Durable stick sugestions. Please help.

I have been using Vic Firth sticks for a while now and i can't see myself buying another pair. They last me 2-3 weeks before they get a little split just past the tip that ends up splitting the stick in half. I have my cymbals on a slight angle, a don't hit ridiculously hard and my toms are nice and close together. I don't think it is my technique breaking them either. I had a very old pair of Zildjian sticks given to me and they lasted over a year and only recently broke from just simply wearing away. Over here in Aus a pair of Vic Firth are $20 so breaking them every 2-3 weeks is not cool. I want some more durable sticks. I'm about to give Vater a go. Any other suggestions? Here is a link so you can see my technique, excuse the music in the cover it's not my taste i just did it for fun and to hopefully get some more views. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpbgrUnl9fk
 

Attachments

  • 102_2398.JPG
    102_2398.JPG
    423.4 KB · Views: 435
  • 102_2400.JPG
    102_2400.JPG
    306.4 KB · Views: 438
Say man, I live in Aus too and sticks ain't cheap. I use Vic's and don't have too many problems generally. I usually wear 'em out before I break 'em.
Now I'll probably get told off by someone, but I've been conditioning myself to use the butt ends of the stick for hitting in my left (snare) hand. I just take a mostly worn stick, sand it a bit, notch a groove where the fulcrum is and smack! Big sound, monstrous rim shots. 2 for 1 sticks too.
 
Say man, I live in Aus too and sticks ain't cheap. I use Vic's and don't have too many problems generally. I usually wear 'em out before I break 'em.
Now I'll probably get told off by someone, but I've been conditioning myself to use the butt ends of the stick for hitting in my left (snare) hand. I just take a mostly worn stick, sand it a bit, notch a groove where the fulcrum is and smack! Big sound, monstrous rim shots. 2 for 1 sticks too.

I can't see how that would be a bad idea, marching band sticks don't even have a tip. The thing i wouldn't like about that is it would make the stick feel like i could damage something more easily. If i could make nylon tips i'd give it a go making my own sticks. I have access to very old quality timber and i can use a lathe alright.
 
It is a heavier feel and it sure strengthens the wrist.
I'm not much of a double stroke player anyway, and if the song calls for lighter stuff I just flip it for that song, (i.e. 16ths on the hats or double strokes).
I reckon hickory is the go to wood, for its medium hardness. I got told off by my teacher for buying oak sticks years ago, said it's too hard and could stuff my wrists long term.
As far as doing damage, well, I keep my snare and toms pretty flat, and the butt stick is in my weaker hand.
 
when you say "stuff my wrist" what do you mean? and i have my toms and snare the same way. I find the longer i play the more i flatten them out. Go back to when i first started playing i had them all angled Lars Ulrich style. I couldn't play if i tried that now and it ruins your heads.
 
I think he was referring to the unforgivingness of the harder timber. If I remember correctly 'carpal tunnel' was bandied about a bit. Either that or he thought that the hard wood coupled with my mediocre technique was gonna land me in hospital faster than the hickory.
 
I use Vicfirth Metal-N sticks. they're longer than the extreme and look like giant matchsticks. I like the nylon tips since they can't split and scratch the coatings on my snare and toms. Two pairs will last me a month playing an hour to 2 a day average. They're heavy sticks and the extra length will make your hi hats chew into them pretty fast. I don't think durability should be the main concern when choosing sticks. I think whatever you find most comfortable should be the stick you use since it will help you play your best.
 
Yeah, I try not to hit the snare with my knuckles...bloody thing's hard.
I guess over the years learning to relax and not squeeze the sticks like you're holding a snake helps. Maybe i have graduated to the ability to use oak sticks, but those lessons early on must have scarred my psyche.
Anyway, you might try out the butt end stick thing. I've noticed over the last 6 months or so of doing it my stick breakage has been non-existent. Sure the hats and other cymbals chew on the right hand stick, but what ya gonna do?
Another thing is for some reason I have a bunch of sticks I have had no use for, (i.e. wood tips and smaller sizes). Don't know where i got 'em, but they're the butt now.
 
I will try using the other end of the stick until i get some more. I think the main thing killing my stick are my hi hats. They are warped or something so the bottom hat always hangs out a bit to give a lip for the sticks to hit, kinda disappointing when they cost $350. My favorite two sticks which seem to have been the most durable are 7AN for fast stuff on the hats and extreme 5AN for regular playing.
 
Yep, hats chew sticks. I don't reckon it's the hats' fault they stick out, but rather the stand. Mine did it to until I had a good look at it. See, i like a little tilt, which can lead to the hats being a bit off flush. So I turned the stand holder thingy the other way, (180 degrees). Now it overlaps the other way, but then I'm a hat crasher....love havin' 'em loose and smash those things...cause i can choke it handless.
 
My stand is a Gibraltar 6607 and hats are Zildjian New beat 14" What concerns me is that they used to sit flat on a table, now the bottom one doesn't. I don't hit them hard. I've tried turning the tilt completely off and they still do it. Whole reason i replaced the original stand that came with my kit. That and the fact it was so cheap it weighed 5 grams. The bottom hat hangs out about 5mm. It's like the hole in it is oversized but they're brand new hats.
 
Maybe you can try this. The next time you go to pick a pair of sticks, first look at the body of the stick and check the different forms of the wood, figure how it was manufactured, if there's any imperfection. Those irregular forms will start to separate from the stick in no time, sometimes soon, sometimes later but definitely they are the starting point. So check that out and choose the stick with less striations. Also you may try a B (5B, 2B?) and review your Moeller, remember you don't attack the cymbal, you just hit it and go back, you don't want to go beyond that. Good Luck!
 
I'd try them but i don't know where i could get them in Australia. I haven't seen them in shops or on eBay unless i want to order them from the UK :/
They're a US brand, so I guess you should get shipping without issues. Hit up Kenny Howard on this forum. He's an endorsing artist for Silver Fox. He may be able to help you. Kenny turned me on to these.
 
I use Pro-Mark Japanese white oak drumsticks with Pro-Mark stick rapp tape. Not real found of the coating on the stick, which is why I use the grip tape but they last forever. By far the longest lasting stick I've used.
 
I bought 2 pairs of Vater 5b nylon tip sticks Today. I will eventually try out most the brands and chose the ones that work best for me. I noticed when buying Vater sticks that the first pack i picked up had sticks made out of good straight bits of timber. Normally i go through 5 or so packs of Vic Firths to find the good ones.
 
I have always had good luck with the Vic's, more durable than anything else I have used. BTW if I am not mistaken the Zildjian's are made by Vic as well.
 
I love pro mark 2b sticks, real durable but they have a bunch of feel, at least to me. The oak sticks from pro mark are near indestructible, I personally don't have any issues with my oak sticks, I love them, no harshness on my hands at all.
 
Back
Top