Strong Drumsticks

[JimJims]

Everytime i get a new pair of sticks I end up breaking them within a week or two and i dont even hit them that hard.

So what are the most durable kind?

I heard those carbon sticks are meant to be strong.

Any suggestions?

l8r

[Dramatic Hammer]

Everytime i get a new pair of sticks I end up breaking them within a week or two and i dont even hit them that hard.

So what are the most durable kind?

I heard those carbon sticks are meant to be strong.

Any suggestions?

l8r
What do you mean by breaking them? Literaly snapping them?
Try using a smaller gauge and buy more expensive ones:). Also they don't break if you hit the skins and not the rims all the time:p.

[dymund]

there are those aluminium ones as used by god knows how many people. They are really really loud according to my drummer friend and really high and chimey when you hit cymbals, he preffers wood though.

[Nav]

carbon sticks are best, my mate using them, we decided to test how strong they really where, they can take alot of punishment, we tryed to snap them via kicking while they were against a wall that didnt work, tryed snapping them in a door that damaged the door, just harmless fun, them or the ones lars Ulich uses.

[the pearl guy]

john otto signature sticks from zildjian look prett damn strong. either that or my trusty pair of zildjian 5B's has kept me happy for many months. im poor, and cant afford variation in sticks...

[ADAM]

I buy crappy 3.00 pairs from my local drum shop. I rarely play with sticks though! Most of the time i use hot rods and they are damn expensive and break easily!!!! :'(

[Biblical]

my brother uses 5bs whatever brand be it Zildjian or Vater etc.. and can snap them in seconds, its just his style of playing that does it. he has the carbon sticks but kept cracking cymbals using them (zildjian A customs to be precise) its mainly technique, look at other drummers and see how they hold the sticks and hit with the etc..

[no3chris]

yea the drummer in my band cracks his symbols with carbon sticks, how shit ! lol m,surely broken sticks are better than broken symbols

[Nav]

lol, yea i use stagg sm5a, though it changes whenever i buy a new pair

[JimJims]

What do you mean by breaking them? Literaly snapping them?
Try using a smaller gauge and buy more expensive ones:). Also they don't break if you hit the skins and not the rims all the time:p.

Yes snapping them! And yes i have tried expensive ones.

And of course dont you know I only hit the rims, i wouldnt dare actually hit the skins, like come on :p :rolleyes:

[red]

it sounds like you have to bigger sticks for your grip, they may seem nice to play but if you go down a diameter size and get a slightly lighter stick youll feel youll be able to roll and get more bouce off the skin, practice playing quiter on one drum then expand, i used to break sticks all the time then i "relearnt" using that method.

[Aqudan]

how your kit is set up might be a contributing factor, make sure everythings set so you can easily hit the skins (rather than the rims), and that you cymbals are angled propaly.
as has been mentioned many times it is probably your technique, i used to go through a pair of vic firth 2Bs a week untill i got a new teacher and re learnt how to hold my sticks / how to sit etc . . . if you have a teacher get him to talk through it with you, despite what alot of people say using proper technique is something that does really help your playing.

[moocow]

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/htm/pic/4000.jpg
I’ve just successfully smashed my alumimum “Ahead” drum stick in half. So I need some new ones and I feel like a change. I want a strong stick that’s still light. (The “ahead” where a bit heavy) I’m willing to go back to wood.

Any suggestions, thanks.
http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/htm/pic/4000.jpg

[Nav]

Chad Smith customs are good, they are my current pair, the funkblasters.
Strong and durable and cool.

[J-o_s-h]

Vic firth sticks are the best....End of! :LOL: ;) Trust me

[moocow]

Vic firth sticks are the best....End of! :LOL: ;) Trust me

You sure I’ve snapped like 15+ pairs :indiff:

[J-o_s-h]

Well that's just natural you can obviously get a more harder set of sticks but then that dosent guarantee that when you hit your drums that it will sound as good as when you use Vic Firth. It's obviously just something that comes with Playing the drums..like i play the guita and my e string snaps at least twice in 1 month so have to buy new strings..Hey i now strings dont come at about £13:99 like Drumsticks do(estimated guess) but you know what i mean i just comes with playing the drums!! :) ;)

[GooseJuice]

Yuu shouldn't be breaking sticks or cymbals regularly. (Cymbals - you should never break)

It's all about technique, play loosely and when striking a cymbal, have the cymbal facing towards you (not straight like in most music videos) and use a glancing strike ie. not straight down but a swooping motion (left to right)

[The Nargmaster]

Thick sticks with nylon heads take ages to break, like Vater 5B nylons

[Mezzair]

Sounds like Poor Technique to me.

[Raptor]

I allways used to break the head of mine but then I bougt ProMark Oak stick... well... they break but the head dosesn´t come of as easily. I just use tape until they´re unuseable and buy new ones.

[JamesT]

Sticks are made to break... Buy the laws of Physics if they dont then your cymbals will.

The best 3 wood stick makes are, Vic Firth, Valter and Regal Tip.
Zildjain sticks are poor they have bad quality control so you get sticks with knots in etc and they break along the weak point in the wood, if you get a good pair lucky you. but be warned of them

Carbo sicks WILL damage your gear and your arms, you may no see it to start with but with repeated hitting of a crash cymbal damage is happening.
As the stick is not takinging any of the energy away from the impact it can only go to two places.

1 the cymbal building up heat and thus making the cymbla more brital and so more lickly to break

2 much worse.. your arms, a wooden stick will absobe some of the sock where as a carbo stick just sends it up your arms, Thoes Vibrations will cause Arthritis and pus bones in your hand out of place,

Ahead sticks solve the problems with Carbo sticks, the design incorparates rubber and other dampaners to cut down the vibrations going up your arms to less that of a wood stick. also the plastic sleve absorbs the energy away from the cymbal and thakes the force of the impact, the only reall problems with them in the price, weight and the weak spot where the shaft meets the handle rim shot there with force afew times and they will snap clean in 1/2


my POV go with one of the top 3 brands as i stated they will break (its only wood after all) but they wont damage your gear or arms and cost about £7

[the pearl guy]

our of interest if the tips of the sticks begin to break off (as has happened to my brand new £7 vic firths after a week)(grrr) what chance is there of them damaging any part of the drums i.e the heads. i usually play with nylon tips but i dont have the money to splash out on new sticks all the time.
cheers
andrew

[Niles]

There are no drumsticks tht will last. They die, that's all there is to it. If you've that short on cash don't play your hats much or buy sticks that are thicker or made of denser woods loke Japanese Oak.

1 the cymbal building up heat and thus making the cymbla more brital and so more lickly to break
Nah it'll just rock on the stand a bit more.

2 much worse.. your arms, a wooden stick will absobe some of the sock where as a carbo stick just sends it up your arms, Thoes Vibrations will cause Arthritis and pus bones in your hand out of place,
However that's true.

as has happened to my brand new £7 vic firths after a week)
Vic Firths nylon tips are guaranteed against bead separation. Just take them back and get another pair.

I think this guarantee is a bit stupid on their part because their heads fly of the most in my experience.

[because]

http://www.mettricksbutchers.co.uk/products/large/chickendrumstick001.jpg

[Nav]

I've been using Ahead Joey Jordison sticks for a year now, and i tend to just replace the casing at about a fiver for 2 cases. This means the sticks always feel exactly the same and the metal has never broken, plus they've not damaged my cymbals at all or my kit.
The sticks consist of a metal hand and shaft with a plastic casing around it that can be changed with ease, they then have nylon tips but you can change them and screw on the fabric beater tips.
their also really well balanced but cost like 25quid ish depening on were you buy them.

Oh and the sticks sound pretty good as well.

[Niles]

http://www.mettricksbutchers.co.uk/products/large/chickendrumstick001.jpg
Marry me?

[no3chris]

I've been using Ahead Joey Jordison sticks for a year now, and i tend to just replace the casing at about a fiver for 2 cases. This means the sticks always feel exactly the same and the metal has never broken, plus they've not damaged my cymbals at all or my kit.
The sticks consist of a metal hand and shaft with a plastic casing around it that can be changed with ease, they then have nylon tips but you can change them and screw on the fabric beater tips.
their also really well balanced but cost like 25quid ish depening on were you buy them.

Oh and the sticks sound pretty good as well.

Theyre really quite good arnt they, i was dubious whether theyd wreck kit.. but they dont seem to really.

but the plastic casing gets mashed real fast.

[Niles]

There's a great deal of inconsistency between sticks, even by the same manufacturer. It is my experience that sticks made of darker wood from the centre of the tree last longer. I'm using these Trueline diamond grip sticks http://www.truelinedrumsticks.com/Diamond_Grip.asp at the moment that are extremely dark and are unkillable. The diamond grip rules, too.

[no3chris]

They seem cool, wood appeals so much more to be honest, i guess its all personal preference though.

[addyjoe]

I use Vic Firth 8D's and it takes me months before i need a new pair. It must be your technique. 8D's are one of the the thinnest Vic Firth do, and i've never snapped one, they've just been immensly worn down by rimshots and cut away by hi-hats.

Oh, and Wood > Carbon

[Niles]

Technique doesn't come into play when considering drum stick snappage, how hard you hit and how your kit is setup does.

Obviously if you play hard with your hats and cymbals as high as they'll go your sticks (and cymbals) won't last very long.

I'll play with anything from 747s to 5Bs and the stick in my left hand (hats) always dies first from the sawing action. If the sticks didn't die then my hats would so I don't mind.

[addyjoe]

How hard you hit is technique. But, yeah, it is mainly hi-hit "sawing" that causes me to get new sticks, but thats only every couple of months. Obviously how often you play is a factor though.

[.:josh:.]

i've used carbon sticks before and i really don't like them. they dont have a natural rebound and are very heavy.

[Niles]

How hard you hit is technique.
It's part of it. Technique also implies the angle and action of the stroke and I wanted to emphasize the fact that no matter the motion of your hand when playing your drumsticks will break.

[addyjoe]

Yeah, i meant part of, not soley.

[Sophie.]

Zildjian 5A's haven't let me down yet. They last me a good couple of months of playing regularly before they get too beaten up.

I agree, though. It's not the drumsticks that are the problem, you probably need to think about your technique.

[Mort]

Zildjian 5A's haven't let me down yet. They last me a good couple of months of playing regularly before they get too beaten up.

I agree, though. It's not the drumsticks that are the problem, you probably need to think about your technique.
Yeah. but you're a girl. :p

*prepares for the pain*

[Sophie.]

Yeah. but you're a girl. :p

*prepares for the pain*

:indiff:

I'm a girl who did martial arts for 7 years. Beware. :p

[Niles]

I agree, though. It's not the drumsticks that are the problem, you probably need to think about your technique.


http://board.muse.mu/showpost.php?p=1921322&postcount=33

[Mort]

:indiff:

I'm a girl who did martial arts for 7 years. Beware. :p
I'm a guy who also did martial arts for a number of years. Bring it!

[Sophie.]

I'm a guy who also did martial arts for a number of years. Bring it!

:LOL:

Cross-continental sparring ahoy!

[Mort]

:LOL:

Cross-continental sparring ahoy!
Just wait a few months, and then we can have a proper biff.

[Nav]

they ahead drumsticks, tend to be exactly the same every single pair cause they are machine made, and they have natural bounce and are balanced so you can play for longer cause they absorb more of the shock of hitting things making you less tired.

the cases should last longer than wooden sticks, i've been using them for a year and i've only changed the case once.

[Niles]

The stuff they're made of is less flexible than wood; they're metal, meaning Aheads do not absord more shock than wooden sticks. Even if they did how does that stop you from tiring?

All Zildjian cymbals are machine made and even identical models tend to sound vastly different due to inherent imperfections in the casting process.

You're right, Ahead drumsticks are very consistent between pairs but not just becuase they're made by machine. They are, however, harder and more rigid meaning they transfer more shock to your arms and joints.

[El Zilcho]

Carbo sicks WILL damage your gear and your arms, you may no see it to start with but with repeated hitting of a crash cymbal damage is happening.
As the stick is not takinging any of the energy away from the impact it can only go to two places.

1 the cymbal building up heat and thus making the cymbla more brital and so more lickly to break

2 much worse.. your arms, a wooden stick will absobe some of the sock where as a carbo stick just sends it up your arms, Thoes Vibrations will cause Arthritis and pus bones in your hand out of place

I didn't know that :eek:
I've never noticed anything being wrong with my cymbals or arms though, but maybe I just didn't play often enough to cause much damage. Anyway, sounds like I should go back to wooden sticks in case I start drumming again.

[Niles]

What he said's a bit bollocks, cymbals won't heat up much during play no matter what sticks you use. It is true that non-wood sticks are more rigid but this only means they transfer momentum (and shock) more effectively, the cymbals should be free to move so they won't care what sticks you use.

[El Zilcho]

What he said's a bit nonsense, the cymbal won't heat up much unless you grab it and rub your stick on it. It is true that non-wood sticks are more rigid but this only means they transfer momentum more effectively, the cymbals should be free to move so they won't care what sticks you use.

I was assuming they'd deform the cymbals as well. And I'm a bit more worried about my arms, because I can't just buy replacements for those ;)
But as I said, I'd never had any problems because I wasn't playing a lot.

[Nav]

http://www.bigbangdist.com/ahead_stick.swf

[Niles]

I was assuming they'd deform the cymbals as well.
Only if you play so that the stick hits the cymbal at an angle to its edge, but then they'll break no matter what, otherwise the cymbal will just move with the shock.

[Niles]

I'm having a problem with stick breakage myself, I'm playing fairly hard hitting styles and go through a pair every 90 minutes of continuous play. It's what's led me to discover "rock" models. These are the thing if you need projection, they feel like telephone poles (diameter of a 2B + 3/8" length) and get massive rimshots with ridiculous ease. You have to be extra careful with cymbal though.

[drumjeenyus]

The strongest sticks i've found so far are the Pro-Mark 747 oak sticks, preferrably the Neil Peart Siganture sticks. I do a lot of rim shots with my snare hits, these have held up better than any other stick i've used. They still of course break eventually but not as fast. The Zildjian Travis Barker sticks are good and strong too!:D

[Tom!]

Why did you bump a two year old thread?

[ADAM]

haha i was a n00b 4 years ago! :LOL:

[Pluginbabydoll]

I do a lot of rim shots

That's all I managed to read.

[cheddatom]

I used those black graphite "indestructible" ones for ages but they still broke.

Good bump, I needed this info.

[ADAM]

I used those black graphite "indestructible" ones for ages but they still broke.

Good bump, I needed this info.

eek! :eek:

dont use them!!

you WILL break your hand!

[cheddatom]

eek! :eek:

dont use them!!

you WILL break your hand!

Could explain the RSI!!

Heh, no, it's only in my right hand and mainly from computers/bass/wanking.



I need to get some sticks. I've been using 5As for the last couple of months but I prefer the fatter ones - are they 3A? I should get some more.


Any good guides to stick-holding technique on the net that you can link me to?

[ADAM]

Could explain the RSI!!

Heh, no, it's only in my right hand and mainly from computers/bass/wanking.

I need to get some sticks. I've been using 5As for the last couple of months but I prefer the fatter ones - are they 3A? I should get some more.


Any good guides to stick-holding technique on the net that you can link me to?

you jest but it may be a factor

wooden sticks absorb the shocks when hitting a cymbal

carbon ones dont and so the energy goes through the stick into the hand which causes damage :\

yeah go to a music shop and faff about with the different sizes and lengths until you find some that are comfortable.

i havent found any stick holding guides on the net - but then again i havent looked for them.

im sure they exist on drum tutorial websites

niles may know :)

[the_man361]

graphite sticks: they screw your hands up, they screw your drums up AND they sound like shit.

i cant think of another reason to use them except they dont break as often :LOL:

[bshuker]

They makes you look supir cool

[Niles]

Pro-Mark

That's how that dad did it, that's how america does it, and it's worked out pretty well so far.

[ADAM]

yup :yesey:

[cheddatom]

you jest but it may be a factor

wooden sticks absorb the shocks when hitting a cymbal

carbon ones dont and so the energy goes through the stick into the hand which causes damage :\

yeah go to a music shop and faff about with the different sizes and lengths until you find some that are comfortable.

i havent found any stick holding guides on the net - but then again i havent looked for them.

im sure they exist on drum tutorial websites

niles may know :)


Yeh, I realise they're very rigid, but I don't grip and/or hit too hard, plus if my RSI was from the sticks, i'd have it in both hands and it would have started after I started playing drums.

Anyhooooooo.... I could really do with a guide or some advice regarding the actual holding of the sticks if anyone has a link? I have had a look myself.

[ADAM]

Yeh, I realise they're very rigid, but I don't grip and/or hit too hard, plus if my RSI was from the sticks, i'd have it in both hands and it would have started after I started playing drums.

Anyhooooooo.... I could really do with a guide or some advice regarding the actual holding of the sticks if anyone has a link? I have had a look myself.

You need to hold the sticks properly for starters! :LOL:

And when drumming your right hand always hits more than the left (or vice versa) so you are more likely to get it in one hand!

Eg. Simple beat 1

R| x-x-x-x-|x-x-x-x-|x-x-x-x-|x-x-x-x-|
L| ----x---|----x---|----x---|----x---|
B| x-------|x-------|x-------|x-------|


Right hand hits 16 times
Left hand hits only 4

Stick technique - just google/youtube it

[cheddatom]

I don't think I am holding the sticks properly, which is why i'm asking.

Yes, I do use my right hand more than my left when drumming, but I still had my RSI before I started playing so I fail to see your point? My RSI is from years of intense computer use and bass playing.

Just to make it clear, I do play the drums to an OK standard in two bands, and have gigged etc. I'm not a total noob, but I think I hold the sticks wrong, that's all.

I'll maybe try youtube tonight, but I like non-video based info as I only really go on the net at work.