I’m not a drummer but I’m always intrigued as to why one bass or two? The great jazz players - Cobb, Blakey etc seem to use one as do Vinnie Colaiuta and Steve Gadd, and Simon Kirke did great things with a stripped down kit, but Ginger Baker had 2 as did Bonzo Bonham.
Any drummers here? Thoughts?
Two enable more complex patterns.
Possibly tuned differently?
You can get pedals that do double kicks, which I have rather liked the sound of with prog/rock music.
A bit of history, Louie Bellson is often credited as the first.
The addition of an extra bass drum helps in a very limited set of circumstances. Think it’s reasonable to suggest it’s those occasions where being a musician usurps the actual song. Much as I liked Neil Peart the more is more is better routine quickly becomes tiresome for me. Every great drummer I have ever seen over 5 decades has played a small and often tiny kit.
Indeed just seen one tonight with Jake Xerxes Fussell at St. Mary’s Creative Space in Chester. Not the smallest kit I’ve seen but both toms blanketed and no sticks used at all. Just beaters and brushes. Hi-hat was pedalled only. Bass drum worked with the floor tom. Quiet, which in itself is difficult. Powerful, even harder when quiet. Entirely sympathetic and utterly superb.
Double bass drums is a key component in metal percussion. It’s almost mandatory, especially for high BPM songs.
Double-kick pedals on both?
Both
The drummer for the most successful band in history most often used a four-piece kit, and never a double bass drum. Some notable rock bands used two drummers.
Agree - 2 drummers is the way to go; specifically Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman!
Double the risk of spontaneous combustion😉
I’m sure I’ve come across a story about Ginger Baker using Double Bass Drums because he always complained that Jack Bruce played bass so loud he couldn’t hear his own drum kit. 
Bonham only used a double bass drum early on, in 1968/9 and dropped the second thereafter. He was so good with his feet that he didn’t need a second one.
True dat. Along with John Bonham, The Greatest Drummer Who Ever Lived was CAN’s Jaki Liebezeit, who often used a tiny kit. All the great funk and soul drummers used small kits too.
For drumming technique, double pedal with one bass drum fully does the trick… and lots of living space is saved.
For musical expression, why limit yourself to just two bass drums? Michael Jackson’s drummer Sugarfoot used at times three drums… and all of them worked very well for his groove. The next number is four. 
Thanks guys.
Having a drum kit the size of a house doesn’t make you a better drummer. If you can play a double kit like for instance Billy Cobham, Barrymore Barlow or Ginger Baker then these drummers and the like are a marvel to watch and listen to. But then there’s the likes of Bill Bruford, Joe Morello or Stewart Copeland and of course the amazing Tony Williams who use a single kick drum and are just a revelation. As the actress said to the bishop……… “ size doesn’t matter its what you do with it that counts”!
I listen to songs not musicians. As an ex drummer with a couple of studio credits to my name I’ve always found drummers with space in their playing to be far more techinically adept. Give me Ringo over Ginger every day of the week. Keltner over Cobham.
