I'm looking at getting another pair of sticks. My previous ones, broke.

I'm not a big fan of Hickory.
I do like Japan Oak, but am considering giving maple a shot.

Also, size wise, 5A's are ok, but a little on the small side, I'm looking at 5B's possibly.


So, I guess the question here, is should I give maple a shot?

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_______________________________________________________________
Security is just a word. The act of being secure is entirely different.
"...but I think that to make your dream a reality, having a dream itself is a mandatory prerequisite"
From A Book: Walking Through The Impossible

Just because it has two clutches, shifts faster, uses a torque converter or has near-infinite gear ratios, requires less driver intervention and is more efficient doesn't make it better in my opinion.
Save The Manual Transmission

Not a drummer per se (one percussion tech course), but a musician. Check out [wwbw.com]

All the drummers I know have about a jillion pairs of sticks. And they all have a set of brushes, just in case a soft jazz number turns up during a death metal gig...

But anyway...

You had ONE pair of sticks? Are you in jail or something?

I can see having only one guitar or bass if you're poor, but jeez, sticks are a little cheaper. Go nuts! Try 'em all! Exotic woods! Tips! Weights! Plastic! Tape on the handles! Drumming gloves (OK, maybe not drumming gloves)! Glow in the dark! Soup spoons!

And then you can start trying all the different drum heads out there... you can definitely go broke as a drummer, but sticks are the least of it.

If you're taking lessons, your instructor may want you to standardize a little and not worry too much about sticks, but you should still have several pairs of something decent. The bargain bin sticks break more often if you're excitable, but I know a couple of excellent drummers who just grab whatever hickory stick is in the bargain bin that day.

So yes, invest in a few sets of maple sticks and see what happens! Carpe diem!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2006 11:16PM by BW.

No, I've got at least 8 pairs, all of them are somewhat damaged though throughout the past few years.

Just interested in trying something new, and I'm wondering if I should take a look at maple.

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_______________________________________________________________
Security is just a word. The act of being secure is entirely different.
"...but I think that to make your dream a reality, having a dream itself is a mandatory prerequisite"
From A Book: Walking Through The Impossible

Just because it has two clutches, shifts faster, uses a torque converter or has near-infinite gear ratios, requires less driver intervention and is more efficient doesn't make it better in my opinion.
Save The Manual Transmission

Just messin' with you!

If you look at your original post, it sort of looks like you might only have one pair of sticks to your name, and you just broke one, and Nurse Ratched might let you order another if you promise to be good... the mental image was pretty funny.

Anyway, I'm a bass player, not a drummer. But I do know that drumsticks are a very personal and individual choice. As far as your original question, you're just going to have to play a pair for a while to find out if you like them. And that means coughing up what I assume is a hefty sum (for rare Japanese drumsticks), unless you are a very gentle player and you can talk someone into borrowing them for a while (I'm guessing not, since you're a known stick-breaker).

Eh, at least I havn't been playing jazz this year.

Last year I broke 3 or so sticks playing only swing.



The Japan Oak are the only ones I havn't had break while I was playing, the only one I've had was thrown accross a room by a person who still, and forever will owe me a pair of drum sticks.

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_______________________________________________________________
Security is just a word. The act of being secure is entirely different.
"...but I think that to make your dream a reality, having a dream itself is a mandatory prerequisite"
From A Book: Walking Through The Impossible

Just because it has two clutches, shifts faster, uses a torque converter or has near-infinite gear ratios, requires less driver intervention and is more efficient doesn't make it better in my opinion.
Save The Manual Transmission

Try the Maple and when you're at the music store, pick up a cowbell. You're gonna want that cowbell.

I used to play Vic Firth 5A all the time, but broke many, many pairs. I switched to Vader 5B Power, and those are nice- lasted much longer. I found that the vic firth would break around the tips mostly whereas the Vaders will wear down more evenly and generally just split along the length or will wear down in the middle from rim-shots.

Now I am just using some sticks that a friend gave me, actually a big bag of about 12 pair, generic 5B's. They seem as good as the Vaders honestly, only difference is these don't look quite as nice, but who cares?

Here's a good tip to finding sticks that will last-
No matter what brand/size/color/religion stick you buy, always look at the grain of the wood. Hold the stick up and looking down the length of it, if the grain is straight all the way down then it is a strong stick. It will take a LOT of beating to get that stick to split.
What you don't want is a stick with grain that goes diagonally. If you ever see one like that chances are it WILL split right along the grain and the stick won't last for @#$%&. Money in the bank, trust me.

And if you really get into drums, you will break dozens upon dozens of sticks, no matter what. I've been playing for about 10 years now, and I can't begin to count how many I've gone through.

Just don't grab a random pair. Hold them up to your ear in a similar grip to a clave and flick one stick at a time. You want to match the tone of the sticks to get a matched pair. Some of the cheaper "pairs" aren't even matched.