AO drummers! Iv'e gots a question!

[don miguel]

Ive been drumming for aboutz 4 years now and ive used most sticks on the market but they always break too quickly. I like pro-marks because they're strong, and VIC FIRTH's are too, but they are way too expensive. so I need an alternative. both sticks could last me a day. Ive been looking at these new AHEAD drumsticks:

but I cant seem to find reviews on them, do you AO drummers like em or not? I just landed a gig and I need some good drumsticks that won't break, how do you guys like the AHEAD ones? Ive never tried them and I want some good reviews, thanks.

[Muzikman]

Are those nylon tips? If so, don't get them.

All wood sticks is all I would ever play.

I have used many different sticks over the years and found that the cheaper the better. Buy in bulk also, it will save you a few bucks.

[Pneumagger]

someone's got to make some sort of reinforced foam-filled aluminum sticks

[tae]

I second Muzikmans advice. Cheap bulk sticks FTW as they say.

[behemoth]

How do you mange to go through a pair of vic firth's in a day?

Are you playing on a tablesaw?

[Muzikman]

I will take a guess. He plays "Metal" and pounds WAY too hard on the cymbals.

That or he can't play and hit the rims too often.

Or, he is using nylon tipped sticks. Nylon tips have no business on a drum stick.

[behemoth]

I will take a guess. He plays "Metal" and pounds WAY too hard on the cymbals.

That or he can't play and hit the rims too often.

Or, he is using nylon tipped sticks. Nylon tips have no business on a drum stick.

I'm going with the second one.

[NotKai]

Yeah dude, there is no good reason to be going through sticks that fast.


Quit playing like a wanker.

Edit- Why the nylon stick hate, Muz? I kind of like playing with them.

[behemoth]

Yeah dude, there is no good reason to be going through sticks that fast.


Quit playing like a wanker.

Edit- Why the nylon stick hate, Muz? I kind of like playing with them.

Have you not realized that Jason does everything oldschool, and traditionally?

plus, when he was growing up in the 20's, they didnt have nylon tips...

[Muzikman]

Hey! I grew up in the 80's! I am not that old.

There is no good reason to use nylon tips and they are much weaker than an all wood stick.

But yeah, I do like old school...All Maple shells, and coated heads on the snare.

[behemoth]

Hey! I grew up in the 80's! I am not that old.

There is no good reason to use nylon tips and they are much weaker than an all wood stick.

But yeah, I do like old school...All Maple shells, and coated heads on the snare.

Dont lie to yourself, old man river.

[geekwarrior]

I'm going with the second one.

I more imagined him in a marching band, and he trips alot falling on his sticks

[behemoth]

I more imagined him in a marching band, and he trips alot falling on his sticks

He trips and falls on sticks alot, i bet.

Dr. Dre, anyone?

[PumpPlayer]

From "Guilty Conscience," third verse. Plus Eminem said the line and it was his album. Not that it matters.

What am I saying? Shoot 'em both, Brady, where's your gun at?



To Don Miguel:
You asked a legitimate question and I'd like to give you a legitimate response.

First and foremost, quality sticks last. I've been playing for about 14 years and I have many bags full of sticks. I've also broken my fair share of them. I have never broken a set of Vic Firths. The only Vic Firths I've ever needed to replace are the Weckel signature sticks because the small, round wood tips eventually crack with cymbal work. Once they crack they lose their tone/feel. Otherwise, however... wow, great sticks!

Vic Firths are the "lowest" grade sticks I buy. One pair of $8 sticks is a lot cheaper than 5+ pairs of "match your own" bargain-bucket sticks and they play a heck of a lot better. Also check out Trueline. Anything else is likely to be way above your price range.

Avoid Zildjian sticks like the plague. Ditto for ProMark (though their alternative rakes, reeds, rods, etc. are a good buy), Silverfox, Remo and everything "below" that. As much as I love Zildjian cymbals, their sticks are garbage. The tips aren't bonded for junk and will fly off within a few hours of playing. I mostly play jazz, big band and traditional so that's saying something. The sticks aren't always balanced well and the price point offers little advantage.

I have only limited experience with the rebuildable Ahead sticks but I know they're not for me. The price point is expensive and because I like to work with multiple sizes/types at a time, it would force me to buy several pairs. The balance seems off and I dislike the cymbal sounds produced by the composite neck. Also, there's no option to use wood tips as has been mentioned. They're rock sticks make for people who beat the heck out of their equipment. Not my speed. Perhaps you feel differently. I would encourage you to at least try them out before making a purchase (i.e. don't buy them over the internet).

Aluminum sticks do exist but I would recommend that you avoid them. They usually pick up excessive vibration and the "good" models will have rubber dampeners in the butts or elsewhere. An aluminum neck and shank will produce wildly different cymbal sounds and will damage cymbals over time. Rimshots and regular wear will cause aluminum to chip unlike the dimpling you see with good wood. These chips can be sharp and further damage your drums, cymbals, other equipment or your hands. Aluminum sticks are almost strictly used for corps-style drumline and even then most bands prefer not to use them.



For buying sticks in general, I have a few suggestions:

* As I've already said, don't buy them over the internet. Go to a store. Aside from the fact that you're supporting local business which in turn supports you, there is the issue of not every pair of drumsticks being good. No matter how good the quality control is or claims to be, I want to test them before I buy them, thank you.

* When testing, give them at least a few minutes. Get a pad and run through some rudiments. Try to use the same brand of pad every time, preferably one that you own and have experience with. Picking them up and feeling them won't tell you how they play so give them a workout. Don't be annoying to the staff or customers, though, and if you're beating away for a while, you had better buy something. Use some common sense.

* Realize that unless you play a single genre of music over and over (and even then...) you'll more than likely need more than one pair of sticks. Not to mention various brushes, mallets and other things. You may not be able to find everything at one store and you may not be able to afford everything all at once. Do your homework, gauge your need and expand your collection over time.

* Look at everything that affects the tone and feel of the drumsticks. Type of wood (specifically, its density), tip size and shape, degree of taper in the neck, shaft diameter, length and so on. Learn your sticks and use them in the appropriate situation.


I recommend a set of 2Bs with teardrop wood tips as your first purchase if you don't already have any (which you really should). After that, go for something lighter. 2A is a good choice and 4A is decent as well. If you like it, go for a 7A with round wood tips or other jazz stick. See how it feels. Then experiment with nylon if you like. Nylon is a fine material but it's not as versatile as wood. You get a sharper cymbal response which is very good for "cutting" through amplified music but you sacrifice tone quality, feel and response, especially on skins. If you're playing bop, big band or other 'older' styles of music, use wood tips only. With the advent of fusion and other contemporary styles, however, nylon has its place. If you have a few years of experience and are beyond rudimentary and into improv, make sure to pick up a set of cartwheel tymani mallets. Mike Balter is a good brand, as is Vic Firth and even Yamaha. Take care of them, they're your first all-purpose mallet. After that, go for a set of felt med-soft round balls (that sounds dirty).



I could go on and on but I think you have enough to work off of now.
If you are starting out, I would highly recommend that you set aside $10 a week to buy one pair of sticks. Make them Vic Firths - they're commonly available and high quality for the price. Give those sticks a workout and try striking drums and cymbals in every possible way you can imagine. The next week, go buy another pair, etc.

Good luck.

[dave p]

much good advice posted above. if you are breaking firths on a regular basis, examine your technique.

i play firth 7a's wood and nylon. i find they wear down slower than promarks. i havent broken a pair of sticks yet, but i havent been at it long either. i just wear them down real thin on the hi hat, and when chips come off the tips, i retire them. i like firth because they are heavy for their size as well.