Is there a thinner hickory stick than a 7A?

Larry

"Uncle Larry"
I'm looking for a pair of thin drumsticks, thinner than 7A. I'm not even sure if they make them. I am forced to use lighter sticks in this one room I play in on a regular basis. I use 7A's but I would like an even lighter stick, if possible. Rods are out of the question. So are brushes, which I use on a few songs, but couldn't do a whole night with them. Anybody know of a thinner stick than a 7A? I'm wondering how thin they get.

On a different note, the drumstick size designations seriously needs to be brought more up to date.
 
Depends on which company's 7A you're talking about! For example, Vic Firth's 7A has a typical 5A feel to it, not a light stick at all. Their thinner sticks are in the America Jazz series. The old Cappella 7A was a very small stick, I don't know if the resurrected Acappella stick co. has a version of it. I'd say Regal Tip 7A is what most of us consider to be normal, and it's thinner and shorter than Vic Firth's. They also offer the Combo, which is thinner still, but an inch longer. the grip is small but the feel/throw is big.

I agree that there needs to be some standardization in stick models. If a company wants something in-between, they should make up a new name for that particular stick.

Bermuda
 
Depends on which company's 7A you're talking about! For example, Vic Firth's 7A has a typical 5A feel to it, not a light stick at all. Their thinner sticks are in the America Jazz series. The old Cappella 7A was a very small stick, I don't know if the resurrected Acappella stick co. has a version of it. I'd say Regal Tip 7A is what most of us consider to be normal, and it's thinner and shorter than Vic Firth's. They also offer the Combo, which is thinner still, but an inch longer. the grip is small but the feel/throw is big.

I agree that there needs to be some standardization in stick models. If a company wants something in-between, they should make up a new name for that particular stick.

Bermuda

Ditto this. I have Regal Tip 7A and they are small
 
Thanks Jon and Grunt. I do use VF 7A. Even though the tone of the drum sounds thinner with a lighter stick from where I'm sitting, the recording sounds otherwise. I swear when listening to the playbacks, it sounds like I'm hitting my drums with at least a medium amount of force when in actuality, I am very lightly tapping to blend in with the volume. It's a very reflective room. People are the only soft surface in there so when it's crowded, I can use my 5B's. I still can't hit too hard though, but I don't have to stifle myself as much. We are well liked in this room because we all are very volume conscious. People need to hear their conversations, bartenders need to hear their orders, people are eating dinner there in the beginning. I often get complimented that my volume is very appropriate there.

I never heard of Acappella before. Would you say that any of the sticks in the VF America Jazz Series are thinner than Regal Tip 7A's?
 
You might check out the VF Peter Erskine Original. It's 0.525" (vs 0.540" for a VF 7A) with a very small tip. It's a half inch longer than the 7A (16" vs 15.5") but that's an easy fix if it's a problem. Should be able to keep the volume down with one of those.
 
0.525. Now there's something I can use. Thanks Mike, there's a starting point. It's like I have to take a set of calipers with me stick shopping.
 
The thinnest stick I know of is the Vic Firth AJ5.

It's .490 diameter. A seriously thin stick.
 
I use the AJ5 as my "light" stick, but it's also a long stick. It is thinner than Firth's 7A, but longer. In fact, it's very close to regal Tip's Combo stick, but wod tip only.

But I like the AJ5 for most local playing where I don't need a lot of volume.

Bermuda
 
It's like I have to take a set of calipers with me stick shopping.

Maybe not a caliper but you could compare the stick to a Vic 5a. I use a 8AN as my practice stick. L = 16" | Dia. = .540". I like the extra length as it doesn't affect my grip.
You might also look into a maple stick, same diameter but less volume.
 
I like the VF AJ1 stick, as well, Larry. It has a larger diameter at the butt than 7A, but has an extremely long taper down to a small acorn tip, giving it a lighter shank than most 7As. The overall weight of the stick is very light, and the thin shank gives it a very light touch.

My hands don't like an extremely small diameter stick, so this one has worked well for me when I need something light.
 
This may be radical thinking for some, but here goes. It is easier to control a stick that is thicker, in the same way kids use fat crayons and pencils. Many think thinner, when what they want is quieter. It takes more stick control to play softer and still be accurate than to play loud. Therefor, I recommend a stick like the Vic Firth SD2 bolero for softer work. It is lighter, being maple, has a small round bead for good rebound and good articulation, yet has a thick enough shaft to allow good control and feel. Clean playing as a soft level is about control, not volume. Volume is a by product of good control.
 
I like a thicker stick too for my hand size, and I can play super quiet with 5B's if I have to, but I really have to tap a little too lightly for my comfort. So why not use a lighter stick. Perhaps I will try maple too, they are lighter. I don't like maple for a heavy stick because they break faster than any stick I played. Maple's grain is not stringy like hickory. Maple probably would work better here because I'm tapping most of the night.

I find that I prefer the tradeoff of a thinner stick in my hand because I don't have to use as much volume control because the drum just does not project with the same oomph as with a larger stick. It's a less tense way for me to play when I can hit at a certain stick height. And we're only talking about a 3 inch stick height even with the 7A. With a 5A I have to lower it even more. That extra bit of height makes all the difference.

Thanks for all the recommendations. I will give them all a try to see which fits best.
 
I know what you mean about maple. I was very excited about maple sticks twenty years ago, but I just couldn't live with their breakage characteristics. Not only did I break them more often (I almost never break a hickory stick), but when they went, they went all the way and just snapped off. Too bad, because I liked everything else about them.

I agree that control is most important, and I generally use quite a heavy stick no matter what dynamic I'm playing. But there is no denying that a light stick speaks with a different voice and brings a different quality out of drums and especially cymbals.

Good luck on your search, Larry. If you like the feel of a fatter stick in your hand but need a lighter touch on the drum, I think you will like the VF Jazz sticks.
 
Yea and 7A's are OK, but I want to experiment with something even lighter. I wasn't sure if a lighter stick than 7A was even made. Like I've been playing this room for a year and a half and I'm just now looking into lighter sticks. It's the only place I use 7A's. You do sacrifice a bit of drum tone with a lighter stick but from my recordings, I can't tell. I can only tell as I'm playing. Out in the audience I can't believe how hard it sounds like I'm hitting when I am actually holding back like 75% of how I would normally play.

So ID, who IS that girl in your avi? Do you know her personally? Is that you behind the drums?
 
Well, there’s always Blasticks, Hotrods, etc. They’ll help keep the volume down, but there’re not strictly sticks, so they feel a bit different.
 

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With all due respect Anduin, the rod bundles, and I really can't help it, but they make me projectile vomit. It's not pretty. I just won't use them, the same way that I won't play a cajon on a gig. If I can't have a bass drum, I'd rather play bass guitar.
 
...the rod bundles, and I really can't help it, but they make me projectile vomit. It's not pretty.

Projectile vomiting not pretty!? Say it ain’t so! Try eating something colourful first for a more aesthetically-pleasing effect.
 
With all due respect Anduin, the rod bundles, and I really can't help it, but they make me projectile vomit. It's not pretty. I just won't use them, the same way that I won't play a cajon on a gig. If I can't have a bass drum, I'd rather play bass guitar.

I feel the same way.

I used to be in a band that was doomed from the start but the lead singer always wanted me to play a cajon because 'so and so' played one. I'm really burned out on hearing them especially since everyone seems to do the exact same thing on them.

I have a couple rods but rarely use them. And it's never because I need to play lighter. It's for a specific effect. There's nothing like using an actual stick.
 
I can handle the rods on drums OK I guess, I still don't like them...but it's the cymbal tones they make that make me want to hurl them at something.

I am not a percussionist. I can't/won't do congas. I don't want to hit anything with my hands. If I can't use sticks and some footpedals, I'm not there.
 
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