Breaking sticks

Re: anybody hit this hard?

What is the point of hitting that hard?

Looks like your getting more rim than head.
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

T.Underhill said:
Anyone here ever break an Ahead stick? I have! Snapped that shaft right in half.
Yes, they are overpriced twigs.
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

i break sticks like that from time to time. i think it happens more out of luck than anything else. sometimes you come down at just the right angle that the stick kind of shatters in your hand. rimshots are too fun to not hit them hard. for all the technique questions, it's more a matter of science than technique. basically, no amount of technique can change the fact that wood is softer than metal, hence broken sticks. you could go to a bigger stick, but that might compromise your sound.
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

Too bad there isn't a drumstick recycling program where your payed a nickle to turn in a pair of broken sticks, same like they do with soda cans/bottles...............Maybe some of the proceeds can go to making recycled sticks and to help other Drummers around the world who have illnesses/impairments...etc.


Dap.
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

I doubt you can recycle a stick. You'd have to put so much glue into the recycled stick that you'd lose the wood feeling of the stick, so why not use a graphite or cabon fiber stick...
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

haha, yes I understand what you mean.........:)

But I mean recycle interms of processing the wood (from the broken sticks) into a new fiber material which involves alot of machinery and pulping.

But its just wishful thinking.....

Dap.
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

Pro-Mark 747 Oak, wood tips....the Neil Peart signature model.

I have never broken a single one of these sticks. For gigs, I use a new pair, but for practice I use the whittled down old sticks. They frey and get chewed up, but I seriously have never snapped one.

To be honest I don't use the sticks for the durability, I originally tried them because Peart is my drum god (I admit I've bought a few things because of this). But now I am used to them, and no other stick feels right to me for normal playing. The durability of oak is just an added bonus..
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

Bonhamfan said:
I think if you hit that hard, which I do, you need to use a thick durable drumstick. I use SD1 General's .

i tried out a pair for the first time, and a stick broke the first day! it had to have been a bad stick.


playing traditional, i really rely on rimshots. lately, i've been hitting lighter and using dynamics a lot more. i play at a much reduced volume and my sticks last longer as a result. still loud, but instead of 90% volume maybe 50%
 

Attachments

  • sticksmash.jpg
    sticksmash.jpg
    39.9 KB · Views: 497
Last edited:
Re: anybody hit this hard?

IMGA0527.jpg


I snapped this stick while playing today and it broke way down by the end. Its a cheap one from MF.
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

Bad piece of wood. Nothing to do with your playing. I had Vic Firth sticks that used to do that. They'd split clean like with minimal use.

cdawg_2010 said:
IMGA0527.jpg


I snapped this stick while playing today and it broke way down by the end. Its a cheap one from MF.
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

Yeah, when I ordered a snare drum through TomLee music they included a free pair of cheapo sticks and a drum key. I actually like the drum key, it has a hole for a keychain. The sticks probably won't ever be used by me, waaaaay too light.
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

Yeah, the 747 Oaks are a definite recommendation for you stick breakers. Be warned, they weigh much more than hickory, and they shoot vibes right up your elbows, but those suckers refuse to break!

I use them for light funk playing because they withstand the "whittling" effect of hi-hat edges more than hickory.
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

Yeah, hi hats will chew up any wooden stick, eventually.

I was thinking about those metal sticks (ahead?) and although I've never used them, it seems like they could contribute to premature hi-hat breakage, since the shoulder of the stick is used so much. And if they were coated with something softer (are they?) I would think the response would be poor everywhere but the tip.
 
Re: anybody hit this hard?

The sleeves on the ahead sticks actually do get chewed up...you have to replace them after a while. So its the carbon fibre sleeve, rather than metal, striking the hi-hat.
 
Back
Top