Bass Drum Beater

(Styles & Sounds)

A bass drum beater can come in three basic formats. Wood, Felt, and Plastic/Synthetic heads. All three offer different, although sometimes subtle, sound differences.

I’d like to explain some of the differences to you so you will have an easier time trying to choose which beaters will work for you. If you already know what you want, you can skip towards the bottom of the page to see what beaters are available in the store.

Wood Beaters

Wood beaters tend to offer a more natural tone than synthetic heads do. They also tend to blend in better with the other pieces of the drum set. I’ve heard some drummers say that since they use wood drum sticks to play the rest of the set, it only makes since to use wood on the bass drum.

They produce a more powerful sound than felt heads and are very comparable to synthetic ones.

Felt

Felt beaters were the first to be used and are still a decent option for bass drum use. They are a little less powerful than other types of beater heads, but are a great option nonetheless.

A felt beater tends to offer a deeper bass sound great for a wide range of genres. My only complaint is that some of the cheaper ones tend to fray easily. Nowadays, though, the felt is much more compact than the old rounded balls used in the past.

Plastic/Synthetic

Synthetic headed beaters offer a little more punch and power. The sound can be a little more harsh than the softer felt, but they are great for louder genres like rock and metal.

For that great death metal bass drum sound, add a click plate.

Beater Design

The design of a beater can effect the sound and/or the feel of playing your bass. An inverted beater like the one shown above is used to offer a sharper attack upon hitting the drumhead.

This same effect can be achieved with pedals that offer exchangeable cams and beater adjustments. You can also find dual and quad head beaters that offer both felt and synthetic sounds for more diversity in your bass work.

Dual, Tri, & Quad Beater

Bass drum beater design has improved greatly since the early days of drumming. Felts are tighter, plastics hold up better, and now you can get multiple sounds from one beater.

Companies are creating dual, tri, and quad beaters that have multiple striking surfaces. I have Pearl’s quad-core beater which had two felt sides and two plastic sides.

Each one produces a different tone. I tried them all out and stuck with the one I liked the most. I have a feeling that’s how most drummers do it, but they are nice because you can try different sounds out and you can easily change your tone without having to switch out beaters.

Bass Drum Beater Selection

Now that you know what kind of beater you need for the sound you want, you can check out the products available to you.

Each beater will open in a new tab.





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