Vater vs. Vic Firth

lovemysonors

Senior Member
what would your preference be and why?

i have used VF and like them, but a friend has told me the Vaters don't chip from rimshots or break in general as easily as VFs...
 
I have Vater and Vic Firth but I personally cant tell about the VF because I did not use it enough. The Vater on the other hand, is really tough and was lasting longer than my Pro Mark. Vater is known for its durability and not mesing the hand/finger while sweating.
 
1.Vaters
2.ProMark
3.VF

I also had a pair of 7a's that I broke that were pretty good but I forgot the name of them. They were kind of an orange yellow color and had black nylon tips. Anyone know what im talking about?
 
I too have had much better results with Vater sticks, especially in comparison with Zildjian and also (but not nearly as bad) with Vic Firth.

I've only played one pair of Pro-Mark sticks (the one's I won from the Pro-Mark internet site, there's a thread floating around about it) and they broke in the middle after a rim-shot. A crack started in the middle of the stick and continued up to about an inch from the tip (running parallel to the stick) and then cracked in the center out (perpendicular to the stick).

I'll post a photo some time.

Biz
 
First time i used vater sticks, which just happened to be a live gig, iw asn't prepared for the amount of bloody varnish on those things! Slipped right out of my hand after a rimshot. I still have that pair, i use them for practice, i sanded the grip area down to bare wood now. Also, the tip of the stick has cracke don both side of the 'acorn', leaving a flat acorn cross section which i have sanded back to near-round.

However, i prefered the Vic Firth sticks i was using for a while, though i even managed to break a pair of Bolero Firths, with a really thick shank, after about 6 months of constant playing.

I would rank them liek this:

1. Silverfox
2. Firth
3. Vater

Silverfox have had the best run with me so far, ive never broken a pair (still have my first pair of sticks!), they have great nylon ('delrin') tips that sound fantastic and come in a good array of sizes, most importantly, theyre made out of tough wood and have great quality control.
 
I tryed vater, and they were strong. I used a 5a and those things lasted like a 2b

But I hated the cut off butt end. I hold my sticks with the butt end and the bottom of my palm and they were the most uncomfortable sticks ever

VF, yea they dont last as long as a vater but they feel comfortable untill they chip or snap
 
Yeah, I also have this feeling that VF are not as durable as Vater sticks...but anyway VF sticks are my favourite. My current pair is a pair of VF SD4 Maple for the kit and lighter playing, VF Dave Weckl sticks (the red ones) for pad practicing and soon Dave Weckl Evolutions again for the harder stuff.

oh, and what I also like very much are Regal Tip sticks. They make some very cool sticks!

Karl
 
I've already gone through 4 pairs of sticks: One pair "No Names" (5B)(stolen from my school. When they broke half of the stick hit me in the eye.), Two pair Zildjian (5B) (Hated those things but they were $4 a pair. Split both of those), One pair VF (7A)(Great sticks... but I snapped those tips off), Now I'm on a pair of Vater Manhattans and I love the feel of these. I'm gonna try a few other brands out but thus far, my Vaters are my favorites. I also have a pair of Vater Brushes that are pretty fun to mess with.

I realize I go through alot of sticks, but A. My technique just kinda got to a point where I won't break sticks and B. I've been playing for like 4 hours a day quite often.
 
I'm a Regal Tip guy, and I have had no problems with tips chipping or anything like that. But if I HAD to choose between Vic and Vater I think I would go with Vater. Vic's finish feels waxy and is really really slippery. I just can't hold on to them. That's another reason for going with Regal Tip. The finish is nice and thick and I can relax my grip without droping sticks. I have gotten so used to it that when I try to pick up any other brand it just slips out of my fingers. I would have to use grip tape for any other sticks.
 
Vic Firth sent me a bunch of different models of sticks a few months ago for my evaluation. The finish between Vater and VF is nearly the same - almost none. I can't speak for the durability of the VF sticks because it takes me a while to wear out sticks. Once I put more miles on the VFs, I'll let you know.

I will say that VF's quality has improved from when I stopped using them.
 
I think sticks are just like heads and cymbals... a matter of personal preference but Iiked the Regal tip too, I have the Rock one. What's sad with Regal tips is it miss some different size and tips but they are coming out. I tried the Vater Fusion, New Orlean Jazz and Studio, I'm willing to try the Manhattan too but I'll get a new pair of Studio, they are very small in diameter but for light playing, they feel so good and sound awesome on the ride.

Here's my sticks collection, it miss some rimshot maple, RB maple (my christmas gift from my daughter), Trakk 7a Nylon tips, Generic 5a and no name sticks and mallet.

sticks.jpg
 
Yeah, I also have this feeling that VF are not as durable as Vater sticks...but anyway VF sticks are my favourite. My current pair is a pair of VF SD4 Maple for the kit and lighter playing, VF Dave Weckl sticks (the red ones) for pad practicing and soon Dave Weckl Evolutions again for the harder stuff.

oh, and what I also like very much are Regal Tip sticks. They make some very cool sticks!

Karl


I have been doing this for some time as well, and the funnt thing is that there really isn't much difference between those sizes, but the Combos really lend themselves to quieter playing.


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com


http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=drummermikemccraw
 
I love vater! I was playing pro marks for about the last 5 years, but my music store was out about 6 months ago so I tried some vaters and absolutley loved them. Every pair of vic firths I've ever had broke too easily, except for some 2b's that felt pretty awfull. The vaters take a really long time to break, but when they do they seem to break off completley (almost like they're cut) rather then splitting up the shaft like vic firths normally do for me. It's all personal preference on what feels better for you, but theres no question vaters will last longer.
 
I have been doing this for some time as well, and the funnt thing is that there really isn't much difference between those sizes, but the Combos really lend themselves to quieter playing.


Mike

Exactly. The Combos are my first choice for quieter playing. I`m now playing my third pair of them, so I play SD4 Combo for a half or 3/4 year now.
Usually I get tired when playing with the same stick so much, also over a long time but the SD4 just feel great. Will buy them again very soon. Maple and light, pretty thin.

And yes, there aren`t too many differences bewteen the SD4 and the Dave Weckl models but wow, such a small difference can affect your sound so much.

Karl
 
I used to play VF .. definitely money wasted. I went through VFs like nobody's business, and I'm not that hard of a player. To put it in perspective.. my Zildjian Barker Signature sticks (Yeah yeah..) lasted longer than any pair of my VFs, and I've mentioned this before but the first time I played on my kit with my VF Steve Gadd sigs, half of the tip came off.

I've had Vater Manhattan 7As for three months, and I practice at least three times a week, averaging about 6-9 hours of practice a week. I play rock and funk, and sometimes jazz.. but until recently I haven't seen much of any wear on them. I think the one time they got beaten up was when I let my friend try them out. I also have a pair of Vater Shedders that are quickly becoming my new favorites. Yes, they're short and stubby, but they can take much more of a beating than the Manhattans, and I like the challenge of playing with sticks that I'm not really used to. Plus, they give me a sound that DEFINITELY cuts through the mix.

Vater, all the way.
 
I used to play VF .. definitely money wasted. I went through VFs like nobody's business, and I'm not that hard of a player. To put it in perspective.. my Zildjian Barker Signature sticks (Yeah yeah..) lasted longer than any pair of my VFs, and I've mentioned this before but the first time I played on my kit with my VF Steve Gadd sigs, half of the tip came off.

I've had Vater Manhattan 7As for three months, and I practice at least three times a week, averaging about 6-9 hours of practice a week. I play rock and funk, and sometimes jazz.. but until recently I haven't seen much of any wear on them. I think the one time they got beaten up was when I let my friend try them out. I also have a pair of Vater Shedders that are quickly becoming my new favorites. Yes, they're short and stubby, but they can take much more of a beating than the Manhattans, and I like the challenge of playing with sticks that I'm not really used to. Plus, they give me a sound that DEFINITELY cuts through the mix.

Vater, all the way.

You've just raised my expectations for Vater Sticks, can wait to buy some soon.
 
maybe i should join the witness protection program for saying this, but Vic Firth.

I've played a few Vaters, and they were so heavy, i couldn't stand them. Vics just seem to have such a nice bounce and response, and most importantly feel, whereas the Vaters felt more stiff. Naturally, i can see how someone might like that feel, but for me a not so much "softer" feel, but just a more responsive one. what i put into the stick, i get out of it.

the other problem i had with my vaters was that they broke. clean off at the shoulder, and yeah, i break sticks every once in a while (only about once every 2 months, with a rock gig at least once a week and practice beyond that), and shred them to no end, but to me, if you're going to drum enough to cause damage to a stick, you're gonna have to deal with it, and changing from a stick you like to one you don't just for durability's sake is stupid.

it could be that i haven't given them a fair chance, definitely going to try out a pair of those nudes. (tee-hee) but for me, there's nothing quite like getting a new pair of VF sticks, and playing your guts out with them, and feeling yourself connected to the drumset.

i do like those monster brushes though, but the normal brushes are awful, regal tip for those.
 
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