Breaking Vic Firth Drum Sticks?

Has anyone else used Vic Firth's Nylon tip sticks? I bought a ten dollar pair from the music store and one stick cracked in half in a matter of minutes! I have heard very good things about Vic Firth Sticks but whenever I buy Vic brand sticks, they seem to break so easily. I ended up buying some Vater brand sticks and they work great! I am really surprised.

It's because Vic Firths are dried out and stiff making them prone to cracking/chipping and even splitting. This is what gives them that crisp feel. Vaters are more moist making the wood flexible and durable. This also causes the sticks to have a weak rebound and to warp quickly after playing. Sacrifices are to be made as usual.
 
I've used VF sticks for a long time.........................normally they just whittle away, like every stick does, but they have been pretty durable over the years.

I had a pair last year, that just split in half....................not a "normal" break, just broke right in the middle of the stick. I contacted VF, and they took care of me. Hands down, the best customer service I've ever experienced.

Did they compensate you with a pair of sticks, or how was it handled? I doubt they'd send customers a new stick for every stick that has snapped in half?
 
Did they compensate you with a pair of sticks, or how was it handled? I doubt they'd send customers a new stick for every stick that has snapped in half?

Yes, they sent me a couple pairs of new sticks..................extremely good customer service IMO
 
Yes, they sent me a couple pairs of new sticks..................extremely good customer service IMO

I broke 2 pairs of my Vic Firth sticks very quickly and unexpectedly. At $12 a pair, I was hoping for a little compassion. I sent them an email, including the picture and copy of receipt. I never heard from them.

 
I used to use Vic Firth Metal nylon tip. Now I have switched to Vic Firth Rock nylon tip. It's hit and miss. I don't consider myself a hard hitter, but I can get on a tear of breaking a couple sticks in a practice. Then I can go for a while and not break much. I think they take a beating due to rim shots and shouldering the bell of the ride. I don't consider them very durable, but I don't have a lot to compare it to. Maybe I should try a comparable stick from another manufacturer.
 
I broke 2 pairs of my Vic Firth sticks very quickly and unexpectedly. At $12 a pair, I was hoping for a little compassion. I sent them an email, including the picture and copy of receipt. I never heard from them.


If you want to, PM me and I'll give you the contact info of the lady who helped me out.
 
My experience is that Vic Firth 5A's are the most comfortable for me and vary in durability and quality at about the same rate as pencils or any other mass produced cylindrical wood product. I've had pairs that have lasted me years and then pairs that lasted 20 min due to a defect in the wood or the cut. Most of my pairs average out around 4-6 months before breaking usually during playing something very heavy on the rim of my snare or playing a long cymbal passage and catching the cymbal the wrong way. I buy drum sticks like i buy guitar strings fully expecting them to break because of the amount of use they are going to get. I know that the use alone is enough to break them eventually even if i were to play with absolutely perfect technique at all times.
 
I've been using Vic's, but in the past 3 months, I've had every pair of sticks last me an hour of playing maximum. They used to last me 6 months, now I'm getting a new pair of sticks every 3 days. It's progressing to beyond a joke and I hope their quality control picks up soon
 
I decided enough is enough. I was breaking sticks that cost $12 a pair within 5 minutes of playing them new. At the Chicago Drum Show this past weekend, I stopped by the Headhunters Sticks booth and spoke with Dave Rundle about why I seem to be breaking so many of my Gavin Harrison model sticks. He explained to me about the drying process and that Vic Firth dries to a 6% level and they dry to a 9% level. I got a great deal on 6 pair of sticks that were closest in dimensions to the ones I play, and he even threw in a set of bundled rods and a t-shirt! I've played with my new sticks for over an hour now and they are intact and not even chipped! I'm a customer for life!
 
My experience is that Vic Firth 5A's are the most comfortable for me and vary in durability and quality at about the same rate as pencils or any other mass produced cylindrical wood product. I've had pairs that have lasted me years and then pairs that lasted 20 min due to a defect in the wood or the cut. Most of my pairs average out around 4-6 months before breaking usually during playing something very heavy on the rim of my snare or playing a long cymbal passage and catching the cymbal the wrong way. I buy drum sticks like i buy guitar strings fully expecting them to break because of the amount of use they are going to get. I know that the use alone is enough to break them eventually even if i were to play with absolutely perfect technique at all times.

I can relate to your experience. Most of my sticks last at least a good 4-6 months or so, and the only reason they sometimes don't last me over a year is because I play the drums for at least 3-5 hours daily. As for my playing technique, I am probably in the middle of the spectrum of hardness of hitting drums and cymbals, but I play on the bells of my ride cymbals a lot, which can lead to quicker damaging of the sticks. I usually buy around two or three pairs of sticks at a time just in case, but I have come to really trust Vic Firth's sticks because the other ones I got from Promark, Vater, and RegalTip only lasted around a month or two tops, and didn't feel as well-balanced in my hands.
 
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