2B's are big sticks! Robyn, I have (literally) a plastic bucket full of drum sticks. All kinds and sizes. PM me all your mailing info and I'll put together a few sets for you and ship them out to you. (Gift) Save your money for a new drum head for that poor taped up snare drum! lol

John

[SIZE="4"]2B's??!![/SIZE] I use those on the street in parades. Those are HEAVY sticks! No wonder you taped all that protection onto your snare head. So you must be playing some seriously loud rock! You should be thinking about Kevlar heads.

so maybe i should go with a different size? i really don't know guys. these are the sticks that my aunt had when she gave me the camco drum set and it is just what i got use to using, then my brother found a cup'l odd balls on his trash rout and gave them to me, one of which is in my broken stick thread. maybe using the 2bs is why i don't hit the drums very hard, i get plenty of sound with easy strikes. is it wrong for me to use the 2Bs? i drum just for fun, not in a band and ain't tring to be a drum hero or anything, just having fun. thanks for you advise in advance.

I'd suggest 5B's. (please don't take offense to this next comment) but you probably have smaller hands than the average male. I am surprised you are comfortable with such large sticks! If you play matched grip, this may be less of a concern, but I have med-large size hands (I'm 6'-2") and much larger than a 5B and it is very uncomfortable for me...

I have used a lot of different sticks over the years (anyone remember Bunken sticks?) and after much trial and error, I settled on the 747 oak Nylon from Pro Mark. (I also hate the feel/sound of mushy wood tips!) That stick has the diameter of a 5A (a bit smaller than a 5B) but a thicker shoulder and about 1/2" longer. Being made of oak, THEY LAST FOREVER and have a bit more weight for a good 'throw'- they feel longer than they are due to the weight, but the diameter is reasonable. They used t make a 747B as well, which was a bit longer and slightly fatter, that I used on the practice pad, but I got out of the habit of using heavier sticks on the pad.

Recently I am wanting more bounce on the ride (playing more Jazz) so I have a pair of Pro Mark 5A oak nylon. They feel fast, and have a lively bounce. I think my 'best' stick is the Pro Mark 707 oak nylon but no one stocks it to try it out. I estimate that will notch in right between the 5A and the 747, and I can once again have one stick for all occasions (but the 747 is a pretty tough act to beat in my opinion).

I have no idea if that helped at all, but if you look at stick maker's web sites, you can get specifications on all the sizes (length, diameter etc.) and maybe from that, and what is in your hand now, you can decide what to try.

Better yet, have your man take you out to the local music store (even if it is Guitar center) and try a bunch of sticks there. Then have him buy you two pair and then out for dinner!Cool1

no offence taken at all. thank you for your comment and time. yes my hands are a lit'l smaller then the average guy but also a lit'l bigger then the average gal too. a ladies large glove is just a tad bit small for me but a mans small is just right if you can find a mans small glove lol, and mens medium is just a tad big. i guess beings i haven't really had a chance to use other stick sizes is why i am comfortable with the 2bs. the stick that i broke was smaller around then 2b but i could also feel a stinging in my hand every now and then when useing it but like i said i used it coz of the nylon tip. i don't feel that sting with the 2bs, cors that could just be me too.

what do you mean by matched grip? please excuse my ignorence.

like i said, i don't know this stuff. but you are right i do need to go to a shop and check out all the different choices.

Robyn...Shoot Purdie a pm...It looks like he may have some sticks for you...

Kudos John!!

Cheers

yep, already did, thanks. in my book...john is the best.

Ok sorry- matched grip is where your right and left hand 'match' each other- sort of a fist around the butt end- grab the stick in the natural way and that's pretty much it (with both hands).

The other is 'traditional' where the left hand (if right handed) is flipped over and the stick is cradled between the thumb and hand as well as between the ring finger and middle finger. I guess traditional is somewhat out of favor these days, as most younger drummers learned matched, but neither grip is the 'only' grip. (unless you ask Buddy Rich)

I'm sure you can find good stuff on You Tube on different grips of drum sticks...

Marching I did use much larger sticks (traditional and matched grip) so it is possible, but there you tend to have a higher discipline to the overall playing, and are not as 'free' as you can be with the set. You tend to be 'holding' the sticks more and only bouncing on rolls etc. Drum Corps is the extreme end of the spectrum where stick height off the head is measured for each stroke... Make 10 snares sound like one.

In general (and this is my opinion), you should have a very loose grip- almost dropping the sticks. On the pad, you should hear the wood of the sticks (unless broken) ring after hitting, or your grip is maybe a bit too tight. Try it out (you will drop sticks doing this) and you will find that sweet spot where you are loose, but in control. it does take a while, but worth it. You should not be feeling 'shock' from the sticks, but maybe this is your interpretation of the vibration of the wood...

Then you can relax and play!

But back to the size, if you play traditional, (and you may not) I find that if the stick is the same or larger diameter than my index finger, it feels "big".

Still there is no substitute for trying them yourself! And, to add further confusion, the size and shape of the tip changes the tone on the ride quite a bit as well. While at the store, try different new sticks on different cymbals to hear the difference. (be sure to get permission so the dude in the drum department doesn't have an aneurysm using new sticks for demo purposes)

Finally quality. I pick each pair myself (or check them after I get them in hand). You may see a lot of guys rolling them to see their straight, and that's fine (but has no value in my opinion). What I look at is the grain lines. If you see a lot of run-off of the grain (it does not make it from tip to tail straight down the middle) the area where it is running off is where it is likely to break. I have even had sticks break in my hand at the butt end, due to grain run-off.

This stems from pool cues, which should also have the same straight grain to them, guitar necks, and general wood working over the years. You want very straight grain and if you have it, the sticks will last a very long time for you, making even 'premium' sticks a bargain, because they will out-last cheap sticks that may be of lesser quality stock, and/or have run-off. Then check that each stick sounds about the same played on the counter. be sure one is not 'dead' sounding- they should both be lively have bounce with the same energy return. Play a couple notes with each on a ride cymbal and see (hear) the cymbal sounds the same with both sticks.

A lot of typing over drum sticks, but maybe it will be helpful to you!;)

ok now i know what you mean, duh. i do use the match grip, i have tried the traditional, Buddy Rich way but can't seem to get the hang of it. wish i could too, i just need to practice it more i guess. it just so much easier to grab the sticks and start hitting drums, lol.

and as for the wood grain... i understand every word you typed. i do know a bit about wood and how the grain works.

as far as the rest...it is all very interesting and helpfull to me. i will be reading over your comments for a while, it is all very usefull to me. thanks for your input and your time of typing it all out, appreciate every bit of it.