Wooden tips chipping!!!!

This chipping is exactly why I switched to nylon tips early on. Makes me wonder why so many ppl that complain about chipping also complain about nylon tips- see the "least favorite stick" thread.

Probably because they positively hate the sound of nylon tips on cymbals. No reason to wonder: guys like the sound of wood tips and wish their wood tips would last longer. Wishing your wood tips would last longer is not the same thing as liking the sound of nylon.

Yes, they're brighter on ride cymbals, and if you don't dig that, just get a darker sounding ride.

That sounds utterly silly.

If it sounds silly, remember that rides generally don't take a lot of abuse unless they're crash-pummeled Lars-style, so eventually it'd pay for itself in saved stick money.

Oops. Proof.

Plus, most recording engineers I've worked with [and granted, it hasn't been a ton- maybe, 10, 11?] have loved the nylons, and they & some artists who'd hired me for sessions have only suggested wood tips when the sound fit the vibe of the song better.

This has not been my experience.
 
Probably because they positively hate the sound of nylon tips on cymbals. No reason to wonder: guys like the sound of wood tips and wish their wood tips would last longer. Wishing your wood tips would last longer is not the same thing as liking the sound of nylon.

I didn't say it was- I just said there's a solution to both problems, that you said sounds silly, which is only the case when it's dismissed without thought. With a little bit of thought and an investment in the right ride, it's not silly at all. If one doesn't like the sound of nylon tips on a particular ride, then it's due to that particular combination. So the switch is made to wood tips- likes the sound but now the tips chip. So it's silly to switch the ride? Why can a different tip be a good idea but a different cymbal is silly? If one can get the sound he/she likes with nylon tips on the right ride when previously he/she couldn't, which was probably the reason for the dislike of nylon tips, there's nothing silly about that.

Oops. Proof.

Of what? A solution? Nylon tips + correct ride = desired sound + no more chipping. Win-win.

This has not been my experience.

Sorry...?
 
Sorry...?

Sorry, should have been more clear.

I've never been asked to use nylon by a recording engineer, nor have I ever heard one express his preference for them in 40 years in the business.
 
Thanks Jonathan I might just have to try out some maple sticks. Snapping my sticks is not a problem. I can make mine last months before having to change, I only tend to use new sticks for shows and such, it's just the tip chipping which drives me mad.

Thanks for the advice I will try this

Robertondrums

Your welcome!! the ones I use are the Pro-Mark Todd Sucherman sig. stick. And the absolute best part about maple is that there won't be any sawdust covering your drums/the floor anymore. Woot!!

-Jonathan
 
Well i use tama 7a's, and have been for a while, never ever snapped a pair of them :] I only replace them when the logo wears off (dont have a go, i just like them with logos on), but yeh they are japanese oak instead of american hickory and just dont break :]
 
I've got the same problem with my Vic Firth X5As I'd love to try some Regal Tips or Promarks but stupid Guitar Center keeps all non Vic Firth brand sticks behind the counter and the only way to them is to have a sales rep stand there and hand you each pair to try out. I end up just picking up my Vic Firths so I don't have to deal with that.

I miss the days of locally owned drum shops who didn't push specific brands on you.

Anyway there was a thread a while back asking what to do with old drum sticks. Did any one come up with a use for the chipped ones? I've got a collection growing.
 
Anyway there was a thread a while back asking what to do with old drum sticks. Did any one come up with a use for the chipped ones? I've got a collection growing.

Most of mine became firewood, until my fiance's mom, who operates a puppet ministry at her church for the kids, took a bunch to use as handles for props.
 
If you're trying to play soft, I can only recommend chipping off your wooden tips. You get a far softer sound out of everything, especially the ride.

I never have this problem. Probably because I only ever use the shoulder of the stick for big hits. When I'm playing a straight beat on the hats, I'm always using the head of the stick, but that's generally the only time. Really, that's all I use the head of the stick for. Hats and toms.

Only using the shoulder can be hard when you're trying to play softly. I guess the only decent advice I can give you is go back to Nylon tips. To be honest, I prefer Wood tips more, but if you're that worried about the Wood tips chipping, then Nylon tips are your only option, I think.
 
Try a couple coats of clear nail polish.

Also maybe use nylon except when playing live or recording. Switch them out when the exact sound is not crucial.
 
You need to look at your cymbals.

As an example, vintage K's with deep groove edges will kill stick tips very fast, maple being the softer wood has the shortest life span on rough cymbals.

If you play cymbals with heavy hammer marks, sharp grooves, or high ridges (Zildjian A) you can expect wood tips to take a beating.

The cymbals are the road your sticks ride on, drumheads are like riding on grass.
 
The only sticks that I have trouble with premature tip chipping are with the Hornet sticks. I originally bought six pairs of their 5A sticks and three of the sticks started to chip in no time. After I go through the rest of the Hornets, I'm not going to buy them again.

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My girlfiend found an interesting use for the chipped sticks, lol.

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Dennis
 
I have this problem as well. Personally, I use Vater XD-5A sticks. I really like the feel of them, both weight and size, but the tips getting chipped is becoming a real problem. I don't really want to have to switch to nylon tip, as I have always used wood tip sticks and don't want to change my sound too much. A few people have mentioned maple sticks as being more durable...What brand should I look out for for a similar feel to the Vatar XD, only in maple instead?
 
Well, I've found the solution. I've been playing with vic firth extreme 5a's now for the past 6 to 7 months. They are amazing!!! There far better than the vater 5a's. They feel better and respond better and last way way longer!!!! I dicovered them by finding out that Gavin Harrison uses them and seen as he is one of my favorite drummers and my style of playing is very similar to his I thought that I would give them a try. I practise mainly with nylon tipped which saves money and use wood tips for gigs and such. I have never had a problem with them since I changed to them. Thanks for your comments people!!! Really helped.

Robertondrums
 
I wouldn't use nail polish. It will eventually wind up on your cymbals and heads.


Nail polish will wick off onto heads and cymbals (so will nylon tips), but who cares, its easy to clean off cymbals and think of it as another layer of protection on your heads.

The fact is nail polish will prevent wood tips from chipping w/o seriously affecting sound like a harder material will.

Its pretty disheartening to spend $8-10 on a pair of sticks and have the tips wasted in 20 min.
 
This used to be the first thing to go on a pair of sticks, for me. I found that it had more to do with my playing than it did the brand or model of the stick. I was playing more forcefully into heads and cymbals instead of pulling sounds *out* and allowing the stick to rebound. Now the first thing to go is the shoulder or the middle, from hi-hats and rimshots.

I'm not making sticks last longer, they're just wearing out in different places now. LOLz!
 
I was a true devotee of Pro Mark Oak 2B nylons and the wood tips. While these lasted longer than the hickory sticks of other manufacturers, they still chipped. I have recently tried out a pair of Silverfox sticks and so far I love them. The finish "dents" but doesn't chip - so far! This may be something to check out...
 
I too had the issue of an $8.00 pair of wood tipped sticks going in the trash just because the tip would split causing head dents or ride cymbal sound issues.

I found the Regal Tip E-Tips to be the perfect balance between nylon & wood as far as sound goes. My problem is they're hard to find as Regal Tip is rarely stocked at most music stores.
 
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