Problems with Easton Ahead metal sticks!

pFB

Junior Member
I decided a couple days ago it was a good idea to change the covers on the sticks, the tips stll looked pretty good, so I decided to just change the covers...

I took the tips off, and after tugging and yanking for a few minutes I put them into the oven (as someone suggested to me would be 100 times faster then the hairdryer that ahead recommends) for about a minute at 200 degrees with the new covers staying in for about 45 seconds longer as it was a quick pull the sticks out, cover slides right off gets tossed, and pull out new covers and push them onto the sticks... they went on quite easy, along with the tips...

problem is this... I totally just lost the 'balance' the sticks used to have... with one being a bit more responsive on rebound and making it a bit higher pitched on my practice pad... I didn't spend 25 bucks on them for nothing, but I would like to know if I did something wrong when I switched covers, or if I should go spend the 3 bucks to pick up new tips while I am at it... if that will fix the imbalance... since they were absolutely perfect when I bought them... otherwise I'm gonna stick the lars signatures on the mantle and go back to a set of 5b short tapers like I like... it's just 30 bucks I don't want to spend ;) poor college student and all!
 
Well, I never got that much use out of them. Unfortunately, the core broke on one of mine and the cover was NOT cracked or split in any way. Hmmmm, I think I'll stick to 5b Vic Firths.

By the way, I would like to try some Pro Marks in Oak any suggestions on a Oak stick that doesn't fell like a two by four? I just haven't used any Oak sticks in a looong time.

thx.
 
so nobody uses anything except wood sticks huh? damnit, I hate woods sticks... all splintery and greasy... :/
 
I decided a couple days ago it was a good idea to change the covers on the sticks, the tips stll looked pretty good, so I decided to just change the covers...

I took the tips off, and after tugging and yanking for a few minutes I put them into the oven (as someone suggested to me would be 100 times faster then the hairdryer that ahead recommends) for about a minute at 200 degrees with the new covers staying in for about 45 seconds longer as it was a quick pull the sticks out, cover slides right off gets tossed, and pull out new covers and push them onto the sticks... they went on quite easy, along with the tips...

problem is this... I totally just lost the 'balance' the sticks used to have... with one being a bit more responsive on rebound and making it a bit higher pitched on my practice pad... I didn't spend 25 bucks on them for nothing, but I would like to know if I did something wrong when I switched covers, or if I should go spend the 3 bucks to pick up new tips while I am at it... if that will fix the imbalance... since they were absolutely perfect when I bought them... otherwise I'm gonna stick the lars signatures on the mantle and go back to a set of 5b short tapers like I like... it's just 30 bucks I don't want to spend ;) poor college student and all!


I have been using Aheads for 7 years now. I have never had this happen. As far as getting the covers off, I just put hot water in my sink and throw the sticks in. After a few minutes they slip right off. I do the same to the new covers and again, they slip right on.

Maybe one of your sticks are bent. You may also not have the tip screwed on all the way. I haven't used wood sticks since I started using Aheads. I love them.
 
I have been using Aheads for 7 years now. I have never had this happen. As far as getting the covers off, I just put hot water in my sink and throw the sticks in. After a few minutes they slip right off. I do the same to the new covers and again, they slip right on.

Maybe one of your sticks are bent. You may also not have the tip screwed on all the way. I haven't used wood sticks since I started using Aheads. I love them.

That is my problem too, once I started using the Aheads, I couldn't go back to wood, it's a pain...

but I tried screwing the tips on tighter, and one budged just a bit, but it didn't seem to make a difference, and they are both still perfectly straight, gonna get buy a bag of tips tomorrow when I get a chance to get to guitar center...
 
First off, to the person who asked about oak sticks, and pro mark:

I accidently bought some Pro Mark 5AN Oak instead of Pro Mark 5AN Hickory a short while back for a gig and I don't exactly know what it is about them, but presumably it's because it's a slightly harder wood, but they're A LOT better for grip. They feel no different in weight or balance to the hickory either.

Slightly louder noise on contact than hickory too, again, I assume because of the slightly more dense wood.




As for AHEADs. My experience with them, and I've had 2 pairs of Lars Sig's and now 2 pairs of 5A, is that they break very easily. But I think it was down to bad stick useage.
See, AHEAD are completely collapsable sticks, which means, like a car, you have to keep maintaining it.

I'd play and play and play with my covers until they looked more tattered than a rabid dog. Obviously my downfall there was that eventually, the plastic was no more and I was smashing my cymbals with the aluminium frame. Which also blitzed my cymbals! Handy!

But I also found that I could never get the covers on or off. Presumably, this was because they were so battered and embedded in the stick.


So if you try again, I propose regular maintainance on them. It's a must!
What I tend to do is use pro-mark for practise, and AHEAD for performing.

I tend to swap my sticks over around half way through a set, to keep a fresh, clean sound going, but that's just me.

After every show (or two, depending on how close together the shows are), I'll change the covers. Perhaps its my playing style, but this tends to be more than enough wear for them.

When I change covers, I'll also take the ring off and make sure I've not damaged it on anything, and replace it if I have (because it'll affect balance) and I tend to change tips once every few months.

I used to buy a new pair of sticks at the point where I change my covers, so at £9 for 2 sets of covers, this still works out cheaper than £16 for two pairs of sticks!




Unfortunately, I find there are still a certain number of things that wood sticks are better for. For example, tapping sticks together for a count in. The plastic covers absorb the sound a little.
And also, I don't know what its called, because I've never had lessons, but the snare technique where the stick lays across the head, and you tap the rim with the stick where the taper starts. You just can't seem to beat wood for that.
 
problems with ahead sticks?

you mean, aside from that they're heavy as all hell, look like crap and absolutely punish bronze?

The problem is that they're not wood.
 
problems with ahead sticks?

you mean, aside from that they're heavy as all hell, look like crap and absolutely punish bronze?

The problem is that they're not wood.

Really? Hmmm. I wonder why so many people use them including pros?? As I have said every time the discussion comes up about Aheads, I have never damaged a cymbal thick or thin.. ect.. If someone is using Aheads and they are destroying their gear, it's improper playing.
 
First off, to the person who asked about oak sticks, and pro mark:

I accidently bought some Pro Mark 5AN Oak instead of Pro Mark 5AN Hickory a short while back for a gig and I don't exactly know what it is about them, but presumably it's because it's a slightly harder wood, but they're A LOT better for grip. They feel no different in weight or balance to the hickory either.

Slightly louder noise on contact than hickory too, again, I assume because of the slightly more dense wood.




As for AHEADs. My experience with them, and I've had 2 pairs of Lars Sig's and now 2 pairs of 5A, is that they break very easily. But I think it was down to bad stick useage.
See, AHEAD are completely collapsable sticks, which means, like a car, you have to keep maintaining it.

I'd play and play and play with my covers until they looked more tattered than a rabid dog. Obviously my downfall there was that eventually, the plastic was no more and I was smashing my cymbals with the aluminium frame. Which also blitzed my cymbals! Handy!

But I also found that I could never get the covers on or off. Presumably, this was because they were so battered and embedded in the stick.


So if you try again, I propose regular maintainance on them. It's a must!
What I tend to do is use pro-mark for practise, and AHEAD for performing.

I tend to swap my sticks over around half way through a set, to keep a fresh, clean sound going, but that's just me.

After every show (or two, depending on how close together the shows are), I'll change the covers. Perhaps its my playing style, but this tends to be more than enough wear for them.

When I change covers, I'll also take the ring off and make sure I've not damaged it on anything, and replace it if I have (because it'll affect balance) and I tend to change tips once every few months.

I used to buy a new pair of sticks at the point where I change my covers, so at £9 for 2 sets of covers, this still works out cheaper than £16 for two pairs of sticks!




Unfortunately, I find there are still a certain number of things that wood sticks are better for. For example, tapping sticks together for a count in. The plastic covers absorb the sound a little.
And also, I don't know what its called, because I've never had lessons, but the snare technique where the stick lays across the head, and you tap the rim with the stick where the taper starts. You just can't seem to beat wood for that.

yeah, you've really gotta wail the sticks together for count in to make noise over even a small crowd... I got used to counting in the hat instead, but it probably is a good idea to use them for performing... but I have yet to find a pair of wood sticks that I like(used to go through ALOT of tape)... if you've got any suggestions on nice big sticks I won't destroy in a week of practice or sticks that are are heavy but similar to 5b's, I'll go check them out, I'm just gonna pick up a new set of aheads since I think I did break them, since I've had em for actually quite a while now (nearly 4 months) and the new guy at guitar center will actually let me try out different sticks before I buy them...
 
I think the problem might be beacuse you put the sticks in the oven....
Anytime I had a problem changing the covers I held the stick over my electric stove. But only the end with the over on it, not the handel.
See, the anti-vibe device in the handel is a fine grain powder. The powder is held inplace by the cap at the but end of the stick, and a cap that is about an inch and a 1/2 up from the butt end. (You can see the crimp marks on the handel were each cap is held inplace.)
What might have happend is when you put the whole stick in the over, the inside cap might have melted, realeasing the powder into the rest of the stick and messing up the ballance.

Not sure if that's it or not, but it's the only idea could think of.

And I have said this before... but Ahead sticks are better for your cymbals than wood.... Wood is a hard object, the Poly-urithane covers on Ahead are soft....
I have broken a lot of cymbals before, and they were ALL with wood sticks. I have been playing nothing but Ahead the last few years and I have't broken anything in that time.
 
I have a question since there seem to be a few Ahead users here. I am seriously thinking about a pair but only tor use on the practice pad. I find that even with match pairs of wood sticks they sound different when playing on a pad. Are the ahead sticks even in sound on a pad?

Thanks
 
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