Care of non-retractable brushes

Pollyanna

Platinum Member
I really like the Regal Tip brushes with the wood handle but they're not retractable. My last pair got messy because, while I'd kept them in the plastic tube they came in, at some stage someone trod on the tube and it cracked. Then the wires kept catching on the broken tube.

Now I have a new pair and I'm wondering how you guys keep your non-retractable brushes in good shape.

Ta in advance

Da Pol
 
Hi Pollyanna
Your going to laugh at this one...I use the inside card-broad roll of toilet paper or papertowels. Denis
 
And I did :) Not exactly elegant but at least they're easily replaced if they get scrunched up ...

I can imagine that working. Ta for that, Denis. Good to have a fallback position should the tube get damaged again ... maybe paint it red or something for that touch of style :)
 
I just thought of this...

Go to a local plumbing/hardware store and get a short piece of PVC pipe and 2 caps in the diameter you need. Glue one on and mark the other one so you know it's the cap.

The only drawback to this is that you may have to buy an entire piece of pipe just to get the short piece you need. Perhaps you know some plumbers?
 
I just thought of this...

Go to a local plumbing/hardware store and get a short piece of PVC pipe and 2 caps in the diameter you need. Glue one on and mark the other one so you know it's the cap.

The only drawback to this is that you may have to buy an entire piece of pipe just to get the short piece you need. Perhaps you know some plumbers?

That is a good idea. You should be able to buy pipe by the foot.

I would suggest a little more elaborate setup. Say you need 18 inches of pipe. Buy two end caps and cut the pipe at six inches, then join the two parts with a double-female junction. Open the container only at the junction. Maybe velcro the tube to a cymbal stand. That way, the brushes ALWAYS stay in the storage tube except when they are being played, and the tube always offers six inches of wood handles when opened.

But I have to wonder why anyone would prefer non-retractable brushes? I like the white Vic Firths. What possible advantage could non-retractables have? That are more fragile and less safe.
 
Buy retractable ones next time? They are way more useful anyway, considering you can can change the sounds they make by partially retracting them.
 
Buy at least 12 pairs like you would sticks. As soon as one gets bent, throw it away! ;)

I tried those and like 'em too, but man I hated carrying them around - that's when they got all messed up! I went back to the black retractables. I learned a cool trick from Ed Shaughnessy - he would bend his metal retractors at different points to keep the wires at different lengths depending on what he wanted - it was another one of those why didn't I think of that? moments. Doh!
 
But I have to wonder why anyone would prefer non-retractable brushes? I like the white Vic Firths. What possible advantage could non-retractables have? That are more fragile and less safe.

Fair question. I have an old pair of Ludwig retractables that I like but I prefer the Regal Tips. They have firm, smooth wire and a wooden handle that allows for rim clicks or a very light stick sound.

The PVC pipe idea sounded good but I got lost at "double-female junction". I don't do tool stuff :)

Bo, talking of bending wires, I've been thinking about those bent Steve Gadd brushes ... have you ever tried creating something like that by bending the wires? I'm guessing you'd need to be careful to bend them evenly. Maybe using a vice?
 
Bo, talking of bending wires, I've been thinking about those bent Steve Gadd brushes ... have you ever tried creating something like that by bending the wires? I'm guessing you'd need to be careful to bend them evenly. Maybe using a vice?

Other than having a shorter length of wire or longer, I don't know what the advantage of having bent brushes would be. It doesn't change your attack, nor does it change your swish sounds - hence why I've never tried it. But Steve is such a god that I bet if he dyed his hair pitch black to deny his aging, most other Gadd clones would do the same, eh?
 
The bent wires won't catch on the coating and I think it would feel smoother generally.

And when I have more grey hair I'll definitely be putting in some colour ...
 
That is a good idea. You should be able to buy pipe by the foot.

I would suggest a little more elaborate setup. Say you need 18 inches of pipe. Buy two end caps and cut the pipe at six inches, then join the two parts with a double-female junction. Open the container only at the junction. Maybe velcro the tube to a cymbal stand. That way, the brushes ALWAYS stay in the storage tube except when they are being played, and the tube always offers six inches of wood handles when opened.

But I have to wonder why anyone would prefer non-retractable brushes? I like the white Vic Firths. What possible advantage could non-retractables have? That are more fragile and less safe.

That's a pretty good idea too. I have the VF Heritage and the white brushes. Yeah, retractable is the way to go.

Oh...you said "six inches of wood". Hehe...
 
Yep. PVC, two push on caps, put them in handle first, take them out handle first. Not elegant but very sturdy and cheap. Take a marker and write Regal Tip on it and who will know??
 
I really like the Regal Tip brushes with the wood handle but they're not retractable. My last pair got messy because, while I'd kept them in the plastic tube they came in, at some stage someone trod on the tube and it cracked. Then the wires kept catching on the broken tube.

Now I have a new pair and I'm wondering how you guys keep your non-retractable brushes in good shape.

Ta in advance

Da Pol

I keep them away from kids and drunk people! If they just look at my brushes they will get bent ... and then I get kinda bent.
I really, really like the Regal Clayton Cameron brushes and I keep them in the tube in a stick bag. The wires are on the thin side. When they're out at home I guess I'm just careful there's really nothing else you can do but be careful (neurotic) with them.
The advantage to the Clayton brushes is the length. Otherwise I'd use the retractable ones (I actually have to many pairs of brushes).
 
You're gonna laugh at this one...You know the red hollow cardboard thingy that a pair of Vic Firth sticks come in? I use one of them per brush. I slide it up the handle, going "with the grain" of the wires, and encase the wires in the cardboard. It's a pretty good fit. Then they just go in the stick bag handle end first. Cheap and it works good.
 
That's pretty resourceful, Larry. Just tried it and, while a bit loose, it's not bad. I don't have a sticks bag, just a plastic bag because I don't have a floor tom to hang a stick bag from.
 
I forgot about this one! A rolled up elastic works great to keep the wires in a contained bundle and out of snagging danger. And, you can just roll the elastic down onto the handle when you play.
 
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