What are the most durable drumsticks you know of?

yjb63

yjb63

Senior Member
I bought a pair of vic firth steve gadd signature drumsticks lastnight and was shocked to find out that they went from 10.75 to 13.99. In total, a pair of drumsticks came to 16.16. As much as that sucks, they broke tonight after not even two hours of use! After having a pair of vic firth's last me on average two and a half weeks, and a pair of promark rock sticks that I bought awhile ago last me a month and a half, I decided it was time to stop buying vic firth sticks.

So I would like to ask you, in your experience, what are the most durable drumsticks that are out on the market right now?

ps. I can only get either vater, vic firth, zildjian, or promark sticks.
 
In my years, I have found Vater to be the most durable. I don't use them though, because I prefer the feel of Vic Firth.
 
yjb63 said:
I bought a pair of vic firth steve gadd signature drumsticks lastnight and was shocked to find out that they went from 10.75 to 13.99. In total, a pair of drumsticks came to 16.16. As much as that sucks, they broke tonight after not even two hours of use! After having a pair of vic firth's last me on average two and a half weeks, and a pair of promark rock sticks that I bought awhile ago last me a month and a half, I decided it was time to stop buying vic firth sticks.

So I would like to ask you, in your experience, what are the most durable drumsticks that are out on the market right now?

ps. I can only get either vater, vic firth, zildjian, or promark sticks.
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I have never broken a stick in 25 years. They are all pretty durable for me. These days I use Promark 7A's and Elvin Jones sig model for lighter playing and the VicFirth David Garibaldi sig stick for general purpose playing and occasionally the Erskine Ride Stick when appropriate
 
Silverfox has lasted me the longest personally. They use some kind of special coating called Duracrylix or something. Slippery though. I guess Ahead's aluminum sticks are probably pretty durable as well, but most people can't stand them. They feel weird.

/edit woops, just saw your P.S. Why only those brands?
 
I've never had problems with Vic Firths(X5B) ever breaking but I have to admit that my Vater 5B are holding up pretty well.
 
blasterbeat said:
I've never had problems with Vic Firths(X5B) ever breaking but I have to admit that my Vater 5B are holding up pretty well.
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I use the vic firths x5b. I love them....but i sometimes i litterally break them within minutes of playing.
 
For me vater vic firth promark and especially zildjian sticks just break like twigs when i play granted i hit extremely hard and play thrash metal i have found that the vater 5b nude sticks withstand the most beating. and also the vic firth 5b stands up pretty well. But i have found that another stick stands up the best. The los Cabos maple 5b and 5a sticks stand up like non other. Oh and i guess the ahead sticks stand up quite well just a litle awkward to play.
 
The most durable sticks, yet most disappointing I've seen are Vater sticks. The pairs I've had were not pitched the same, and were generally dead sounding, but they are still lasting even today. Promark sticks seem more durable than Vic Firth, but both are nice.
 
My Promarks hold up quite well despite my hard and heavy drumming. I've always played with power, and the 747s stick(no pun intended) with me through thick and thin! ;-)



Don't fix what ain't broke.


Oh, btw...They are the Japanese oaks.
 
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I had a pair of Steve gadd signature sticks last me almost a year...and then only reason I ever gave up on them was because the bead started chipping.

I use Vic Firth's Steve Gadd and Jack DeJohnette models and only break them from extended use. i really don't see how anyone could hit so hard as to break a new stick within minutes. I would be scared of breaking heads or cymbals.
 
i play to hard most of the time, but my Promark 5B's hold up well - especially after a switch to nylon tips, should mention their Oaks are stupid tough, if you don't mind the extra weight...
 
secondXheartbeat said:
I had a pair of Steve gadd signature sticks last me almost a year...and then only reason I ever gave up on them was because the bead started chipping.

I use Vic Firth's Steve Gadd and Jack DeJohnette models and only break them from extended use. i really don't see how anyone could hit so hard as to break a new stick within minutes. I would be scared of breaking heads or cymbals.
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I used to use steve gadd sticks all the time, but this pair snapped in hald after about an hour and a half of playing.
 
I have used Vater, Vic Firth, ProMark, Regal Tip, and Zildjian. Will not buy Zildjian again, they are terrible. The Promark in my experience lasted not so long, and the Regal Tip and The Vader, and Vic Firth all seem to be made the same, or at least are as durable as one another.
 
I find that any of the Japanese Shira Kashi Oak Pro-Marks work excellent. I'm using Nylon 5A's right now and I love how I can have a lighter stick (well, not so much as hickory, but whatever) that still has really great durability. This is kinda off topic, but I also find the nylon tip on the 5A to sound spectacular.
 
I like the Vics but I seem to chip the tips way too fast. Since I switched to Promark hickorys they get ragged from rim shots before the tips chip. I also like the sound of the tip on cymbals.

My kid is a very heavy hitter and likes the Promark 747B oaks. He doesn't chip tips, either.
 
yjb63 said:
I bought a pair of vic firth steve gadd signature drumsticks lastnight and was shocked to find out that they went from 10.75 to 13.99. In total, a pair of drumsticks came to 16.16. As much as that sucks, they broke tonight after not even two hours of use! After having a pair of vic firth's last me on average two and a half weeks, and a pair of promark rock sticks that I bought awhile ago last me a month and a half, I decided it was time to stop buying vic firth sticks.

So I would like to ask you, in your experience, what are the most durable drumsticks that are out on the market right now?

ps. I can only get either vater, vic firth, zildjian, or promark sticks.
Click to expand...

They broke in two hours? Yikes. I steer clear of any painted sticks because of how anal I am about checking the grain. I look at those painted sticks and think, hmm, what's hiding under that paint?? Anyway, the Steve Gadd's are 15 3/4" long, .550 diameter, barrel tip. Vater's 8A is close, 16" long, .555 diameter, barrel tip.
 
Say what you want about Zildjian, but their Travis Barker Signature Sticks are...well, I won't say indestructable, but picture, in your head, Travis Barker wailing away on his drums, smashing his cymbals so hard that they crack in half. While he may not be the best drummer ever, he knows damn well how to get the most noise out of his equipment.

I have a pair, and they are a pair of WEAPONS. Seriously, you know those big black sticks police officers have? They're like those, only you make music with them!
 
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