Here’s a Slingerland pedal you rarely see; it’s the first generation Tempo King 938. I acquired it a few years ago and finally got around to cleaning it up. All original except for the new leather strap and the bolt/nut holding the metal “straps” to the “clevis”. Slingerland shows this version of the 938 in the majority of catalogs, even though it was discontinued shortly after introduction.
In my catalogs that show the parts breakdown of the Tempo King, there is always that “clevis” part that had me stumped, as I really didn’t know what a clevis was and why I never saw it on any Tempo King pedals. My second post will show more pictures of what makes this pedal unique.
This first-generation pedal has a blue crinkle paint job! I believe this same finish was used on the AA pedal. Notice the Allen setscrew next to the cam. This is original and was soon replaced with an oval-head slotted screw. This first generation cam has the hole going completely through, where it attaches to the rocker shaft. Later cams have a molded cover so you can’t see the rocker shaft. Finally, the bearings are fully sealed. Slingerland changed bearings quite a bit during the life of the Tempo King, with many being fully open where you can see the ball bearings!
This is just a cool pedal for my Slingerland collection!
-Mark
