Different Sticks

soulfly28

Senior Member
Am I the only one who can't really tell a difference? I have cheap sticks and a pair of the Portnoy sticks. Other than a slightly longer reach and a nylon tip, I can not tell the difference. I also can't tell the real difference from a wood tip to a nylon. I have had some had damage in the past, but wondering if anyone else notices? The ebay ones are 5a's of unknown wood. The Portnoy ones are hickory. Link:

http://promark.com/pmProductDetail....roductname=Hickory_420_Mike_Portnoy_Nylon_Tip

The cheap ones:
http://www.edmwi.com/home/edm/page_158_347/lot_of_24_pairs_-_5a_wood_tip_natural_maple_drumst.html

I also have a set of these coming:

http://www.vicfirth.com/product/buynow/product.php?button=SDC


Are my hands that de sensitized or are all these roughly about the same?
 
The difference between cheap sticks and a set of Vic's is durability. I actually switched from pro-mark to Vic Firth because the Vic's just lasted longer. A 5A is a 5A, the specs aren't exactly a secret. Its consistency and durability that make the difference when buying sticks.

When I was gigging heavily (about 100 gigs a year) I would buy blocks of cheap sticks. I would go through a couple of sets a night, but at the price I was paying it didn't matter. Now that I am aweekend warrior again I have switched back to more expensive sticks to get the consistency I like.
 
Yes, VF makes a great stick.

As for how cheap sticks feel, I can feel the difference in the rebound of the stick. I bought 4 pairs of 5A First Act sticks for $12 at Target. I was there, they were there, $3 a pair, sure why not. I was curious.

The stick itself feels really good in the hand, but when you play them it is almost as if the stick has an internal split in it or something. They are made of hickory but almost act like oak. I don't really have any issues playing with them, but they just don't feel right. On a side note, the sticks do have a date of manufacture printed on them, and I think that is pretty cool.

I can tell the bounce of a nylon tip on the ride cymbal too. I hardly use them so it feels off.
 
I notice the biggest difference between sticks, especially tip shapes, on my cymbals. A round tip with a bit more length will sound and feel totally different from an oval tip that's a bit shorter. (comparing VF and PM in case you couldn't tell).
 
I notice the biggest difference between sticks, especially tip shapes, on my cymbals. A round tip with a bit more length will sound and feel totally different from an oval tip that's a bit shorter. (comparing VF and PM in case you couldn't tell).

Maybe it is my ears, but I didn't really notice a sound difference from the cheap ones and the PM. If i did, it was negligible at best.
 
I guess I'm on the other end of the spectrum with this.

I can feel differences among all sticks, even those within the same model. Wood type matters, tips matter, lacquer matters, taper and length matter.

I'm extremely sensitive to the differences each stick offers.
 
http://www.vicfirth.com/product/buyn...php?button=SDC

These came in today. Thinned out for grip location. Surprised at where it actually is!!!

SDCs. These are great sticks if you give yourself a little time to get used to their balance. The cutout is less of a "grip spot" and more just a way to change the center of weight towards the front.

Just a word of caution.....once you get used to having sticks this big with the center where it is, you will find a lot of other sticks to be tiny and dead feeling. You'll have a hard time finding many other models that have a similar feel, so make sure you stock up before you have to do some shows. The only ones I've found that feel somewhat similar and have a different tip are the Vater Nisan Stewart model.
 
Last edited:
I really like Vic Firth's SD1 sticks. It was my first experience with a Maple stick, and even as a hard hitter, I have yet to break one of these. I love the way the tips sound on the ride cymbal, and the weight of it is simply perfect. I bought a whole brick of these, and when I finally run out, I'll buy another.
 
I really like Vic Firth's SD1 sticks. It was my first experience with a Maple stick, and even as a hard hitter, I have yet to break one of these. I love the way the tips sound on the ride cymbal, and the weight of it is simply perfect. I bought a whole brick of these, and when I finally run out, I'll buy another.

Funny. I love everything about SD1's except how they sound on the ride. It's definitely a distinctive sound, though. I use SD10's because they feel the same in my hand, but I like the sound of the pointier tip on the ride.
 
Back
Top