My favorite sticks

We marched DC-10s as well. They even made a nylon tip version. The tips would soon shatter, leaving a mini-tip at the end of these massive sticks. They were perfect for putting pits in a Ludwig Striders silver dot head. Our band director must've just loved that we gave 'em a try.
 
Thanks that would be awesome if I could even heft ‘em again! We had six and sometimes seven snares. This is my high school drumline, me third from the left looking really serious with my brim pulled nice and low and the hair long and full (with not a hint of gray lol).

that pic is bad ass...you guys looked pretty legit. Sort of a Phantom Regiment thing going on. You were lucky, my HS was awful. That is one of the reasons I became a drum instructor...it was to change our line into a legit program.

and you gotta have the brim down. No re-re's allowed!!! We didn't (and still don't) use the chin strap either....that was/is a no no

We marched DC-10s as well. They even made a nylon tip version. The tips would soon shatter, leaving a mini-tip at the end of these massive sticks. They were perfect for putting pits in a Ludwig Striders silver dot head. Our band director must've just loved that we gave 'em a try.

yep, I remember the nylon tipped ones...they looked so weird, and felt even worse for the very reason you mentioned.

We usually used Regal Tip Calato 662's. I had my own pair of the DC-10's though.
 
that pic is bad ass...you guys looked pretty legit. Sort of a Phantom Regiment thing going on. You were lucky, my HS was awful. That is one of the reasons I became a drum instructor...it was to change our line into a legit program.

and you gotta have the brim down. No re-re's allowed!!! We didn't (and still don't) use the chin strap either....that was/is a no no



yep, I remember the nylon tipped ones...they looked so weird, and felt even worse for the very reason you mentioned.

We usually used Regal Tip Calato 662's. I had my own pair of the DC-10's though.
Thanks! We weren't legit at all, actually a bunch of rag tag clueless guys with an awesome Band Director (shout out to Mr. Bill Fry!) who was so great at balancing the entire thing required to get about 150 kids coordinated into a halftime show, while also coordinating the jazz ensemble, and orchestra. Truly amazing how anyone does that, especially with rebels like me leading sections at the time. Damn I wish I'd been a more of a help back then.
 
I've been a fan of Vater sticks since finding them early on- my favorite being the Fatback 3A, but when having issues finding those I recently tried the Vic Firth 55A and I like them too.
 
1. Vic Firth STL Thomas Lang Signature (use these 80% of the time)
2. Vic Firth CMN with nylon tip
3. Vater Assault Virgil Donati Signature
4. B-sticks 3A Hickory (my version of a light stick)
 
Vic Firth 7A was my very first pair of sticks and I'm sticking with them! LOL I knew from the moment I put them in my hand that they were for me. Super comfortable and more control.

Since then I have tried 5A, and a pair of Dave Weckl sticks which are way too long. I've tried other 16 in sticks and they feel very foreign in my hands.

But I'm willing to try Vater and Promark 7A.

Drummer_D
 
If you say the VF 7A stix are more comfortable and give you more controll I would stick with them.
Now I have a new brand of favorite sticks... I love the Vater 7A... their light and feel amazing in my hand with complete control and the finish on them are so smooth yet they don't slip out of your hand. They're unlike any other sticks that I've ever held. I'm sticking with Vater!

Drummer_D
 
Now I have a new brand of favorite sticks... I love the Vater 7A... their light and feel amazing in my hand with complete control and the finish on them are so smooth yet they don't slip out of your hand. They're unlike any other sticks that I've ever held. I'm sticking with Vater!

Drummer_D
I'm comfortable with a huge variety of sticks, but I do like the Vaters. 7A's are too small for my hands (I'm like the 1st grader who needs the big fat pencil) but I've enjoyed several models from Vater. The 2Bs are my go-to sticks on the pad.
 
I got a pair of the Promark Carter McLean's and it felt so right in my hands, that I used my player points to get another pair for on the road!
 
I have been using the V.F. Boleros a lot more recently too. They really felt strange to me when I first bought them decades ago, which basically kept me from using them. Now I feel comfortable with them in my hands and also especially like the sound and feel on the ride cymbal.
 
I always have a pair of Boleros or the Vater equivalent (Sugar Maple Piccolo) in my stick bag. Like you say, the sound on cymbals is amazing.

The best sounding sticks I think I’ve ever come across for cymbals are what I now use, VF AJ6. Love these sticks. Perfect balance and the cymbal sound is just amazing. Only use them for my jazz/big band stuff as the tip is small and quick taper to a thin shaft. But they just have that sweet spot of feel and incredible sound. Pop/commercial things I tend to use Erskines Ride or Big Band sticks or AJ3s. Whatever comes out of the stick bag first.
 
Zildjian Anti-Vibe 7A.. but it's out of stock everywhere, did I miss something about a stick shortage?! On their website half of sticks are out of stock, even regular ones. Can't find them anywhere else. Others disappeared, too, same for Vic Firth.
 
Zildjian Anti-Vibe 7A.. but it's out of stock everywhere, did I miss something about a stick shortage?! On their website half of sticks are out of stock, even regular ones. Can't find them anywhere else. Others disappeared, too, same for Vic Firth.

Quick search yield these otherwise a bit hard to find it seems

 
We usually used Regal Tip Calato 662's. I had my own pair of the DC-10's though.
The Regal Tip Quantum 9000's with the nylon ball tip did well for our drumline. Once that ball came off though...:(😩
 
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