Really liking the new Pro Marks

gish

Senior Member
In the never ending quest for "the one", I bought a pair of the new Pro Mark Rebound Balance sticks. .595 diameter, same as a Vic Firth 5B. I gave up on Pro Mark a few years ago because I couldn't find straight sticks; consistently warped. I noticed right away that these sticks were perfectly straight, and also a level of precision in the craftsmanship of the sticks that was previously lacking IMO. Perfectly matched and pitch paired. I've been playing them here at the house for the past week, and I used them for a long rehearsal yesterday. Really liking the feel and design of these sticks, and they're holding up great. They feel almost effortless in my hands. I have a gig next Saturday, and these are the sticks I'll be using. Very impressed. Well done Pro Mark!
 
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I live a similar experience with the ProMark Select Balance sticks, but with the Forward Balance model, .565 diameter, same as Vic Firth 5A...

I used to play with Vater Los Angeles and ProMark standard 5A.

I think that my never ending quest for "the one" for all situations (acoustic drumset, v-drums playing, practice pad,...) is finally terminated :)

I have other sticks for hard rock stuff (Peart signature) and light playing (New Orleans Jazz, and rods), but for an all purpose stick, the new ProMark Forward Balance is the stick I was searching for and I finally found.
 
I loved the feel of the forward 5A model too. I have a huge stockpile of sticks at home (including 30 or so pairs of Promark 5A's and over 200 pair total ), so I didn't buy any yet. If I ever run out of sticks, these will be on order.
 
For me I was pissed at Pro Mark because I was looking for a feel but I couldn't find it, so I went with Vic Firth then Vater, but I just got the Pro-Mark Shira Kashi Oak™ 5B's they are the greatest sticks I've ever tried.
 
I really liked the Forward Balance 5Bs I got from Project 151 as well. I think that's my favorite medium-size stick I've ever played. Especially with their tree-planting program thing. I've gotta try the 5A or the 55A (IIRC) as well to see if they can challenge my favorite small-size stick (extreme 5A) as well!
 
Well, I've played 2 gigs with the RB595's, and I absolutely love the feel of these sticks. However, my wife was nice enough to buy 2 more pairs for me, and one of the sticks is badly warped. I can deal with slight warpage ( I get it, its wood, there's going to be some variation) but this is why I stopped using PMs in the first place. I can't tell you the last time I bought a warped Vic Firth, their sticks are always very straight from my experience. I know, its just one stick, but its bad enough to raise an eyebrow. At the very least, no more sending the wife for my sticks...or I have to teach her to roll 'em lol. Get it together Pro Mark, I love these sticks, don't lose me again!
 
Well, I've played 2 gigs with the RB595's, and I absolutely love the feel of these sticks. However, my wife was nice enough to buy 2 more pairs for me, and one of the sticks is badly warped. I can deal with slight warpage ( I get it, its wood, there's going to be some variation) but this is why I stopped using PMs in the first place. I can't tell you the last time I bought a warped Vic Firth, their sticks are always very straight from my experience. I know, its just one stick, but its bad enough to raise an eyebrow. At the very least, no more sending the wife for my sticks...or I have to teach her to roll 'em lol. Get it together Pro Mark, I love these sticks, don't lose me again!

I've found the occasional warped stick from every manufacturer. As you said, it's a piece of wood, it's going to happen every once in a while.

If you like the PM sticks, stay with them. I can't imagine them being any worse than the other guys. That said, even though I have found a few wobbly sticks from Vic Firth, they do seem to be the most consistent. Plus they make more models that feel good in my hands.
 
I've found the occasional warped stick from every manufacturer. As you said, it's a piece of wood, it's going to happen every once in a while.

If you like the PM sticks, stay with them. I can't imagine them being any worse than the other guys. That said, even though I have found a few wobbly sticks from Vic Firth, they do seem to be the most consistent. Plus they make more models that feel good in my hands.

I guess you missed my first post. I stopped using ProMarks a few years ago because basically all I was finding were warped sticks, and I got fed up with sorting through piles of sticks to find a good pair or two. Especially when I could pull straight sticks right out of the VF bin every time. For whatever reason the 2 drumshops I go to had warped Pro Marks like you wouldn't believe. Although I loved their 5B's I got sick of the hassle and moved on. I'm just hoping this one banana I have is a fluke, and not a sign of what I can expect this go-round.
 
I guess you missed my first post. I stopped using ProMarks a few years ago because basically all I was finding were warped sticks, and I got fed up with sorting through piles of sticks to find a good pair or two. Especially when I could pull straight sticks right out of the VF bin every time. For whatever reason the 2 drumshops I go to had warped Pro Marks like you wouldn't believe. Although I loved their 5B's I got sick of the hassle and moved on. I'm just hoping this one banana I have is a fluke, and not a sign of what I can expect this go-round.

Yes, I did miss it. Thanks.

I take back what I said then. Stop using the Pro Mark sticks. :)
 
My favorite sticks have always had a .580 diameter, which led me to Vic Firth 55A's and Vater H220's. I recently bought two pairs of the new Promark Select Balance stick with .580 diameter. On a Real Feel practice pad, I liked the Rebound pair better than the Forward Balance pair.

I played the Forward Balance pair at church this morning and really liked how they felt and how they sounded on the ride cymbal. The Promark Select Balance (Rebound) with the .580 diameter may become my go-to stick.

Peace and goodwill.
 
For me I was pissed at Pro Mark because I was looking for a feel but I couldn't find it, so I went with Vic Firth then Vater, but I just got the Pro-Mark Shira Kashi Oak™ 5B's they are the greatest sticks I've ever tried.

Totally agree on the Pro mark Shira Kashi Oak 5Bs. Durable as hell. Quite fond of 747Bs too. Tried the Tommy Aldridge sig models. Really like the feel in my hand but just too damn heavy
 
I've been playing PROMARK again lately. I bought a bunch of 5A's and 5B's with the new logo
and they feel great! I wrap em with PROMARK's Stick Rapp and it's on son! I absolutely love their grip tape!

Next is to try the FB Select in both .580 and .565 diameters. I will probably always use different sizes, becasue it's fun really, and I think the .580 is gonna be perfect for my musical situations over-all. I keep 5B's handy just in case I need more volume.

I still have quite a few Vaters to play through, but right now PROMARK is really delivering the goods!

Plus, their customer service is top notch! On two occasions where I ranted about sticks being warped they contacted me and sent me some 5a's, 5b's and Neil Peart sig models. I can't forget that, that's huge!
 
I would love to talk more about this issue and get you a replacment.
Can you send me an email? [email protected]
QUOTE=gish;1229138]Well, I've played 2 gigs with the RB595's, and I absolutely love the feel of these sticks. However, my wife was nice enough to buy 2 more pairs for me, and one of the sticks is badly warped. I can deal with slight warpage ( I get it, its wood, there's going to be some variation) but this is why I stopped using PMs in the first place. I can't tell you the last time I bought a warped Vic Firth, their sticks are always very straight from my experience. I know, its just one stick, but its bad enough to raise an eyebrow. At the very least, no more sending the wife for my sticks...or I have to teach her to roll 'em lol. Get it together Pro Mark, I love these sticks, don't lose me again![/QUOTE]
 
It is great that Dadario is stepping up here! I am very old school when it comes to sticks, and have been using ProMark 5A nylon (hickory and oak) for as long as I can remember. The one thing i noticed over the years has been the lacquer getting thinner. I had an issue with breakage awhile ago and they were quick to reply and do replacements. Very good customer service indeed.

It is great to hear some feedback on the FB Select. Looks like I may have try these new sticks.

Thanks for posting.
 
I just bought six pairs of the new Select Balance sticks in various configurations. I chose the .565 rebound balance model as the one I prefer. The forward balance sticks are interesting and also felt quite good but my hands got tired quicker with those. One pair ( the .585) had a bad spot in the finish right where I grip the stick. Still, I enjoyed the experiment and will buy more of the RB .565 sticks. Once I got used to them stick definition seemed easier and I quit thinking about the sticks and started playing.
 
Recently I've been using Amer. Hickory 5B's which I love, but the tip keeps breaking and I've ended up with a stockpile of perfect sticks with broken tips. Anyone notice if the tips are as "fragile" on the new rebound sticks? I'm thinking about buying nylon to practice with and using wood tips on gigs, but I like wood the best.
 
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