BREAKING STICKS

[aahznightsky]

EDIT: I don't break sticks very often anymore.

[Dill X]

I use Thomas Lang Signature sticks and I break about one stick every one or two practices. My record so far is three sticks in less than 10 minutes.

In response to your problem though it may be because of the way your cymabls are posistioned or if your using too much rim when you hit the drums.

Breaking sticks is normal. But expensive...

[Thinshells]

You might actually want to try 5b carbo sticks or ahead. They might last you a lot longer.

[Superlow]

You might actually want to try 5b carbo sticks or ahead. They might last you a lot longer.


Trust me you dont want to try either of those. They don't feel like wood, they don't play like wood, because they are not wood. I have your problem with breaking lots of sticks. I suck it up because I play hard and I enjoy playing hard. I like the Vater sticks, they do seem a bit more dense sometimes that some of the VF's. If you like 5B I highly recommend the Vater Chad Smith Funk Blasters.

[jangus]

I really dont understand how people break so many sticks. I've had the pair I'm using for at least 4 months.

[Spliff Burton]

Vater's are great, I think they do last longer than many sticks. They feel more solid to me, and I've tried most of the other brands. I use the 5B Wood, 5B Nylon, and 5B Xtreme models.

I've heard about Silver Fox sticks being very durable, too. Haven't tried those out just yet.

[Jaymasta]

Ok I said this Before has anyone Tried Vater COLOR WRAP DRUMSTICKS has anyone tried them yet they look pretty cool if you have tell me about them..




http://www.vater.com/

[Thinshells]

Trust me you dont want to try either of those. They don't feel like wood, they don't play like wood, because they are not wood. I have your problem with breaking lots of sticks. I suck it up because I play hard and I enjoy playing hard. I like the Vater sticks, they do seem a bit more dense sometimes that some of the VF's. If you like 5B I highly recommend the Vater Chad Smith Funk Blasters.


Fair enough, the balance and response is different than wood. But for someone that really hits hard, it might be an alternative.

FWIW: I have both to try (carbostick 5b and ahead 2b) and they just don't balance or feel right.

My favorite is either 5b or 747 at this point.

[Bonzo]

Sounds to me like less of a stick problem and more of a technique problem. You're obviously hitting the rims alot and WAY too hard to be breaking sticks with that frequency.

[Jaymasta]

I'll show you my broken stick collection although there's two pares missing I'll post up a pic later.

[Juste]

I would not consider myself a pro, but I can tell you this.
I've been playing drums for about three and a half years and tried a lot of different sticks. Ones would last 1 week while others would last 4 months (Vic Firth Rock 7A, which are WAY too big in my opinion). Of course, when I was more of a beginner, I did not notice the differences in sticks sizes. Now I have found the ones for me. It happens to be : - Zildjian 5B wood sticks
- Pro Mark Millenium II 5A
(Both are made from american hickory)

They last approximately 1 and a half month to 2 months each for me on a religious 2 hrs pratice session per day. I am not a hard hardcore metal hitter, but I still hit quite hard. They are solid enough, because I never broke these in two, it's just the tip that looses chips after 4-5 weeks of use.

I mostly practice on Rush, Dream Theater and System of a Down, so it can give you an idea of my hit style and strengh. I use both traditional and match grip.
Sorry for the long post, I am one of those who love to speak and elaborate. Hope it could help!

[Drum4fun]

hi everyone,

well i bought a pair of $10 no name, scrappy, crappy sticks and they are the bomb!

I kid you not!

I am no noob in regard to sticks either, I normally use vic first 5a's for a bit of warm up, then switch around with brushes, hot rods and then onto the vader 3a jazz sticks.

at any rate, I picked up these old dodgy sticks out of a bin marked "$10 a set, must go" and started playing with them...........a delight. and they have lasted me 3 months.

I think its just a matter of trying anything regardless of name to find........"the perfect pair".........*waits for Vic Firth summons to court for copyright breach*

anyway, have a good one guys.

[DottedQuarters]

I'm all for the crappy bargain sticks too...I've tried the carbos, they lasted maybe another month, not worth the extra $15. Most of those bargain bins are made by the big companies anyway, and I find they last just as long at three bucks a pair. That's where it's at for me anyway...

[Superlow]

Your solution if you like VF 5B and find the Vater 5B's too heavy. Vater Chad smith Funk Blasters. I Bought a batch of the Vater 5B's recently. They have been lasting much longer that the VF 5B, admittedly they are a bit heavier but they feel nice, I go through a pair every 3-4 sittings.

[mlehnertz]

You're breaking 5Bs? Holy crap. Then again, if you're playing a 4 hour gig, daily, you're going to break sticks far more often than 1 pair per month. When I was gigging regularly, I'd break them once a week - or at least chew threw a single stick on my hi-hat or shatter a shank from heavy rimshots.

I do hear the Vic Firth quality thing. I switched to Vaters because of low quality in the VF sticks I was purchasing.

I've totaled three pairs of sticks so far on my new drumset since I got it, probably around two months back. Is that too often? I use vic firth 5B's, and I'm thinking I've trying Vater to see if they're more durable ... either their 5B or the Josh Freese signature

what do you think? Am I breaking these things too often and I should try tougher sticks? I know there was a thread a while back about vic firth losing quality and stuff ....

My sticks (http://photobucket.com/albums/y186/aahznightsky/sticks%20all%20breakin/)

[sloppyjoe]

taping them with "stick tape" works really well. I taped a cracked stick and it last for a awhile. so try that. Or use thie white electrical tape, (which is what I use)

[Jaymasta]

these arent four hour gigs haha. these are 10 hour practice sessions .... probably around half spent on the drums and half on a pad
10 Hours dude! WOW how do you find the hours in a day for that?

[mlehnertz]

Then I'd consider 3 pairs every 2 months pretty good!

these arent four hour gigs haha. these are 10 hour practice sessions .... probably around half spent on the drums and half on a pad

[GarrettEvans]

Sounds like you've got some good advice here, let's review...

1. you play A LOT for long periods of time...breakage increases
2. you play fairly hard, with lots of rim shots
3. you're using a large stick...

When I was younger, I broke a lot of sticks, so I'd bought those "bucket" sticks for dirt cheap my shop had on sale, usually no-namers.

However, once my playing got better, and I began to mature as a musician, I found I stopped hitting so hard, and started pulling the sound out of the drum, which sounded better, fit in better with the band, and saved on sticks.

I also noticed I broke most of my stick because I was hitting the shoulder hard on the bell of my ride, trying to cut through the wall of sound my guitarist was putting up. One well placed hit was all it took to snap the shaft. Watch out for that...

The other thing you might try, is using little or no muffle on your drums. This will make them much louder, but also increase the ringing, which may cause you not to hit the rim so hard, if a tap gets your sound...

Good luck

[drumzalicious]

I've totaled three pairs of sticks so far on my new drumset since I got it, probably around two months back. Is that too often? I use vic firth 5B's, and I'm thinking I've trying Vater to see if they're more durable ... either their 5B or the Josh Freese signature

what do you think? Am I breaking these things too often and I should try tougher sticks? I know there was a thread a while back about vic firth losing quality and stuff ....

My sticks (http://photobucket.com/albums/y186/aahznightsky/sticks%20all%20breakin/)
3 pairs in two months??

man i have gone through about 6 in the last two months

2 pairs of VF 3a and 4 pair of VF F1

i also practice at least an hour a day. not to mention church rehearsals and playing about 6 times a month at church.

[RudimentalDrummer]

I've totaled three pairs of sticks so far on my new drumset since I got it, probably around two months back. Is that too often? I use vic firth 5B's, and I'm thinking I've trying Vater to see if they're more durable ... either their 5B or the Josh Freese signature

what do you think? Am I breaking these things too often and I should try tougher sticks? I know there was a thread a while back about vic firth losing quality and stuff ....

My sticks (http://photobucket.com/albums/y186/aahznightsky/sticks%20all%20breakin/)

I think it will still break no matter what kind of sticks you used. .... It's ok to break sticks at least better than breaking the drum. I had never broke a stick before, but very soon I guess. I am having a lot of stroke practice on Rim-Shots nowadays from my Instructor...

I am only happily waiting to say " HEY Man ... finally ... I am able to break my drumsticks"...


There's nothing wrong with it - you're just too hardworking - and that's good my bro ... cheers ! ... kekeke ... BREAK MORE ...Whahahahaha !

[jangus]

Ha. Reminds me of a kid I know who thinks hes awesome because he breaks his sticks and cymbals and heads like crazy, when I know for a fact he sucks the anus on the kit. He bought like 12 pairs of no-name sticks and went through them all in less than 2 months. He always tells me how he broke his cymbal or head like its something to brag about. I dont say anything to him because hes a LOT bigger than me.

On topic: electrical tape would most definitely help.

[low-tech]

i dont know, i use ziljian absolute rock or "the hammer" whatever sticks, i forget the brandname.......they got no tip, look the same on both ends. dont break those at all, they just whittle away then start having splits. thing is its hard to play soft with those things, i guess its sortof an ergonomics type of thing with the larger striking tip

[Smoky_McPot]

taping them with "stick tape" works really well. I taped a cracked stick and it last for a awhile. so try that. Or use thie white electrical tape, (which is what I use)

Ah man thats a quick fix - i would use it to get thru a gig and thats about it. Even if its taped its not gonna respond properly so you cant really practice technique. Also those no name brands, I have never had any luck with them - I once bought 2 pairs, and snapped them both within 2 days. I use ProMark 5A's normally and they start to frey around the rim but these no names just split almost straight away. But you could get lucky I guess........ Haha. Bye

[low-tech]

i swear some companies make sticks out of match wood

[Basher]

I got 12 pairs of Vic Firth Players Series (yeah, so I could put my name on 'em), and I'm still on my first pair- and I bought these a year ago! I've always thought Firth had the best durability.
Seems to me the biggest culprit when I used to break a lot of sticks was my hi-hat technique- riding the edge of the hats with the side of my stick. I've changed my technique and hardly break any now.

[largo61]

I use a cheap barain basement drum stick and the same pair have lasted over three and a half years. I know I need a better pair of sticks. And yet these sticks just keep on truckin. And they are extremely light for 2B. Not great balance though. It is all in the technique. Playing hard would cause a lot of sticks to break. I don't play hard but I don't play soft either. Somewhere inbetween.

[NaturalRaz]

I shred sticks constatly too. I have tried so many kind of sticks. I hate sticks like Ahead.....whatta joke those are. I don't think that there is anything you can do. I hit-hard and love to hear that deafening ear-rining sound from a good rim hit on the snare. Your style will determine the amount of sticks you go through. Hard hitters need a larger wallet than non-hard hitters....thats that.

[nemo]

I've totaled three pairs of sticks so far on my new drumset since I got it, probably around two months back. Is that too often? I use vic firth 5B's, and I'm thinking I've trying Vater to see if they're more durable ... either their 5B or the Josh Freese signature

what do you think? Am I breaking (they don't actually break, they just fray and split to impossible-to-play degrees) these things too often and I should try tougher sticks? I know there was a thread a while back about vic firth losing quality and stuff ....

My sticks (http://photobucket.com/albums/y186/aahznightsky/sticks%20all%20breakin/)

it is not too ofthen some pupil break ther sticks in a week.
but where your sticks break is not normal.
if i was u il shal tri other stick models
some qestions:-
*from what wood are your sticks made of?
*how do u hit your drums nad cymbals?

[alienworkshop227]

i have broken like 6 pairs of sticks since christmas, but i dont think thats bad considering they were 10 dollars for 10 pairs from musiciansfriend.com

[Jaymasta]

Pro-mark is what I'm going for next but I have to say Vater is what I'm happy with right now :)

[Jookbox]

i've had some disturbing results from vic firth when it comes to consistency. when i buy sticks at my local sam ash (5b hickory wood tip) they last about two days max. the tips starts chipping within hours. one stick split lengthwise within about 30 minutes. when i order them from musiciansfriend, they last weeks, and the tips are more durable.

i'm going to experiment with both for a while longer and if the results continue, i might have to change brands. there's something sketchy about that.

[Drad-dog]

I've had the same two pairs of Vic Firth SD4s for almost three years. One for performance, one for practice. The tips are starting to wear down a little but they're still going strong. It has nothing to do with the sticks though. It has everything to do with finesse, baby!

[drumbig]

I buy a six pack of Vader 5b's about every two weeks. I don't break all of them though, I put them aside once there looking like they might break soon,I just like the way new sticks feel 'like new socks'.

[Slayer_metal_head]

I use 3a vater 3a fatbacks with vater grip tape and these sticks are the most durable things ever i made an eight inch crack in my crash before i evan made this thing splinter i haev to worry about breaking my cymbals before these sticks i have two pairs becasue they are splintering and one the tip is wearing a bit use ticker sticks if you are breaking if not then switch to a diffrent wood but 3a fatbacks by vader are nice try em out

[Kevinm]

As far as pitch matching, personaly I think this has very little to do with the end result, especially if you are a hard hitter, high volume player. The material and weight used plays a more vltal role to rim shot sounds then a matched pitched stick! The appraoch on take to the drum will overwhelm any sound that may be influenced by a matched pitched pair of sticks! Of course I am speaking to drumset only!
BTW according to Vic Firth they also tone pair every stick.

[Kevinm]

If you are making your statement based on your ear, fyou got an ear better than a dog!
Do you have the pitch listening device that compares feedback waves? Bet you don't!
Next you say you play all dynamics, that's great, but in reality you will never hit at the same angle or same intensitiy as previous strokes, to many variables, you are not hearing pitch differences in your sticks, but in the way you aprroach.
Based on the number of sticks you break, it's you not the sticks. Sure we all break some, but based on what you have eluded to, you are probably using a lot of arm and mass behind each hit, and based on your age, it's my assumption you are probably into trash, metal and hard rock! Try studying the physics of each stroke so the way you appraoch delivers exactly what you want without using so much energy. So lighten up a bit! You don't have to hit the kit as though your life depended on it!
You can say what you want about VF, but you don't have the equipment to back the statement that they don't pitch match.

[Bernhard]

Another tip:

If you practice more than two hours, it's a good idea to change every 30 minutes the sticks - in size and weight. So you avoid hurting your wrists, because the load distributes on different places.

Bernhard

[Kevinm]

Fifteen of the 16 years okay! Sounds like we have an ego problem! Hmm you seem to think your technique is tops yet you break sticks left and right. I'm not going to get sucked into my technique is as good as yours imature conversation! Even if you have fifteen years behind the skins, doubt the experience level is there! So my advice to you is get over your ego, and listen to what others with many more years of expierence (40+) are telling you. My next comment, playing at 1 years old. heck you probably were just about walking non the less didn't have the motor skills to blow your nose!
So lets just drop anymore on this subject!

[Kevinm]

You seem to not to accept someone telling you it's your technique! I don't know how many times drrummers keep breaking cymblas and gear until they fianlly realize a small change in their technique and how they apprach has preserved the life of their equipment.
I don't need a video for any proof of your 1 year old capability, I already heard some of your latest tracks! So lets just keep it there!

Keep breaking those sticks, maybe someday you will understand the full physics approach to a drumset! Then we can talk. As long as you keep fooling yourself, I am finished with trying to help in any manner!

I am done with this thread!

Happy Drumming!

[finnhiggins]

You seem to not to accept someone telling you it's your technique! I don't know how many times drrummers keep breaking cymblas and gear until they fianlly realize a small change in their technique and how they apprach has preserved the life of their equipment.
...

I am done with this thread!

Good job too, I doubt you'll be missed. You may play jazz exclusively, but for anybody who plays rock music then you expect to break sticks. I've never broken a cymbal or a drumhead (one bass drum head aside) but I've broken a hell of a lot of sticks.

And yes. Vic Firth's sticks are crapola, and always have been. They break way too quickly. Every other brand I've tried has been vastly superior. In order of strength, in my experience:

1) Promark
2) Johnny Rabb
3) Vater
4) Regal Tip
5) Zildjian
6) Vic Firth (and a distant 6th at that!)

I don't like the feel of Promark - too dense, too much shock up the stick for me. Plus the weight feels a bit "forward" in the stick for my tastes. Johnny Rabb aren't available anymore. So these days, I play Vater.

[Kevinm]

No actually my tips dont wear out, and I play all types of music. I prefer jazz, but jazz in my neck of the woods does not offer many gigs as does diner dance music (boring) or rock. The gig and the need dictates what I play!
Anyway, here is my suggestion, if you can find someone in your local that is a seasoned professional on drumset, not your everyday music teacher, but one who understands the approach to the set, sit in with him/her for an 1/2 to 1 hour and let him or her study your approach. You know it could just be a simple height adjustment, or a tip on the individual stroke. Without actually seeing, it is hard to provide positive feedback. Take a look at Jim Chapins approach instructions, not so much his independance instructions, but how he shows the stick doing the work with you in control producing the same volume and attack as compared to other ways.
Breaking sticks I still do but not at an alarming rate.
Back sometime ago when I was in a hard rock group, I hit pretty hard, broke sticks left and right, even the fiberglass metal sticks ( hated them)! What I found was the angle I was hitting at and adjusted accordingly. Every wood stick has a grain pattern, hit the grain at an offset angle, you get breakage down the grain. Almost like those karate board breakage demonstrations. They break along the grain, flip the grain around, and they bust knuckles. I think you see my point. I also practiced more control using some of the same approaches the great jazz musicians used, then combined their approach to what I was doing. It reduced breakage by quit a bit. Even when playing rim shots. I would love to show you my current bag of sticks with all the rim shot marks. But the sticks are still whole, even with the shafts being narrowed down, yet the changes I made to my angle allowed me to gain more control really reduced my breakage, yet increased my power, volume and attack when needed, while maintaining the same sticks. The neat thing was it benefitted both grips!
By your description I would bet a little tweek would make all the differnce in the world. The key is geting someone that is schooled enough on approach and can see yours. This is the difficult part.
Good Luck!

finnhiggins - what can I say but great mature comment! Keep up the good work!

[Garvin]

I've totaled three pairs of sticks so far on my new drumset since I got it, probably around two months back. Is that too often? I use vic firth 5B's, and I'm thinking I've trying Vater to see if they're more durable ... either their 5B or the Josh Freese signature

what do you think? Am I breaking (they don't actually break, they just fray and split to impossible-to-play degrees) these things too often and I should try tougher sticks? I know there was a thread a while back about vic firth losing quality and stuff ....

My sticks (http://photobucket.com/albums/y186/aahznightsky/sticks%20all%20breakin/)

I'm a kit player, but was playing percussion for a group a while back with a killin' drummer. This kid frayed his sticks exactly like it sounds you do. He had great technique and all that, I noticed that the fray originated where he struck the hi-hat. It was just how he played, but he went through a pair of sticks a week and is to this day one of the greatest drummers I have ever seen, or played with. I agree, it's better to break the sticks than your drums/cymbals. Just try to get an endorsement ASAP.

Keep Rockin'

[RudimentalDrummer]

STICKS ARE DESIGNED TO BREAK. Otherwise your other gear would when you hit them! By the sounds of your tuning preferences in the other thread, you might be a jazz drummer. If that's the case, you most likely don't play a third as many rimshots as I do and your tips wear out before the shaft of your sticks splinter out. My tips don't wear out because my shafts do before they have a chance to.

If you could point out what on earth could be wrong with my technique, that'd be one thing. Otherwise, there's the simple fact that when I switched stick companies from one that has been getting a large number of complaints to a company that hasn't, my sticks don't break half as fast.

Anyway, I do hell lots of Rim Shots on 16 notes accenting/speed and around the kit these days for 3 weeks continuously in my 2 hrs practice each day. I notice my Drum Sticks had chips/splinster on the shaft....and I'm just wondering when it will break besides just some small dents/markings on the shaft...I guess that's normal. I had never broken any sticks before...but it seems like it will at the rate I'm doing it now.

PS: - Hope you don't mind me saying something... bro aahznightsky. You are good maybe even very good in your drumming and I know it...but you are also a very arrogrant drummer...hahahahaha...don't do it here lah ! .... though I believed that it's "A Priviledge To Be Snobblish" - that is also the kind of person I used to be....anyway cheers and no hard feelings

[phoenix]

It seems like for every hour or two of playing, I break at least one stick. I have a box of about 25 broken sticks. Granted I'm using some pretty cheap sticks so that's probably why. I like to play loud, but nothing crazy.. probably typical for anyone that plays rock/metal. How about everyone else?

[CraigG]

It seems like for every hour or two of playing, I break at least one stick. I have a box of about 25 broken sticks. Granted I'm using some pretty cheap sticks so that's probably why. I like to play loud, but nothing crazy.. probably typical for anyone that plays rock/metal. How about everyone else?

I have been using one pair for the last month, and they are a cheap pair also. I probably don't play as long as others (usually an hour split between the practice pad and the kit)
Also, I'm not a "hard hitter". I practice hitting the center of each drum, and hitting the cymbals "correctly" Since I am a beginner, I probably practice technique more than anything else (technique meaning hitting the center of the drum, etc.), and play at a slower rate/speed than alot of people.

[jangus]

Very rarely.

duhdfgduhtsgljksfg

[Thinshells]

I have been using one pair for the last month, and they are a cheap pair also. I probably don't play as long as others (usually an hour split between the practice pad and the kit)
Also, I'm not a "hard hitter". I practice hitting the center of each drum, and hitting the cymbals "correctly" Since I am a beginner, I probably practice technique more than anything else (technique meaning hitting the center of the drum, etc.), and play at a slower rate/speed than alot of people.

I found a publicity stills of you and your band back in the day.

http://www.drumslayer.com/images/deathtoungue.jpg

[rendezvous_drummer]

Me too, i've been using very cheap 2.00 bucks and they last me a few hours, BUT, i made the best switch of my life (other than switching from a 4 piece drum set to a 5 piece) and that was to use Vater sticks. Most durable sticks i've ever played!

[Stu_Strib]

My experience is a stick is a stick is a stick (as long is it is from one of the major manufacturers). If you are breaking sticks, then you are 'beating' a drum and not 'playing' it.

Sticks should wear out at the shoulder (drumset, highhat) and the tip. Usually when you ride the ride a lot, the laquer on the tip wears through and you 'flat-spot' the bead, which gives it a different sound.

Flat out breaking a stick is just evil drumming!

For all you metal heads out there, you don't think Country music, or Jazz music has moments of constant high volume rim shots? Rim shots on a snare dont' break sticks. I would say I could whittle through the shoulder of a stick and break it faster at a funk show than I would ever break a stick at a rock gig.

And Finn, can you honestly say that a Pro-Mark SD1 is any better, or even different, than a Vic-Firth SD1?

I'll use any brand of the major manufacturers. More importantly the one I think is the best is the one that would like to sponsor me (banned smiley here)

[jangus]

Actually I would usually fray my VF 5Bs until they were pretty much useless as well. Its normal for those sticks I suppose. I would play them until all sides the bead were chipped off. I never had one actually break though. I've been using Pro-Mark Japanese Oak 5As and they seem to be very durable. I recommend.

[CraigG]

I found a publicity stills of you and your band back in the day.

http://www.drumslayer.com/images/deathtoungue.jpg

LOL Yeah, that was when I was playing my tongue. I wanted to broaden my horizons, so I took up drums. Dang, I thought all that promo material had been destroyed....

[RudimentalDrummer]

If you are breaking sticks, then you are 'beating' a drum and not 'playing' it.

Rim shots on a snare dont' break sticks.
)

With proper Rim-Shot Techniques...YES...it shouldn't break the stick and I agree on this.

Even Accenting & Ghosting - In accenting rim-shot even when you do a multiple Rim-shot in 16th notes accenting....it should not break when using correct techniques as I found out.

With techniques, you don't really wack hard to get a loud sound...it's how you hit it. As a matter of fact...Accenting sound most beautiful & smooth, when the accented rim-shot is lifted slightly above snare and you actually don't need to hit it real hard to get the accent (the correct way). For those who is still trying to acquire the skills on accenting (like me when I first started) ... it is indeed normal to hit rim-shot harder initially...but through time & practice. One will know that the best Accenting Exercises on rim-shot is never to hit hard on Rims ...technically also it is really wrong to do accenting hitting real hard (at the same time of course we need to control the ghost notes as soft as possible)....that's the reason why drumming needs lots of practice and stick control is not easy.

[brittc89]

I break a lot of sticks, and really it for me comes down to the style of playing. I use a lot of shots and heavy playing when I play most styles of music, excluding small combo stuff, but it shouldnt bother you to break sticks. If you practice enough, theyre bound to break.

[brittc89]

My experience is a stick is a stick is a stick (as long is it is from one of the major manufacturers). If you are breaking sticks, then you are 'beating' a drum and not 'playing' it.

Sticks should wear out at the shoulder (drumset, highhat) and the tip. Usually when you ride the ride a lot, the laquer on the tip wears through and you 'flat-spot' the bead, which gives it a different sound.

Flat out breaking a stick is just evil drumming!

For all you metal heads out there, you don't think Country music, or Jazz music has moments of constant high volume rim shots? Rim shots on a snare dont' break sticks. I would say I could whittle through the shoulder of a stick and break it faster at a funk show than I would ever break a stick at a rock gig.

And Finn, can you honestly say that a Pro-Mark SD1 is any better, or even different, than a Vic-Firth SD1?

I'll use any brand of the major manufacturers. More importantly the one I think is the best is the one that would like to sponsor me (banned smiley here)
I have to respectfully disagree. Rimshots have to take a toll on sticks. You cant get a correct rim shot sound unless your stick is hitting the rim, which I absolutely guarentee will wear through a sick faster than a hi-hat or normal storke on a drum excluding the rim. Also, jazz music does not incorporate near the power and rimshots as rock and metal in almost every instance. If your using as many rimshots in jazz as in heavy metal, your wading, if not over, the edge of being stylistically incorrect.

[da cheese walks]

i honestly play really really hard...doin loadsa rimshots and just going really hard...i use a lot of ride and a lot of groovey,funky 16th notes on the hi-hat...but i use Aria 7As.....beautiful!!i go through about a pair a month....its amazing how such a thin stick can take so much of a beating!!

[RudimentalDrummer]

I have to respectfully disagree.

You cant get a correct rim shot sound unless your stick is hitting the rim,

wear through a sick faster than a hi-hat. Also,

jazz music does not incorporate near the power and rimshots as rock and metal in almost every instance. If your using as many rimshots in jazz as in heavy metal, your wading, if not over, the edge of being stylistically incorrect.

My opinion based on what I'm being taught by my Instructor.

Yes you are absolutely correct..in that a Rim shot means hitting on the Rims....but getting a loud sound using a Rim_shot...doesn't means full-force hitting the sticks real hard on the rim. In techniques, Loud doesn't means hitting with great force.

I am not so sure about wearing sticks from Hi-hats. Techniques taught to me in accenting Hi-Hats is - When you accent the Hi-Hat...you hit the Hi-Hat with the shaft of the sticks FLAT-DOWN like parallel, and ghost hi-hat using tips which is just merely lifting up the sticks after the accent....a natural motion...So therefore wearing of sticks in hitting hi-hat is few.

Yes jazz music does not incorporate near the power and rimshots as rock and metal in almost every instance.

But I think ... in jazz they too uses quite a lot of rim-shot & ghosting played in a very nice & soothing manner based on the techniques on Accenting I describe as above.

PS: Honestly I do not know if drummers who play very heavy Metal or Rock have to really Use Full-Strength to do a Rim-Shot as the Music is different...but my Instructor always remind me and watch my sticking whenever I do a Fast Rim Shot Accenting in Stick Control Exercises and it has to be really consistent in overall loudness (as it sound good & smooth) when blends with the soft ghosting in an entire exercises. He always tells me...In drumming, playing loud is a technique and it doesn't means you have to wack the drums real hard..cause every drummer here in my country knows that my instructor is exceptionally particular over drum techniques. Many a times when I do accenting he has to tell me "Your sticks is too high and you are hitting too hard on the Rims"...Oooops so...I have to be on my toes always.

[Drummin_Dan]

And to think you can spend $50 for a die-casy hoop only to end up shredding sticks faster. Rim shots must've been guitarists ideas for making drummers get poor faster. We're just stupid enough to actually like the sound. If I play more funk style or Jazz, rim shots are less loud. Rock music, I have to get a huge crack or it's weak.

[RudimentalDrummer]

i use Aria 7As.....beautiful!!i !

Hi...you just reminded me of Aria. I have seen Drum Kit under the Brand Name "Aria" some 28 years ago....Today I have not seen it in my country anymore....

[RudimentalDrummer]

I break a lot of sticks, and really it for me comes down to the style of playing. I use a lot of shots and heavy playing when I play most styles of music, excluding small combo stuff, but it shouldnt bother you to break sticks. If you practice enough, theyre bound to break.

Yes so true...we shouldn't bother about sticks breaking. Afterall they are mean't to be broken though I had never broken one before, chipped & dented sticks I had plenty etc. If sticks don't break, chipped or get dented or damaged in any way...Vic, Vater and many other companies will go bust in no time...kekekeke...They are probably make not to last too long.

As a matter of fact, I love to use my drum sticks that are very seasoned....like with chips somewhere on the shaft or dents...and never never use Brand New Sticks. I really feel good as others will probably view me as "A Very Hardworking Drummer" ..... and I hope not otherwise as "Boy this guy really torture his Kit"...kekekeke... I always have a sense of accomplishment when New sticks get damaged somehow...It really means I am really working very hard on my drumming nowadays and feel good deep inside.

Cheers everyone.

[Latin Groover]

When i first started i had VF5A's which lasted Just over 2 and a 1/4 years with 1.5hr practice everyday! So maybe i got sum good pairs. Also only one broke, so i bought the same pair again, these last another 5 months so then i had i from the old pair and one from the new pair, then the tip broke on one and they are now they r in my 'percussion' sticks part of my stick bag. My first 2 and a bit years of playing i found 5A's where perfect for me, so thats y i only used them, and i only used them so i only ever had them and another back-up pair. So 2 pairs of VF5A's lasted me 2.5 years.

But now i use VF Steve Gadd sig sticks for most playing, and for Jazz Vater 7A's. I don't like VF 7A's. I find them a bit heavier and thicker than the Vaters. But the SG Sigs r great sticks. Perfect for me, you can get a really good grip on them, but if your a sweater in your hands than i they can slip a bit. I dont sweat in my hands really unless itss a hot day, then i use normal 5A or 7A sticks. Then only downer about the SG Sigs is that they look great when you buy them, with their black finish and all, but cymbals and rimshots take their toll and they get dents/chips like normal sticks but cause they r black on the outside, u really notice the dents in them. But thats only a visual thing.

[skippy]

the only thing i hate about breaking sticks is that after that i have an odd number...i dont know why it bothers me and im not ocd but i hate it...everyone try a pair of vater los angeles 5a i have officialy fallen in love with this stick and now i have a couple bricks of them.

[Bonham to the moon]

Yes so true...we shouldn't bother about sticks breaking

they get a little pricey when you break them as much i do tho

[Ashbash]

i've never broken a drumstick....been playing for 4 years.

However, my drumsticks have broken twice, but never by me.

i just buy new ones when the old one are too chippy, or the point where the stick starts to taper turns into an inward curve.

which isn't very often

[Thinshells]

I have broken a lot of cheap sticks. Cheap sticks are like cheap light bulbs. They seem like a good idea at the time until they die early, usually at a critical moment.

I have come to grips, so to speak with ahead 2b's. I have been using them a lot now, and they aren't broken or chipped yet under the same use that shattered many cheap sticks.

"Friends don't let friends buy generic drum sticks"

[Stu_Strib]

Rimshots have to take a toll on sticks. You cant get a correct rim shot sound unless your stick is hitting the rim, which I absolutely guarentee will wear through a sick faster than a hi-hat or normal storke on a drum excluding the rim.


If you are breaking sticks from rim shots, then you are flat out beating the living daylight out of your drum, or you have razor sharp rims. Hi-hat edges whittle away at the shoulder and neck of a drumstick much faster, as long as you aren't bashing the heck out of your snare.

I know what you are talking about; I've seen those guys with big old 5b sticks that are splintering about halfway down the stick. That's the first sign they are beating the crud out of their drums. a rim shot doesn't have to be made 1/2 down the stick...

A lot of high volume gigs will cause you to go through a couple pairs of sticks in a night (Check out Carter Beauford on the Gorge video), but I was under the impression these guys in this thread were saying they broke sticks in one whack of a rim shot.

[brittc89]

If you are breaking sticks from rim shots, then you are flat out beating the living daylight out of your drum, or you have razor sharp rims. Hi-hat edges whittle away at the shoulder and neck of a drumstick much faster, as long as you aren't bashing the heck out of your snare.

I know what you are talking about; I've seen those guys with big old 5b sticks that are splintering about halfway down the stick. That's the first sign they are beating the crud out of their drums. a rim shot doesn't have to be made 1/2 down the stick...

A lot of high volume gigs will cause you to go through a couple pairs of sticks in a night (Check out Carter Beauford on the Gorge video), but I was under the impression these guys in this thread were saying they broke sticks in one whack of a rim shot.
Just one thing. Rimshots have different tones if the rim hits a different area of the stick. So, a rimshot doesnt HAVE to be made in the center, but that will yield a different tone and feel.

[Wegadrummer]

I have to buy sticks every other month.. i break maybe 8-12 sticks a year.. the shortest time i have used a stick is 5 min, it is the same size and brand that i am using now.. so, i think the way you play have all to do about how often the stick break..

[RudimentalDrummer]

a rimshot doesnt HAVE to be made in the center, but that will yield a different tone and feel.

Yes at times I did rim-shot somewhere near edge of the Snare...so I can't use the shaft to make the hit that will be somewhere near the centre of snare..

[franklinj]

I never have had a problem with breaking sticks. ive broken maybe 3 pairs in1 and a half years, but thats not bad since ive only been playing for one and a half years. I switched to oak because I like the feel. None of my oak sticks look like theyre going to break anytime soon.

Has anyone noticed that the oak sticks get REALLY dark if you play with them for a long time? Mine constantly look like theyve been soaked in water.

[RudimentalDrummer]

I've switched back to hickory sticks now and the results arent bad at all, especially compared to the oaks. None broken at all so far (in maybe a week?)


Hickory is my favourite. I'm using TAMA Amercan Hickory H213P Sticks. They are very good. The weight is not too light and not heavy.

The only Drum Stick that I will not use it to play on my Kit is my "Hard Rock San Franciso Drumstick" which my wify bought it for me when she was there last year. Anyway it's a big fat sticks and I hate Big-Fat-Sticks kekekeke.

[GNRFAN]

Hi,

I need some new sticks for a gig that I will be doing, I need some meaty sticks. I currently have a pair of Zildjian Jon Otto sticks but I'm not that impressed with them. What do you guys recommend? Vater, Vic Firth etc? What size is best for a powerful sound (2B?)?

Cheers

[Johnest]

You should look at Vic Firth Thomas Lang signature or Vater Virgil Donati's assault... The Thomas Lang model look like some drum corp stick and they are heavy.

[GNRFAN]

Thanks for your help, I will check those two out.

Regards

[Led Opeth]

why not check out the Vic Firth Danny Carey model....they are huge, but they also have a slight groove carved out for better grip, not a huge one, but its alot more comfortable than playing with a tree trunk...ive had a pair for almost a year...amazing sticks when you want some extra power

[Drummer Karl]

Try some Ahead, they are made for heavy playing...

[Superlow]

I do not recommend ahead sticks to anyone, they are terrible, they dont sound or feel anything like wood and the best part is if you're a rimshot player they break. Vater makes something called a nightstick which is a little heavier and bigger than a 2b. Honestly unless you have got some serious control, you will be breaking a lot of gear with sticks like that. I am currently using some Vater sugar maple sticks which are big like a 2b but light in density unlike a normal hickory. Very nice feel and rebound.

[burnthehero]

I used to use Vic Firth Rock sticks back in the days when I wanted to feel like I was swinging ball ping hammers at my drums. You should try them.

[zildjian_dude101]

Hey now, I love Ahead sticks. The balance is perfect they feel great, and you can replace the tips so you dont have to carry around 4 pairs of sticks and a pair of mallets. I will admit though, like Superflow said, don't use them if you play rimshots. I only use them for my Metal and Punk drumming.

[blu]

vaters! they are just a good feel.

[Special-K]

I second the Thomas Lang signatures. Just as advertised, they create a massive 'BOOM' on the toms and an ear-crunching CRACK on the snare!

[PdoubleE]

Hey now, I love Ahead sticks. ..........., don't use them if you play rimshots. I only use them for my Metal and Punk drumming.

I have alot of metal in my background and it shows through in my playing.....No rimshots in metal???? What is wrong with that picture????

for any kit drumming actually, i wouldnt recommend thick sticks.

with practice anyone can get a big sound out of their toms, its not about the size of the stick but the skill of the stroke (ever seen Hernandez live? huuuge sound, and his sticks are super thin)

so i recommend thinner sticks ... because they allow for quicker movement between different drums, allowing you to be more nimble moving around different pieces of the kit

I totaly agree with ya man. I use 727's. Its thin....but not toooo thin. I find a 7A a bit to thin though.

[t-bone]

thomas lang sticks, huh? i might just have to go get a few pairs of those.......

i used to use the vic firth " anton fig" rock crushers....those sticks were amazing....wish they still made those....i like thick sticks just because i can't just seem to get the feel i want from a thinner stick........

all a matter of preference, i guess................

[GNRFAN]

Thanks for some interesting replies. I think I will go for the Thomas Lang sticks. Are they natrually white or are they finished in white?

Regards

[oilersunited]

Definatly go check out VATER Xtreme Design 5Bor VATER Chad Smiths Funk Blaster. Definatly the way to go for powerful drumming

[Vibra-Slap'd]

NO NO NO..... use the AHEADS!!!! Super sticks.... perfect balance.... no slipping.... and strong.....

I have one of those old LP RocBlocks.... it sounds just like a rim shot!!! LOL

[PdoubleE]

I have tried Alot of sticks. I used 5a's for the longest time...then tired out a few bigger sticks(5b's 2b's) and the Thinner sticks are the way to go!!!!The promark 727 White oaks are the best , strongest sticks i have used. I play eveyday for 2-3 hours and i just got a pair of 727's about 2 weeks ago. They havent even chiped in one spot...and alll other oak/hickory sticks chip after the first rim shot!!! Very Durable!!!!! plus they have a great feel and They are balanced. I also use 7a's for practice...... but i feel like i am playing with pecils when i bring em to the kit. Oh yeah....and AHEADS are Really horrible. The rim shots are not right. They will destroy your cymbals if you dont keep up with the sleeves..they feel weird when u play with em. They leave black plastic debre everywhere. And if you hit em just right....they snap off without Any effort. I can get 5 pairs of Promarks 727 oaks for the same price of the AHEADS... The promarks sound better, Feel better. They are just Better All around sticks. This is not an opinion ...It Is A Fact!!!!!!!!!

[Butter]

Try the AHEAD Tico Torres Signature Sticks.I love them,but they're very heavy too.I think they're like 1As.

[tambian89]

I play thrash metal, and I usually use pro mark 5A's, but I recently tried the A Head 5A's and they're amazing. They are balanced, they don't really require any adaptation, (they are balance and play the same as wood sticks), they are very durable, and they don't leave wood shavings everywhere, so they won't put any sort of hinderance on your drums' sound (since the shavings sometines get caught under the rims of the drums and require cleaning every so often). I just baught a pair ; you can't go wrong!

[drumbig]

I like vader 5b although I did recently swich to the los angeles 5a and I'm still getting plenty of power and they are less taxing on my wrists. Don't use ahead they trash your cymbals and they do break.

[iconn]

I have never broken a stick.. I have though, on multiple occasions, played a stick so long that the head was no longer there,.... it didn't break of, it just slowly chipped away till it looked like it was a dagger, lol.

[cdawg_2010]

FraklinJ------

Its probabaly because you sweat on them. It happens to a lot of mine from the sweat soaking in

[tambian89]

I wouldn't worry about breaking new sticks. Buy a brick of some nice hickory sticks (5A or 5B) and you'll be all set. When I first got my Tama set, I spent $6,000 customizing with 3 mounted toms, 3 floor toms, a snare, 2 bass drums, and 4 octobans, all remo heads on both sides(except the octobans), a tama drum rack, and 10 Sabian AA, AAX, and HHX cymbals, a mic for every drum, 1 mic for every 2 cymbals, and 4 amps, I went balliz-tic on my drums. I made sure I got what I paid for, and I have had so much fun.

I buy 1 brick of drums stick every month, for 3 months, then wait until most of the pairs are broken, then continue the cycle.

Wondering how a 16 year old paid for a $6,000 drum kit? Here's the answer. I have a job that pays $12.00 per hour. I saved up every month, and each month, I bought a new item. First I spent, about 2,000 on a kit with 1 bass, a 2 mounted toms, and two floor toms, and a snare and 4 cymbals on a drum rack. Then, i would buy either a new cymbal and stand, or a new drum each month. I make about $300 a week, so at the end of a month, I would have made about $1200, but about $600 to spend (the price one drum with a mount or a small cymbal pack and new cymbal stands). I took me almost two years, but I accomplished it. Also, eBay helps a lot.

[Butter]

Don't use ahead they trash your cymbals and they do break.

Are you serious?This rumour is soo old,and so wrong.Aheads do not break your cymbals faster than any wood stick,and this is fact.
Please don't buy any sticks,because all of them will break...someday ;-)

[Afrolicious]

If you're looking for really BIG sticks, try the Vater 3S. I bought them once to get some power practicing doublestrokes on a pad.

[snake54198]

for powerfull drumming i use lars signature ahead sticks,ahead sticks are made of some type of cast metal with a rubber sleeve and screw off tip,best about it is you never throe the sticks away just the rubber sleeve and replace it and there are dif types of screw off tips to get diff sounds,they cost alot to begin with but i have mine now for 6 months and id say they will last for another 6

[JPDrum]

The Anton Fig signature model from Vic Firth is hefty and plenty loud! It is a bit longer then most and that is what I like about them the most. They are a tad on the heavy side though.

J P

[drumbig]

Are you serious?This rumour is soo old,and so wrong.Aheads do not break your cymbals faster than any wood stick,and this is fact.
Please don't buy any sticks,because all of them will break...someday ;-)
It is a fact that they do break more cymbals and I will tell you why. The edge of the cymbal sometimes cuts thru the plastic sleeves and the aluminum puts a little dent in your cymbal's edge and this is where a crack can easily start. I used to use the Tommy Lee signature aheads and I quit after breaking three Z customs and those are some tough cymbals.

[Butter]

That's why you should get a new sleeve after a few months.I don't know anybody who broke a cymbal with his Aheads,and I know many friends who're playing with them ;-)

They don't destroy heads,too.

[Fat Elvis]

Try the Vater Fusions. They have a very loud crack and are only a little thicker than 5a. I play nylon and you wont have ANY problem getting volume out of them.

[HeRm]

Vic Firth Danny Carey Sigs. Amazing balance. Not only do they look sick, they will give you his godlike drumming ability...?

[drumbig]

That's why you should get a new sleeve after a few months.I don't know anybody who broke a cymbal with his Aheads,and I know many friends who're playing with them ;-)

They don't destroy heads,too.
After a few months? Dude I throw away sticks before they break and I certainly changed my sleves weekly. And yes they can destroy heads too, when the nylon tip breaks off and you don't realize it in the middle of a song at a gig. Yeah it sucks when that happens.

[NUTHA JASON]

i love rimshots.
this is after one gig...its a vater 5a.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y290/nuthajason/february1009.jpg (http://photobucket.com/albums/y290/nuthajason/?)

[Animosity]

I did the same exact thing with my old sticks. XD

[cdawg_2010]

I never hit that hard!!!! That stick is split like crazy. Looks like you hit pretty hard. lol

[lilblakdak]

I'm like that. I have an old snare hoop around here thats dented from rimshots. If I can find it i'll post a pic. Its pretty funny.

[Loge]

That picture is suitable for framing.

[NUTHA JASON]

lol, i'm thinking of putting it on a cd cover book.

[Animosity]

lol, i'm thinking of putting it on a cd cover book.
lol I could make a mural with all of the ones I've broken, granted they were all old and worn when I was using them.

[Tutin]

Well, I have about six pairs of ahead sticks that I've broken, most of them not even from rimshots. I eventually stopped hitting so hard. hah

[pdp 9091]

I break sticks all the time but (but not like this) yet again, I use the cheap ones that you buy in huge bundels for like 12 bucks a pack. I should probably invest in the aluminum rubber coated sticks that never break.

[mlehnertz]

Funny... I get the dents in about the same spot but my Vaters rarely split like that. They usually fray, as if the layers of the stick start to peel up. Not to mention I chew the tips off.

[NUTHA JASON]

actually this is quite a rare break for me and my vaters too. usually they fray or spilt along the grain. i think is was chopping it in exactly the same place by chance.

j

ps: vater rules!

[Bonham to the moon]

unfortunetly, i do hit very hard, i have so many sticks that have seriously cracked right in half, not like a big rip up and down the stick, it split right in half from a rim shot.

[mlehnertz]

Here's what mine do -

[cymbals~FEAR~me]

My sticks don't break like that until I throw them at a concrete wall! My sticks normally start wearing away near the tip, where the circled part is on the stick. Then they break.

[Animosity]

Mine usually break along the grain, but I've busted an almost new stick in half like that before doing a rimshot. It was a very hard rimshot.

[T.Underhill]

I've done that to Regal Tip marching sticks, so yeah!

[glynes]

Geez, what you guys do to a drumstick!!
I haven't broken one yet (the experimental eucalyptus sticks didn't count because that's totally inappropriate material for the use!) ... but the tips on all my sticks are going flat on one side. I don't hold my sticks very tight, so I'd assume they turn in my hands and aren't always hitting with the same spot, but I've got 4 pairs of sticks, all of them with a flat spot on the tip.
I got a beautifully chewed-up stick from one of Kenny Aronoff's shows ... I now have one of my own that almost matches it, but it took me months of playing to get there!

[radiofriendlyunitshifter]

Here's what mine do -

yah, your sticks look like mine, and i have vaters too. i don't know why, but i keep all my

broken sticks... does anyone else?

[eddrummer05]

yah, your sticks look like mine, and i have vaters too. i don't know why, but i keep all my

broken sticks... does anyone else?
haha yea i do the same thing keep those broken sticks and also the first pair a ever had

[burnthehero]

How can you play with proper technique when you're hitting that hard?

[radiofriendlyunitshifter]

haha yea i do the same thing keep those broken sticks and also the first pair a ever had

i never broke the first pair of sticks i had... i switched to 5a's before my gigantic 2b's were even close.

[Class A Drummer]

First pair of sticks i got when i was 6 or 7. Jo Jos. Anyone herd of em? big fat peices of garbage. Break easily. Only way a 6 year old cud break a stick.

[Stu_Strib]

Sorry nutha, I have never broken a stick with a few hits like that..all mine break due to getting whittled down by my funkya$$ hi-hat linear grooves!

[Tim Waterson]

i love rimshots.
this is after one gig...its a vater 5a.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y290/nuthajason/february1009.jpg (http://photobucket.com/albums/y290/nuthajason/?)

NJ You ANIMAL welcome to the club if you do rimshots you are gpoing to break sticks But it SOUNDS so GOOD!!!!!
Yes If I used 5As I would break them in one set usually.
Anything under the 2B size would be easily destroyed in one night...
Rock on and God Bless
Tim
www.timwaterson.com

[NUTHA JASON]

thanks tim.

How can you play with proper technique when you're hitting that hard?

actually damage like this shows i'm using the right technique for a rimshot. all the energy is staying at the stick and not going into my hands...i pretty much let go of the stick at the very moment of impact...so no injuries.

anyone who claims they never break sticks because they always use the 'right' techniques has seriously not experienced the live drumming of many pros. depending on the style and song a pro drummer will often get through some sticks in a single performance.

j

[Stu_Strib]

[QUOTE=NUTHA JASON]

anyone who claims they never break sticks because they always use the 'right' techniques has seriously not experienced the live drumming of many pros. depending on the style and song a pro drummer will often get through some sticks in a single performance.

Well, kind of true? I don't break sticks, period. Most of my sticks make it about 3 to 4 three hour sets before I swap them out (shoulder getting whittled down to dangerously close to breaking). I use anything from 7a's to 747s.

Carter Beauford, though, on DMB vids is seen going through a couple pairs of sticks every 3 or 4 songs. (With his sig. stick which is roughly a 747, or a between 5a/b). They start to break and he just chucks it and grabs a new one.

My complaint is guys who break sticks with one or two hits. Pounding the drum versus playing the drum.

Think of cymbalsfearme's picture, and I think that is more normal. The other picture with fraying wood looks common too, but the rim shot marks are way down where my fingers would be! Yikes.

[helldrummer]

...has anyone tried those carbon fibre sticks?
i've been using a pair for about a year and they are still in good condition. i'm not sure what brand they are because it has worn off...
the only problem with them is they de-tune my toms when i rimshot them (which is often)

[Mr. Bananagrabber]

Yeah, carbon fibre sticks will not break i've used a pair for a couple of years. Like the rest of you the rimshots can finish off my wooden sticks in short order. Unfortunately carbosticks leave marks and feel quite different, but if you've had it with buying new sticks every couple of weeks, they could be a way to go.

[averypoordrummer]

i hit very hard but i've never broken a stick, probably because i can't hit rimshots very well.

in the janury edition of "Rhythm" there's an interview with billy ward and he says he can't remember the last time he broke a stick. apparently, 10 pairs of sticks is enough to last steve gadd two years.

[mlehnertz]

Are you talking about my picture? The fraying is nearly dead center on the stick and yes there are some dents above the fray. It mostly comes from stick travel in my hand from sweat. Until I can regrab the stick, the dents are going to move towards the butt of the stick.

I will also play with the butt end from time to time (big band) going from side-stick to butt end to kick the tune.

Do you hold traditional? When I held that stick traditional those dents were close to my left hand. I actually did tear off the skin of my knuckle on the rim playing traditional.

As for my technique - my technique is fine. I don't break sticks either. I swap them when they fraying gets too much or the tip gets chewed off. This particular stick is close.

The other picture with fraying wood looks common too, but the rim shot marks are way down where my fingers would be! Yikes.

[y0avz]

lol, im glad im not your drumsticks :D

[NUTHA JASON]

nor my snare.

whack! yeeeow!

[theduke86]

Nice, NJ.
I break sticks like that playing jazz too often.
It's well known now that upright bass players can't afford not to plug in when i'm playing... haha. No, really, I play quiet most of the time, but I like to let 'er rip sometimes too.

[Leadfoot]

I break sticks all the time but (but not like this) yet again, I use the cheap ones that you buy in huge bundels for like 12 bucks a pack. I should probably invest in the aluminum rubber coated sticks that never break.
Are you refering to Ahead sticks? Those DO break, trust me. They are cute though.

[Bonhamfan]

I think if you hit that hard, which I do, you need to use a thick durable drumstick. I use SD1 General's and flip the stick around on my right hand so that I am hitting the hi-hat with the fat end of the stick. I can get a pair to last a good 2-3 months before I break them. Plus you get a much deeper sound when you hit a tom with the fat end of the stick, sounds cool.

[cdawg_2010]

If you want double butt ends, Vater makes a sig. Morgan Rose sticks that are both butt ends. They are on musiciansfrind and they are like $ 7.50

[Bonhamfan]

If you want double butt ends, Vater makes a sig. Morgan Rose sticks that are both butt ends. They are on musiciansfrind and they are like $ 7.50

I only use the butt end on my right hand, still use the tip end for my left.

[cdawg_2010]

Oh i see, you probably wouldnt want those then

[drumbig]

I go back and forth between 5a and 5b Vader sticks and I notice that I actually break more of the 5b's than the 5a's and I think its because of the extra leverage I hit harder. Anyone else notice this.

[Whornun]

What is the point of hitting that hard?

Looks like your getting more rim than head.

[drumbig]

Looks like your getting more rim than head.

Thats a funny sentence.

[NUTHA JASON]

absolute lol.

but i don't drum that side of the drum.

j

[T.Underhill]

Anyone here ever break an Ahead stick? I have! Snapped that shaft right in half.

[Leadfoot]

Anyone here ever break an Ahead stick? I have! Snapped that shaft right in half.
Yes, they are overpriced twigs.

[choki]

i break sticks like that from time to time. i think it happens more out of luck than anything else. sometimes you come down at just the right angle that the stick kind of shatters in your hand. rimshots are too fun to not hit them hard. for all the technique questions, it's more a matter of science than technique. basically, no amount of technique can change the fact that wood is softer than metal, hence broken sticks. you could go to a bigger stick, but that might compromise your sound.

[Damon Dapper]

Too bad there isn't a drumstick recycling program where your payed a nickle to turn in a pair of broken sticks, same like they do with soda cans/bottles...............Maybe some of the proceeds can go to making recycled sticks and to help other Drummers around the world who have illnesses/impairments...etc.


Dap.

[mlehnertz]

I doubt you can recycle a stick. You'd have to put so much glue into the recycled stick that you'd lose the wood feeling of the stick, so why not use a graphite or cabon fiber stick...

[Damon Dapper]

haha, yes I understand what you mean.........:-)

But I mean recycle interms of processing the wood (from the broken sticks) into a new fiber material which involves alot of machinery and pulping.

But its just wishful thinking.....

Dap.

[RMS]

Pro-Mark 747 Oak, wood tips....the Neil Peart signature model.

I have never broken a single one of these sticks. For gigs, I use a new pair, but for practice I use the whittled down old sticks. They frey and get chewed up, but I seriously have never snapped one.

To be honest I don't use the sticks for the durability, I originally tried them because Peart is my drum god (I admit I've bought a few things because of this). But now I am used to them, and no other stick feels right to me for normal playing. The durability of oak is just an added bonus..

[Jookbox]

I think if you hit that hard, which I do, you need to use a thick durable drumstick. I use SD1 General's .

i tried out a pair for the first time, and a stick broke the first day! it had to have been a bad stick.


playing traditional, i really rely on rimshots. lately, i've been hitting lighter and using dynamics a lot more. i play at a much reduced volume and my sticks last longer as a result. still loud, but instead of 90% volume maybe 50%

[cdawg_2010]

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d98/cdawg_2013/IMGA0527.jpg

I snapped this stick while playing today and it broke way down by the end. Its a cheap one from MF.

[mlehnertz]

Bad piece of wood. Nothing to do with your playing. I had Vic Firth sticks that used to do that. They'd split clean like with minimal use.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d98/cdawg_2013/IMGA0527.jpg

I snapped this stick while playing today and it broke way down by the end. Its a cheap one from MF.

[RMS]

Yeah, I think those are made out of pine. Or might as well be.

[cdawg_2010]

Yeah, I think those are made out of pine. Or might as well be.
I didnt really care because i got them from MF for 10 pairs for $10

[RMS]

Yeah, when I ordered a snare drum through TomLee music they included a free pair of cheapo sticks and a drum key. I actually like the drum key, it has a hole for a keychain. The sticks probably won't ever be used by me, waaaaay too light.

[Stu_Strib]

Yeah, the 747 Oaks are a definite recommendation for you stick breakers. Be warned, they weigh much more than hickory, and they shoot vibes right up your elbows, but those suckers refuse to break!

I use them for light funk playing because they withstand the "whittling" effect of hi-hat edges more than hickory.

[RMS]

Yeah, hi hats will chew up any wooden stick, eventually.

I was thinking about those metal sticks (ahead?) and although I've never used them, it seems like they could contribute to premature hi-hat breakage, since the shoulder of the stick is used so much. And if they were coated with something softer (are they?) I would think the response would be poor everywhere but the tip.

[TitanSound]

The sleeves on the ahead sticks actually do get chewed up...you have to replace them after a while. So its the carbon fibre sleeve, rather than metal, striking the hi-hat.

[RMS]

How is the weight balanced? With wood it's the same material the whole way through, so the shape determines it's balance. With a metal shaft and light carbon fibre tip I get the impression it wouldn't have much momentum to it. Oh wait you said "sleeve". So is it metal all the way to the tip, with carbon fibre making up the tip and covering the shoulder? Then maybe the feel is similar to a nylon tipped stick. sorry i'm thinking aloud

[TitanSound]

Yeah the tip is nylon....you pull it off to remove the carbon sleeve...underneath is a metal rod. You replace the sleeve then replace the tip.

I found them more bottom heavy...slighty weird to play with. But I had been using wood sticks for near on 10 years so maybe thats why!

[Drummertist]

I've been drumming for three years and have not broken a stick yet...even when I used 7A's. All my sticks have is slight chips and some dents. I'm just not a hard hitter.

[Deedub]

I love breaking sticks... I'm a metal drummer mostly and once I learned how to hit hard I break them often. I use VF Rock sticks. Nice thick piece of wood. They break in different spots each time, but usually where the rim shot is played. I like playing with a stick untill it breaks to practice grabbing a new one while playing. That is the real art. I had one show where I broke like 5 sticks. I was sick at this gig so I was a little pissed. Snots running down my nose the whole time and just working hard. It was fun in retrospect but I'm not a fan of playing sick.

[kartikaysrivastava]

After a few months? Dude I throw away sticks before they break and I certainly changed my sleves weekly. And yes they can destroy heads too, when the nylon tip breaks off and you don't realize it in the middle of a song at a gig. Yeah it sucks when that happens.
I think PRO MARK 5A are the best for all kinds of music

[Butter]

After a few months? Dude I throw away sticks before they break and I certainly changed my sleves weekly. And yes they can destroy heads too, when the nylon tip breaks off and you don't realize it in the middle of a song at a gig. Yeah it sucks when that happens.

I call this misfortune.I play with mine since an half-year,and I didn't change the sleeve one time in the past.
Yeah,that's right.But I mean that they don't destroy heads faster than any other nylon tip stick ;-)

[jbomber]

I think PRO MARK 5A are the best for all kinds of music
I love the PM 5A's too. Durable and versatile.

J

[amardavid79]

I've broken many a Vater Los Angeles-5A like that. They are great sticks, though.

PS. Jason you used your velvet jacket to frame your broken stick ahahaha!

[NUTHA JASON]

lol, it was better than the faded pink paisley carpet in the lounge where i was at the time. that electric blue valvet jacket is a bit of a signature piece.

j

[Breadmonkey]

as a testament to vic firth sticks i was playing "the ocean" by zep, laying into the rimshots the way any true bonham fan would then i notice the right stick feeling a bit weird. played the song through then stopped to check it out.
At the rimshot point it looked like someone took a bite out of the stick but i could still play it. was kinda funny to look at, have no digi camera but will try and get a pic up.
was thinking we should setup a "boneyard" section in your place for pics of everyones busted gear (cymbals, skins, sticks etc.) might be kinda fun. probly not tho. meh

[Drumlover39]

Yea i hit that hard and have sticks like that. i use pro-mark american hickory

[beatsMcGee]

i hit hard but i always thought that if you do a incredably powerful rim shot you could run the risk of damaging your drum hoops... ? is this not the case and i shoudl bang the hell out of the hoops? i cought a travis barker stick at warped tour after he played one song with transplants and that stick went through hell...

[JustDrum]

At Kosa Percussion Camp in Vermont, Kenny Aronoff told a story of when he was on tour and actually broke the steel rim of his snare drum by hitting so hard! Man is he loud!

[osamasgoat5467]

Get the Vic Firth American Classic Metal N sticks. The ones with a red tip. They're like an inch longer than other sticks and have a powerful rock sound. Kinda like a step up from 2B.

[cdawg_2010]

go outside cut down a tree and shave off the extra bark and limbs. just kidden. probably the vic firth rock or metal ones. i have played with the rock ones and they are big and produce a loud sound

[Stiffler]

whats up guys,
to explain my problem, i play a wide range of music. mostly now i have been playin a lot of metal/punk kinda thing. I have a problem of breakin sticks within like 10 minutes of playing. Some people say i play to hard, but thats rediculous, i beleive playing hard is the best way to go. But do any of you have any suggestions on which sticks would be best.
(also, id rather go with skinnier sticks than bulky ones, they feel better and i play better single rolls with them)

Sean

[Guinness]

Pay attention to how you are hitting your cymbals. When I first began playing many moons ago I would go through sticks just like you until I started paying attention to how I struck the cymbals and drums. It's easy to get carried away, but you might want to soften it up a bit and focus on good technique.

[Stu_Strib]

Maybe you really ARE playing too loudly. I would bet that is your problem.

[boomboomda]

Playing very hard with thin sticks will most likely result in broken sticks.
I know you don't like to use thicker sticks, but maybe you should consider it.
BTW what are you playing right now, 7A's?

[15yroldvirgin]

how about the Ahead drumsticks?

they almost never rbeak (cause theyre made out of plastic) and theyre used mainly for metal and punk cause they make cymbals sound darker

expensive tho http://www.music123.com/Ahead-5A-Drum-Sticks-i10325.music

[radiofriendlyunitshifter]

dynamics man! dynamics! and if you're playing with skinny sticks: 7a + metal = broken sticks

[ZDrums24]

playing hard can be fun, and called for depending on the room and band, but playing too hard (aka 'bashing') is counter productive to everything you are trying to do as a drummer, and it even diminished how much sound you are putting out. calm down and focus on technique, then build your volocity back up, to a point. and focus on how you hit your drums and cymbals. it has already been said that hitting them the wrong way can cause you to go through sticks quickly. this also is inefficient in generating volume and can break your cymbals quicker, especially if you hit hard.

[ZDrums24]

oh and to address the sticks issue:
id recomend bigger sticks. if you play with good technique, a bigger stick shouldn't impede you too much. findsome information on the grip they use in drum corps. these guys are tougher and more badass than any metal drummer wishes he/she could be (no insult to metal drummers, for the most part). they use huge sticks (up to .710" dia, 17" long) and they can play fast with them. the basic idea to their grip is to use the back three fingers for power and control. i use a slightly looser version of that grip for kit and it works great on every stick size.
as for actual models: (im a vic firth fan) X5B, rock, danny carrey model (this one is back weighted a bit so the stick rebounds quicker), or you could look at promarks oak sticks

[pdp 9091]

kills sticks:

rimshots
cymbals
rims
hitting too hard with thin sticks
cheap sticks
old sticks
bad wood


try to get hickory sticks.....hardest wood

[the.tree]

The other guy hit it ahead sticks are the answer here...if you like paying 30+ dollars for sticks.

[Stu_Strib]

try to get hickory sticks.....hardest wood


Or check out the Japanese Oak sticks from Promark..they are heavy though, but much harder than hickory.

[ZDrums24]

ill second the promark oak, they feel great and last for ever, i just hate the way they sound on my ride

[mlehnertz]

Nothing like getting the shock wave coming up that stick and into your body with those oak bombers...

Or check out the Japanese Oak sticks from Promark..they are heavy though, but much harder than hickory.

[dLesage]

i used to break cymbals all the time when i played with my hi-hat really high. the angles wrecked my sticks real fast. (i personally enjoy the promark 5a japanese oak, by the way.)

my advice would be check the angles you are hitting cymbals at. i also enjoy hitting hard, and i haven't had a problem with breaking sticks since i changed my setup a little bit.

[Kaz]

kills sticks:

rimshots
cymbals
rims
hitting too hard with thin sticks
cheap sticks
old sticks
bad wood
bad technique
bad cymbal shots
lack of study in the moeller technique
redundancy
stubbornness
punk music and the attitude it follows

try to get hickory sticks.....hardest wood

playing super hard doesn't make you good, or make the drum sound like it's being played well. it just shows that you're playing the drum too loud and most likely - wrong. let me guess, you play some sort of thick crash that you ride with a bunch of pure downstrokes with rebound?

i can guaruntee you you're holding your sticks wrong. i can get the same sound i get with my 5A nylon tips that i do with 5b wood tips. it's technique.

[IronCobraPTW]

i second kaz
the real solution to your problem is to build better technique because there are different ways to be a hard hitter
hard hitter with bad technique= broken everything
hard hitter with good technique= maybe a broken stick every 3 months

when i was first starting to play drums my teacher stressed technique until i had it perfect and now when i play i can play as hard as i want with any sticks and i hardly ever break them unless i really try to\
btw i use regal tip jazz sticks which are 7a thickness and 5a lenght and i play heavy metal all the time and i break a stick maybe once every 3 to 5 months

[larkin42]

I play very very hard. I beat the hell out of my drums. I have broken pinstripe heads I hit so hard. I used to go through sticks like crazy. I prefer thinner sticks too.

This is what I have found works. I use the Neil Peart sticks now (747 wood tip, pro mark) I used to break a stick or two about every hour and a half of playing, now since i have developed some technique, and wrap the tips with electrical tape, I have had the same pair of sticks to last about 30 hours of playing time.

[BigSexyPanda]

ill second the promark oak, they feel great and last for ever, i just hate the way they sound on my ride

quick tangent, I was just wondering if promark made any oak sticks with different tips cause I hate the way they sound on my cymbals, too.

[Stu_Strib]

Nothing like getting the shock wave coming up that stick and into your body with those oak bombers...

Hey yeah, no kidding. I just bought some Vater "Recording" models and they are even worse. These things are dense! But they shoot right up your arms and hands. Are most Vater sticks like this?

[Stu_Strib]

quick tangent, I was just wondering if promark made any oak sticks with different tips cause I hate the way they sound on my cymbals, too.

The Peart models are wooden and have a tear shape, the 5as have a more normal shape, and I think you can get them with a plastic tip too (but that probably wouldnt' help your problem).

[RudimentalDrummer]

But do any of you have any suggestions on which sticks would be best.
(also, id rather go with skinnier sticks than bulky ones, they feel better and i play better single rolls with them)

Sean

Sean, yes I have ... how about alluminum sticks. I guarantee it won't break, however your drum will ... Whahahaha ! ...No..I'm only joking here. Don't ever use those stupid sticks.

I used Tama American Hickory H213P Sticks - Solid Sticks that are not too slim nor too thick and the feel is great with the right weight - Check it out - It's always out of stock here....but there's a Oak Version....

Cheers !

[pete_on_drums]

Yeah, carbon fibre sticks will not break
I broke mine!

http://drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9553

[RePPiN_sC829]

My only two suggestions to (like Guinness Drunk said) pay attention to how you hit your cymbals, and also pay attention to dynamics, you may be blasting the rest of the band (or whoever you play with). The best way to counter this is to watch yourself play, say, on a video, and check if your too loud throughout the whole song. Remember, dont see yourself as "drumming" to the song, but as "part" of the song (which means playing in harmony with the rest of the band).

[somedrummer]

Heres a VF SD2 I broke last Tuesday. Almost as gnarly as Jason's I think.

[MAX ZNAEVSKY]

Anyone here ever break an Ahead stick? I have! Snapped that shaft right in half.

I have already broken two pairs of Ahead TLee Concert while playing rimshots! Yeah, they're all breaking right in a middle.

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/646/0014ch.jpg

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/5634/0031pc.jpg

[Drummer_Boy]

When I see a stick that is near breaking..like it's not broken, but it will break soon..I break it. I'm obsessive compulsive. I'm not kidding.

[mikeybbdrummin]

I think I hit harder than anybody I know. I never did rimshots until I took my first lesson w/Bissonette. Have done them ever since. I would say I hit harder than Gregg. I have also worked out for ten years and am stronger than I used to be. Dont know if thats a factor but I did break an Easton plastic stick. I could bend it in the middle. Now what I do is use clear moving or packing tape and and use about an eight inch piece and wrap about a two inch area in the middle. They last about 3-4 times longer.

[jollymosher]

its because ur a drummer... that involves breaking sticks.

[Chip]

I tend to drift toward Hickory (Vic Firth 5A American Hickory, 2B for practice, 7A for lighter stuff) for it's shock absorbency. My hands and fingers (and arms haha) stay perfectly comfortable, I play bonham stuff, heaps of rimshots and metal, and need new sticks maybe 3-4 times a year.

[pearl_floyd]

when i first started playing 5 months ago i would go through sticks every week but i've worked on my technique and i've found that the better i get the longer my sticks last. BTW i use Zildjian hickory 5A.

PS how much do you guys spend on a pair of sticks?

[groove-dude]

try changing the angle of your cymbols, i used to play with cymbols flat this shreded my sticks (like once a week) but now their at an angle (30 ish degrees) both sticks and cymbols last much loger

[Darmikalus]

dosent the chad smith siganture stick (vater i think) have a smaller stick grip area, and a thicker end and tip? i could be mistaken... if so the thin grip area could give you the feel of a smaller stick, and the rest could stand up better to cymbals...

[sLarkin20]

You gotta be hitting at the most akward angles, and way to hard to be breaking them after 10 minutes. I'm a hard-hitter as well and I can wail on my hi-hats and cymbals and my sticks last a good 2 weeks, vic firth american rock. If their breaking after 10 minutes something is wrong

[Ekim]

If you're breaking heads, you're hitting too hard. I know because used to bash too. I broke sticks, a few heads and a few too many cymbals. I destroyed the no-name brand cymbals that came with my kit and broke two AA crashes too.

Learn the Moeller stuff. Get that shocking force out of the equation so you're not hurting your kit and your body.

Since learning the Moeller grip / philosophy, my wrists don't hurt nearly as much. I play better and have way more fun. I also almost never break sticks any more, even with hard rimshots on die-cast rims. And my heads lose their tone before they have any of the divots in them.

[tmc]

whats up guys,
to explain my problem, i play a wide range of music. mostly now i have been playin a lot of metal/punk kinda thing. I have a problem of breakin sticks within like 10 minutes of playing. Some people say i play to hard, but thats rediculous, i beleive playing hard is the best way to go. But do any of you have any suggestions on which sticks would be best.
(also, id rather go with skinnier sticks than bulky ones, they feel better and i play better single rolls with them)

Sean


Hey Sean.

I weigh about 190lbs. and I hit hard enough that I can be heard from over two blocks away when I'm practicing, but I haven't broken any sticks, yet. I think, like some of the others have written, that you need to examine your technique.

-Michael
NP: Led Zeppelin - Physical Grafitti

[Paiste 2002]

Amen. And you know what it is? I have made a habit to watch various drummers I stumble across who mention that they break sticks and cymbals alot, be it on the road or in various studios. In almost every case, the drummers had no technique at all as far as glancing the heads and cymbals in a circular motion, every hit on every surface is a direct, straight down bash----and then the wrist comes flying back, because by going up and down in a linear fashion, they can't get their wrists "out of the way" of the rebound. This technique, or lack thereof, is in my opinion why some drummers can't make a pair of sticks last more than a day or two.

Brad

[Class A Drummer]

i almost never break my sticks. But recently i got into doing alot of rim shots (or whatever its called when you smack the stick against the head and the rim at the same time) and i went through 3 pairs in one day all of the sudden. Im now done with rim shots. Has anyone else had this problem? am i doing somthing wrong thats making that happen? i dont have to much money to buy sticks, and i dont want this to keep happening.

[boomboomda]

That happens to me all the time too, but mostly I get rid of the sticks before they break.
Unfortunately when wood hits metal something has to give, and in that case it will be the wood.

[mikeybbdrummin]

whats up guys,
to explain my problem, i play a wide range of music. mostly now i have been playin a lot of metal/punk kinda thing. I have a problem of breakin sticks within like 10 minutes of playing. Some people say i play to hard, but thats rediculous, i beleive playing hard is the best way to go. But do any of you have any suggestions on which sticks would be best.
(also, id rather go with skinnier sticks than bulky ones, they feel better and i play better single rolls with them)

Sean

I also hit pretty hard. If i hit to hard on my ride (bell) I will break it at the shoulder.
For rim shots they fall apart in the middle. What I have done is take clear packing or moving tape and wrap a thin layer, about 6 inches long, around the middle (2 inch wrapped tight in rim shot area) and right under the head of the stick . About 1 inch. They last about three times longer.

[IDDrummer]

I hit hard, do lots of rimshots, and almost never break sticks. I wear them out because they chip away at the shoulder (mostly from the hi-hat), but only break one or two pairs a year.

I think it's an issue of holding the stick too tightly, maybe. I don't know without watching you play. Try to let the stick "breathe" and rebound naturally, and don't try to play through the head. You get more volume and a better quality sound playing more loosely - volume comes from the velocity of the stick, not from pushing it into the head.

Also, you need decent sticks to start with. If you buy them out of the bargain bin, they'll almost surely break more quickly than a good quality oak or hickory stick.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[mikeybbdrummin]

Read the two other threads exactly like this

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Stick durability will be reduced from rim shots. Metal vs. Wood is not really a competition as it is a massacre.

Oh wait, anything useful I say, he can't read.

[syaoran05]

whats up guys,
to explain my problem, i play a wide range of music. mostly now i have been playin a lot of metal/punk kinda thing. I have a problem of breakin sticks within like 10 minutes of playing. Some people say i play to hard, but thats rediculous, i beleive playing hard is the best way to go. But do any of you have any suggestions on which sticks would be best.
(also, id rather go with skinnier sticks than bulky ones, they feel better and i play better single rolls with them)

Sean


oh the people who tell you you're playing too hard are right. you know dude, no offense, but all the drummers i encounter who proclaim that playing hard is the way to go are 1. noobs or 2. long-time drummers that never learned or 3. very stubborn dudes who dont listen to their drum teachers. and friends and other drumemrs.

you know dude i bet i can whip up a louder sound than you do :P. i play metal and hard rock too and 75% alternative..

i know of this guy, a drummer in a highschool band [from my school of course] who opened for pro bands in a concert... dude he's got louder sound than the other pro rock bands there, and he hits more softly than the pro bands' drummers... point: playing hard isnt the way to go.

im ok with people who hit hard with good technique [imean sometimes you cant avoid it if you like have compulsively insane big muscles] . im not ok with people who use hard hitting as their technique..

oh about the sticks.... for my whole life i only owned two sticks. the first one broke only because it was chewed by the dog and it gave while i was playing jazz. the 2nd one is a 7A hickory noname... i still have it, around a year already. oh and did i mention i loooove rimshots and i play metal and hard rock?

oh yeah, there's also my friend who had owns a pearl forum. he still uses the vic firths that came with it. around more than a year now.. his drum teacher never looked at his hi hat hits so basically all the time he owned that pair of sticks he's been hitting the hats with the shoulder of the sticks right on the edge. the stick wont give, i tell you i think its possessed. im more concerned now about his brass hi hats. i think theyre gonna break sooner than the sticks hahaha :P

[bobie2000]

okay heres my story,

i started with 5as broke them in an hour, moved to expensive 5bs, they broke in two days,
went up to 2bs, still broke in a week,

then i found myself getting a pair of m4s from a bargin bin for 10 bucks, lasted me for three months, just becasue thats how long it took to chew through them, i then was told that it was my technique and my kit set up. i flattened out my toms(witch were almost vertical) and stopped hitting so hard.

i continued using m4s untill i started to do fast fills and stuff, they were just too heavey to be able to go fast with. i now use rotate between maple 5as and maple bs. and they are great and very light too. and i get them for 5 bucks a pair.

heres my advice, dont tape ur sticks,(or at least not with gaffer tape) mit made me become very heavy handed. and try and find out if it is your technique, or your kit set up.

[maybetoday]

I break sticks like it's my job. I bought a pair of Vater 5A's and broke a stick within a week of playing them. This is not good. I do play hard and hit rimshots hard as well, which seems to make them break the most. The type of music I play however requires me to hit hard.

Any suggestions?

[Latin Groover]

i play rimshots and crossticks all of the time and in 3 years ive broken 2 sticks! When i first started i had only one pair (vic Virth 5A's) i had them for 1 year and a half. I didnt go out and buy n ew sticks because i didnt feel the need to, i liked 5A's. Then after a year and a half one broke so i got another pair 4 months later one of the new sticks broke so for 1 week i was using one 5A from my old pair and one stick from the new pair then the tip broke in half one the old stick. Thats when i went out and tryed sticks. I ended up getting sum rock sticks which i dont use at all, (i only got them cause i was experimenting) the Steve Gadd Vic Virth sticks and a pair of Vater 7A's. I use the 7A's and the Gadd sticks all the time now. I've had them for a while now and they haven't broken chipped splintered or shown any sign they are weakening. A bit of the black laquar finish on the Gadd's is starting to wear off but thats it. Otherwise they're new.

[Latin Groover]

I forgot to say that of course i do have a back up pair of vater 7a's and Gadds so i have to pairs of each, but they are still in the pack. I carry them with all the time of course, for if the others brake but i ve never needed to touch them.

[mike1234]

I have been playing drums for about 8 months now and i think i have broke about 6 to 7 sticks. My hihat is sharp on the edges and it seems to eat away my sticks really fast. That is the only reasoon my sticks break. I tried putting tape around my hihat edges but that makes a funny sound on my hihat and my sticks cut through the tape anyway. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this so the sticks don't break

[MOZ]

I have a nice collection of assorted wood sticks that lasted an average of a couple of hours a set. Technique could have been the problem and i lowered the height of my hats and tried to change my style to compensate which i didn't like. I changed to Ahead Lars Ulrich signature sticks and found that they suit me well for the style i like to play. Still I have snapped 6 sets in 2 years and they don't sound as good as wood. But i dont mind as long as i have a smile on my face whilst keeping the pace

[osamasgoat5467]

I've totaled three pairs of sticks so far on my new drumset since I got it, probably around two months back. Is that too often? I use vic firth 5B's, and I'm thinking I've trying Vater to see if they're more durable ... either their 5B or the Josh Freese signature

what do you think? Am I breaking (they don't actually break, they just fray and split to impossible-to-play degrees) these things too often and I should try tougher sticks? I know there was a thread a while back about vic firth losing quality and stuff ....

My sticks (http://photobucket.com/albums/y186/aahznightsky/sticks%20all%20breakin/)

I might have posted this before a long time ago, but use the Vic Firth 2B's or Metal N's (2B's that are an inch longer for more reach, which make it easier to move around the kit once you get used to them.)

[Latin Groover]

but they are real heavy and fat

[RobertLee]

I've been playing for just over two years and am hardly "SEASONED". I also seem to go thru sticks rather quickly. It seems to always be the right stick..... What am I hitting wrong the is causing so much abuse? Maybe to much hi-hat rim? unsure.

[Jay.B.]

I have already broken two pairs of Ahead TLee Concert while playing rimshots! Yeah, they're all breaking right in a middle.

By Eck it's so nice to see somebody else snap ahead sticks haha

I'm on my 3rd pair since january, and really enjoy using these over wooden sticks, I find my hands and arms don't get quite so tired as they absorb most of the vibration. It is true they don't feel like wood sticks, but they are identical and perfectly ballanced every time. I do miss wood sticks at times, but as soon as I try them again I get white fingers from the vibration, and a carpet that looks like a workshop floor as I like to rim my snare quite a lot.

[Chip]

I seriously don't get it. I sometimes DON'T play rimshots, my sticks hold up, and I don't get sore hands/arms, except for when I haven't played for a few days and my grip is tighter because I got out of it. My sticks last 2-3 months, currently 7A's (dips, does anybody else think Zildjian should just stick to cymbals?) lasted 2 months. Do you guys use hickory sticks? It has shock absorbing properties, useful for rimshots.

I play hard on a cowbell, rimshots, shoulder on the ride bell and heaps of potentially stick damaging acts, I have only ever actually broken 2 sticks (and 1 out of anger, it was old and had a crack, hehehe.)

Not looking down on anyone or trying to be superior, I just don't think somebody should play that hard, it leaves nowhere to go dynamically.

[teddyleevin]

At, guitar center i needed a lot of sticks cheap, so I but 6 pairs of "Sound Purecussion" 5B's and that was about 3 months ago. My first pair of em haven't broken yet.

[DIZZY DRUMMER]

At, guitar center i needed a lot of sticks cheap, so I but 6 pairs of "Sound Purecussion" 5B's and that was about 3 months ago. My first pair of em haven't broken yet.

Thanks for the tip - I had a change & brought 3 pairs of Zildjian 5B Dip - all 3 pairs were broke in the space of 2 weeks - I was not impressed.

[asht89]

i dunno if anyone else has found this but i find that vic firths break a lot more easily than other brands. my vater chad smith signatures have chipped at the top : / Pro mark and Shaw X sticks are my faves and break a lot less. i play all styles from rock to jazz, so these sticks feel the wrath of all tyres of music

[PdoubleE]

i dunno if anyone else has found this but i find that vic firths break a lot more easily than other brands. my vater chad smith signatures have chipped at the top : / Pro mark and Shaw X sticks are my faves and break a lot less. i play all styles from rock to jazz, so these sticks feel the wrath of all tyres of music

I have never had a problem breaking sticks.. but i used to go through cheap cymbals like there was no tomarrow. I used firths now.. and they seem to hold up Really well. they barley even chip.. But promark will always be my fav.

[DIZZY DRUMMER]

I have a damaged nerve to my right hand - which means that my grip is not as strong as I would like & end up throwing the stix about.

HOWEVER - I have found these stix & the are great. They help me keep a good grip & are good quality too. (Look out for the notch about a 1/3rd up.)



www.trueline.com

I have gone for the Power Grip 5A.

[Latin Groover]

I bought another set of sticks about 1 and a half weeks ago and one pair that i got where those Zildjian Trilok Guruto one's. I liked them in he shop but when i played with them on my kit. I tell you now i've never played a more umcomfortable stick in my life(Im not talking dimensions or finish feel here). The viabrations just go right through the stick. I cant play with them. Just doesn't absorb any of the viabrations at all. I find Vater are extremly durable. But they slip in my hands cause they're so smooth.

[Fat Elvis]

I bought another set of sticks about 1 and a half weeks ago and one pair that i got where those Zildjian Trilok Guruto one's. I liked them in he shop but when i played with them on my kit. I tell you now i've never played a more umcomfortable stick in my life(Im not talking dimensions or finish feel here). The viabrations just go right through the stick. I cant play with them. Just doesn't absorb any of the viabrations at all. I find Vater are extremly durable. But they slip in my hands cause they're so smooth.

i tried vaters -- and had the same results on the sticks i tried. I know that a lot of people love vaters, but i found they had too much stick vibration and i was not a fan of their finish at all. I ran back to my gadd sigs, and while they do chip and shread like nobodys business, they are still the most comfortable sticks i have ever used.

[Latin Groover]

Hmm.. Sometimes i can feel the viabrations from vater, but not really. ut they are (i think) prob the strongest sticks out there(wooden) but its the finish. Sometimes, depends on wat my hands are like at the time but 60% they're too slippery

[d.c.drummer]

I'm against carbo sicks for this simple reason. When you strike a drum, most of the energy goes into the drum head or cymbal. Some of it doesnt. Especially when doing rimshots alot of tthe enery doesnt make it to the drum.
With wood sticks its absorbed by the wood, resulting in wood (small) vibration, chipping, and sound(good).
With carbon the energy is not so much absorbed by the stick. If it is it comes back as vibrations (bad). If it doesnt, it goes into your drum's rims and shell (bad).

Somethings gotta give. Something is getting damaged by all that extra energy not being absorbed by your wooden sticks. Id rather it be a $5 pair of sticks than a $500 snare.[/

[Bttl]

Right so heres the story. I went into my local drum shop and was told to avoid zildjian sticks as they break easily. I thought i would try them out anyway (Zildjian 7a) and they really do seem quite tough. I have tryed many sticks and these are great.

What are your experiences with Zildjian sticks?

[Johnny from the block]

You might actually want to try 5b carbo sticks or ahead. They might last you a lot longer.

At the time I broke around 1 pair every 3 weeks, I smashed the carbos 5B after a couple of days, ... On top of that they feel and sound less good.
I still believe the key to breaking as few sticks as possible is developping the right hitting-technique.
After a while It took 2-3 months after I broke VF 5A's instead of 2-3 weeks.
My current problem though, is that the tip of the tips easily breaks, Then offcourse you have to put them away, as you don't want to damage tour heads at the same time...
irritating, going to try out some other brands.

[FilthyRichDrums]

I started to take a liking to the Taylor Hawkins Sig. Series. I liked the weight, and they held up really well, until the show last week. I broke them in the middle of the 3rd song! But, I also cracked on of my cymbals that night, so maybe it was just how I was playing?

[Drummerd]

I used to have that problem - breakiing sticks all the time. I used Regal Tip 5A Nylon sticks cuz I like the ping sound on the cymbal.

I switched to the Pro Mark Oak 5A Nylons and that has solved the breaking sticks every practice. They really stand up to a lot of hitting. They don't have that live feel that the Regal tips do - so I save those for the quiet jazz fusion gigs I play.

For practice - try the Oak Pro Mark's. They really work

Drummerd

[Tama Player]

Try mike mangini signature sticks, they work.

[Drumjunk723]

Let's see i used Vater Power 5A for a while and i broke sticks normally with those. So I went to Sam Ash and asked the clerk, "What sticks are hard to break?" He said its the how you play with a certain stick. The model has to match how you strike. So I kept using Vater Power 5A and i have been using the same pair for 5 months. So I think you need to keep with a stick and you will find the technique needed for that stick. Now to choose a stick that depends on comfort. This should work. If you keep using a stick and it keeps braking, and you give up hope, then try it with a new stick, but generally not giving up on a stick helps with the constant breaking

[michaelofsheffield]

i have the same problem, i just buy 20 pairs for twenty quid to practice at home with,i go through breaking one a day, but use my main(more exspensice sticks)at rehersals and gigs.michael

[Ian Ballard]

i have the same problem, i just buy 20 pairs for twenty quid to practice at home with,i go through breaking one a day, but use my main(more exspensice sticks)at rehersals and gigs.michael

Wow, you break sticks practicing?

Why do you need such volume and power, when there are no other conflicting instruments?

Personally, I think that's counterproductive in practice.

[Drum_Till_I_Drop]

Dunno whats going on, ive used firth sinced i started playing about 2 years ago, and ive only ever snapped one stick! and it was my own fault for popping a hard rimshot. They got through daily 1 hour practices and a couple of school concerts for nearly a year. I dont know how people can snap sticks that often it just blows my mind.

[Sabian]

I used pro-mark millennium II 5Bs and they didnt break as fast as my vic firth 5Bs.

[Zildjian 242]

Right Now im using Vater LA's. On pair lasted about 4 weeks, The but ends were hard to get used to but I like them now. I also played Pro Mark Jap oak 747's, they also were ok but they didn't last to long because there SUPER dense. Im going to try VF next, just because some of my favorite players use them and they have alot of rep from alot of players like myself.

And if that dosent work out Vater is my company

[DannyMeazell]

I break about one stick every one or two practices. ...
That is about normal for me too because I am a hard hitter. I buy 48 to 50 pair at a time.
Danny Meazell