Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

Hi there,

I'm a new drummer, been playing for 7 months. I love it! Just wondering, what are your favorite sticks to play with? I've used wooden ones, VIC Firth, Neil Pearth Signiture, and I like them, but they chip really bad. Just wondering what the best ones are out there that don't chip like crazy and will last a while.

Tracy

Hey Tracy,

Ive been using Promark 808 Oak for the last 25 yrs or so.I like the ball tip..They are about the size of a 2B...You must be playin alot of rimshots and/or hittin your hats and crashes at a sharp angle to cause the chipping..
The young metal players come in the shop and buy those "Ahead" sticks and say they hold up well...

John

Thanks for the advice guys. I guess I was hitting my high hat at the wrong angle and that's why I was chewing up my sticks. See, I told ya I was new at this.

Are the Ahead sticks really worth the money? I've heard good and bad about them, like the tips falling off and stuff.

Thanks,

Tracy

Hey Girl,

Yeah , the metalheads like the Ahead sticks...Man , you must be a really hard hitter. ..Actually you can play VERY hard with out stick damage if your playin with the proper attack....If ya lived a weee lilttlebit closer, Id straighten ya out ...Find some one, if ya can,who will teach you rudiments..These are the foundation that will be with you in all styles...You can get alot of volume and tone from a drum without alot of downward force...Its all in the wrists and fingers...Are ya playin matched or trad. grip?

John

Kidd, I play matched. I can't do the side stick grip thing. I've tried and it doesn't feel comfortable to me. It's really the way I hit my hi hat that is causing my sticks to get chewed up. It's not anything else, I know that. I have my drum lesson tomorrow and I'll ask my teacher about it. I mean I have like saw dust all over the floor under my hi hat! LOL And I really don't hit that hard, not like Lars Ulrich does.

I know one thing, I really am glad I took up drums, I have a blast playing them.

Tracy

Hey Girl,

Good deal on havin a teacher...Get the hang of doubles right away... Paradiddles , flameques 6/8... good coordination builders... Yeah , I tried switching over to matched grip several times over the yrs but Trad. is too much a part of me I guess..Your using 17 muscles in each hand playin matched ...Your better off really..Only 13 in LH playin Trad. PLUS , I have to angle my kit slightly to compensate..Makes it hard to sit in on a matched grip drummers kit with his/her toms and SD pointin back at ya.

Best to ya,
John

Personally, I'd rather my sticks get chewed up than my rims and cymbals which some denser sticks tend to do. Still, you might check your striking angles as suggested.

I'm not really partial to any brand but I do prefer wooden. I take a piece of 100 grit sandpaper to the grip end and remove the clearcoat which makes them much less likely to slip when the hands sweat.

Well, I talked to my drum teacher on my last lesson and he told me that it's normal to have stick damage and for them to get chewed up. And that I'm not hitting the wrong way. I've gone through two pairs of sticks so far since I started playing in December and I'm on my third pair now and they are on the verge of breaking. So, I'll be getting me some more soon. Just wanted to find out what you other drummers liked to play with.

Thanks for the advice,

Tracy

As a drummer who has broken quite a few sticks you should try 5b with out the plastic tips they work alot better with out the tips. Also when you get really comfortable using those sticks for a while then u can go down a siz and you will be faster and probably have alot of control.



Alex





On another note for any one else who is reading this have you guys seen the new chrome heads by remo its like looking into a mirror its pretty sweet i was wondering if anyone has heard thesound quality of them?

if you havent seen them check them out ASAP

Hey Alex, thanks for the advice. I've been getting the 5A's, so I'll switch to the 5B's. As for the heads, they do sound cool. I think I've seen a few videos of other drummers with those cause they do look like you're looking in a mirror.

Tracy