Matching Drumsticks

[cobamnator]

A while ago I bought a HUGE bin of Maple "2B" drumsticks but they are basically 5b drumsticks, Mos Def not a standered 2B.

Anyhow, for one, I think they are unfinished.
Does anybody have tips for that (i.e. should I stain them, lacquer them, apply wood Seal ect.)?

Most importantly though, they are NOT "pitch matched" or weight-matched.

By pitched match I mean, if you take one of the stick and hit it on a drum pad, you can hear a ringing "Note" such as D# or A. Most of these sticks are not even close to the same pitch. Does this matter?

Secondly, they all weigh different. I have a scale that measures in Ounces, Grams ect. and one drum stick might weigh 35 grams, and the other 45 grams.

So basically my question is, should I pitch match and weight-match these sticks? And how imprtant is this?

[Homeularis]

Yeah, if you have a ton of sticks you should match em up as best as possible.

I have some Pro Mark 5A natural (un finished) and I like them just fine. No need for lacquer IMO.

[Pocket-full-of-gold]

Originally Posted by cobamnator

Anyhow, for one, I think they are unfinished.
Does anybody have tips for that (i.e. should I stain them, lacquer them, apply wood Seal ect.)?

Many years ago I used to get my sticks custom made from a local stick maker. They were "unfinished" in that they didn't have quite the same amount of lacquer as a 'shop bought' stick would have. I never noticed any difference in tone or durability. In short, it's up to you (how much do you want the "finished" look?), but personally, if the drum makes a noise that you are happy with when you hit it with a stick that feels good in your hand, then I wouldn't bother.

Originally Posted by cobamnator

So basically my question is, should I pitch match and weight-match these sticks? And how imprtant is this?

In all honesty, as long as the stick is true (read, straight), of similar weight and durability then I don't put a lot of thought into "pitch matching". YMMV, but more often than not, like sticks, in length, diameter and weight are all you need. If you were playing orchestral peices on a snare drum it may have more impact on sound. But in a band setting where it's more common for one hand to be voicing the stick on a different drum/cymbal to the other, I don't think it's an absolute necessity. However, this is nothing more than my opinion.

If you're happy with the stick as it is, then just play the bloody thing and forget about tiny little nuances that really don't have a detrimental affect on the sounds created. :-)

[Drumolator]

I recently bought six pairs of Pulse drumsticks from Musician's Friend, and they came packaged in a block of twelve. So far I have made three pairs, and I tried to pitch match them as best I could. I really like them; they are Vater "seconds". So now I can afford to use wood tip sticks again. Peace and goodwill.