keepitgreen
Senior Member
This isn't really a question; more just a musing through my own personal journey of trying to find sticks that feel right...
My band plays a mostly hard rock with a little funk/blues thrown in for fun. I've always used a 5a stick, and I've never been very particular about which brand. I live in Taiwan, and although the local music stores have a pretty good selection, I'm always at the mercy of whatever they have in stock. Over the past few years, I've been using 5a Vic Firth Novas on a regular basis, and have been comfortable with them.
Then about two months ago, I started mixing it up. I switched to a Zildjian 5a, and loved them. Then I found out that they were actually being made by Vic Firth, so that's not a surprise. I picked up a pair of 5a Tama Oak sticks, and had a great time with them, although I found them too heavy, so I moved on. I grabbed a pair of Promarks, but they just didn't feel right in my hands at all. The weight and grip was just off. One local shop had just got a set of 5ax Vic Firth sticks, and they were awesome because they were big and chunky, but they were just a little bit too long to be totally comfortable in my hands....
Then a couple of days ago I found a set of Vater 5a's. I brought them to band practice last night, and WOW. These things felt absolutely perfect in my hands! I was so surprised. They're light, but still felt very solid. The big barrel shaped tips made my ride sing, and the thick shaft felt absolutely perfect on the hi-hats. They let my hands dance on the toms, and rim shots on the snare absolutely barked at me (in a good way!).
I think I've found my perfect sticks. Then again, it could have been just a really good practice last night, so time will tell.
My band plays a mostly hard rock with a little funk/blues thrown in for fun. I've always used a 5a stick, and I've never been very particular about which brand. I live in Taiwan, and although the local music stores have a pretty good selection, I'm always at the mercy of whatever they have in stock. Over the past few years, I've been using 5a Vic Firth Novas on a regular basis, and have been comfortable with them.
Then about two months ago, I started mixing it up. I switched to a Zildjian 5a, and loved them. Then I found out that they were actually being made by Vic Firth, so that's not a surprise. I picked up a pair of 5a Tama Oak sticks, and had a great time with them, although I found them too heavy, so I moved on. I grabbed a pair of Promarks, but they just didn't feel right in my hands at all. The weight and grip was just off. One local shop had just got a set of 5ax Vic Firth sticks, and they were awesome because they were big and chunky, but they were just a little bit too long to be totally comfortable in my hands....
Then a couple of days ago I found a set of Vater 5a's. I brought them to band practice last night, and WOW. These things felt absolutely perfect in my hands! I was so surprised. They're light, but still felt very solid. The big barrel shaped tips made my ride sing, and the thick shaft felt absolutely perfect on the hi-hats. They let my hands dance on the toms, and rim shots on the snare absolutely barked at me (in a good way!).
I think I've found my perfect sticks. Then again, it could have been just a really good practice last night, so time will tell.