Hornets

[Drummerpaul]

Anyone using Hornets? I am mostly interested in your opinion of the sticks not the rods. I have been recently seeing a number of ads in the drum magazines and would love to hear some opinions.

[milkbetweenorangejuice]

No, but they do nest in my bass drum from time to time. I usually take care of them with a good can of Raid bit sometimes the only solution is the ole' Bernz-O-Matic. Using that around the drums is always dangerous.

Nasty creatures, those.

[gusty]

Yeah I've got a pair of 5B (black). They're quite good i think, AUS$10 more than other sticks. They get "chewed" (I dont know the proper word for it) fairly quickly, but they do look cool. I wouldn't mind getting some 7A's, maybe green.

[KarlCrafton]

They felt too wierd in my hands, but they do look cool.
They seem well made, but, personally, I wouldn't want them for anything other than a cool drum decoration.
I imagine there's a market for this type of stick grip though.

[xush]

I've been using them for about a year now, and they're my fav stick.
on their website, they claim:
• Reduced muscle fatigue
• Unique contours fit comfortably in the hand
• Reduced stick vibration

I have found those claims to be true.
Factor in that they're double-ended (the o-ring butt-end gives a mallet-like tone on cymbals)
and they're not really that expensive.
I really like 'em

[Bob Smith]

They are too back heavy (for lack of better word) the weight is in the back and i find it hard to move fast with them.

[TenPastTen]

I just picked up two pairs today. They are difficult to find in my area (I had to get to New Orleans to see them first hand). Now that I've tested them all, I feel I could order them online with confidence in the future.

I picked up Green 7As and Natural finish Swarm Sticks. My initial reaction to the feel was very comfortable. I like the speed I get from smaller diameter sticks (PM 727 and Vater Stuart Copeland), so I went with the 7A. I really like the feel of the hour glass grip on the heel of my hand. I struggle with sticks slipping down to where I'm barely holding onto the butt end before I can adjust during a rest in the music. The Hornets shape cuts down on this drastically and also the change in shape and O rings act as kind of a "warning track" when I'm really digging into a groove. I feel I've played the fastest 16th notes on the HiHat that I ever have (but perhaps that's psychosomatic; so I'll keep testing the theory). I will have to play for a couple weeks before I swear off of anything else.

As for the Swarm Sticks, the grip is not much different in size to my VF rutes (maroon grip). But they are more ergonomic so it feels nice.

As for the mallet end (and the inspiration for the name), I found it pretty useful, but there is a sweet spot for just the right sound from the cymbal. The wrong angle can just be the wood grip sound and overpower the rubber o rings.

Final analysis: unless you're cool with dropping $17 bucks on sticks you may not like, I would highly recommend test driving them in the store first. These are certainly not everyone's favorite flavor of ice cream. I found these sticks to really offer me a grip that i sink into. But by no means is this design indespensible. I'll still keep my ProMarks and Vaters in the mix.

[xush]

word from Hornets is they will soon be offering 'raw' Hornets; everything's the same except they're not painted and they cost less.