Amazing tone difference with X-10 sticks

TWerner

Senior Member
So I'm not a drummer, my son is, but I pay for most of the gear since he's 11.
He cracked a tip on his Vic Firth Weckl's playing closed hi-hats, so I ordered some new sticks on Amazon.

Saw some Aquarian X-10 graphite sticks for under $10, and figured why not, maybe they'll last forever. I can't comment on whether they'll last longer than the wood tipped sticks, but I am stunned at how different they sound from the wood and nylon tipped sticks. On the drums, they sound the same, but on cymbals, it's chalk and cheese.
If I made up a tone scale, hitting the same dot on his ride (602) or crash (HHX sound control), I'd say Wood tip is a 1, Regal nylon is a 2, Nylon is a 3, and the X-10's are seriously a 10.

It's just such an amazing tonal difference I had to mention it here. Has anyone else had experience with something like this? I'd post a sound file, but I don't know how. In any event, it's an impressive difference in tone, and I've told my son to only use the X-10 sticks on his pad or when practicing snare pieces. Seems like maybe they're too hard to hit cymbals with.
 
Sticks have some aspects to them that might not seem readily apparent, yet will feel different in your hand, and can significantly affect the resulting sound of cymbals and drums. A stick's weight, balance (some sticks are fairly front-heavy,) material*, and the tip's shape, size & material will all affect the sound and playability. Various combinations of those aspects account for hundreds of unique stick models from several manufacturers.

Bermuda

* Wood sticks may be made from hickory, maple, oak or bamboo, and synthetic sticks have been made from various plastics (some integrating carbon fiber or Kevlar,) metals (aluminum in the case of Ahead,) and some are even hollow.
 
I think this may be a hardness issue.
Do the aluminum ahead sticks have an aluminum tip, and if so, do they sound harsh on cymbals too?
 
The Ahead sticks are an odd thing, people either hate them, or just strongly dislike them.

The tips are nylon, and screw on (for ease of replacement.) This is partly for simply replacing worn tips, but it also holds the stick together (go to their web site for an explanation of replaceable parts, and how the stick is engineered.)

I have a couple of pair in my archive, but don't like the feel or the sound. I also don't know any drummers who use Ahead sticks, I've only seen them in ads with a handful of endorsers.

Bermuda
 
Looked them up. Seems like they'd sound more normal than the X-10's given the tips.
The X-10s are uncomfortable too. I also tried them on the pad and they "buzz". Just my opinion, but I think they were a waste of $10. Love the Aquarian drum heads we got though!
 
I used x-10's for quite some time a long time ago and they have a very distinct sound on the cymbals compare to wood or nylon tips. I usually wore them out, never broke a pair. I found that, just like with most drummers, after a time I did some more comparison's and really preferred the feel and sound of the wood sticks better. They were decent sticks that lasted quite a while.

I also used Ahead sticks for a few years, looking back I have no clue why I did let alone as long as I did. Got caught up in the "it's the latest and greatest" I guess.
 
I'm not familiar with these sticks. I used to have a pair of graphite, nylon tipped sticks, I can't remember the name, but I never liked them. I used to have a primitive drum synth that was mounted on a cymbal arm, and triggering it by hitting the cymbal arm made quick work out of wooden sticks, but this is the only reason I ever used graphite sticks. I didn't like their feel or sound. I've always preferred the sound of wooden tips, especially on cymbals.
One thing to bear in mind is that tip design makes a large difference to cymbal sound, and combined with neck design, to bounce response too.I personally prefer hickory sticks. Though not quite as hard wearing as Japanese oak, I think they have a better sound, and on cymbals, better feel too. They're considerably tougher than maple and their comparative longevity makes them well worth the difference in price. I favour Vic Firth, or Pro-Mark and have a variety of sticks for different circumstances. I do have a pair of Pro-Mark 5C Japanese oak sticks and I've not had any chipped tips with these. I have found that it's the one thing that will eventually go with hickory sticks, as compared to non-wooden or nylon tipped sticks. I do use both nylon tipped versions of my favourite stick (Vic Firth Steve Gadd) and the Japanese oak sticks on my electronic kit, where sound isn't a consideration, just feel.
 
I actually have a collection of sticks for each genre of music due to how extreme the sound differences are. By far my fav are the peter erksine sticks. I use ahead maxim models when my wrist is REALLY painful and its a slow rock gig as you still get the power without having to put the effort in and it absorbs a lot of the shock. But seriously, got to a drum store, pick out a pair of vic firth 7a sticks and a pair of peter erksine sticks. tap a ride 3 times with each and listen in wonder to the difference just the tip makes on the same species of wood.
 
I bought a pair thinking it will solve my "stick breaking problem" and they split after a week at the rimshot spot. Problem is that they are shallow. If they were solid throughout , they would have lasted a loooooong time !!!!
 
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