What Drum Sticks Are Best ?

S

sky92

Member
Hey people

just had my first few gigs and i was talking to couple of drummers from the other bands that were playing an we was just talking about what size of stick we use
an then started started talking about different types
i.e oak, maple, hickory, nylon


an i was a bit taken aback because i've never given it thought
i use 7A and 5A's different size for different sounding songs
as i play a fusion between rock an rave
so some songs are heavier while others require lighter effective hits

but just thought i would ask
what are the differences between the different types ?
as in sounds etc
:)

thanks guys
 
It mostly has to do with feel. The different woods have different densities, so two stick of the same size will weigh different because they are different woods. Maple resonates the most out of those woods, so people claim it gets a better sound than others... many jazz sticks are maple, because you can hear the resonance come out in the drums/cymbals behind the generally lighter music.. Nylon tips will give you a brighter sound than wood. I've never heard of entire nylon sticks, but it should be the same.

I personally think the type of wood used in your stick has so little to do with sound on drums and cymbals, you shouldn't even think about it. Shape and weight have a much greater effect. Nylon tips versus wood do yeild a striking difference though.

Like I said, its all about feel: play the sticks your hands like to play. I personally love the Peter Erskine Ride sticks because they are very top heavy without being heavy overall so i get great rebound action for fast fills..and the bead shape yeilds great cymbal tone. They also happen to be made of maple which is a plus because I play alot of jazz. But thats just my personal taste. For the meduim heavy rock/rave stuff you are playing, stick tone is absolutely the very least of your worries.

For the rock stuff I play, I use the Steve Gadd sigs. They are heavier, and the beads give a brighter sound than the Erskines, so my drums, and especially my cymbals, will cut through the wall of guitars better. I think they are hickory, but it doesn't matter.
 
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