Anyone use huge stick sizes?

I play mostly concert snare work, and use 2Bs for general practice to keep chops up. For concert work, I switch to VF SD1 for general use. Lighter, but still good larger stick feel which is easier to control than thin sticks. for light and softer work, I use SD2 Bolero, again for a big stick feel but lighter touch. There is a reason why kids learning to write often have fat crayons and pencils. They are easier to control, and cramp or tire the hand muscles less than using thin stuff.
 
I go back and forth between Vic Firth Rock and Vic Firth Metal. These are some big trees. I have not played with something significantly smaller in years.
 
I've used the Vic Firth SDC (Danny Carey) for quite a while. I'm finding that the Vater Shedder model is working better for me in my current situation, which is slower tempo, extremely high volume. The Vaters are pretty dense, almost Oak like, so the rimshot sound is appreciably better on the Shedders than the SDCs. I feel like the large ball tips are a step down from the Vic Firths in terms of the ride ping that I like though. If Vater made an acorn style tip on a Shedder sized stick, I'd probably go full time on them.
 
Nope... 5A hickory on the drum kit, anything less dense is chopped away on the hi hat too quickly, but on the snare drum in my batucada band I switched back to 5A "percussion" sticks, not sure what wood but much softer and less dense than hickory. I find that with these lighter sticks it's easier to maintain breakneck samba speed, and since my fulcrum is slightly backward vs hickory, to get the same "feel", weight-wise, the fact that there is slightly more length in front of the fulcrum makes them "moeller" more easily. So my accents are actually louder with lighter sticks.

Haven't tried any other sizes yet, one experiment at a time...
 
Used to use Vic Firth 5B sticks, but switched over to Vater Nude's not too long ago. One day I realized I liked a smaller size so I switched. Every once and while I'll try my left over Nude 5Bs, and I they just don't have it anymore. I know they're not that big, but too me they feel like tree trunks now. Probably because those Nudes are heavy!
 
I like larger sticks, but a 2B is the largest I've gone with for kit playing. 2S are nice, but I don't care for a longer length, even with "regular" sticks.

For the last 5 or 6 years, I used double butt sticks in a custom model (shorter, 14 7/8 to 15"). I have diams between .562-.590, which is around 5A to 5B. HUGE sound, balanced feel, but just fair for any real dynamics. They pretty much start at f, and playing as light as I can is still only pf with not much control because of how lightly I'd have to lay the stick on the drum. Didn't really matter though, as I'm using them in larger venues in a heavy rock band, and we're always mic'd.

I actually started using a smaller stick this past month.
I like how I can still get a solid sound (with the butt end), but the smaller diam (.550) and 16" length (longer than I've been used to), lets me do things a bit easier in two of my bands. A lot easier sustained left hand shuffle for sure!
They aren't quite as loud when I play heavily, but just about, and the smaller stick is able to get a lot quieter when I want that.

I'm using the Regal Quantam 1000 butt ended for two of the bands, and Quantam 1000 nylons, but with the ball tip taken off for another.
That "tip" under the nylon ball is more of a nub, and fairly large, so I get a solid sound from it, but dynamically, I get from pp to ff with them, instead of starting at f with my other sticks.

I warm up on my pad with Regal 3S sticks. I really like the action those sticks have.
 
For a short time I used Regal Tip Metal-X.
It's .635" x 17" same as Vic's "Metal" model. But I would pick out the lightest pairs I could find. I didn't like the extra weight, just the length and girth. I've since moved back to my 5BX.

With Street Drum Corps I'll often use their signature M1.
.695" x 16.25"
 
I have been experimenting with a lot of different sticks, lately. I played promark 2S for a while .when I was a kid. I was recently watching some old Tommy Aldridge clips and they made me think about them again. I'm really digging them.
 
2b or not 2b? That is the question. :)

My sticks have gotten gradually smaller and lighter over the years. Started with 2b and now use 5a.
 
I started as a kid with ProMark 747s and then 808s ...But started using the Promark Tommy Aldridge 2S Japanese Oak in 1987, and have used them ever since. Only sticks that I will use.( Oak only- not the hickory ones)

Love the Japanese Oak feel and those particular sticks have exceptional balance...theyre kinda like a longer 2b, with a bit more thickness- but I never found them too heavy , and to me, they're perfect.
Also, the 17" length enables a longer reach which is really nice. All drummers are different of course but these really work for me
 
I saw Thomas Lang say in an interview on YouTube that your drumstick diameter should not exceed the width of your biggest finger, usually that would be your thumb. Something to think about.
 
I've been playing Vic Firth 2B's lately. They're pretty big, but very well balanced and playable, they don't feel like logs. I like them a lot.
 
I started out using DC-10 sticks. I didn't know any better. Then I gradually got thinner diameter sticks over the years. I liked the 747 sticks when I played punk music and I pretty much stuck with those sticks for years and years. Now, I'm all over the place. In my quieter band I'll use wood tip 55A's, but when we gig I use nylon Vater Fusion and thick Hot Rods and wood tip Aaron Spears signatures. In the studio band, I've been using the Aaron Spears signatures and the 5B nylon sticks lately for a little more volume. It depends on the song and how I feel at the moment. I just can't seem to nail myself down to one brand or style, but I know I don't like anything bigger than a 5B anymore.
 
These 2S sticks are really opening these big toms up! I am working less and every snare hit is like a gunshot. I think I have found my sticks.
 
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Is it fair to say bigger sticks give better control? I'm finding the more they take up your hand space, the better they fit and have superior control as a result.
 
Is it fair to say bigger sticks give better control? I'm finding the more they take up your hand space, the better they fit and have superior control as a result.


I wouldnt say it necessarily gives better control. If I needed a ton of finesse or I was playing grindcore, I probably wouldn't use the Shedders.

They just feel more comfortable if you're playing more on the whole note/lower tempo side of things. The extra weight increases the sense of power you have over the drums, but I think also helps water down the urge to place too many notes into fills.
 
I wouldnt say it necessarily gives better control. If I needed a ton of finesse or I was playing grindcore, I probably wouldn't use the Shedders.

They just feel more comfortable if you're playing more on the whole note/lower tempo side of things. The extra weight increases the sense of power you have over the drums, but I think also helps water down the urge to place too many notes into fills.

I get what you mean. I was using the Virgil Donati Assault sticks today (2B size) and they felt great. However, I've used them before and they felt weighty after a bit of use and switched back to a 5B.

Is it my hands getting used to the stick?
 
Like baseball bats, one size does not fit all. I will caution everyone with the propensity to arthritis, especially the olde lads like me, be careful. Those big sticks will, over time, kill your hands. I have gone to smaller lighter sticks to save my hands.
 
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