Breaking sticks

I used to have that problem - breakiing sticks all the time. I used Regal Tip 5A Nylon sticks cuz I like the ping sound on the cymbal.

I switched to the Pro Mark Oak 5A Nylons and that has solved the breaking sticks every practice. They really stand up to a lot of hitting. They don't have that live feel that the Regal tips do - so I save those for the quiet jazz fusion gigs I play.

For practice - try the Oak Pro Mark's. They really work

Drummerd
 
Let's see i used Vater Power 5A for a while and i broke sticks normally with those. So I went to Sam Ash and asked the clerk, "What sticks are hard to break?" He said its the how you play with a certain stick. The model has to match how you strike. So I kept using Vater Power 5A and i have been using the same pair for 5 months. So I think you need to keep with a stick and you will find the technique needed for that stick. Now to choose a stick that depends on comfort. This should work. If you keep using a stick and it keeps braking, and you give up hope, then try it with a new stick, but generally not giving up on a stick helps with the constant breaking
 
michaelofsheffield said:
i have the same problem, i just buy 20 pairs for twenty quid to practice at home with,i go through breaking one a day, but use my main(more exspensice sticks)at rehersals and gigs.michael

Wow, you break sticks practicing?

Why do you need such volume and power, when there are no other conflicting instruments?

Personally, I think that's counterproductive in practice.
 
Dunno whats going on, ive used firth sinced i started playing about 2 years ago, and ive only ever snapped one stick! and it was my own fault for popping a hard rimshot. They got through daily 1 hour practices and a couple of school concerts for nearly a year. I dont know how people can snap sticks that often it just blows my mind.
 
I used pro-mark millennium II 5Bs and they didnt break as fast as my vic firth 5Bs.
 
Right Now im using Vater LA's. On pair lasted about 4 weeks, The but ends were hard to get used to but I like them now. I also played Pro Mark Jap oak 747's, they also were ok but they didn't last to long because there SUPER dense. Im going to try VF next, just because some of my favorite players use them and they have alot of rep from alot of players like myself.

And if that dosent work out Vater is my company
 
Re: Breaking sticks left and right...

Dill X said:
I break about one stick every one or two practices. ...
That is about normal for me too because I am a hard hitter. I buy 48 to 50 pair at a time.
Danny Meazell
 
I have only ever broken one stick in around 3 years of playing. That was a 6 year old Vic Firth 5a stick i got with my first kit.

I play mainly jazz, but i also use a lot of metal and heavy rock to vent some unwanted rage, and i do tend to hit things pretty hard, but i guess never hard enough to crack a stick. I ding and chip them, but never anything else.

Another key area to consider is the cymbals and hoops on your snare drum. I use quite curved triple flanged hoops, which dont attack the stick too much on rim shots, and all my cymbals are medium-heavy, so dont rip the sticks open like sharper thin cymbals.
 
I've played with 2B Vic Firths for around 10 months and they still haven't broken on me. I'm not too much of a hard hitter, but my sticks do have the normal indents in them from rimshots and my hi hat. I'm pretty sure that they'll break within my next couple practices or so.

I'm looking into getting some thicker sticks. Has anybody tried out Zildjian sticks yet? If so, are they of good quality?
 
I'm looking into getting some thicker sticks. Has anybody tried out Zildjian sticks yet? If so, are they of good quality?

Thicker than 2Bs! God your hands must be huge. And in this thread theres been countless posts of the porr quality of zildjian sticks, but there is the occosial person that loves them.
 
in this thread theres been countless posts of the porr quality of zildjian sticks, but there is the occosial person that loves them.

Yeah I was looking around different topics and I saw a lot of awful reviews on Zildjian sticks. It appears that people seem to like ProMark and Vic Firth. Since I'm already on the Vics, I may try out one the ProMark brands.

My hands aren't THAT huge. Haha! They're wide, but not bulky.
 
i got some zildian DIPs a while back, they felt horrible and broke quickly. now i'm using vic firths, i had one defect stick that had the top inch or two break clean off diagonally after not too much use, but the pair i'm on now is holding up well. i'm thinking i may try promark oaks next time, just for a change
 
heres the thing, you break sticks or cymbals it reflects teqnique. if you break a drum head before its supposed to, then idk BUT! really dont worry about sticks to much there cheap, and as you get better and your teqnuqie improves you'll break less n less sticks. starting out, i used to go through a pair a week. now im going through a pair like every other month.

stay with vic-firth and pro-mark. they are pretty good.


i would maybe suggest some ahead sticks.
 
Brought a pair of Vic Firth - Steve Gadd sigs for practice use..

Stupidly played a gig with them. Broken after the first song =(

shameful.

Laul.
 
I used to use Vic Firth sticks but I broke a brand new pair with probably 1 to 2 months of drumming then I switched to Pro Mark and they haven't broken since. I have them for about 4 months. So I would suggest Pro Marks.
 
I used Pro Mark Japanse Oak 2BNs and they haven't broke on me yet. I had a pair of Ludwig 7As that came with my drumset, but they lasted about a week. Pro Mark 2Bs are thick, so I guess that's why I haven't broken one of those yet.

My Vic Firth 5Bs lasted about 4 months. If I didn't cover them in electrical tape, they probably would've lasted around 2.
 
Hi everyone, ......I dont' have a ton of time to search for EXACTLY what my issue is, so I hope you don't mind if I ask here real quick.

I use Vater Fusion (wood tip), I love them. Perfect size for me, ....they're light, and pretty strong, and usually hold up pretty well.

I am self taught, (90% self taught) ....and I see people saying...."your technique is wrong if you're breaking sticks" ...........well, I'm not too sure if I buy that rationale, but, if someone would like to expound a little, I'll certainly listen ;)

I just broke out a brand new pair last night at practice, and where the stick catches the snare rim, I'm getting a "decent" amount of [call it splitereing for lack of a better term]. Now, mind you, the stick isn't ruined by any stretch, but.....in 3 hours they don't look new anymore, let's put it that way.

Am I sitting too low, is my snare too high, vice-versa? Am I trying to hit too hard.

Hhhmmmmm....anyhow.......anything would be nice! Respond or PM me...thanks
 
Happens to me all the time. I cant play sticks for more than 30mins without them looking smashed up.

I used to play with my snare flat (at 90 degreed to the floor...if u get what i mean) it was alot easier to play rimshots but it destroyed my sticks. I got through at least a pair a day. I tipped the snare towards me more and i played accidental rimshots much less and my stick life rocketed. Im also self taught and i also get all the stuff about bad technique (although no one can point out what im doing wrong).

Even though i get much longer from a set of sticks now iv given in to the fact that i break alot and just buy Stagg 5As in bulk and have 2 good pairs for gigs.

Basically dont hit the rim :| theres no way wood can beat metal!
 
Back
Top