Matt - If you're still using your Rock sticks (5A) you should try going down to a 7A. I use 7A's and they are a lighter more responsive stick than the 5A's. Because they are thinner and usually have a smaller bead, they are not as loud. Mostly it's down to dynamics. You should practice playing with a lighter touch on the drums. It's not easy to gear down from electric Hard Rock, or Blues playing to lower volume acoustic sets. You'll make the needed adjustment. In the meantime, 7A's will help a bit.

John

Try wood handled brushes. You can play soft on the snare drum and flip them over for cymbal and tom tom work.

The Pro Mark "Lightning Rods" are a nice alternative. They have bigger and less rods than the "Hot Rods" so they feel a bit more like sticks, in a sort of kind of way :)

Last Christmas I bought a pair of green dipped Zildjian 2Bs. They are made of maple and are a lot lighter than the hickory that is normal.

Some Czech companies make sticks out of hornbeam. I also saw maple and oak sticks.

HOT DAMN!!! ACH MEIN GOTT!!!! The Bamboo sticks arrived and sound great. They will take awhile to get used to but are better than anything else I have tried in the last ten years. Thanks.Matt

Just make sure you don't get to exited and play louder BECAUSE they feel so light and loose! :D

I have gone to Firth 7a's in recent years... Early days I used 2B for practicing and 5B's for playing... Best thing I have ever found for really quiet gigs are/were, Innovative Percussions B-2 bundle sticks. These are light as a feather with just (3) birch rods nicely bound. Much more defined than the other bundle sticks... and really nice cymbal tones from these...

I think the B-2 are now discontinued... figures ?...

Cheers

John