Camco pedal with a one piece footboard

[Gunnellett]

Hey guys. Just picked up this Camco bass drum pedal with a one piece footboard last night. I haven't seen one before. Does anyone know approximately when the ones with the one piece footboards were made?

It was described as all original other than the new leather strap. Comparing it to a Camco pedal I already have, the thumbscrews for the beater and for the hoop clamp do not look original. The spring obviously is not original but springs break and bolts get lost/borrowed or whatever so no big deal there. What I'm mostly wondering about is if the hinge assembly for the footboard looks original or not. At first I thought it looked too shiny to be 40 to 50 years old but then I looked at the chrome bars (can't think of the correct term at the moment) on my other Camco pedal and they look pretty shiny also so maybe the chrome bars and hinge on the one piece are original? The one piece footboard also has 2 stars on it whereas the other footboard does not have the stars. I have a hi-hat that also does not have the stars.

Anyway, general information/thoughts folks may have on these pedals is appreciated. I probably like vintage hardware way more than I should

 

[Gunnellett]

Here are a few pics comparing the 2 pedals.

 

[thin shell]

The Camco pedal started life as the Martin Fleetfoot. They made them with the one piece and two piece foot board. The Fleetfoot single pedal had a hinge that was just a big piece of leather that held the footboard to the triangular brace underneath the heel of the foot board.

You single piece foot board model looks like it has a Ludwig thumbscrew.

Both of your pedals appear to have the Tama Camco driveshaft and spring mounting plate.

 

[Gunnellett]

The Camco pedal started life as the Martin Fleetfoot. They made them with the one piece and two piece foot board. The Fleetfoot single pedal had a hinge that was just a big piece of leather that held the footboard to the triangular brace underneath the heel of the foot board.

You single piece foot board model looks like it has a Ludwig thumbscrew.

Both of your pedals appear to have the Tama Camco driveshaft and spring mounting plate.

Thanks for the information.

The leather hinge on the Martin Fleetwood is interesting. I thought I read in a post once about it giving the "floating action" feel. I'd like to give one a try.

Do you think the Tama/Camco drive shaft and spring mounting plate would have been original to a certain era or modifications someone may have done?

 

[Tama CW]

I have a Camco hi hat stand with the same pedal with "star" logo. But it has a hinged heel plate. Came with a 1966 Slingerland kit. And since everything on that kit all looked period correct, I figured 1966 was accurate. Your pedal probably a bit earlier....or just a more inexpensive line.

 

[JDA]

hmm. that's not the one (one-piece) I was expecting. was remembering the Ads for this one --->

DW Joe Morello Solid Footboard Bass Drum Pedal | Reverb

DW Joe Morello Solid Footboard Bass Drum PedalNo issues. Great pedal in perfect working order!

reverb.com

 

[thin shell]

Thanks for the information.

The leather hinge on the Martin Fleetwood is interesting. I thought I read in a post once about it giving the "floating action" feel. I'd like to give one a try.

Do you think the Tama/Camco drive shaft and spring mounting plate would have been original to a certain era or modifications someone may have done?

I checked ebay and there are several with that stamped steel plate maybe they made them like that before they went under and DW and Tama bought the remains of the company. It looks like the screw head is broken off your new one so that will eventually come loose. As long as it is good shape that stamped steel part should work fine.

 

[Gunnellett]

I checked ebay and there are several with that stamped steel plate maybe they made them like that before they went under and DW and Tama bought the remains of the company. It looks like the screw head is broken off your new one so that will eventually come loose. As long as it is good shape that stamped steel part should work fine.

Thanks. I noticed that broken screw also. I will need to take care of that.

 

[Gunnellett]

I have a Camco hi hat stand with the same pedal with "star" logo. But it has a hinged heel plate. Came with a 1966 Slingerland kit. And since everything on that kit all looked period correct, I figured 1966 was accurate. Your pedal probably a bit earlier....or just a more inexpensive line.

I'm wondering if the one piece footboard was an option that just wasn't ordered much so a batch of the one piece footboards made with the stars lasted a while and could have been put on new pedals at the same time hinged pedals were getting footboards from a casting without stars? No facts here, just wondering.

 

[gkrk]

I took lessons at my teacher's apartment in NYC (commuting in from CT on the train) in the mid-1970s, and he had a Camco bass drum pedal. I didn't know about Camco, and I "read" the letters on the pedal more like numbers (the M looked like a 3 and the Cs looked like horseshoes or something) or symbols. I think his was (actually there was one on the practice pad bass drum and another on the Ludwig Standard set he told me he'd found in an alley during a break in a gig, likely left by a junkie he said, and threw them in his station wagon) the full foot board version but could be wrong. I was 15-16 and really living it kind of large on those Saturday mornings and afternoons, taking my time getting back down to Grand Central, wandering through Central Park and down Broadway to 42nd Street, for the train home).

 

[thin shell]

DW still makes a version. PN DWCP5000ADS

 

[Gunnellett]

I took lessons at my teacher's apartment in NYC (commuting in from CT on the train) in the mid-1970s, and he had a Camco bass drum pedal. I didn't know about Camco, and I "read" the letters on the pedal more like numbers (the M looked like a 3 and the Cs looked like horseshoes or something) or symbols. I think his was (actually there was one on the practice pad bass drum and another on the Ludwig Standard set he told me he'd found in an alley during a break in a gig, likely left by a junkie he said, and threw them in his station wagon) the full foot board version but could be wrong. I was 15-16 and really living it kind of large on those Saturday mornings and afternoons, taking my time getting back down to Grand Central, wandering through the Central Park and down Broadway to 42nd Street, for the train home).

Cool story. I'm surprised you remember that much 45 years ago!

 

[kdgrissom]

Camco was a drummer's accessories company well before acquiring the George Way Drum company in 1961. They made their famous 5000 model BD pedal, 1200 model Hi Hat stand, and SD+Cymbal stands starting in the 50's. They were featured in the early Way Drum Co. and the Rogers pre-Swivomatic era catalogs.
The foot pedals are Cast Aluminum and as far as I can tell, the "stars" came first. I am the second owner of a Camco kit (with NO stars) and the original owner said he bought the kit in 1965.

I have never heard of a one-piece footboard made by Camco. You definitely have something very unique.
I have read that the Gretsch "Floating Action" pedal was made by Camco as well. Both foot boards have the same layout and bordering and are identical except for the insignia.

 

[Gunnellett]

Camco was a drummer's accessories company well before acquiring the George Way Drum company in 1961. They made their famous 5000 model BD pedal, 1200 model Hi Hat stand, and SD+Cymbal stands starting in the 50's. They were featured in the early Way Drum Co. and the Rogers pre-Swivomatic era catalogs.
The foot pedals are Cast Aluminum and as far as I can tell the "stars" came first. I am the second owner of a Camco kit (with NO stars) and the original owner said he bought the kit in 1965.

I have never heard of a one-piece footboard made by Camco. You definitely have something very unique.
I have read that the Gretsch "Floating Action" pedal was made by Camco as well. Both foot boards have the same layout and bordering and are identical except for the insignia.

Thanks for the information!

Yeah this one piece seems a little unique. I've only been able to find a couple of pictures of others online.

 

[thin shell]

The one piece foot board is not that rare. It is not very common but I have seen plenty of Martin and Camco examples. My Fleetfoot is a one piece foot board. I don't think I have ever seen a Gretsch Floating action with a one piece floot board though. It is very possible that Gretsch didn't want to sell one with the one piece so they never had the molds made for them.

The Martin Fleetfoot is the most significant pedal in history. Almost all of the current pedals can trace their design back to the Martin.

 

[DolFan54]

I have a Camco hi-hat stand with the one piece footboard. I'm still on the hunt for the matching bass drum pedal. The bass drum pedals are rare but the hi-hat stands are almost non-existent. Weird that I would find the hi-hat one piece pedal before finding the one piece bass drum pedal. And I've been looking for 15 years now!

 

[kdgrissom]

So rare they never showed up in the Camco catalogs. That is what I find interesting, unless they pre-dated the George Way acquisition. Good luck on your hunt!

 

[Gunnellett]

I have a Camco hi-hat stand with the one piece footboard. I'm still on the hunt for the matching bass drum pedal. The bass drum pedals are rare but the hi-hat stands are almost non-existent. Weird that I would find the hi-hat one piece pedal before finding the one piece bass drum pedal. And I've been looking for 15 years now!

Very cool!

Can you post a picture of the hi-hat stand?

 

[DolFan54]

So rare they never showed up in the Camco catalogs. That is what I find interesting, unless they pre-dated the George Way acquisition. Good luck on your hunt!

Actually they are listed in the Camco catalog starting with the 3rd catalog. it’s just not pictured.

 

[DolFan54]

Very cool!

Can you post a picture of the hi-hat stand?

I’ll try and get one tonight after work.