Suggestions on new sticks...

Hey all. I am a fairly big dude at 6' 3" and 370lbs. So I also come equipped with some pretty big hands. I started playing with 5B's I believe. Then I found out there were multiple choices! Now I have tried some and now cannot seem to get "the one". I was really liking the Travis Barker sticks, but then they became just a bit too heavy. Now I have been using the Dave Ghrol sticks. The weight is great and the width I guess you would say is pretty good, but I would like a stick that was just a smidgen longer. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Like I said the Dave Ghrol's are good around and decent for weight. I would like something a bit longer and possibly even a more rounded or accorn type tip on it. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

I did search around and read a bit in different threads first. I just did not find an answer to my issue.

Thanks all
 
Hey man, either Vic Firth Classic metal or the Promark 2S might work. Thing is is that they're a touch thicker than the Grohls'. They've got oval wood tips and are a quarter inch longer too. These might work for ya and you don't have to pay the premium for the signature stuff.

As an aside, both my folks are Ohio State Alums, and in fact they both chaired the Alumni Association for a while. Go Bucks indeed! Shame about that Michigan State game.
 
Hey thanks for the tip. I will check those out for sure.

Buckeye all the way! I will actually be attending The Ohio State University here in a little over a year myself. I am not that old, but I will probably be one of the oldest students there. lol
 
Try the Vic Firth 2B Nova sticks. Heavier than the 5B, Nova are Vic Firth seconds. You can save $$$ and the sticks are very well made. You may see some grain issues etc, who cares your banging drums and cymbals.
 
You can try Vic Firth 'extreme' sticks of various sizes. They come in standard gauges, but they're longer than a typical stick.

I try to stay away from signature sticks, because of the price and a lot of them aren't readily available at any given shop.
 
i would check out the Gavin Harrison VF model: http://www.vicfirth.com/artists/harrison.php . incredible balance for a big / longer stick. i love this stick for warming up. GREAT for rock. only beef is the odd "club" tip. the coating is great & wish there were another thinner version for Jazz / Funk.

my issue is i can no longer play 16" drum sticks (so many VFs are this size). this is a problem when i play Jazz / Funk / etc. gigs. must be about 16.5 or 17" if balanced right (although i find the Alex Van Halen model unplayable).

one stick i just got is the JR Robinson from Regal Tip at 16.75: http://www.regaltip.com/products/drum-sticks/performer-series/john--jr--robinson----570--x-16-75--
 
I like the rock stick from vater. I buy then by set of 4 pairs at GC and they match the other vater promo they (4 pairs for the price of 3). I also like the vater 1A . Smaller and longer (17"). I have a hard time playing 16" too.
 
I've tried these 3 from vater:

Virgil Donati signatures
Power house (also developed by virgil)
Can't remember the other ones, I think they might just be called Power 5b

All of them are long 5B's and they have some weight towards the tip, which is what I prefer in a stick.
 
Thanks everyone. I will write these down and check them out on Monday or so. We have a 4 star drum shop that has probably 200 different pairs of sticks. I am sure they will have these and I will try them out. Having some direction is nice rather than staring at 3000 pairs of sticks confused.

I will let you know what I end up with. Thanks again. sonnygrabber might be on to something. I looked up his suggestions and they sound perfect, but we shall see.
 
I would suggest the VF Aaron Spears Signature or the Vater West Side sticks. They have the diameter you're looking for and the length. I play the Aaron Spears sticks myself. They have a nice overall balance and the tip is blended right into the taper so the stick has a unique feel to them.
 
the biggest and the baddest I have are the Abe Laboriel Jr. Length: 17"Diameter: .630" by Vic Firth
 
Tried out a ton of sticks. Your suggestions were really good, but I think the Dave Grohl's are still where it's at for me. Most of them just had a weird weight or all the weight was in the front. I am not used to that. I may look again in future.

Thanks again for suggestions.
 
Might want to try the Regal Tip Brian Tichy model... it's exactly the same as the Grohl's but the acorn tip is a little rounder just as your looking for.
.600" x 16 3/4"

Regal's 3A is also a decent choice. .580 x 16 3/4" with a barrel tip, or
Vater's 1A. It's a hair thinner then the Tichy and Grohl models and 1/4" longer. .590" x 17"
 
Might want to try the Regal Tip Brian Tichy model... it's exactly the same as the Grohl's but the acorn tip is a little rounder just as your looking for.
.600" x 16 3/4"

Regal's 3A is also a decent choice. .580 x 16 3/4" with a barrel tip, or
Vater's 1A. It's a hair thinner then the Tichy and Grohl models and 1/4" longer. .590" x 17"

That Regal 3A sounds like it's right up my alley. I'll have to try that one. Have you tried their E-tip yet? I'm very curious what they sound like on a cymbal.
 
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