Incredible versatility from all the features
  • Very smooth playability
  • These pedals allow you to play really fast with minimal effort
CONS: THINGS WE DIDN'T LIKE
  • Quite expensive compared to most other double pedals

FEATURED ON

What to Expect from the Pearl P3002D:

 

Quality 

Not too many double pedals come close to this one when talking about quality. The design features are so premium that you can instantly feel how high-end the pedal is when you first use it. 

It often takes some time to dial in good pedal settings to feel comfortable, but we felt incredibly comfortable using the pedals without changing anything. That was a big highlight, but things got even better when we started dialing things in. 

Since the pedal has a direct drive design, you feel immediate responsiveness every time you strike the bass drum. It can take some time getting used to, but it’s a lot easier to play at higher speeds like this. 

Demon Double MW

Construction

The adjustable pedal board was our favorite construction feature when trying this pedal out. Some drummers like longboard pedals while others prefer shortboards. This can affect which options you choose.

With the P3002D, that doesn’t matter, making it a viable high-end option for everyone. We were impressed by how the responsiveness remained the same with both footboard options.

This mainly comes from the skateboard bearings. It’s a very clever design to make the pedals feel quite smooth.

Finally, we liked the two power options for the beaters. Being able to switch between a heavy and light mode makes the P3002D even more versatile.

Performance

With the versatility of the P3002D being so high, the performance you can get from the pedals is great for drummers of all kinds.

We have our specific preferences, and the pedals felt amazing to play. You may have completely different ones, but you’ll still be able to get an amazing performance feel from the P3002D. 

It’s a proper professional double pedal, and it’s clear to us why so many professional drummers love to use it.

 

Prive to Value:

You’ll pay close to $1000 for this double pedal, making it one of the most expensive options on the market. 

It’s still a bit cheaper than the premium DW MDD pedals, and it’s almost as adjustable as those. 

While it’s expensive, we think the cost is worth the value you get. You’re paying for the high-end adjustability and stability. 

We can’t think of anyone buying this pedal and thinking it’s too expensive for what it is. You instantly feel the quality when using it. 

With that said, not every drummer will be looking for so many customization options. If that sounds like you, you’ll likely be happy with any of Pearl’s cheaper options. 

Pearl P3002D Double Bass Pedal Review
  • Build Quality
  • Performance
  • Price to Value
4.7

Conclusion

 

The Pearl P3002D is a seriously solid double pedal that we recommend everyone try out. It’s especially good if you’re looking for speed, as the direct drive design caters well to that sort of playing style. 

The big highlight for us is the fact that you can switch between longboard and shortboard designs. You don’t get that option from too many other pedals, so it’s definitely something to consider when eyeing this pedal out! 

I’m crazy about drums, it’s been my passion since I was 12 years old. I played in numerous bands going through different styles like Rock, Progressive, Pop & Jazz-Rock. After being featured in major music publications (DrumeoGuitar GuitarAudioIssuesMusicThinkTank I started this website to share my knowledge and create a resource for drummers of all levels.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

9 Tips
to Get Faster

Subscribe to our ninja mailing list and get a Free E-book!