For rackety roll, the best feeling drum stick is the Zidljian 5B, but they only last a few hours before they crack.

Typically I use hickory ProMark 5Bs with round wood tips, or Vic Firth 5Bs

After years of using wood tip, I for some reason had to start using nylon tip. Who knows? Ride cymbal response? Anyway the Long& McQuade's up the street usually has a bag of them, no markings, cheap. They're about average thickness. Psych rock and straight up rock, nothing too explosively loud....they do the trick. :)

Mitch

I also now use 7a wood but on occasion 7aN.. My kit is oversize shells and loud.. so the 7a's works well for me. (I previously used 5BN for around 30 years but they now feel to heavy for me). I recently purchased a swag of Vic Firth sticks and am amazed how consistently matched they are. Before I watched this video, I would just toss 3 pair into my drum caddie and grab a mixed pair of random sticks.. Now I am paying more attention to Firths comprehensive pair matching...

Cheers

John

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEgDpum5yCc"]Vic Firth Factory Tour (Part 16) - YouTube[/ame]

7a here use 11a to play sometime when I want a heavy rock un mic

I've been a 5a guy for years... nylon tip for quite a while, but just recently I've been playing wooden tips. Vic Firth are now my choice of sticks.. I was a Pro Mark guy for a very long time until the family sold the factory to D'Adarrio.. quality went down once they bought Pro Mark.

For just snare drum playing, I use Vic Firth SD-1 General Snare drum sticks. I've used these since I started in 6th grade school band 23 years ago.

7A's - Hickory, 15.5", tapered neck, acorn bead. I play trad grip and I use my fingers to control the sticks, I need something long, light, responsive and with good rebound. 5A/B is just too heavy for my style of playing. I've played with Blues and Hendrix/SRV cover bands, whenever I needed a heavy back-beat on the snare I'd just turn my left stick around and whack the drum with the butt end. Quick twirl and I'm back in normal playing position. 7A's for me.

John

Try using a nylon tip on your right stick and a wood tip on your left-nylon on cymbals is bright and wood on the snare is warm.Rolls around the kit take care of themselves.I know it`s different but i`ve been doing this for decades.Give it a try sometime...i`m a 5a/5b player myself with various makes/models.Sounds from your description of touch.grip and feel i`d say stick with the 7a`s and maybe try a longer stick.It`s really all relative and personal.

Wayne

7A for me, with nylon tip so I don't have to buy a new pair every two weeks.

I play blues/rock.

I think 5-A's are the best selling model,and I mostly use those for what I play,there are a lot of variations from stick maker to stick maker,I use a model that has a thicker shoulder and shorter taper for durability,but I lose a little rebound because of it.

I keep a set of Regal Tip nylon tip 7-A's in my bag for fast tempo tunes and ballads,the long thin taper and back weight gives me a good rebound and control and a little more speed,esp on faster stuff.

If you want to go to a heavier model and stick breakage is not an issue for you I would look for a model that has a longer thinner taper that will feel more like a 7-A.