Drum sticks - the myths
DC
the false dream of straight and perfectly finished sticks.
This is all great theory but there is one basic reality
about drum sticks: they are all just sticks of wood. Don’t
get me wrong - the work and craftsmanship put into 'premium
drum sticks' is very good but it really doesn’t make much
of a difference. This brings us to the GREAT MYTHS of drum
sticks..."
Continued: http://snipr.com/SticksMyths
Sam Savoca
"DC" <nob...@pseudo.borked.net> wrote in message
news:e2820e762a7ed0d4...@pseudo.borked.net...
> "...For years the BIG drum stick companies have marketed
> the false dream
I'll take straight sticks with straight grain and pay a bit more for them.
Just call it my little idiosyncrasy. I also wouldn't go near Zildjian
sticks again. I've had way too many Zildjian sticks (first quality) suffer
early catastrophic failure. I'm talking about the kind of failure where the
tip plus a couple of inches instantly vanishes with no warning leaving you
with a punji stick and a stupid look on your face.
Sam S.
Chris Milillo
opinion, feel better), your "Myth #1" about straight sticks is a bunch of
bullshit. Obviously, you have a direct financial interest in selling 2nd
rate drum sticks, and if you had any credibility, you wouldn't need to post
anonymously. As to your "myth":
<quoted text>
"Myth #1" Fact of the matter is simply this if you are the most schooled
drummer in the world or a person that picked up sticks today for the first
time, when you are playing you could never…never … tell if a stick isn’t
straight.
I challenge any drummer to do a blind test with 10 pairs of sticks out of a
box. I guarantee you that 90% of the time drummers could never identify
straight sticks or non straight sticks. The 10% would just be good guesses.
<end quoted text>
Never, NEVER? I'd gladly accept your challenge. What's my reward if I prove
you wrong? Do I get 10 pairs of shitty drumsticks for every warped stick I
can correctly identify?
Most drummers who properly use the "free stroke" can tell when a stick is
not straight (within reason) because the rebound is not true. I made the
mistake of grabbing a few pairs of "cheap" drum sticks once (without rolling
them), on the way to a rehearsal, when I forgot my stick bag. It's a mistake
I'll never make again.
Of course, you're free to sell anything you want, but don't tell us that 2nd
rate drumsticks are just as good as any 1st rate sticks, and that straight
sticks don't matter. That's just patently false.
CM
"DC" <nob...@pseudo.borked.net> wrote in message
news:e2820e762a7ed0d4...@pseudo.borked.net...
-MIKE-
Chris is being too nice.
You are full of $h!t.
Go away you fu@k!ng spammer!
(geeze Chris, being a New York guy, I'm embarrassed that I have to do
your cussing for you.)
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
mi...@mikedrumsDOT.com
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
Kov
this means a few things:
1. Your hands and ears are very underdeveloped.
2. You don't know how to spell "purist" or "meanwhile."
Mark D
Conclusion.
Vic Firth are so so. I've played some decent ones, and still have some,
and some were utter shit. Felt like balsa wood. No feel, weight, or
density, no matter what size. God knows where they source the wood
from, probably some third world country.
Brushes, yes, I've a couple of pair of Vic Firth's, and they are some of
the best I've ever used.
After coming out of places like the old Franks Drum Shop, and others
like The Drum Pad in Palatine, where they have a "Wall o Sticks", some
like Vater don't impress me, unless your a Keith Moon Banger.
Styles vary of course, and I'm not trying to put down those who like
playing heavy, non tipped sticks, of other unorthodox types, or styles.
Vintage Sticks, many are very nice, but hard to find. For Jazz, I always
liked sticks like some of the old Slingy Barrett Deems 19A, Krupa, the
ole Rogers Buddy Rich Model, but who the hell wants to pay the
ridiculous $30 ebay prices that these assholes are asking.
Capella was a really good stick maker which I love.
I got a whole freaking box (about 50 pair) of obsolete, no longer made
"Densiwood Sticks" which I assume they made. Price per pair..... $1.
I wouldn't part with them for $20 a pair, they are that good, probably
red hickory.
I'll agree, a "decent" drummer should be able to instantly feel a
grossly warped pair of Sticks, but sometimes we are forced to play with
a less than stellar pair.
A question, has anyone ever seen Buddy Rich break a pair? I never have.
A habit which I always had, from 1965, I always roll a pair of sticks
across a glass countertop. A habit like wiping my nose, and all drummers
should inspect-check sticks before plunking down $$$.
-MIKE-
really cheap sticks lately, because they worked fine and why not? But I
had two warped ones and it felt terrible to use them, right away, I
could tell immediately that something out of whack (pun). I'd go to hit
the snare and it just didn't feel right, plus I'd get more rim than I
wanted depending on how the stick was situated.
So again, the OP is full of it and obviously just trying to shill his
potion.
Chris Milillo
news:gg70s7$sst$1...@nntp.motzarella.org...
Hey, I used the words "bullshit" and "shitty"! And just to clarify, New
Yorkers don't "cuss", we "curse" or some even "coyse" (not me), and we
certainly don't use alternate character$ when cyber cursing! If someone
wants to google my name and 4 letter words, they'll find plenty!
CM
Dave
<snip>
>
> A question, has anyone ever seen Buddy Rich break a pair? I never have.
>
I have. Right at the end of this video:
http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/buddyrichdolphinehudson.html
Dave
Houston, Texas
Ken
"Dave" <Du...@2DM.us> wrote in message
news:daa71221-4c9a-432f...@s20g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/buddyrichdolphinehudson.html
Dave is correctomente... Those sticks looked awfully thin.... Buddy's left
hand was amazing!!!
Dave
Houston, Texas
Bill Le May
"Dave" <Du...@2DM.us> wrote in message
news:daa71221-4c9a-432f...@s20g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/buddyrichdolphinehudson.html
But he only broke one - not a pair. : )
Great video.
Sean Conolly
>I never ran across a warped stick until recently. I've been some really,
> really cheap sticks lately, because they worked fine and why not? But I
> had two warped ones and it felt terrible to use them, right away, I
> could tell immediately that something out of whack (pun). I'd go to hit
> the snare and it just didn't feel right, plus I'd get more rim than I
> wanted depending on how the stick was situated.
I've considered buying table-top lathe so I can make my own sticks. I know
that sounds ridiculous, but I can never find anything with the durability of
hickory but denser - like a 2B weight in a 5A size.
Sean
Chris Milillo
news:dnhWk.68146$kh2....@bignews3.bellsouth.net...
I've always preferred heavier sticks because of the feel and rebound. Even
within the same brand and model, I always select the heaviest sticks, which
also usually have the darkest grain. I find that in addition to feeling and
sounding "better" (to me"), they last considerably longer.
Remember the Pro Mark "Golden Oak" sticks? I miss them! Those things lasted
*forever* and felt great. They weighed a bit more than equivalent models,
I'd guess because the wood was more dense and/or had a higher moisture
content. The outer finsih on the wood was almost "waxy", and instead of
splintering and chipping away, the sticks would just dent.
Too bad they were discontinued. IIRC, it was for environmental reasons, but
it could also be that they lasted too long, and Pro Mark was losing sales
over it!
I just did a quick Google search and found this on a Neil Peart drum sticks
site
"Early in the Hemispheres Tour ... Pro-Mark sent Neil some sample pairs of
the Golden Oak Rock-747 in an effort to
switch him to the new product line. Neil gave them a try and declined the
switch. The newer sticks were identical in size
and shape, but the new wood was about 10% heavier in weight than the model
he was accustomed to using."
CM
Sam Savoca
"Chris Milillo" <dr...@bestweb.net> wrote in message
news:ggca6k$jbf$1...@news.motzarella.org...
> Remember the Pro Mark "Golden Oak" sticks? I miss them! Those things
> lasted *forever* and felt great. They weighed a bit more than equivalent
> models, I'd guess because the wood was more dense and/or had a higher
> moisture content. The outer finsih on the wood was almost "waxy", and
> instead of splintering and chipping away, the sticks would just dent.
>
> Too bad they were discontinued. IIRC, it was for environmental reasons,
> but it could also be that they lasted too long, and Pro Mark was losing
> sales over it!
>
> I just did a quick Google search and found this on a Neil Peart drum
> sticks site
I loved the Golden Oak 808. That was my favorite until they were
discontinued. I still have 4 or five worn pairs around here somewhere.
Sam S.
Paul M. Hobson
> "DC" <nob...@pseudo.borked.net> wrote in message
> news:e2820e762a7ed0d4...@pseudo.borked.net...
>> "...For years the BIG drum stick companies have marketed
>> the false dream
Sam Savoca wrote:
> I'll take straight sticks with straight grain and pay a bit more for them.
> Just call it my little idiosyncrasy. I also wouldn't go near Zildjian
> sticks again. I've had way too many Zildjian sticks (first quality) suffer
> early catastrophic failure. I'm talking about the kind of failure where the
> tip plus a couple of inches instantly vanishes with no warning leaving you
> with a punji stick and a stupid look on your face.
I had the same exact experience when I first started drumming. I've
stuck to the Big Three ever since: Promark, Vic Firth, and Vater.
--
Paul M. Hobson
.:change the f to ph to reply:.
Pete Pemberton
Don't forget Regal Tip!
PP
The Baz
> I loved the Golden Oak 808. That was my favorite until they were
> discontinued. I still have 4 or five worn pairs around here somewhere.
>
> Sam S.
I had a few pairs of the Neil Peart 747s. I liked the feel of them but had a
few pairs split down the grain for no reason.
I use Vic Firth now, and while I used to roll every stick and check for
weight and feel with Promark bfore I purchased, with about a 15% success
rate of what I would consider usable, I just buy the Vic Firths straight of
the shelf now and have not had a dud pair yet. I can use them till there is
virtually nothing left of the stick before I break out a new pair.
Baz
-MIKE-
> that sounds ridiculous, but I can never find anything with the durability of
> hickory but denser - like a 2B weight in a 5A size.
>
> Sean
>
If you do, I'd suggest a center stabilizer.
16 inches at only 1/2 inch thick is bends quite a bit in the middle
when you're turning it down.
-MIKE-
> within the same brand and model, I always select the heaviest sticks, which
> also usually have the darkest grain. I find that in addition to feeling and
> sounding "better" (to me"), they last considerably longer.
>
> Remember the Pro Mark "Golden Oak" sticks? I miss them! Those things lasted
> *forever* and felt great. They weighed a bit more than equivalent models,
>
>
>
>
>
Same boat with me. Try Zildjian Heavy Jazz sticks.
They are laminated birch and are heavy and dense.
-MIKE-
> discontinued. I still have 4 or five worn pairs around here somewhere.
>
> Sam S.
>
My favorite stick ever, next to Mainline synthetics.
drummerrob
> > I loved the Golden Oak 808. That was my favorite until they were
> > discontinued. I still have 4 or five worn pairs around here somewhere.
>
> > Sam S.
>
> My favorite stick ever, next to Mainline synthetics.
>
> --
>
> -MIKE-
>
> "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
> --Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
> --
> http://mikedrums.com
> ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
I discovered Johnny Rabb sticks just before they went out of business.
Thought they were pretty consistent, then I couldn't get them anymore.
Five years ago I moved out to the country, and since I was no longer
in anyone's territory and wanted another source of income, I became a
dealer. I happened upon a bunch of old Rhythm Saws, Traditionals and
Straightnecks and have been selling them on my website and ebay for a
couple of years now. I've saved enough for my own use that I'm set for
the rest of my life -- unless I change models and brands.
So if you agree that Johnny Rabb sticks were well made, generally
consistently matched and straight, and you'd like to have some, I've
got them in over a dozen models. Email or call me at 802 345-1714.
Prices are reasonable -- $12 -15 depending on the model, and I'll roll
them for you before I ship them.
Rob