When do you toss your sticks, if they're not broken?

[BigDinSD]

I toss my sticks if a tip breaks or gets damaged. I was wondering how long you guys keep using your sticks if the tips are still in decent condition and it's not broken yet.

I have a practice set that looks like a beaver gnawed on the shoulder. Nothing noticeably thin, just worn towards the tip. I don't have a scale, so I can't really tell if they are too light.

[jakester]

i play till they break

[planet_boom]

I only ever have maybe 2/3 sets of sticks at anyone time and usually play them until the tip is starting to chip away, as this is usually the first part of a stick that goes for me. Those sticks then go in to the reserve pile, unless I give them away after gigs or something

If the shoulder is starting to wear I am not too fussed, as long as its not going to damage the drum in anyway, which would be quite uncommon. I find that they are still perfectly playable and can be used until the tip goes or the centre of the stick starts to splinter.

I stop using mine when the hat gnaws them down so thin that they feel too light to be used properly. I don't get the same bounce and feel, and it starts to throw my technique off. What little I have anyways. :)

[BigDinSD]

Originally Posted by sticks4drums

I stop using mine when the hat gnaws them down so thin that they feel too light to be used properly. I don't get the same bounce and feel, and it starts to throw my technique off. What little I have anyways. :)

I was thinking that too about the weight. Seems I'm more conscious about my technique so the bounce is important. Still working on mine too...

[alparrott]

I use nylon tips mostly, so I usually toss a stick only in the event of serious structural damage. This most often takes the form of a split in the shoulder or a huge gouge from the shaft due to a rimshot.

[tard]

I will use mostly new or slightly used sticks at a gig but during practice or rehearsals I keep playing the old ones till the hats chew thru and the tip falls off.

[larryace]

On Tuesdays, usually.

Sorry, couldn't resist :) Never thought about that actually. I don't toss them early, so I must play them until they break. I normally get close to one million hits from a stick before failure. JK. I wonder how many notes I play on a 3 set gig...Hmmm....

[rmandelbaum]

I don't break sticks, I wear them out, when they start to feel rubbery I chuck them

[Zickos]

I made this comment on an earlier thread.

http://drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

[audiotech]

I can't remember the last time I broke a stick, but I do remember that it was a Vic Firth 7a. I usually just wear mine down around the shoulder area. I just keep them until they become a splinter factory or I get tired of looking at them.

Dennis

[dmacc]

It's been years since I've broken or even splintered a stick.

I toss when to my ears the wood tips go bad. This generally goes hand in hand with the balance or cymbal rebound being negatively impacted. 1 pair can probably last me 8 - 10 months before this happens.

I have been using the Vic First Peter Erskine Ride stick for the last 5 or so years. Before that I used various other Vic Firth sticks.

[BigDinSD]

Originally Posted by Zickos

I made this comment on an earlier thread.

http://drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

I appreciate the comment. I love the Regal Tip 5B's myself. That is my stick of choice. Incredible grip, texture.

That being said...I usually had to order them since most local shops don't carry them. Their popularity makes that a mystery for me.

Lately, I've been experimenting and thanks to suggestions here have wrapped my sticks with tennis grip for...a better grip! Works just great for me, and I picked up some Promark 5B's with a wider shoulder at the local shop here. I like their feel, balance, availability and price. When wrapped - best grip ever IMO! (but I guess anything would be?)

So now I'm going through a leftover brick of 5A's for practice (cheap Sound Percussions) and the HH is chewing them up. That was the basis of this post, to learn how long you play on your sticks before they break. I haven't broken any yet...

[BigDinSD]

Originally Posted by dmacc

It's been years since I've broken or even splintered a stick.

I toss when to my ears the wood tips go bad. This generally goes hand in hand with the balance or cymbal rebound being negatively impacted. 1 pair can probably last me 8 - 10 months before this happens.

I have been using the Vic First Peter Erskine Ride stick for the last 5 or so years. Before that I used various other Vic Firth sticks.

This catches my attention because I'm still figuring out when a stick goes out of balance or loses bounce due to wear. Of course, I'll toss it if it looks like a beaver has chewed on the shoulder - more of an obvious observation though.

What is particularly interesting is that yours last 8-10 months. OK - I'm trying to clear out this leftover brick of cheap Sound Percussions since I've changed over to a new size and brand. I may go through a pair in 8-10 days...????....

[dmacc]

Originally Posted by BigDinSD

This catches my attention because I'm still figuring out when a stick goes out of balance or loses bounce due to wear. Of course, I'll toss it if it looks like a beaver has chewed on the shoulder - more of an obvious observation though.

What is particularly interesting is that yours last 8-10 months. OK - I'm trying to clear out this leftover brick of cheap Sound Percussions since I've changed over to a new size and brand. I may go through a pair in 8-10 days...????....

The balance I'm referring to is the response of the stick from uneven wear on the tip. Not necessarily something happening with the balance of the entire stick itself (if that makes any sense).

Obviously there are many variables in the way someone plays (technique), the style they play and how many hours played. So it's hard to say. Since I can use all the help I can get, I refuse to use sticks that are nothing more than kindling wood to me (others may love them though). There are some out there for sure.

[audiotech]

A lot of times the wooden tips start to chip, I guess you could call this broken, but anyways I get rid of them as soon as I notice it. This is a 5a Hornet.



Also when the tips get spongy, you can hear this right away on the cymbals, especially the rides, I also promptly get rid of those.

Oh, I found the Vic Firth that I broke a few years ago.



Dennis

[Pete Stoltman]

I don't break sticks but as Rmandelbaum said I toss them when they start to feel rubbery. A woodworking guy would probably know more about this but here's my theory. Sticks are lathed so that the grain of the wood runs the length of the stick. I think over time the constant shock and vibration of the stick hitting heads and cymbals starts to weaken the grain therefore the stick feels rubbery and no longer has the crisp feel that I like. Now those sticks could still be quite useable in some sense but for me the feel is just gone. That's when they hit the firewood pile.

[Drumolator]

Once the tips get soft spots that affect the ride cymbal sound, I throw them away. Peace and goodwill.

[simmsdn]

Originally Posted by jakester

i play till they break

I used to play until they broke and then would duct tape them back together because I was a poor kid and wanted to play.

These days I use Ahead sticks and they last me over a year per pair. Last one that broke lasted about 18 months...and I don't have saw dust all around my drums. I know a lot of people hate them, but I've used them since they first came out in the early-90s.

[tard]

Originally Posted by audiotech

Oh, I found the Vic Firth that I broke a few years ago.



Dennis

Thats one of those Vic Firth Novas right? The tip looked familiar as I unknowingly got a dozen sets of those once and had them all break just like that in 3 gigs well except for the ones that lost their tips before they broke...lol. I usually play Vic Firth american classics and very rarely do I break sticks, like i said in an earlier post that the hats eventually eat thru the shoulder till the end just falls off. BTW I wasnt a fan of that tip shape compared to the american classic tip either.

[Pollyanna]

As with heads, I find that stick tips have a sweet spot where they are nicely worn in and feel and sound good on the ride cymbal.

When they become too spongy and dull on the ride I relegate them to the practice pad.

I did the same thing in my rock days, although back then I'd occasionally crack a stick.

[Nodiggie]

Originally Posted by BigDinSD

I toss my sticks if a tip breaks or gets damaged. I was wondering how long you guys keep using your sticks if the tips are still in decent condition and it's not broken yet.

I have a practice set that looks like a beaver gnawed on the shoulder. Nothing noticeably thin, just worn towards the tip. I don't have a scale, so I can't really tell if they are too light.

Wood tips - when the tips start chipping away. Don't want to scratch up my drum heads with them any more than a new stick does already.

Nylon tips - when the shoulder is hacked down enough to break or the stick shaft itself is so frayed from the rim shots.

[aydee]

...

Dont fix it if it aint broke. my motto. Also, purely personal POV here, but I think the more you allow yourself to feel the difference in every little miniscule aspect of the drumset, the more it makes you think that its the drumset and not you that makes the difference.

I've heard too many awesome players, making beautiful sounds out of crappy drumsets and broken sticks

...

[Drumwiz]

If the tip starts to chip, that's the sign that the stick is ready to be retired for me. Not only could it potentially cause damage to your cymbals and heads, but the sound it will produce won't be good. I can also tell that the stick is losing it's 'bouncy-ness'. These days, depending on how many gigs and practices I'm doing, a pair will last me about 3-4 weeks.

[BigDinSD]

Originally Posted by Drumwiz

If the tip starts to chip, that's the sign that the stick is ready to be retired for me. Not only could it potentially cause damage to your cymbals and heads, but the sound it will produce won't be good. I can also tell that the stick is losing it's 'bouncy-ness'. These days, depending on how many gigs and practices I'm doing, a pair will last me about 3-4 weeks.

Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out when too much wood has been chewed off the shoulder. I can't tell yet just by playing with them...