Help/advice of drum nerds please.
I went to buy some drumsticks yesterday, and the guy in the shop was telling me allsorts of stuff about the sticks i was buying.
Right, so i'm a pretty crap drummer. I'm a bassist/guitarist by trade but have ended up on kit duty for a few songs as well now. But i drum so heavy that i destroy sticks far more than i'd like (eg. i went through 3 in one song at a show quite recently). On the other hand, i guess the heavyness makes up for my simplicity. Sounds quite cool sometimes.

Anyway. So i was trying to find out which sticks are less likely to break with ease, and the guy says "get these Japanese oak sticks - they're well solid". I had a little go with them and the shock through the stick to my hand seemed pretty harsh. When i mentioned this, the shop guy tells me "oh if you play with them too much you'll get allsorts of cirulation problems yada yada yada".

So is he talking sense or out of his bumhole? Last thing i want is some badass artheritic problems or something in a few years. Also, are they really gonna mess my snare up bad? I mean worse than usual.
nb. I have been previously using vater 5As for a good while.

Thanks in advance for any info anyone has to offer.
xx

did he sell you vic firth DeLucias? are they dark brown and hard as stone? those things... so bad for your drums! and your hands! they're warm-up sticks for drum corps.


try getting some "normal" wood sticks (I like American Hickory) and playing with the butts like Todd Trainer. I tried this when I played (I'm in the same boat you are, not really a drummer) and my arms were sore after the first song because the weight is distributed so differently. I dont think the sticks will break as often though.

but it sounds SO much louder, SO much better! even when playing with normal strength! Just be prepared to change heads more often.

try moving to size "B" sticks.

Surfrider wrote: But i drum so heavy that i destroy sticks far more than i'd like (eg. i went through 3 in one song at a show quite recently).

"oh if you play with them too much you'll get allsorts of cirulation problems yada yada yada".

Last thing i want is some badass artheritic problems or something in a few years.

it is fair to assume that all drum shop sales dudes are Totally Full of Shit, right?

if yr breaking 3 sticks in a song, its not gonna matter what kind of stick you play or what kind of wood its made out of.
you are fucking up yr wrists, period!

also fwiw, promark makes a dbl butt end stick. maybe everyone else does too?

wiggins wrote:did he sell you vic firth DeLucias? are they dark brown and hard as stone? those things... so bad for your drums! and your hands! they're warm-up sticks for drum corps.




try moving to size "B" sticks.

They are actually Tama 'ka shi' sticks. They aren't too dark, but darker than the hickory ones. I actually got some vater 5Bs as well. The usual hickory type i have used in the past.
I'm thinking maybe i'll just save the Oak beasts for playing live. I rarely play more than 4 songs in any given show (blessed be the drum machine), and don't particuarly drum all that often at home. I guess i'll stick with the 5As/Bs for practising. Don't wanna do a number on myself.

I try to hit less hard and it seems to work when we rehearse, but once i actually start going in a live situation i just pound the shit of the poor kit.

Thanks guys. I appreciate it.

Problems with Japan Oak -

The split horizontally (which can feel super great on your hand)
They're heavier
They break just about as easy as other sticks.

I actually really like them. Also try regular 747 (or 747rock) maples. theyre lighter and they feel nicey nice in my hands.

Oak is much more dense than ash or maple. So the shock is more present - but any smashing and it's going to affect your nerves.

Jeremy

I played with the japan oaks for awhile. Then I heard rumor of all the damage they could do and switched to wet sausages, they're great.

The best suggestions here are the ones advising for something heavier like the 5B in hickory, and to use the butt end. The drum shop guy was right that heavy sticks can cause damage, but common sense will let you determine if the level of use you'll be using will make this a factor. You may not ever play enough for this to matter.

And while I don't care for them myself, those plastic/aluminum drumsticks by Ahead are pretty hard to destroy. You might want to give those a shot at the local store and see if they suit your fancy. they're expensive, but at the rate you're breaking sticks they'll pay for themselves quickly.

Good luck.

I play Oak sticks (pro-mark) but the kind of wood in your stick is irrelevant. the real issue here is that you are obviously in need of improving your form. I play big drums, and I hit them so hard that I frequently go un-miked in smaller venues by request of the soundman....and I don't break sticks very often at all.

If you want unbreakable sticks, go buy those Ahead acrylic/synthetic sticks. But it would be a much better investment for you to sit down and learn to avoid playing like a tard. 3 pairs of sticks in one song.....what the hell are you doing? Are you aware that you're supposed to be aiming for the "head" (circular object across the top of the drum) and not the hardware?

ginandtacos.com wrote:...But it would be a much better investment for you to sit down and learn to avoid playing like a tard. 3 pairs of sticks in one song.....what the hell are you doing? Are you aware that you're supposed to be aiming for the "head" (circular object across the top of the drum) and not the hardware?

I was thinking that too, ginandtacos, but I didn't want to come off rude. Oh, well. Yeah, I think the real problem here is control and consistency. A little discipline and form will solve your problem. The key is hitting the center of the head with consistant force and control so that you don't NEED to pound like hell. There's only so much volume (excursion and velocity) you can coax from a drum head and above and beyond that you're just spazzing out (and breaking heads, sticks, shells, rims?).

Yeah, I didn't mean to be such a dick. But for god's sake, if you're breaking 3 pairs of sticks in one song, the sticks are not your problem.