つっちーの「太鼓奇談」第四回｜Speed King

Hello everyone reading the JPC newsletter. I'm Tsucchi, a drum tech. For some reason, I'm still getting requests for serialization, which is a strange situation.
If that's the case, I'll be happy to write whatever I want.

This time I thought I'd talk about pedals.
Why does a guy who usually talks about things so much and doesn't want to do much about drums come here and suddenly talk about pedals? Since the Radic Speed ​​King, which I've been using since I was a kid, is discontinued, I thought I should write about it.
Every drummer has heard of this pedal at least once, and some people may have walked into a music store and said, ``Oh? That's that Speed ​​King pedal,'' and many senior drummers may have admired this pedal and bought it with their first salary.
The Ludwig Twin Spring Speed ​​King Pedal (hereinafter referred to as Spikin) was born in the world 76 years ago in 1938, and it is an extremely long-selling pedal that was produced and sold until 2014 with almost no model changes since its release.

Because the spring expands and contracts in the opposite way to normal pedals, it's easy to press down and the return is extremely quick! This is why he has protected his throne as the King of Speed.
There are countless drummers who have played exciting grooves with this pedal, but some of the most famous are Ringo from the Beatles, Charlie from the Stones, Bonzo from Zep, Levon from the BAND, Yukihiro from YMO, Karen from the Carpenters, and many more. I can't confirm anything else, but I'm sure Ginger and Pace, maybe even Buddy Rich and Gene Kruper, were stepping on the spikin.

I was around the age of 13 when I acquired such a world heritage pedal, and when I emailed a friend of mine at the time, he told me that he had bought an old spinkin for about 5,000 yen at a local music store. That Spikin is still my main pedal. That said, I've tried out a lot of different pedals just like most people. I used to have Tama's DP145, Camco, Yamaha's FP720, and Pearl twin pedals. When it comes to foreign products, I guess it's DW. It was a model before the underplate was installed, and I really liked that pedal.
Recently, I was surprised by the wonderful response of JoJo pedals. But, no matter how good the pedal is, no matter how high-tech it is, in the end it always comes back to spinning.
What is that magical power? Boom when I say this is the best! When you put a lot of power into it, it makes an incredible sound, and whether you put your heel on or take it off, the tone changes properly.It's an easy-to-understand pedal, and perhaps because of its simple structure, it doesn't break at all even if a heavy-set person like me steps on it a lot. I've been using Spikin for 32 years, and it's never broken down.
However, now that I'm an adult, I find myself grinning as I search for vintage spinkins on eBay, with the perfectly valid reason that they're just in case something breaks. My goal is to buy something like a set of 10 junk spinners at a low price, and create 3 to 5 good-quality spinners from among them. This is what makes it so much fun. As I was doing all this, I found that I had Spikin placed all over my room, and at one point the Spikin had multiplied to the same extent as the Makkurokurosuke from Totoro.
The spinkins are sold at a reasonable price through the roadie network. When I don't have to work, this is how I survive. Thank you for your help lol
Needless to say, when I heard that production was discontinued, I immediately emailed Drum City Manager Nishio and kept the current Spikin that was in the store.

*L201 final model (the only difference is the color)

The reason why I love this pedal so much is because it was used by a drummer I admire, and also because of its beauty. I think it shows the great industrial design of America at its best. The designs of drums from Gretsch, Rogers, Slingerland, etc. are all cute and beautiful. Even the guitars, basses, synthesizers, etc. were cool and beautiful. The fact that many of their designs remain unchanged even today is proof that they strike a great balance between ease of use and good looks.
When I drive around town or go on a tour to a new city, I try to find as many old buildings as possible in that city. It doesn't have to be something that has been designated as a cultural property; our eyes are drawn to all kinds of buildings, such as private houses, shops, factories, stations, bridges, and ports, that have been standing there for decades, observing the lives of people passing by, the passage of time, and the activities of families. You can also feel a sense of history at the local community halls and other places you visit on your national tour. When I look at the stage floor, which is covered in nail marks, I am filled with emotion and think, ``Thousands of people have created the stage here.'' However, such a stage is not flat, so the props have to work very hard to create a flat stage set. If you read this and go to see a concert at an old local hall, if you can imagine the joys and sorrows of the people behind the scenes, I think you will have more priceless fun than the ticket price lol
When I find an old building, I usually just look at it from the outside and admire it, but once when I went to Kurashiki City in Okayama Prefecture, I saw a private house that had been sunburned to the point that it was almost jet black, and judging by the color, it had been there for quite a while.When I looked at it, a woman about my mother's size came out from inside and looked at me with suspicious eyes. I hadn't done anything wrong, but it was suspicious of me to be staring at someone's house from the outside, so I put on a fake smile and said, ``Hello, I couldn't help but admire your house because it seemed to have a lot of history,'' but the lady suddenly smiled and said, ``Oh, I see. If that's the case, please come and have a look inside,'' which surprised me.
When I said, ``No, that's brazen,'' he said, ``No, I live alone, so please come and talk to me.'' I said, ``Okay, I'm going to bother you,'' but you said, ``The inside was exactly as it was back then, and it was beautifully preserved, and the vintage Western-style furniture that was placed here and there was in perfect harmony, so I was speechless for a while.'' I heard that the house was built by the lady's great-grandfather, and as the family grew, they added to it, so the inside of the house is like a maze. The house doesn't look that big from the outside, but it's spacious inside, and even though it was a sunny day, it was a bit dimly lit and time seemed to move slowly, giving it a very nice atmosphere. The lady had just lost her husband and seemed lonely, and since her husband and I shared a hobby of art appreciation, we had a great time talking about art. Before I knew it, it was already dinner time, and I had planned to eat dinner with my tour companions, so I took some time off, but I'd like to visit again next time with some souvenirs.
Each person has their own unique culture, and most people end their lives without telling others much about their world.

We live in the world of music, and even though we're behind the scenes, we write about random things in serials like this one, but I felt that it might be rare for ordinary people to have the opportunity to express themselves freely. However, when I look at the elderly people who are actively involved in lessons and clubs, I am convinced that this is not the case lol.
When I imagine what I was interested in and what I was trying to express when I was that age, I wonder if nothing has changed. If possible, I would like to have strong legs and be able to play the drums even when I am 70 years old.
Another old architectural story. Every year, I go to Kuzuryu Shrine in Hakone to pay my respects around February, when I have no time to work.
This shrine is famous as a power spot, and I set the default settings on my iPhone to Kuzuryu Shrine and Kiyomasa's Well in Harajuku Meiji Shrine. So, in the early spring of 2012, when I visited Kuzuryu Shrine, I got stuck in a traffic jam in Kamakura on the way home and got sleepy when I received a phone call... "Tsucchi, are you free this summer?"
Since it's February, schedules that far in advance are first come, first served. ``I don't have anything planned, I'm just going to be involved with Fuji Rock starting mid-month.'' ``Then, I guess I'll ask you a favor.'' ``Okay! By the way, whose job is this?'' ``Huh? Oh, that's it, YMO.''
I lost consciousness. My name is Kuzuryu, and I would like to thank you for working with YMO at Fuji Rock last year, and if possible, I would be more than happy to work with you again. Because I just asked for it.
Don't you think it would be surprising to receive such a call the next day? Don't you think so? Tsk lol
One of my favorite places in Hakone, which has such fond memories, is Fujiya Hotel in Miyanoshita. This is a super antique hotel with a Kara gable roof that has been designated as a cultural property.The atmosphere, the amber-colored handrails on the stairs, the white stucco walls, and the color of the tungsten light bulbs all make you feel at ease. However, it's a shame that there are so many guests staying in the hotel these days, perhaps due to the retro boom, that it's hard to spend a quiet time in the lobby.
However, I often go out of season, so it might still be better.
I really feel at ease when I look at the small details of the building and am surrounded by things that have stood the test of time, from the lamp, the paintings on the walls, the upright piano in the lobby, the parquet flooring, the pillars, and the doorknobs. Ah, that's right, if you go from Hakone to Amagi and go to Izu, there is another historic recording studio, IZU STUDIO. This is also a famous studio that has been around since the 1970s, and it has an Old Neve console that makes a really good sound.
I've become completely nostalgic, but I also love new things. However, what is the point of destroying something that has matured over time just because it is old or dirty? I always feel that way.
Learning from the past and new. Visit the old and learn the new. I feel that this is important not only in music, but also in life.
Well then, this is Delon.

As mentioned in the article, the Radic Speed King Pedal L201 was once discontinued in 2014, but in 2020 it was announced that it would be revived as a remastered model, and while the basic design remains the same, it has been revived as L203 with various parts improved, such as bearings inserted into the moving parts.
If you have a chance, please come and experience that charming feeling!

Review by Tsucchi of remastered version L203

Speed Remastered! Speed King is back Ludwig Speed Series Foot Pedal L203
About a year has passed since the announcement at the 2020 NAMM SHOW... The long-awaited remastered version of Speed King L203 has arrived.JapanLaunched on the market! ! This time, we will be introducing the Speed ​​King along with a review by Yoshinori Tsuchida, who is well-known for the series "Taiko Kidan" that is being serialized in this magazine! !
 

*Additional text | Editorial Department