New brand of sticks - Bopworks.

I know what you're all thinking, 'another brand of sticks' who needs it? Well someone on another site put me on to these and I've been playing them for the past few months. The guys in the band love the 'new' sound. They were designed to be more like the jazz sticks that were around in the 60's and the 4 models all have a long taper which I believe is one of the secrets to getting a great cymbal sound. Vic Firth's AJ series gets close in the taper department but the tip shape is odd. I personally like Bopworks 'West Coast' model but the shorter 'Savoy Jazz' is nice too. Although they have been designed primarily for jazz they are of course good for all round use. You have to order from their site, but that works fine. The quality is top notch.

http://www.bopworks.net/

Those look really good actually. I'm open to trying them but ordering and shipping just to try them over here would be more trouble than it's worth. Great concept though, I really hope they get going and are able to compete. They've got what looks like a great concept and some good products.

[Garvin]

Hmmmm.... Seems like a real marketing niche that they are cornering, but at least they are doing it for jazz players.... Somebody like this ought to come up with the same idea with brushes as well. I know I would purchase brushes that were modeled after Philly Joe's.

If anyone actually gets some of these please post!

[jordanz]

FYI - I got 1/2 dozen pair of Bopworks's "West Coast". I've done two gigs with them and, I don't know if it's just a coincidence, but people have been much more complimentary than normal. These are my new sticks ;) They get an incredible cymbal sound. I've always been able to get a nice "click" but it's so much easier with these sticks.

A+

http://www.bopworks.net

[k3ng]

The West Coast looks awesome.. I'd love a pair..

But a tad too short for my liking...

[murphinelli]

I'm game. Just ordered the Birdland and West Coast versions.

Check out the vintage ad collection on this site. Very cool.

[Michael G]

For the people that ordered:

How did it work? I order a pair of West Coast and I did not get emails saying they have been shipped or anything like that. Just the Paypal receipt.

And woah, they raised the prices.

[crlujan]

Originally Posted by SmoothJazz

I order a pair of West Coast and I did not get emails saying they have been shipped or anything like that. Just the Paypal receipt.

SmoothJazz,
Did you ever get your sticks? I just ordered the West Coast model since they seem to be the ones that all of the reviewers like the most. How long should I expect to wait for them to arrive?

[Michael G]

I emailed you, so yeah I got them, very great customer service as well.

I will get some pictures up tomorrow on the day light, that is when I can get the best quality from my tiny camera :(

[crlujan]

[quote=SmoothJazz;319252]I emailed you, so yeah I got them, very great customer service as well.QUOTE]

Thanks. Got your email. Anxiously awaiting the sticks!

A bit silly they refuse to work with maple , since thats what vintage sticks were more often than not made from.

I'll stick to my Vic Firth Maple Custom SD10 Swingers

[Michael G]

Originally Posted by 44Ronin

A bit silly they refuse to work with maple , since thats what vintage sticks were more often than not made from.

I'll stick to my Vic Firth Maple Custom SD10 Swingers

That is a bit close-minded just because the wood is different.

Order just one pair to test out, just one, and I guarantee you will like it,

[rendezvous_drummer]

I'm going to order a pair of the the Westcoast's. They look really good and have read both of the reviews in MD and Traps. Nothing but good things to be said about them apparently.

[Michael G]

I emailed about the Gene Krupa and Mel Lewis models coming. said they are having some problems but are getting them in by the end of June, I can't wait!

[gretsch223]

Those look very nice...For the people that have them, what stick would you compare them to? (Vic Firth, Zildjian, etc.)

I am very interested in getting a pair, it seems like a great concept.

[crlujan]

Okay. So, I got my Bopworks "West Coast" sticks in about a week ago. Man, they do sound old-school. They really have a softer, mellower sound. In my opinion, they make my new classic maple Ludwig kit sound like I'm playing a nice vintage kit. It's really got me thinking that maybe I should look for some actual vintage sticks on eBay. I only ordered the one pair but I seriously think I might be ordering some more Bopworks sticks.

I've been switching between Vic Firth AJ3 and AJ6's. I was kinda looking for a stick that would give me some kinda sound in between those but I think these Bopworks sticks are something different altogether.

[Michael G]

This thread needs to be bumped because the sticks are awesome. And the review is right here:

[Michael G]

Update, NEW MODELS!!! Just came in yesterday, the Mel Louis and Shelly Manne signature models!!

[cbdrumz]

Regarding Drumsticks being made of maple. Slight correction with respect to maple lovers.
Maple sticks gained popularity in the early 80's when Vic Firth and his competitors came out with various models to accomodate symphony and set players wanting to use a larger stick with more mass...
The vast majority of "vintage" drumsticks were made from hickory. On the Bopworks "weekly ad" page you can download a stick chart showing the various sizes from the 30's on up.
Jo Jones 14 3/4"? Whoa...

[crlujan]

Has anyone tried out the Mel Lewis or Shelly Manne sticks yet?

[Cymbalrider]

It's nice to see something come out that isn't bigger than a 2B. I'm not into anything smaller than a 7A in width though or shorter than 16". After trying a few pairs of sticks over 16", I'm hooked into the longer stick feel. Being a big band and rock & roll player myself, I don't have much practical use from anything lighter than a 5A. I have a pair of AJ1s and Vater Super Jazz that I used for combo stuff or lighter big band tunes. The American Jazz series is nice in that you get a bigger stick but a smaller tip (SD5 and SD2s work too) and not just have the whole stick shorter and thinner. I had a pair of Regal Tip 7As one time--the thinnest, smallest stick I have yet to see--and I never got much use as the sound was just too thin and the sticks felt like nothing more than oversized pencils. Of course with Bopworks at least the name gives it away. Maybe some of the big band drummer signature sticks will be better. Speaking of such, I have 2 pairs of Vic Firth Buddy Rich sticks (which work great for my playing in a college pep band) and these things are pretty long and heavy. Curious comparing this with the charts on that site...

[the gayge]

I've been totally hooked on the Birdland and Westcost models for some time now.
I'd be really thrilled if they released a stick at the Birdland weight and Westcoast length.
I hate to harp on a product so much but seriously these sticks unlocked playability in my cymbals that I was totally unaware of.

They're definitely worth a shot.

[Michael G]

Since 1972, there has not been a single produced pair of Gene Krupa Signature model drum sticks.

This however changed when Christ Bennet of the Bopworks drum company, struck a deal with the Krupa estate, and is now officially for sale on their home site.

bopworks.net

I have yet to try these pairs out, but I will order them soon enough to see if they will live up to my hype.

The reason I post this here. As you may know, I have always had a bopworks sig for the past many months, and I believe this company is excellent and want to give it as much attention as possible. And who doesn't love Gene Krupa?

[jayp]

I picked me up a pair of West Coast bopworks sticks, I have to say they are perfect jazz sticks, but I wish the tip was a bit rounder/acorn shaped like the Krupas, I may have to pick me up a pair!

[Class A Drummer]

They look awsome. I may pick a pair up. There are so many sticks out there that i want to buy lol.

[Drummer Karl]

Wow, I`m more and more impressed with Bopworks sticks...are they all made from Hickory wood? Or are there also maple models?

I wish there would be a longer version of the Mel Lewis model though. (16"?)

Good work though! :-)

Karl

[GRUNTERSDAD]

A fair question, that. Our sole purpose at Bopworks is to make sticks for jazz drummers, or any drummer for that matter, needing a light stick. To us, this means producing high quality hickory sticks that duplicate the original 50’s and 60’s sticks. In fact, our ”Birdland” model is an exact duplicate of a 60’s “signature” model.

from their FAQ section when asked why most of their sticks are so short and thin....

[Michael G]

Yep you guessed it, new GK models are in.

[crazyhorse]

Got my Krupa sticks in today... thin suckers for sure... Good thing I haven't broken a stick in years. =) Going to try them out tonight on my Roland kit (crappy way to test I know) and then Wednesday I'll get a chance to open them up on some real cymbals. That's the test for me... how well they sound on my beautiful Bos. ride.

Wow...

Excellent post, Smooth!

GREAT find!! I Love anything, Krupa! And this is certaintly no exception!

Hope to get me a pair...Play On! ;-)

[Cymbalrider]

That is one thin pair of sticks. I can't imagine any big sound coming from those, which being Krupa models is confusing. Then again there are big sicks that make little sounds so I guess it's possible. The tip I have learned is everything. Hence, SD2 Boleros...
Vic Firth doesn't even make a stick that thin. The other companies do though, some I'm not really sure what the uniqueness is here other than you get a stick with Krupa's signature on it.

[nickg]

jeez....i used to use Slingerland Gene Krupa model sticks back when i was in high school in the early 70's!!!!!! they also had green printing on them.

[Funky Crêpe]

has anyone tried out the savoy jazz stick??.....i was going to get my regular old wood tip vic firth 7a......but this stick maked the decision harder!!