5A Drumsticks

[Ambidextrous]

Hi guys, i have a question about 5A drumsticks.

Are they able to handle heavy stuff like metal?
many beginner sites says that they are good to start with and then move up to 5B or 2B or down to 7As.

i've seen joey jordison's 515 sticks they are diameter of normal 5As i mean wow they can handle hard hitting? ppl says 5Bs and above are more suitable for metal.

But the thing is i love 5As lol! dun like 5Bs and 7As.

[joeysnare]

Hey man which ever sticks are comfy for you then use em.But if you need confimation, ive been playing metal/death metal for almost a decade and ive never broken a vater 5a, only wore them down to nothing. Derek Roddy and George Kolias both use 5a's and they seem to hold up great for them. \m/ \m/

[Ambidextrous]

oh thx buddy, vater holds up well? i'm currently using Pro marks 1st day using them so idk how durable are they.

[thtst]

But the thing is i love 5As.

Use 'em! What matters is YOU are comfortable when you play and able to express your style.

[Ambidextrous]

Nice, yup im using them and Loving them hahas.

[sqadan]

I just switched to Promark 5A's from Vic Firth 5A's and I am much happier with the Promarks. I think they have a better balance point and I like the meatier tip.

They also seem to last a little longer.

[Ambidextrous]

In my country Vic Firth cost a bomb so yeah, cheapest would be vater and then pro mark then vic.

i chose pro mark as i like the feel of it welcome to the promarkers haha

[alparrott]

I've played ProMark 5As and 747s (essentially a long 5A) for years and years now, and while I do break them every now and again, they are very comfortable and play great. And that's the key for you. It shouldn't feel like you're working to move the stick (too heavy), or wear out your hands from trying to grip too hard (too narrow/light).

[Ambidextrous]

ok what do u guys do with the other stick after u break one from the pair?

[Pocket-full-of-gold]

ok what do u guys do with the other stick after u break one from the pair?

Keep it until I break (although I don't really tend to 'break' sticks as such, moreso wear out the tips) another.

If they're in good nick, I'll continue to use them to play out with....if they're 'ordinary' but 'not quite dead yet' then I'll use them for rehearsals. Perhaps I'm stingy, but I tend to use my sticks in some way, shape or form (generally practice...either rehearsal or pad), until they've well and truely had it.

[alparrott]

ok what do u guys do with the other stick after u break one from the pair?

Since I have settled on a stick model, I tend to buy sticks in bunches at a time - usually about 4-6 pair. I take them out of the sleeve, roll them on a glass countertop to make sure there's no warping, then tap on the counter to see if any have wildly different pitches. I assemble the best 8 to 12 in pairs, and take them home and chuck them all in the stick bag. If one breaks, I toss it; I have plenty of other well-matched sticks to choose from.

[MikeM]

My stick bag has a pretty even mix of 5As, 5Bs, and 7As. I only play the 7As backwards and with tips cut off. These are kind of my default, or favorite sticks and get used about half the time. The other half is pretty evenly split between the 5As and 5Bs.

I don't have any rules for what sticks I use when or on what types of songs. It's just whatever I'm feeling at the time. I go back and forth a lot. I wouldn't bother trying to swear any allegiance to a particular size or model: if they feel good in your hands, use 'em!

[maddrummr]

Definitely check out the pro-mark japanese oak drum sticks. I play everything with my 5A's. They can take a beating and not chip and I can play sensitive enough for the lighter stuff. I used to use Vic...after switching the oak had a slightly different feel to them...but I like it a lot. I still have (and use) the first pair I bought a year ago.

[Ambidextrous]

Definitely check out the pro-mark japanese oak drum sticks. I play everything with my 5A's. They can take a beating and not chip and I can play sensitive enough for the lighter stuff. I used to use Vic...after switching the oak had a slightly different feel to them...but I like it a lot. I still have (and use) the first pair I bought a year ago.

Hi buddy, THe oak 5A dosen't break? heard that oaks last hell longer than hickory.

is it heavy?

[kwolf68]

5As are what I use...I mainly play aggressive rock in my band, but do a lot of thrash/death style in my practice (my band doesn't play that stuff, but I love to try to play it). The 5As hold up...I am not wrapped around the axle with sticks, but have had great luck with and ProMark and Regal.

[Moldy]

5As are amazing. Some people swear by 5Bs because of their mass (and thus, rebound), but you can get a ton of fine control from 5As. If you feel like experimenting, look at Vic Firth 55ANs. They're between 5As and 5Bs.

[mlaugh]

I have pretty much used 5A and 7A with nylon tips all of the time. I was going to try something different so I picked up at pair of vic firth Extreme 5AN aka X5AN. There is a different feel they are longer and a little thicker.

[TheArchitect]

Use what you like. My main stick is the VF Garibaldi sig model. I also have VF 5A Extreme, both Peter Erskine sigs, ProMark Elvin Jones Sig, Promark 7A's and Vater Jazz models. Style is not necessarily a determining factor although I find different sticks better suited than others for different things.

[larryace]

I used 5A's for the last few years, but recently switched to VF American Sound 5B wood tips. (the American Sound line has a round tip, not acorn shaped) All things being equal, the thicker the stick, the fuller the drums sound (to my ear anyway). I like the ping of the round tip on the cymbals too. Pro Marks are definitely more front weighted, not my cup o' tea.

But 5A's are a fine weight. 7a's sound too thin to me. I just wanted a fuller sound, because I don't normally slam my drums, that's the reason for the switch.

I wish they would revamp stick classifications from the existing system to a system that comines weight, diameter, material type (hickory, maple, synthetic), tip type and shape, and balance point

Like, Hickory, 100 grams, nylon acorn tip, 16 inches long, 3/4 inch diameter, front, middle or back weighted....It would be much easier to quantify that way.

[Thaard]

I've always used lighter sticks for speed, but found out that it was my technique and not the sticks that slowed me down. I'd also have to hit harder and replace sticks often. Now I use the jojo mayer sticks(a mix between 5a and 5b but abit shorter). I'm faster than I ever was, and I rarely buy new sticks.