Joe Porcaro "Diamond Tip" Sticks

Traditional Grip

Senior Member
I bought a pair of 8AN Joe Porcaro Diamond Tip drumsticks a very long time ago from a bargain bin at Columbus Percussion. I ask myself every time I play them why I didn't buy more!

I just got an unlathed ride, and I swear, it's the only pair of sticks that makes it sound good.

I never gig them, because I am trying to preserve them, which of course is a losing battle. They just feel right in my hands, and my god do they sound good on ride cymbals.

I know VF makes a 5A Wooden Tip Joe Porcaro stick, but I'm not sure how well they compare. Has anyone here used both sticks? How well do they compare and do you think as a huge fan of the old ones that I will be satisfied with the new ones?

Thanks!
 
Vic Firth makes an 8AN with a tip that looks like a little nylon ball. Maybe it is almost the same as your dream sticks?
 
I got the VF 5A Diamond Tip sticks in and.....
They don't do it for me.....at all 😒.
Beefier, heavier, shorter and not nearly as good sounding on cymabls. I'm not even sure what to do with them. Other than keep them around if I ever feel like playing heavy, which is pretty much never. Maybe someone local would buy them and some other sticks I never use from me, all very gently used.

Good news is I ordered some Vater Sugar Maple Sweet Ride sticks. I have a very good feeling about them.
 
Welp, I'm done searching (For now).

I got in the Vater Sweet Ride Maple sticks. While they feel great on the pad and in my hands, they just don't quite cut it on Unlathed cymbals.

Oh well though, I'm going to stick with them for now. They're better than anything else I've tried they are still made. Great for ghost notes on the snare, great rebound, but not as crisp on the ride.

The show must go on, and it will have to go out without 8an sticks. There's certainly worse things in life.
 
You should try some custom Rich Sticks. You'll be able to spec them very close to those Porcaro sticks.
 
I'm not even sure what to do with them. Other than keep them around if I ever feel like playing heavy, which is pretty much never.

Use them as practice sticks. I have a pair of marching band logs that I use for muscle development on my practice pad & when I switch back to my usual weights, I'm remarkably faster.
There's always something to be done with something one thinks they never have a use for. ;-)
 
Thank you all for your comments!

After trying:
Joe Porcaro 5A Diamond Tip
Vater Sweet Ride Maple
Regal Tip Combo Nylon

...I still haven't found anything even close to it in terms of cymbal sound. There's something magical about them. They sound great on every ride cymbal I own. Oh well, I'm probably the only one who can tell the difference and I now have a lot of great sticks in my repertoire.
 
I still have a couple pairs of nylon 5As. You're right, the cymbals sound great and I feel like I get much more bounce with them than other sticks. Wish I could find some more of them.
 
I have been searching around online for some small(er) nylon tip sticks with a small tip and the obvious choice is a Vic Firth Steve Gadd Signature or a Dave Weckl Signature in Nylon.

However, the Steve Gadds are Black and the Dave Weckls are Brown! I don't want paint all over my #%^ing cymbals!

Has anyone here attempted to remove paint from colored drumsticks?

I suppose either sandpaper and/or paint remover might work. It sounds like alot of work, but I am pretty desperate if the amount of times I've posted in this tread is any indication!
 
Contact Jeff Rich at Igen drumsticks. You may have to send him a stick, but he can recreate it perfectly.

I have seen all these custom stick companies, but I don't think any of them make specialty Nylon tips. Certainly one could recreate the stick with a wood tip, but that's not what I'm looking for.

Thanks.
 
I've seen 2 sticks that have the ball tip: Omar Hakim sigs and Vader Fatbacks.
Both sound phenomenal on the ride and last a long time.
 
Traditional Grip,
I’m in the same boat as you. I have 1pr of the 8A and the 7A Diamond “Spang-A-Lang”sticks. I have a cymbal that is light in weight and sounds great when in rehearsal with a guitar ensemble, while using the 8A Diamond sticks. I too have had them for the longest time just sitting around, not being used. I just used them last night with this new cymbal and now I’m searching everywhere for them, just as you are. If I find something that comes close, I will let you know here in this thread.
Bos
 

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I have been searching around online for some small(er) nylon tip sticks with a small tip and the obvious choice is a Vic Firth Steve Gadd Signature or a Dave Weckl Signature in Nylon.

However, the Steve Gadds are Black and the Dave Weckls are Brown! I don't want paint all over my #%^ing cymbals!

Has anyone here attempted to remove paint from colored drumsticks?

I suppose either sandpaper and/or paint remover might work. It sounds like alot of work, but I am pretty desperate if the amount of times I've posted in this tread is any indication!
Vic Firth make a natural lacquer Steve Gadd stick.

I use the normal Gadds all the time, and the paint doesn't come off on my cymbals. Heads, on the other hand...
 
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