What stick model is your favorite one?

12 years ago I used a pair of Vic Firth SD4 on a gig and it was the best pair I've ever played. I used the same exact pair for a low volume weekly gig for 6 years and when I moved to Japan, brought that same pair with me and have used every week for our 3 hour band practice for another 6 years. Same exact pair for 12 years. The shoulder is super thin by now and the tips are almost flush, but somehow this pair refuses to break. Yesterday I decided I need to retire and frame these sticks.

In my harder hitting days, I really liked the Promark white oak sticks. The density of the wood allowed me to play with the added weight I wanted without having to use a super thick stick. I also played mostly rim shots on the snare, and the wood wouldn't splinter and make a frayed mess out of the middle of the drumstick. I found hickory and maple would shred, the fraying would get in the way, and the stick would suddenly become spongy. Oak tended more to break off in little pieces and last a little longer. It was tough enough that I could usually successfully get to end of a song before I needed to switch out with a new stick. I don't hit as hard now, so I'm spending time getting used to using different sticks for different situations.

I’m not big into buying another Drummers custom anything. But I will have to say Tool’s drummer Danny Carey’s signature Vic Firth drum sticks are so perfectly weighted that they are a perfect fit for me. The width of the sticks fit in my hands so well they don’t slip out of my hands much if ever.

Man, I play jazz, funk, gospel, trap and once I tried the vic firth modern jazz MJC4 I couldn't go back. Such a vesatile stick, just the right diameter while being light since its made out of maple. Simply amazing.

What a great video! Been drumming for 20+ years and the only way I knew all of this was from, well, spending 20+ years drumming and experimenting. I started off with 5A's (because that's whats the store guy gave me), then, as a rock oriented teen I went on to 5B's, on to 2B's, back to 5B's and all of the sudden, many years later... I settled on 7A's... LOL. Go figure. I personally met a rock drummer I really liked, saw his 7A's and was like... whaaat? Tried them myself and never went back. For rock, I love and miss the sound of fat, heavy sticks on low tuned toms, but I hate it on the ride and hats. It's all a trade-off of course. Round tip 7A's (to me) have this amazing dynamics and sound on cymbals; and they are light and fast; but yes, you give up the power on the toms mainly and crashing cymbals.

Vic Firth's Peter Erskine Signature are just perfect for me, the sound on the ride is perfect for me ! Thin but dense, and pretty long, I don't feel like playing small sticks but still have the smooth and precise sound of a light stick !

Depends on what I’m playing. For rock, virtually any pair of 5A or 5B nylon tip will suffice. But for bebop jazz? Regal 7A nylon tip. The stick is lighter in the neck (taper area) than other 7A brands, which allows both the drums and the cymbals to sound lighter and clearer. This makes a huge difference if you’re into the darker ‘Turkish’ jazz cymbals. You need to exert a little more effort on your toms with these, but you can compensate for that by tuning them higher than for rock/pop.

Another thing to bear in mind is pair mismatching. Even if you buy a new pair of sticks it can still mean that the two sticks don't match eachother in sound. I just bought four pairs of the same stick and tried them out on a ride cymbal to get truly matched pairs. The difference between the darkest sounding stick and the brightest was pretty big. Also, the same stick model seem to change in weight over time. A pair of Vic's 7A from about six years ago are significantly heavier than a pair from two years ago, and the four pairs I just bought are somewhere in between.

Great rundown on a subject I never really thought about. I didn't realize how different materials and shapes/sizes hit on different parts of the drums made a difference in the sound emitted. Thanks for the though provoking and educational video!

I practice with relatively heavy sticks for greater stick control. It works the muscles and forces you to really learn to control the sticks carefully and with accuracy when you practice with a heavy pair. For actual gigs, I will often opt for the Vic Firth "Steve Gadd" model as it's insanely comfortable in my hands and has a great sound in almost any genre or style (since Gadd himself played in dozens of different bands and music styles). I tend to carry one or two lighter or heavier pairs if a set might require them, but the Gadds are good enough for most applications. I also play concert drums and that's a whole other ball game on choosing the right sticks depending on the piece or need...

I love the promark 5b rebound. It enables me to play hard and have lots of control on my doubles and triplets.

I run my local stores out of their Vater 1As. Love those sticks.

I’ve been playing Pro Mark Oak for decades and love that wood.

My favourite drum stick model is the Vic Firth Matt Garstka Signature stick but I don't always use it. There are 3 Vic Firth models I typically go to depending on the musical situation - all of which have a 0.585" diameter (this is the diameter that fits my hands the best), are 16" long and are made of hickory. I simply vary the tip and taper to suit the music I'm playing. I use: - Peter Erskine Big Band Sticks for jazz and other quieter playing - the long taper and tear drop tip make it very easy to play quietly with these sticks, despite their relatively large diameter. - Matt Garstka Sticks for moderate to loud playing - these are the most versatile sticks I've ever come across which is why they're my all-round choice when volume is less of a concern, although the blended tip makes it pretty easy to play softly with these too when necessary. These have more dynamic range than anything else I've played with. - Charlie Watts (RIP) Sticks for heavy playing - medium taper and oval tip makes it easy to get a big weighty sound out of the drums which is great for heavy situations. I thoroughly recommend finding which diameter fits your hands the best, which length you're most comfortable with and going from there. I find the tip and taper are the 2 things that influence the sound the most, whilst the diameter and length are more about figuring out what's physically right for your body. That's why the diameter and length rarely change for me, even when I'm using different sticks.

I’ve done all the experimenting for a long time. I finally settled on Vic Firth 5B’s. I prefer the barrel tip,but the down side of course is the denting of the heads (I tend to hit pretty hard) . So it’s a catch 22, the sound I love and the changing of heads more often 🥺😔, vs the ok sound with standard tear drop tips but saving the heads longer.🤷🏻‍♂️😢.

I stumbled upon the Vic Firth Jack De Johnette and they seem like the stick I've always wanted. Extra reach, right diameter with perfect taper and just the right weight. ✌

Very informative video! Thanks.

currently using 5AN extremes from Vic Firth (5As with nylon tips & a bit longer), extra length is nice as I'm tallish so the extra length makes up for the space I lose to my legs, nylon tips as when I used wood ones my tips wore down way before the rest of the stick would. I probably should experiment a bit more but that's for another day.

Mt preference is for a 0.5 diameter timbale stick, great feel and sound good to me, i play predominantly hybrid set ups so they work great on pads too

And I like all the drumsticks models and stick tips and all that stuff

Excellent video. Really difficult to get the sound nuances across, but you guys did a decent job. Spent all of lockdown trying to find the perfect stick. Los Cabos 3A white hickory was the winner.

Promark 5bs are my absolute favorite. So dense and heavy.

Vic firth 5A hickory nylon tip is my go-to also the Vic grip

What a fantastic video!

I love the Keith Carlocks or the 5A Doubleglaze. I wish Vic Firth had more lacquer offerings.

Great video, covered a lot of ground! I use anything from 2B, via 5B, 5A down to 7A or 5A maple. You win some and lose some on each type, I find. For toms I prefer 2B, for cymbals 7A or maple sticks. Also, as I get better and play more intricate stuff, I get drawn to the smaller sticks. I saw an interview with Annika Nilles, where she said she likes the articulation smaller sticks give her.

Man this channel is awesome. I don't know what the budget is, but you guys should put more into advertising. Your channel is amazing, but I feel like there aren't enough people seeing your content

Travis Barker Signature Sticks From Zildjian those are my favorite sticks of all time

I’v been using 5A’s for a long time nylon tips but.I’m going to use wooden tips for a change for a more natural sound.natural finish.🥁

I think the oval tip is just as common as the acorn/teardrop tip. I used to use nylon tips because of the way they sounded on my ride cymbal when I used to play more rock, but in my experience, they don't feel as good as wood tips, like they rebound a little bit less. I use wood tips now, but it's a drag when the tip wears out long before the rest of the stick does.

I use either Los cabos 2b, or vaters 2b, really like those sticks

I have been using your AJ3 sticks for a few years now, the only drum sticks in my bag.

Zildjian 5a hickory, wood tip for 20 years. THEN they changed the tip/shank and I was breaking them a LOT. I hunted thru so many, ended up with promark 747 in hickory and oak (oval tip) and some vic firth 5a hickory wood tip, for jazzier/light playing. I still have a few sets of old school zildjian 5a's, but they are long gone from being produced nowadays. I do use the 5a maple zildjians for my ekits (alternate mode neoprene) TrapKat and DrumKat.. Im primarily a rock drummer on an old Pearl Sessions Rack kit with Zildjian A's all around.

Virgil Donati’s Assault was my favorite growing up! Still have one pair left 😅

And specially the arrow accorn teardrop and oval round and barrel Tips of the drumsticks and all that stuff

I was amazed at the difference in sound between the hickory and maple on the ride cymbal (not so much on the drums). I liked the sound of the cymbal played with the hickory stick, but not really with the maple stick. Really eye-opening.

Pro Marks 5a rebound balance have given me the best feel compared to others.

Promark sticks are my go to. I use the 5A Rebound Balance Hickory/Maple, Acid Jazz, and Glenn Kotche signatures primarily. Those tend to be what best suits the sounds I shoot for.

I bought a set of Shira Kashi Oak sticks made in Japan by ProMark, classic 2B with an oval nylon tip. so far I really like them. I got big hands so the thin sticks that came with my new set came unmarked, look like someone made them out of a home depot 2x4 on a lathe (very warped) but look to be A7 because they are very light and very thin. I toss them in my bag and take them to work to practice in a sound proof conference room (I work nights so no one's around) I played some 25 years ago so I am just getting back into the swing of things and having to basically relearn everything, especially all the terminology. I never really learned how to read sheet music, I learned to play by ear back in a time before the internet which was a real challenge. Imagine learning to play snare for the nut cracker songs by listening to a cassette tape... Anyway, great video, I never knew the different shape tips would make such a huge difference in the overall sound. I've never used anything but the typical acorn or teardrop or oval tips (all the same thing just different companies and people call them different things apparently.

What kit is that in the video? It sounds great

i use different sticks rods and brushes from different brands cause i want to have different sound options for my sound depending which sound at what time and style i want to play and how my drumset has to sound like

los cabos 5A and 5B canadian rock maple sticks.

Yeah great drum sound but you know I like the The muffled drum sound with fleece fabric shape like circles along with balloon rings and all that stuff

For some reason I use Buddy Rich’s VIC for ages. I am not sure why but they are just perfect. And what ever I do they stay solid. Most of my sticks broke on shoulder part, but here no shoulder as such.

I tend to use different sticks in one pair for ride/hi-hat and snare/tom sounds - for example Vater Los Angeles 5A for snare (left hand) and Manhattan 7A with customised tip for ride/hi-hat (right hand) - tips on Manhattan 7A are almost like on new Carter McLean sticks, really smooth! Great subject!

Ooohhh! This is gonna be good!

I used Mike Portnoy's signature drumsticks for years, with which I got along very well, having played progressive rock; later, I switched to Todd Sucherman's signature (practically like Vic Firth 5B). For a project with a pop symphony orchestra, first, I tried the Vic Firth 5A Extreme, but I didn't like it because of the kind of balance it gave to my hand; then, I got the SD4 Combo. Outstanding and versatile, too! But to have a "general" and even more versatile drumstick for different genres, I'm opting for the Vic Firth 5B or Mike Johnston's Vic Firth NE-1. I decided to switch to Vic Firth out of curiosity to try their quality and because the prices are definitely more affordable than Pro-Mark, which raised the price too high.

The Jojo Mayer stick is good. Also the Vater Los Angeles 5A. I notice that I tend to prefer shorter sticks. Anything longer than 16" feels too front-heavy and slow for me.

I prefer a drumstick that had a Teardrop tips. I had to buy another stick with the same tips and the thin lengths. those drum sticks are my favorites was Vater sticks.

I like a 7a long 16” i was playing regal tip 7a jazz 16” but cant find them so ive switched to vic firth 17” barrel tip.

I can't find a better stick than SD-1 Generals, rock maple. The perfect stick.

I noticed a big difference in the sound on the ride cymbal between the AJ5 Which is very thin versus the Thomas Lang stick very thick in very dark on the Zildjin ride

I love the quest loves. They are long, slim, and feel great.

Whats the best for hard hitting rock punk and metal sticks ? 5b ?

Vic Firth Rock drumsticks is the best for me

What stick size would: Be best for fast fingers or Moler technique in the metal genre? I've used 7A's all my life but thinking a heavier butt would progress my blast beat speed/control/dynamics. I'm thinking it would also make fast double strokes sound more even in volume. Thanks.

Vic Firth 55A. Between the 5A & B.

American Classic Vic Firth 5A Barrel, Dave Weckl Signature, Promark Simon Phillips, SD1 General to practice.

ive been playing promark firegrain 5A rebound tip for a while now

Does any of this make any difference for an electric drumset? Perhaps just the feel in the weight and hand movement?!

I am a teenager and I have pretty small hands. I have always used the Vic Firth 7A, but when I was trying to begin practicing traditional grip my fingers just couldn't fit right and the stick felt too heavy. So now I'm searching for some thinner/lighter sticks that are about the same length. If anyone has a recommendation it would really help! (I should also note that there is no way for me to try out sticks because there is no music store in my city. I need to order everything online)

I tried Alex Van Halen’s signature sticks before. I used them once and that was it. They’re like 18 1/2” long but oddly light !

I already found my perfect drum stick model: Promark 7A oval-tip hickory 🥰

What about for practice, particularly on a pad? I'm just a few months in. I started with Promark TX5BW teardrop hickory, and now I also have Vater hickory 8A barrel and VF SD1 round with maple. The Vics have a really short shoulder and wide body and seem good for strength building. But I feel like when I get a handle on the rudiments and when I go to my regular sticks, it throws me off. The 8As were recommended by shop guy and they were a mistake. I have big hands and those things like to go flying.

How should we name the Buddy Rich or Matt Garstka model’s tip? It’s not the usual kind of a teardrop tip) or what about “upsidedown” “teardropped” barrel tip for trip hop?))🤣

Hey I play rock (stuff like System of a Down and nirvana)music and my stick recently broke, does anyone know what sticks I should buy?

VIC FIRTH Bolero SD2 !!! Thick, light and round tip ;)

Vic Firth Titan 5B is the best for me

I love how the ride cymbal in this vid sounds. What brand, type and size is it?

my favorite model: promark simon phillips 707

I'd love to see you guys try to get Benny Greb's drum sound

What kit is that?

I've been using Steve Jordan Signatures for a long time, but I think it's time for a change, simply to make me feel differently.

ahead 5B, best I have ever played with.

Im using the VicFirth sd2 bolero

Vic Firth 5As and 5A Freestyle all the way.

What type of drumsticks would you recommend to electronic drummers? (my drums are all rubber btw, they don’t have mesh.)

AS5A all the way!!

The Jack Dejonette model is the ultimate drum stick.

👏🏻

Vater 2B and 5B’s nylon tip American hickory for me all day only stick that has withstood my abuse rather well second choice are the promark 2B nylons Japan oak

Freestyle 😁

Played with Promark 747s and 5b millinium for 20 plus years. Then I got my hands on some Vaters and Vic Firths. My favorite sticks are the 7a nylon tip Vater Manhattans and 5a Novas by Vic Firths and the grip sticks. I've bought so many different kinds of sticks over the last few years to experiment I realized I definitely enjoy lighter sticks with the balance in the middle or at the grip. Heavy top weighted sticks slow me down are uncomfortable now for me, so many of my sticks will sit and collect dust.

what about using a rolling pin

Just switched from Vic Firth X5B to Vater Power 5A

Why not use the 5A sticks...they are the most used size. And you did not mention that Nylon tipped sticks necks are almost always smaller around than a wood tip. This makes them mose prone to breakage at that point.

Power 5b vater and or Morgan rose alien freak cause why not but really any thing that'd thicker than a 5b and a little longer

Take baxk everything but my vic firth 3a wood tip

Vater Mangini model

A drummers sticks should feel like an extension of their hands. Try as many different types as you can. Factor in the type of music you are playing. Also - understand that there is No Universal sizing system. Meaning, a 7A from Vic Firth might be slightly different than a 7A from Pro-Mark. Experiment as much as possible.

aj5 arent available

People use sticks? I just punch the drums.

We need a roger Taylor drum kit sounds

i play suuuuper hard and break all the time

please have someone else for the voice overs

Longer stick will produce darker lower pitch. While a shorter stick will produce higher brighter sound!

Every time you moved to the bell, you didn't hit with the tip. 🤷🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️ They sounded completely different on the ride, and exactly the same on the bell. If you're comparing tips, you have to use the tips.

Mans holding a log

In my many years of experience, do not believe what you read in the manufacturers' descriptions as gospel. Logic would tell you that these are correct but in the real world, you have to actually try them out on your own drums and particularly, your cymbals - including the different target areas on the cymbals. The bigger sticks will sometimes sound softer and quieter and have more rebound than you think. Then try the same groups of sticks on different cymbals. Again, you will be amazed that the sticks can change personality when they go from thicker to thinner, darker to lighter, or different diameters of sticks. Also, don't assume that a lighter weight cymbal will have a brighter sound with the same sticks because the cymbal profile makes a major difference as well. Confused? You should be. There is no clear answer. Finally, what you like the sound of in the drum shop may sound completely different at home or in your work place. This is why I have so many different sticks and cymbals. All of them have specific purposes.