I've broken 4 pairs of 5A Pro-marks in two weeks. I'm looking for something that gets worn down instead of snapping. Sounds dumb but every stick I've gotten seems to pull this bull. Maybe I just playing like a faggot. I can't afford $8 per pair bullshit.

ahead?

Too heavy, I want to stay wood.

I use 5A promark japanese oak sticks. 4 pairs in two weeks could mean that you need to work on your technique, but the oak sticks get dented rather than chipped and splintered and they don't generally break on me.

Also, ahead sticks will break if you do rimshots. Your cymbals will also break.

mike mangini sig sticks. try to break those things.

I don't really know shit about sticks so I just said ahead because they seem a little tough.

Japanese sometimes have worked out for me. Thats the only stick I've broken after like 20 minutes of playing once. terrible day.

I beat the shit out of the rim on my snare, it's the only way i can get a really good pronounced sound out of it.

Theres a couple things it could also be. If your playing metal or sumthing heavy 5a is kinda thin maybe think about switching to 5b??

Also when you purchase your sticks do you check them out and make sure theres only one kind of wood? Somtimes when you see like darker spots where theres other wood it could chip or snap easier. Im sure there a more technical way of saying that but im stupid so yea..

Also zjd made a good point about your technique. When i started playing drums i broke alot of sticks and had alot of wood chips all over. The more i worked on rudiments and shit the less i smashed and broke sticks and cymbols.

where the fuck do they sell the mangini sticks i can never find them...
blue if you see them buy me a pair and ill pay you back at practice

Vader 5b Power. They still break occasionally but there generally pretty good. And there probably the only sticks with nylon tips that dont fall off.

i need sicks that are big like ROCK N from vic firth... but i need it to be heavier like the mangini stick... and also to have a nylon tip. i dont think these sticks exist but please make them...

Vater fusion sticks.

What is the appeal of nylon tipes? I've always hated them and they've always fallen off on me.

Just switched to ahead sticks again after not using them for 10 years. I love the fucking balance in them. And so far they are obviously far more durable than wood sticks. 98% of my snare hits are rimshots (even blasts) and I have yet to have a problem (I shall see though). I don't understand how those sticks could mess up your cymbals though.

Vic Firth 5B Extreme Nylon Tip! they are about a half inch longer, lots of reach, use the whip stroke.

Has anyone ever tried these things? (www.grindstix.com) I've heard their pretty good but have never tried them.

Use your dick.

Try different woods. Promarks hickory is trash but their japanese oak is excelent imo

I just got some 5B japanese oak. hopefully these last.

Isn't oak way more expensive?

They were like 7.95 or some shit at an overpriced music store.

Mike if you're going to NH with Markz, convince that nigga to come rape some poon in and to da over.

Vater and Silverfox sticks are very durable.

Personally, I use Vic Firth American Jazz 1's. They are like 5Bs except with a small teardrop tip and a longer taper.

Vic Firth sticks are slightly less durable, but they have the right feel and tip to get the best sound from my large diameter and very thin cymbals.

Also, when you buy, bring in the cheapest online prices you can find. I get my sticks for $6 a pair.

And...If you've broken 8 sticks in 2 weeks, examine your technique.

The material is harder than wood. Thus, more likely to fuck up a cymbal. But any stick can fuck up a cymbal if your technique sucks. So, play off the cymbal and not through it, and you'll be fine.

I can't stand Ahead sticks, but it's all personal preference.

I'm under contract with Silverrfox, so I cant play any other sticks. Luckily enough for me, they dont break very often. But I'm not one for breaking sticks, cymbals, or heads very often and I do hit hard. I prefer either barrel or bead wood tips. I think they give the stick a great attack and balance.

Sticks of honorable mention:
Regal Tip Alex Van Halen Sigs
Vic Firth 3A wood tip
Vater Extreme 5A/B
Zildjian Super 5B's and Rock

That's cool. They don't have the tips I like (mini-tear drop/acorn), and I don't like the feel of the coating they put on their sticks...But they are some of the most durable sticks around, for sure. Back in my first year or 2 of high school, we used Silverfox/Grover percussion equipment.

yea, i'm happy with the way they feel and play, and being sponsored by anyone fucking rules, so

Jap oak is like 8 or 9 bucks for a pair of 7as

teach murph how to not break cymbals, please

really? I find the shafts of the aheads to be significantly softer than wood.

Or it might be the metal shaft on the inside.

Sorry if I'm wrong. I'm going mainly by stories I've heard. And I'm sure you know those can be exaggerated greatly.

I've never actually owned a pair. I've used other people's a few times and didn't like it. I always thought Ahead sticks were too heavy, had an unnatural feeling rebound (similar to marching tenor mallets), and didn't produce a good cymbal sound.

yea, i dont know about anyone else, but when I shit cymbals I always try to play with them and not to just smash the fuckers...its almost like a glancing blow

I've cracked cymbals but only after a significant amount of time owning them (i.e. 3-5 years) and the only cymbals I broke in around a year were zildjian Z customs...never again

yeah there are things I like and dislike about. I find them to be really heavy too. when I use wood sticks I use 5b's but for ahead I use 5a. ahead's 5b's feel as heavy as 2b's to me. it's crazy.

also... if you look at ahead's descriptions they stupidly make their 5b and 2bs the same diameter. 7a and 5a's are also the same diameter for their sticks. gayness.

i had Aheads back in highschool when i was sicked (sic)

me too. I haven't used them in 10 years. Eliot has a pair of 7a's though and I liked the balance and response I get on my toms out of them so i'm giving them another go.

the only ahead sticks i've used were my friends lars ulrich ones. them shit are like the diameter of a large black wiener.

thats what you get for playing 7a

I haven't broken 4 pairs of drumsticks in my entire drumming career though.. let alone the past couple weeks.

So I guess that settles that.

also, graphite drum stics exist, but they cost about 15 bucks a pair.

I've heard they never break, but leave black marks on your drumheads/cymbals.

Yea, but when looking at these super durable drum sticks, consider the tone they bring to your drums and cymbals. They're generally much brighter and give the cymbals much less color and character. Is that something you want?

Aheads (without the plastic sleaves on) always sounded killer on my kit. I can't speak for most of the other sticks though.

Plus, since it's only band practice and not crazy expensive studio recording, I think it's alright for cymbals to only sound 99% satisfactory. Especially considering all the other noises that are jumbled together in a band practice anyway.

these are those graphite ones I was talking about.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Aqu...mula-X10-Rock-Drumsticks?sku=444603

at 11 bucks a piece, it wouldn't hurt to atleast try them out seeing as they are supposed to last a shit ton longer then wood sticks

I guess so. It's all personal preference, but I like to make the most of my cymbals (the few I use) all the time. I don't really break sticks very often; so, money isn't a big issue here. It only happens once in a while from ping shots (rim shots at the edge of the drum).

My cymbals are made by this company called Dream, and they're modeled after Zildjian K's from the 40s and 50s. They're very large, thin, and wobbly. You can see them flexing when crashed. Anyway, they're extremely sensitive to the lightest touch and the sticks used, and I don't like to compromise that.

my cymbals are cheap as dirt and made out of chinese sausages.

they don't sound too organic to the ear, but they are excellent in the mouth.

Speaking of which, I'm part Chinese, haha. And the cymbals are also Chinese. But much better than Wuhan. I believe they're designed in the USA as well.

Well, you gotta give up certain things the bring the slam.

we all do, man...

Alright, so there's been a new development in my re-evaluation of Ahead sticks. Now I'll say that I STILL love the balance of these things, and I STILL am sick of the bullshit associated with picking out, buying, and preparing wooden sticks (I finish all my sticks with polyurethane wood finish for grip). Also, I'm still going to continue trying these things out.

With that said... I just broke one of these sticks in half. Fuck.

WTF? Explain why you do it this way? Is it just because you've got extra urethane left over after using it to smother hookers?

I think he excretes it?

Yes.

But also it's the perfect grip. I've experimented with tons of different shit. I started using polyurethane wood finish after using Promark Oak sticks (they were dipped in the shit straight from the factory). Now when I buy sticks, I coat them and let them dry for a couple days before using them.

It's kinda the drummer version of what I do to my guitar picks. I buy 3 or 4 dozen picks at a time. Then I go through and scratch up both sides of the grip on every single pick with a razorblade. Then I throw them all in a box, and don't worry about picks for a good year or two.

I like em I use the Hickory blast 5Bs, good shit.

So this is what it feels like... when doves cry.

the vater(i think) fatbacks are pretty good, fat nylon tips and they're 3A's

Japanese Oak 5b R.I.P 2/20/08-2/24/08

They have a more consistent ping than wood and usually the tip wont chip like wood does.. it might crack and become useless tho

I used to use nylon tips because they were louder on rides. But the fact that they sound a little unnatural to me combined with the fact nylon tips usually FALL OFF made me stick with wood tips.

hahahha

Yea. Nylon tips have a clean bright sound, but it's not something everyone will like.

Wood tips all the way!

For rock I guess they're fine. They just sounded weird to me for jazz.

...but how the fuck often am I playing jazz now?

I don't play a ton of swing jazz either, but I like the wood tips for all styles. Definitely sounds better for more dynamic playing, IMO.

Just broke another ahead stick. It happens right where I hit rimshots. Now that both are broken, I'll return them. (They have a 60 day warantee).

LOOKS LIKE I WAS RIGHT AND YOU WERE ALL WRONG

i got vic firth rock nylon sticks a few days ago from the suggestion of sxealex. haven't broken yet.

Vic Firth AJ1s. Sticks with small acorn or tear drop tips are the best for music with lots of dynamics. Empty Orchestra plays some softer stuff in between the brutality so I need sticks like these to sound good in all situations.

WOWZA WOWZA WOWZA.

One minor problem with Vic. Tips are chipping like mofos. A little aggravating sometimes.

theres not winning nylon chips/breaks off and wood tips chip. damn you drum sticks.

I QUIT.

I'm pretty sure ive spent more on sticks than the cost of my kit itself

And I've been waiting on my new 3 piece kit since last July.

Sort of. I received one, and it wasn't up to par. Waiting on round 2.

My current snare is the most brutal snare ever. 5.5 x 14... SIX LUGS. Impossible to tune. Good for that perfect St. Anger sound, I guess... That's what I get for buying 2 drums for 30 dollars on Craigs List while I wait, haha.

my snare is the worst snare in existence of snares. can't be worth more like 25 dollars.

i bought a pair of pro mark 5b millenium II in the natural finish. first new pair of sticks in over 6 months. i'll let you know when they break.

Yes. You were right about what you said about rimshots. But who are you saying is wrong?

My Silverfox wooden tips almost never chip and I use the beaded ones. They're pretty much the only wood tip stick i've ever used where the tips dont wuss out on me.

Interesting. I'm going to look at Silverfox again, but I'll only consider them if they have a stick around 5B or larger in size with a small acorn or tear drop tip. The only reason I've been sticking with Vic is because the few models I like are pretty much perfect. No comparable Pro-Marks or Vaters.

I had three pairs of Vic Firth Rock sticks that lasted me since march. I just broke the last pair i had left. Fucking hate buy drumsticks

I just used Vater 3A fatback's for our studio recording. I didn't want to use ahead for that shizzle.