Vater versus Pro-mark

JesusMySavior said:
Now, to me Pro Mark is an entirely different league. Of course, I've had Pro-Marks break on me, but I have never found a better feeling or "sounding" stick. The balance, weight, and playability is virtually unmatched.
Click to expand...

I knew a guy that played in a band, locally, that hit with such consistent heavy force that he snapped an Ahead stick, the "unbreakable" stick. He also broke cymbals on a very regular basis. Any stick is breakable when under extra stress. A stick should not break under normal stress, although it will eventually chip away enough that one hit will finish it off. Again, I've never found Pro-mark to be any more prone to breaking than Vic Firths..and the one set of Vaters I played didn't seem superior in any way to said brands.


JesusMySavior said:
Many people say Pro Mark's break easily. Depends on the player, the style, and the stick choice. That being said, I would rather break 2 pairs of Pro-Marks in 3 months' time, and enjoy playing them,
Click to expand...
It depends on the player 100%. With proper technique, it takes more to break a stick than people think. There is a life expectancy built into a stick, but it can be a lot longer than people would assume. I lose more sticks than I break, that is one thing for sure. I agree that it is more important how the stick feels to you.
 
Yeah i agree its all depends on how you play with the durability some guys smash the crap out of there drums hence breaking sticks and i play quite alot of rim shots which makes me a frequent breaker i have tried all 3 of Vics vater and Pro mark and i fins them all the same durability wise.

And I also know someone who has snaped Ahead 5Bs in half. and in Australia they retail for about $80 aud dollars a pair.
 
I used to play Vater and the only reason I don't now is because I haven't bought a new pair of sticks in years. I'm using a pair of Regal Tip 9As that I've now had for close to three years - great sticks. Vater do make excellent, excellent sticks. I'm particularly fond of their Manhattan 7A model, which were always consistently excellent.
 
I personally like Pro-Mark. I think they are actually easier to hold and handle. Vater always seemed really slippery, especially after you've been playing a while and you're hands are sweating. I use Pro-Mark 727. Nice light stick with a decent reach.

Actually, it seems (to me) that Pro-Mark usually have straighter drum sticks than most other companies. My drum teacher likes Vic Firth and always seems perturbed when I use a different brand... :)
 
i like the feel of Vaters, but I stopped useing them. I use wood tip and after 3 hours of play the tip would splinter off. Not break off but half of it is gone. Does that make sense?

the best sticks I have found, that keep the tip intact the longest are the bulk package sticks that GTR center has on sale every so often, 10 pairs for $10. They are vic firth 'B" stock. they seem to have less lacquer on them so they won't sell them at regular price. buy 4 bags when they get 'em.

I do use pro marks when i want an oak stick
 
I believe I've tried nearly every popular stick from every major manufacturer at this point...no joke...and I like Vater and I don't like Vater. I like them better than Pro Mark, whose hickory sticks feel very cheaply made to me. I don't care for the oak but did use them for a while. I used the Fusion model for a while, recently and thought they felt great. However, the tips changed shape on me after just a few playing sessions....el cheapo.

Above all I still prefer Vic Firth. The quality is tops unless you use painted sticks, which seem to have wider variations in weight from pair-to-pair.

I've been using a few different maple sticks from VF and the tips no longer "shrink" or chip away for me at all. I could see these sticks lasting for a year or more. Just a note for you guys out there having this problem.
 
I mostly use Vater or Vic Firth hickory sticks. I used to use oak Pro-Marks but i didn't like the high-density wood. They gave me blisters; too much weight and not enough surface area to grip it with. I like 7As played backwards, or 5Bs played normally. I do have an issue with the tips disintegrating, so I may try those maple sticks next time.

If you're technique is to play hard rimshots on a die cast hoop (for example), then your sticks will not last as long. There isn't a good/bad technique aspect to this - it's just physics.
 
I personally prefer Pro-Mark. My very first pair of sticks was a Vater 5A nylon-tip. It was ok back then because I was a total newbie and didn't know how to judge how good the stick felt as it was my very first pair. Now, I realise that when I use the Vater sticks again it felt heavy, off-balance (to me), and slippery.

I tried the Vic Firth 5B nylon-tip model I bought yesterday, it was great. The nylon tip sounds great and all, and it feels really balanced and gives me more 'control'. However it's a little too heavy for me to feel comfortable.

So... I went back to my Pro-Mark 5B wood-tip :D

It should all come down to personal choices imo. Testing out different pairs of sticks from different models and brands will let you know which feels better for you.
 
Vaters fo sho

I hear you when it comes to comfort. I've had pairs of Vaters that had small splintering sections on them like they didn't get sanded thoroughly but, then again, I've played Vaters that were flawless. I hate buying bundles for that exact reason. I feel like if you don't inspect each pair you buy you're bound to wind up with one or two that have "rough spots".

Pro-marks Oaks are really nice and honestly the only thing I don't like about them is the logo and those dumb lines. But that's enough for me stay away.

Vater's sticks however are durable as can be and even though they don't make Oak or Birch (I'm assuming that's the variety you're talking about) they make a Hickory or Maple stick for every type of music and drummer.

I don't play hard. Typically pop, rock, alternative, and christian contemporary music.

Vater Eternal Black - Finish was inconsistent in a bundle. Nylon tips broke off. Broke 3 5A pairs in two weeks all after a few hours of playing 1/10

Vater Mike Johnston sig - Great balance and cymbal response with small tip but they feel too light to play live. I really have to play hard to get the projection I need. They get an 8/10

Vater Power 5A - 16 1/2" length 0.580 thickness feels great. Shorter taper and length give it a heavier feel but not a thick stick. They're durable too. After 5 hours of live playing they're still solid. The GIANT wood tip is a little annoying though 9/10

Vater Gospel Fusion - Good balance and a little longer than Mikes sig sticks but still too light for live drumming for me 8/10
 
I got my first drum set in 1969. I have played just about everything out there. Yes, a Vater 5A is thicker than a Pro Mark 5A, which is why I prefer Vater. Now I use Vater "seconds" called Pulse, which I get at Musician's Friend. The second pair I chose, out of six pairs in a block, has lasted a long time. I got six pairs for $20, and when they run out, I will get some more. Peace and goodwill.
 
I gave pro marks a go a while back and just didnt like how they felt. Went to Vater and liked the wood tips, but picked up some nylons and I now love them!!! They are very durable, sound good(to me), and are only 8 bucks a pair at Guitar Center
 
i used vf forever, then los cabos which are awesome but they are genrally thicker sticks. then tried promark, 3 sticks chipped/cracked in an hour of light playing (hickory not oak, i hate oak sticks) then I looked through a whole section of promark sticks and noticed they have a horrible idea of which part of the hickory wood to use, I noticed all the sticks I looked at had visible wide grain, where you can see two tones of the wood, those lines are where the sticks will split and separate. I then tried vater, which if you look at the sticks the grain is always incredibly tight and even, one pair has lasted very well and I believe I will stick with vater for now.

promark hickory = trash.
 
treebot said:
i used vf forever, then los cabos which are awesome but they are genrally thicker sticks. then tried promark, 3 sticks chipped/cracked in an hour of light playing (hickory not oak, i hate oak sticks) then I looked through a whole section of promark sticks and noticed they have a horrible idea of which part of the hickory wood to use, I noticed all the sticks I looked at had visible wide grain, where you can see two tones of the wood, those lines are where the sticks will split and separate. I then tried vater, which if you look at the sticks the grain is always incredibly tight and even, one pair has lasted very well and I believe I will stick with vater for now.

promark hickory = trash.
Click to expand...
fine straight grain are the strongest sticks doesn't. matter what company.
it's basic physics.

Bonzolead
 
wow so after my post a rep from promark messaged me and explained with the d'addario takeover they are really trying to improve the product and he sent me a free pair of 5a's!! this was really awesome to me and the new sticks are much nicer then the previous ones, I will get pics to compare later, they are much better all around and should hold up nicely. I still find the taper is a bit thick on this model but thats not the issue with the quality just which type of stick I prefer.
 
I've used both sticks actually, and have found both are solid sticks. I use a 5b Pro Mark stick and a Los Angeles 5a Vater stick. I think they are both great sticks, none have broke on me while performing or practicing. They do dent after each use and eventually they'll start chipping away. I also have some Vic Firth 5b sticks, which I think they are also great sticks and feel the less heavy in my hands than Pro Mark and Vater. I can play with all these with out any problems and with out my hand tiring due to the weight of the stick. So I agree about choosing a stick that feels comfortable in your hands and not to heavy. At least that's what I base myself on. At the moment I am using the Pro Mark 5B stick. :)
 
Last edited:
Slightly off topic, but stick related, I read recently that Vater used to make sticks for Vic Firth, then went their separate ways, in a similar style to Zildjian/Sabian, is this correct?
 
HMNY said:
Slightly off topic, but stick related, I read recently that Vater used to make sticks for Vic Firth, then went their separate ways, in a similar style to Zildjian/Sabian, is this correct?
Click to expand...

Joan Adams Vater made drumsticks at Jack's Drumshop in Boston which made sticks for Vic Firth and Zildjian in the early 80's but I dont think it actually became Vater untill the early 90's and by then were only making their own brand.
 
mls, for those who don't know, myself included. What is the difference in packaging, pre and post the new manufacturing process?

Thanks
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top