Wood tip sticks on electronic kit

[drummindan8484]

I've been playing in church for about 4 months now and as do a large number of church drummers, I use an electronic kit. I also have one at home that I practice on a decent bit, especially during the school year. Anyway, I have always used wood tip sticks on them, but recently I switched to nylon after hearing that wood tips can damage the pads. Then about a month ago, our bassist tore his rotator cuff and has been out since. Fortunately one of our singers has a son who plays bass and he has been filling in ever since. He's fantastic, but he plays so loud sometimes that even with a monitor, I hear more of the stick hitting the pad than I do the sound of a drum. All of a sudden, it occurred to me today to try the wood tip sticks again since I've used them quite a bit on e-kits and my pads are all fine, and so does my teacher (heavy ones too, Pro-Mark 2Bs), and I got so much more sound out of them it is truly unbelievable.

So the main question is, should I be using nylon tips and just maybe get a heavier stick, or is wood OK? I was using Vater 5As with nylons, and the wood pair is a Vic Firth 5B I mainly use in my snare/pad practice. I'm comfortable with either, but I wouldn't go any heavier than 5B.

[Pocket-full-of-gold]

Originally Posted by drummindan8484

but recently I switched to nylon after hearing that wood tips can damage the pads.

Not saying it hasn't happened, but it's certainly the first time I've heard of it. Those pads (both rubber and mesh) are pretty durable mate. At the end of the day, they were designed to be hit with a stick....I don't think tip type entered into the equation during the design process. Nothing lasts forever, but I doubt that wood tips will destroy your pads any quicker than a nylon tip will.

Originally Posted by drummindan8484

So the main question is, should I be using nylon tips and just maybe get a heavier stick, or is wood OK? I was using Vater 5As with nylons, and the wood pair is a Vic Firth 5B I mainly use in my snare/pad practice. I'm comfortable with either, but I wouldn't go any heavier than 5B.

Personally, I'd use the stick that I was comfortable with........whatever stick that may be.

[drummindan8484]

Originally Posted by Pocket-full-of-gold

Not saying it hasn't happened, but it's certainly the first time I've heard of it. Those pads (both rubber and mesh) are pretty durable mate. At the end of the day, they were designed to be hit with a stick....I don't think tip type entered into the equation during the design process. Nothing lasts forever, but I doubt that wood tips will destroy your pads any quicker than a nylon tip will.




Personally, I'd use the stick that I was comfortable with........whatever stick that may be.

Yeah, I might have to use the 5Bs for the same reasons I've already stated, but I may try some wood tip 5As and just give up on nylon tips altogether. I don't like them on acoustic kits either, so I don't know why I figured I'd like them better on e-kits.

[Librarian Drummer]

I play both (wood and nylon) tips on e-drum with mesh heads.
I haven't really felt sound difference (surely if you play with 5B sticks, the sound will be powered up in comparison of 5A size, whatever the tip material ; it's a question of pad sensitiveness).
Personnaly I prefer generally nylon tips because of the black stains are inherited from the rubber cymbals ! ;-)

[ineedaclutch]

Maybe the damage would be from using a stick splintered wood tip. I could see this possibly causing damage on a mesh head. Other than that I don't see a problem. I have used both nylon and wood on my SD9K (rubber pads and I got it on the cheap) for 2 years and have not had any problems.

[jt.mcrae]

It is an electronic kit that you are using so how is a change in stick size or tip going to affect the sound? I'm confused.
To obtain a louder sound from an e kit you'd have to turn up the volume on the kit or p.a. If you want to hear more of the kit turn up the kit channel in the monitor level. As for different tones from the drums just change the preset on the kit.
In conclusion just use what ever stick feels the most comfortable. All sound issues can be fixed at either the kit or p.a or monitor.
I think you maybe over complicating things here :)
Jackson