It’s ironic that drummers use bundles. Technically a bundle consists of 10 straps each containing 100 hundred dollar bills. That’s $100,000. Great for small venues.

@Sean Cool ... I'll have to look those up.

Yes!!! Otis I am and was for many years a rodder/bundler depending on what you call them. Also really good are the Vic Firth Rute505's cross between a brush and a rod. If you can play with bounce with these guys a stick is made easier in my opinion. Also try the Steve Smith Tama Wand it's got a foam central bit with the rods around the outside helps with bounce and volume but a nice sound!!

I was wondering if anyone here has used or is using bundles instead of regular sticks. I've used bundles at a couple gigs that were at small venues, and I wanted to control my volume. Lately I've been using them for practice for the same reason. Because of hearing issues, I've been trying to protect my ears with mute pads, mute cymbals, and the bundles. Oddly enough, I'm finding that I really like playing with bundles. My favorite bundles are the ProMark Lightning Rods. (https://bit.ly/43JCyfc) Bill

Well that was ... different 😲

I suppose this club wouldn't be complete without this gem I just found.

I bought a pair of 5A barrel tips on ebay which I really like. I think the sound is crisper and I just like the way they feel. I think it's probably the way they rebound.

I tried comparing the sticks again and this time I didn't hear the change in pitch. Maybe my ears were playing tricks on me the first time.

Somehow the plastic tips sounded more jazzy to me which I guess shows that I know nothing about jazz.

I too was surprised with the difference between plastic and wood tips, although I'm not a fan of the sound on cymbals. A couple of weeks ago we had a good chat about sticks with Grant on a Hang call: https://www.stephensdrumshed.com/courses/qa-calls/2-8-23-community-hang/; at least I thought it was a good call as I asked half the questions 😉

I used to use plastic tipped sticks a long while back, they do have such a bright sound on cymbals but I switched to Barrel tipped after I had multiple ocassions where tips flew off. I'm talking 40 years ago. I think it also sounds more condensed if that makes sense and I think wooden tips give a little on impact but plastic ones don't. I think wood is kinder to the cymbals and heads as well, but thats just my opinion, no idea how true that is. I have played with heavy timbale sticks which have no tip to speak off and I loved those, just sounded different again, like when you switch the stick around and play with the but... great on the ride bell.

IMO, Like cymbals themselves, sticks have their own sound. You’ll most certainly notice different sounds using different wood type, tip styles, weight, lengths, etc. Especially vinyl/plastic vs wood.

I don't have a personal opinion, but my in-person teacher, a seasoned jazz and Latin jazz player made a strong statement about plastic tips being too harsh sounding on cymbals, and specially the ride, and that he would only use them on mesh heads. But hey, sound is such a personal thing and I'm sure not every ride sounds bad with those tips. considering you have to play all the kit with the same stick, I think this should be explored over the snare and HH at least. Any references of jazz players using plastic tips?

I have a 22 inch Zildjian ride from the late 60's which I acquired not too long ago. I was hitting it the other day with a 5B stick with a wooden tip. Then for some reason I pulled out a smaller stick with a plastic tip and hit it. This may sound melodramatic, but I was kind of stunned at how different it sounded. I guess I never compared wood versus plastic side by side before. Not only was the sound from the plastic tip "brighter" (not sure if that's the right word to use) but to my ears it made the pitch of the cymbal sound higher. Would that make it better for jazz? Any other thoughts on wood vs. plastic?

For me, besides changing the sound and feel, it makes no difference playing sticks from 7A to 5B, maple or hickory, wich is all the range I have covered. I have small hands and belive I would have issues with bigger and heavier sizes.

I use 7A's always have cause I've got little hands and wrists. I recently bought some Vic Firth 5A's and they're quite a different feel I have to say don't know if I could get on with them but I'm gonna try using them when I need a little more volume.

Hi all, been here at SDS around 8 months. question: my stamina isn't what it once was, been playing 30ish years now mid 40s. I've been playing 55A's for literally decades. sounds like it's between a 5A and a 5B and is longer than a 5A. I play a lot of hard rock and the lighter side of metal. I'm wondering about a switch. I believe Stephen said he plays 5A's. What are people's thoughts? Does having a smaller stick make a big difference in stamina and speed and for those who have switched to a smaller stick did it take you a long time to adapt? Thanks all! grateful for this community! - Matt Vic site says: and specs in link: With a diameter that sits right between the 5A and 5B, The 55A is the perfect choice for when a 5B is just a little more stick than is required. https://vicfirth.zildjian.com/american-classicr-55a.html vs https://vicfirth.zildjian.com/american-classic-5a.html

Found this old pair of sticks still in the original packaging. These humongous drumsticks appear to be for marching drummers. Each stick has a series of grooves and rings that fit into these grooves. Supposedly you adjust the rings to keep your grip at the exact same place on the stick. The package label says "Stop Creeping Hands." I should have given a pair of these to my daughter when she started dating.

It's OK to play with a little buzz. In fact I did last night.

I have heavier sticks that don’t buzz. It’s mysterious…maybe these sticks are just possessed by an attention-seeking spirit 👻

I see what you did there 😉

They reverberate in my hand. It’s bothers me a bit - it takes a while for me to stop noticing it and “get into the zone”. They’re otherwise nice sticks. Could it just be the manufacturing batch the pair happened to come from?

Talking about sticks...do you think it makes much difference when playing on e-kit?

This calls for a recording (video please 🙂 )

When a stick is too heavy, like VF's metal, they "buzz" in my hands. So I know they are not appropriate for me. When they are too light, like 5 or 7, they runs away. But I'm not sure that's the buzz you're talking about.🙂