Ahead Drumsticks - Any Positive Feedback?

maxim

Junior Member
There are plenty of posts that give of a lot of cons about Ahead sticks, but i'm looking for some of the pros.I don't break sticks very often, they seem to just wear down and get "bendy" below the tip.

The carpet is starting to look like a saw mill, I'd rather play than vacuum.

At the moment i'm using Vic Firth CM's (17" .635") and hit heavy. I guess i have already made my decision to at least try them, but will i need to change my technique greatly to get the best out of them?
 
There are plenty of posts that give of a lot of cons about Ahead sticks, but i'm looking for some of the pros.I don't break sticks very often, they seem to just wear down and get "bendy" below the tip.

The carpet is starting to look like a saw mill, I'd rather play than vacuum.


Change our technique, not your sticks, way cheaper.





but will i need to change my technique greatly to get the best out of them?



Yeah, since you're going to have to anyway, just do it with your current sticks.

If you're hacking it usually means your stick is too thick (for your technique).

How do I know this? Ancient Chinese secret.
 
I guess i have already made my decision to at least try them, but will i need to change my technique greatly to get the best out of them?

Well, I was going to say "You're not going to like them, so I doubt that changing your technique will have any effect" but you did ask for positive feedback, so I'll hold my tongue.

Although, relatively speaking, that would have been the most positive thing I could say about the sticks.

Bermuda
 
Positive things, they are black. Other than that, don't waste your time or money. I could give you a whole laundry list of things about these sticks that suck. I tried really hard to like them but just couldn't.
 
I switched to the Metallica model of Ahead sticks about a year ago. I'm still on the first pair, only replaced the covers once, and haven't had any real problems so far, other than regretting not switching a few years earlier than I did. I certainly don't miss the sawmill (nor do my parents probably), and they also don't blister my hands the way my wooden sticks did, and I can play a lot longer than I used to without finger fatigue. It took me about a week or two to adjust to the difference in weight and balance at first, but that's the only trouble I've encountered so far.

Ultimately though, it seems to me that it's the same situation as cymbals, drums, etc. Just try em yourself to see if you like em or not.
 
I've been using Ahead 7As for years when I play more aggressive music. I play more jazz these days, so I'm using wood 7As. The Aheads have a much heavier feel than a comparable maple or hickory stick in my opinion. I love them.

Here are the advantages of Aheads for me...

1. A single pair will usually last a year or more of daily playing. For while I used to break them more often, but ONLY in the winter when the sticks were cold from bing in my basement. It took me a while to figure out that rim-shots where breaking them when they were cold. makes sense.

2. Save lots of $ if you play a lot and hit hard.

3. They both always feel perfectly balanced and straight to me. It used to drive me nuts when one stick would feel ever so slightly heavier than the other, or just a touch curved. Not as much of an issue these days with the advancement of wood sticks these days, I guess.

4. I wrap mine in tennis grip, and they have no vibration at all to my hands. VERY comfortable, to me.


Disadvantages...

1. Can take a while to get used to the different balance ans feel

2. Cross-sticking (side-stick) sounds horrible. Very weak "cluck" sound. More of a thin "click" sound.


All just my opinion from playing Aheads for 15+ years.

~Mattie
 
If they're as heavy as those Carbostick things, I'd avoid them... unless you fancy spending cash on Cymbals. I had a pair for about a month and in that time 3 crashes I'd had for over 10 years developed cracks.
 
I rather liked them.... But literally 5 minutes ago found out one of them had been broken. Clean break. The cover kept it all in one piece, so I never realized it. Thought something was wrong when I couldn't do bounce rolls anymore... Thought my drum was bad! I think I'll just go back to wood sticks.... If they are gonna break, at least they are cheaper to replace... Never even got to use the replacement covers. Bummer...

I did like their weight, though... To me, anyway, it seemed like they had the mass of a bigger stick in a smaller package.
 
I bought a pair a long time ago, maybe a year after they were introduced. I tore through 3-4 replacement covers, and ended up breaking the aluminum shaft after 6-8 months and decided I'd never purchase em again.

good concept but not enough quality to warrant the price.
 
I've been playing the "Tico Torres" model for around the last six months and love them......................they are perfectly balance and just feel "right" in my hands.

I used a pair of Ahead 7A's for a long time, but wanted something meatier with more reach. They are over four years old and are still holding up fine.

I was initially worried about cracking cymbals, but I haven't had any issues...............I am very happy with them
 
I've always been a huge supporter of Ahead, and officially endorsed them for many years.
(recently switched).

They are a fantastic product and I'm sure you will like them.

Most of the major advantages are only relevant if your a heavy hitter. If you tend to play light than you won't notice much between them and wood.

If you do hit hard, then you have this to look forward too...

1. they last longer than wood

2. cheep to replace ($3 for a new set of covers)

3. cymbals last longer (the polyurethane covers are softer than wood, they only break cymbals if you let the covers go too long without replacing them)

4. less fatigue, they have an anti vibration system in the butt-end that reduces the shock.

And unless you play traditional grip you won't need to change your technique.
They take a little getting used to, but after a day or two of playing with them you will be fine.
 
thanks for the feedback, took the plunge and bought a pair of the Tommy Lees and i am loving them. the way that they are weighted feels better to me. having a bit off extra weight at the front end of the stick just seems to make more sense to me. like using a hammer or an axe. the stick is doing the work not me. the negative feedback i have read has helped me as well to focus on bettering my technique so i don't damage the cymbals or heads,

much appreciated!!!!
 
Man, I'm so sorry to hear that. Ahead sticks sound terrible.

Guess you missed the part where he said he's loving them…

Anyway, good for you maxim. Personally I found that model to be a bit too heavy and bulky for my purposes, but considering Crüe's style, that heaviness is probably necessary.
 
Man, I'm so sorry to hear that. Ahead sticks sound terrible.

They sound like any other nylon tip stick... so unless you just hate nylon and only love wood....

I even put this to the test a few years ago, possibly on this forum. I don't remember.
I posted two songs, one I recorded with wood sticks and the other with Ahead...
Not a single person could tell the difference.

Personally I love the sound of Wood, so that's what I use. But it doesn't mean Nylon sounds bad, just not what I'm into.
 
I played them when they first came out for about a year, went through covers like mad. Went to Vater for 10+ years. Always kept some Aheads around because they're no mess.

Bought Aheads again about 2 years ago, there's something different about them now. Covers last a lot longer, they feel better and sound better. I'm a fan and I'm playing them a lot. I always keep some wood around for when I need it, but I primarily play Ahead now.
 
I played them when they first came out for about a year, went through covers like mad. Went to Vater for 10+ years. Always kept some Aheads around because they're no mess.

Bought Aheads again about 2 years ago, there's something different about them now. Covers last a lot longer, they feel better and sound better. I'm a fan and I'm playing them a lot. I always keep some wood around for when I need it, but I primarily play Ahead now.

After they got the rights to the stick from Easton they changed the quality of parts. Must better then they were back in the early 90's.
 
I've been using Ahead drum sticks for about three years now. I absolutely love them. In these three years, I had switched between Pro-Mark, Vater, and, most recently, the new Vic Firth Titan sticks, and I ALWAYS make my way back to the Ahead sticks.

Some things to know about these sticks:

1.) You get a lot more bang for your buck. You get louder shots and more bounce even at the softest of hits. That makes them really great for rolling, IMO.

2.) These won't work that well if you have a lot of other percussion equipment. The only other percussive element I have in my kit is a cowbell, and I must say that there's a bit of a difference between hitting it with a wood stick and hitting it with an Ahead stick. I, personally, always keep a pair of Titans around just for the cowbell because I really do prefer the wood sound on it. Everything else sounds great with them, though.

3.) I play really, really hard (like an 8/10 unless I'm playing live, which would usually be a 10/10 as long as I can keep the stamina up for it) and I've never broken a tom/snare head using these sticks. I've only broken rock band drum kits with these sticks, but that was just pure stupidity on my part.

4.) They will take a while to get used to. I would say after a week or two you should be golden.

5.) If you're a fan of wearing drumming gloves (I got the ones made by Ahead), you'll have a bad time, unless you wrap your stick up with some grip tape. Using the grip tape, though, can change a stick from a 7A to a 5A in terms of weight and feel, from my experience.

6.) Unless you play like a monster, you won't break them. I actually just broke my first pair of Ahead sticks a few weeks ago. I had owned those sticks for two years.

7.) They are absolutely worth every penny in just about every aspect you could possibly think of.

8.) I would recommend trying out a few different pairs before buying. I find that the feel of a Vic Firth 5A and an Ahead 5A have a few differences, so I would try to go to your local music shop and try to compare them to the sticks you prefer.

9.) They sound great on cymbals

10.) The covers are a huge advantage over every other type of stick out there. You can mess around and come up with different combinations of the taper and weight of the stick. These covers last a really long time too. I usually change mine about every 6 months, and it's great because the covers are usually under $10.
 
I've been using Ahead drum sticks for about three years now. I absolutely love them. In these three years, I had switched between Pro-Mark, Vater, and, most recently, the new Vic Firth Titan sticks, and I ALWAYS make my way back to the Ahead sticks.

Some things to know about these sticks:

1.) You get a lot more bang for your buck. You get louder shots and more bounce even at the softest of hits. That makes them really great for rolling, IMO.

2.) These won't work that well if you have a lot of other percussion equipment. The only other percussive element I have in my kit is a cowbell, and I must say that there's a bit of a difference between hitting it with a wood stick and hitting it with an Ahead stick. I, personally, always keep a pair of Titans around just for the cowbell because I really do prefer the wood sound on it. Everything else sounds great with them, though.

3.) I play really, really hard (like an 8/10 unless I'm playing live, which would usually be a 10/10 as long as I can keep the stamina up for it) and I've never broken a tom/snare head using these sticks. I've only broken rock band drum kits with these sticks, but that was just pure stupidity on my part.

4.) They will take a while to get used to. I would say after a week or two you should be golden.

5.) If you're a fan of wearing drumming gloves (I got the ones made by Ahead), you'll have a bad time, unless you wrap your stick up with some grip tape. Using the grip tape, though, can change a stick from a 7A to a 5A in terms of weight and feel, from my experience.

6.) Unless you play like a monster, you won't break them. I actually just broke my first pair of Ahead sticks a few weeks ago. I had owned those sticks for two years.

7.) They are absolutely worth every penny in just about every aspect you could possibly think of.

8.) I would recommend trying out a few different pairs before buying. I find that the feel of a Vic Firth 5A and an Ahead 5A have a few differences, so I would try to go to your local music shop and try to compare them to the sticks you prefer.

9.) They sound great on cymbals

10.) The covers are a huge advantage over every other type of stick out there. You can mess around and come up with different combinations of the taper and weight of the stick. These covers last a really long time too. I usually change mine about every 6 months, and it's great because the covers are usually under $10.

Forgot to mention that:

11.) The only way I've ever gotten hand fatigue was from playing 4+ hours consecutively. I find my hands get fatigued after about an hour with regular sticks. It's like playing baseball with some batting gloves vs. swinging without.

12.) The grip can get slippery a bit easier than wood sticks. That will take a while to control. The first time I used them live, I was in for a big surprise. I dropped them 3 times in the same song. I haven't dropped them live for a while now though. Like I said, it just takes some getting used to. It kinda sucks though because I haven't been able to emulate the amount of sweat my hands buildup live in practice time.
 
Hey, i dont really know about ahead sticks but as far as non wood stick i have used vic firth titans, they are pretty pricey but they are very durable,

as for feels, they feel very smooth almost a little to much becuase they can be pretty slippery if you swing your arms alot when playing. I have tried using meinl drumming gloves with them and well i guess its a little better grip but its by no means necessary to use gloves.

and i'd say they're a little heavier than your normal sticks ( obviously but it doesnt feel weird.
so if you're looking for a sturdier alternative to woods i say give them a try they're really cool !

also, they dont leave black marks or dent your cymbals.
 
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