Ahead Sticks - Huge Cash Saver For Me

J

Jim Mattingly

Senior Member
Having been an avid Vic Firth American Classic Hickory user and abuser for many years I finally realized a few years ago just how much cash you can drop on sticks in a year. So about a year/half ago (on the advice of a fellow drummer/friend) I finally gave in to buying two sets of Ahead Polyurethane 5A sticks. I still have these sticks and use them mostly only for practicing and live rehearsals. Having to spend anywhere from $6.00-$8.00 for a pair of the Vic' in the USA can get quite expensive over a year when you tend to go through quite a few pairs. Usually the wood tip goes first and once the tip goes the stick goes for me, I am and will always be a wood tip kinda guy. I have also switched to the plastic VF Rute 505 sticks versus the infamous Birch Tala Wands.

Curious if anyone else is using the Ahead sticks moreso as a money saver, and also curious what a pair of Vic Firth's cost abroad...

This will also lead me to another new thread about making purchases in the open discussion forum...
 
I was a VF 5a user for years. I am a hard hitter and I would shred them pretty quickly. Now I am using Vater 5a's and they are a bit more durable. I've always been tempted to try the Aheads, but have never done so...
 
scarlit said:
I was a VF 5a user for years. I am a hard hitter and I would shred them pretty quickly. Now I am using Vater 5a's and they are a bit more durable. I've always been tempted to try the Aheads, but have never done so...
Click to expand...

I have used the Vater's before also, very good stick actually.The Ahead sticks are actually very good, I was suprised. Although in the area of around $30.00 for a pair now, they have saved me a ton in the long run...
 
I use VF 5B at the minute and in my local shop they are *gulp* £11.50 which is rediculous, Luckily I got a free pair when I bought my new snare but the cheapest I can find them online is around £9? soooo expensive :(

TM
 
TableMuncher said:
I use VF 5B at the minute and in my local shop they are *gulp* £11.50 which is rediculous, Luckily I got a free pair when I bought my new snare but the cheapest I can find them online is around £9? soooo expensive :(

TM
Click to expand...

That's expensive. Even for the UK. Whereabouts are you? I'm in Lancashire and I've managed £8 regularly at my local shop and managed to blag a pair for £6 because the pair was old stock. I'm originally from the Kent/SE London area and never paid £11 even then.
 
mediocrefunkybeat said:
That's expensive. Even for the UK. Whereabouts are you? I'm in Lancashire and I've managed £8 regularly at my local shop and managed to blag a pair for £6 because the pair was old stock. I'm originally from the Kent/SE London area and never paid £11 even then.
Click to expand...

Im up in North Wales in Colwyn Bay, where your lucky to find any decent sticks. All they stock around me is Stagg and Vater and occasionally some Vic Firths, all of them 5A or 7A or 2B, oh and sticks with 'awesome' wraps *Rolls eyes*

They guy used to be okay with me he'd be like well they are going up in price but you can have the for £10. Still expensive I know but at least it was one note and I could play for a few weeks.

I have 2 music shops near me, neither cater to drummers at all. Unless I go about 20 miles away there are no good shops so I shop pretty much exclusively online.

TM
 
That's a real pain. North Wales though would be tricky in my experience - I guess there's not much demand up there! It's probably worth trying to make sticks last in that case! I don't know quite how I've managed it, but I haven't broken a pair since about 2005!

Found this, thought you might find it interesting: http://www.adcdrums.co.uk/prodtype.asp?PT_ID=189&strPageHistory=cat

Shaw actually make great sticks. I had a pair a few years ago and they were very, very good. I'm tempted to order some myself, but I need to save money at the moment.

Vater tend to last me a very, very long time!

http://www.adcdrums.co.uk/prodtype.asp?PT_ID=134&strPageHistory=cat
 
mediocrefunkybeat said:
That's a real pain. North Wales though would be tricky in my experience - I guess there's not much demand up there! It's probably worth trying to make sticks last in that case! I don't know quite how I've managed it, but I haven't broken a pair since about 2005!
Click to expand...

Yeah theres is no demand really, I've only ever snapped one stick a Vic Firth 5A it snapped on the shoulder after about 4-5 weeks of playing haha. I'm not a hard hitter either, my hi hat is just sharp and wears the shoulder down so fast :/

TM
 
My dad I used to play wood sticks. I'd go through two to three pairs in a week. My dad works at the store that we buy them from. He said over the last 8 years i think we've bought a total of 4 pairs of aheads. Definitely a great money saver if you like them.
 
I'm a Vater 5B Nylon Tip kinda guy. I absolutely love those sticks. I have always been a little curious about Ahead Sticks though. I've read in alot of places that those sticks are pretty brutal on cymbals, i guess because of the way they are made. What's the deal? Is this a myth or are those sticks really that brutal?
 
I started using Ahead sticks in 1994-1995 when they first came out. I was using 2Bs back then because I was 18 and in great shape!

I went through a pair of Aheads in 2-3 months and yes, they were brutal on cymbals and when you break one, you're probably going to buy a new head or two as well.

After about a year of using Aheads, I went to Vater. I love Vater, they last almost as long as the Aheads at a fraction of the cost, feel better in my hands, and don't tear up other gear.

For giggles about a year aho I bought some Ahead 5B and a pair of 5As. I think Ahead has improved their sticks and the covers are more durable (which means less wear on cymbals). I have them wrapped in Ahead stick tape. I do not mind using them much at all. I have round tips on them (not the stock oval tips).

As for me, I'm now using Vater Sugar Maple Fusion sticks which have a round tip and a nice feel to them. The maple seems to last a while.
 
I have not, as of yet, experienced any problems with cymbals. However, I just recently broke out one of the sticks on the second pair and I forgot to put a drop of super glue on the stick tip, I am sure you can figure out the rest. But the tip came off while playing and I did not notice this until after the song was over, as you can see from the picture it did not ruin but really screwed up my heads with tiny little divets. So to anyone who decides to use these sticks, make sure you remove the tip and put one little drop of super glue on it...Heard the inventor of super glue recently passed away, just a little extra tidbit of info....
 

Attachments

  • TattoosDrums 029.jpg
    TattoosDrums 029.jpg
    714.8 KB · Views: 380
Biscuit said:
I'm a Vater 5B Nylon Tip kinda guy. I absolutely love those sticks. I have always been a little curious about Ahead Sticks though. I've read in alot of places that those sticks are pretty brutal on cymbals, i guess because of the way they are made. What's the deal? Is this a myth or are those sticks really that brutal?
Click to expand...

Anytime I hear someone say, "ahead sticks break my cymbals" I ask them if they change the covers on the sticks, and they always answer "no"....

Ahead sticks DO NOT BREAK CYMBALS, they are better for your gear, as long as you change the covers. The plastic cover is softer than wood, and so your not doing as much damage to cymbals. But the covers do get chewed up just like a pair of wood sticks, and when they get too beat up you need to change them or else you will start to damage your gear.....


If your break a lot of sticks they will also save you an ass-load of money...
I used to go through around 12 pair of wood sticks per month, with Ahead I go through 12 pair a year....

All you have to do is spend the $4 for a pair of fresh covers from time to time...
 
masonni said:
Anytime I hear someone say, "ahead sticks break my cymbals" I ask them if they change the covers on the sticks, and they always answer "no"....

Ahead sticks DO NOT BREAK CYMBALS, they are better for your gear, as long as you change the covers. The plastic cover is softer than wood, and so your not doing as much damage to cymbals. But the covers do get chewed up just like a pair of wood sticks, and when they get too beat up you need to change them or else you will start to damage your gear.....


If your break a lot of sticks they will also save you an ass-load of money...
I used to go through around 12 pair of wood sticks per month, with Ahead I go through 12 pair a year....

All you have to do is spend the $4 for a pair of fresh covers from time to time...
Click to expand...

I saw that on their website and it makes a lot of since. Plastic does not damage as much as wood as long as you maintain it. But they were probably upset because they spent 30 bucks and didnt want to drop 4 more bucks lol. I wonder how much they liked buying a new 200-300 dollar cymbal lol
 
Jim Mattingly said:
Having been an avid Vic Firth American Classic Hickory user and abuser for many years I finally realized a few years ago just how much cash you can drop on sticks in a year. So about a year/half ago (on the advice of a fellow drummer/friend) I finally gave in to buying two sets of Ahead Polyurethane 5A sticks. I still have these sticks and use them mostly only for practicing and live rehearsals. Having to spend anywhere from $6.00-$8.00 for a pair of the Vic' in the USA can get quite expensive over a year when you tend to go through quite a few pairs. Usually the wood tip goes first and once the tip goes the stick goes for me, I am and will always be a wood tip kinda guy. I have also switched to the plastic VF Rute 505 sticks versus the infamous Birch Tala Wands.

Curious if anyone else is using the Ahead sticks moreso as a money saver, and also curious what a pair of Vic Firth's cost abroad...

This will also lead me to another new thread about making purchases in the open discussion forum...
Click to expand...

Not to sorta hi-jack your thread here (I have tried the Ahead sticks and for some reason I don't like how they feel when I play cymbals), but I no longer complain about the price of regular sticks (like 5A's or 7A's) when I decided to buy myself a pair of Vic Firth MS4 marching sticks. Those things were $20 a pair! And as far as I know, kids in marching band are not doing it because they can make money off of it, so those kids are basically buying sticks that expensive to burn...

Sorry. Carry on about the Ahead sticks.... ;)
 
I have two pairs of Ahead sticks, 5B and 7A, and I do not like how they sound on any ride cymbal I have ever used them on. I like how they make the toms sound, but I only use them on tunes that I never play the ride cymbal. That is very rare. Peace and goodwill.
 
I'd also check out the Los Cabos Red Hickory line.

I switched to the 8As from Pro Mark oaks and Vater hickorys, and I've broken 2 pairs of stick in the last 6 or so months, which is down from breaking almost a break in that same amount of time with the Pro Marks. The Vater hickorys (Recording) have held up pretty well, but if you can get past the slightly heavier LC Red-Hickory sticks, they're definitely a good investment as well for durability.

As far as the Ahead sticks, we have them at the shop I work at. Most folks aren't willing to look around the $30ish price tag, although I got a free pair direct from Ahead and they aren't too shabby. I use them with my electric kit only though, so I don't really get an idea of durability in comparison to being used on an acoustic kit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top