Vic Firth Shogun 5B Oak

JohnnyG

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Vic Firth SHO5B Shogun Oak Series 5B Drumsticks
by Vic Firth

I just ordered 2 pair of these from Amazon. Has anyone used them?
 
I have. As far as 5B's go, I like them a lot, though I almost never personally play in heavy enough contexts to merit that size. Oak is a harder wood, maybe slightly heavier, though you can definitely make them work for you with good strokes. Plus, if you tend to break sticks, I hear tell that Shogun 5Bs are quite durable. Hope you like 'em!
 
Grunter....I've used them and still do, though I mix it up between the oak 5B and the hickory 5B. I really can't tell much difference, but will say, rather than chipping like hickory, the oaks just break. Off goes the tip plus an inch or so down the neck. BUT...I can get at least 2 weeks out of them before that happens.
As a side note, I have used a bunch of brands and will say, the most durable sticks for me are Vic Firth. Zildjian(same as Vics) are number 2, then I'd say ProMark.
BEWARE:.....there's a company on eBay that sells bricks of 5A or 5B oaks for $24. I made the mistake of buying them and I don't know where the oak came from, but it was so light weight I'd break a pair every 30 minutes if not sooner. AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH
 
Oak being a denser wood tends to make the stick a bit heavier VS it's hickory counterpart. Sometimes, so much so that people choose a thinner/smaller model when they choose oak.

I can't deal with the way the oaks feel because they offer less "give" for me and tend to alter my usual sound as well. Not necessarily pain inducing or anything bad shock-wise but a very different feel that I could never get used to.

I am curious how they feel and sound to you if you have previously been using hickory or maple sticks.
 
GD, I've been using Promark's Neil Peart Oak sticks and they certainly took a little bit to get used too. When I started the switch from hickory to oak, I definitely noticed some slight pain in my wrists from the impact. The hickory absorbs much more of the impact that the oak does. So, don't be surprised if you are wanting to switch back after 4 or 5 songs. I switched back and forth between the 2 woods for probably a week before the oak sticks no longer bothered my wrists.

Good Luck, Defender
 
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