Need a little help, here!

[Drumskull]

Hey, fellas... This may be a dumb question, but I'm just taking a quick tally. How many sticks do you guys go through in a gig. It seems that I'm chewing up my sticks a little too much. I only play hard, when it's called for. I'm in a 10 pc R&B band, & driving a band that big, may be part of the cause, but, this is getting expensive. I've tried different sticks, I have to stay under a 5A size, cuz I just don't like the feel of fatter sticks. Anyone else play in a bigger band and going through more sticks than you care to?

[S.P]

usually i change sticks due to the fact that the shoulder gets so chewed up they are uneven or the tip breaks....very rarely has a stick snapped in half

what is your reason for changing sticks? Do they Break? get chewed up?

maybe you should try checking the angles on your cymbals...make sure ur not hitting it to on the edge of the cymbal...anyway...i dunno i never really had a problem of going through sticks

I talked to a studio drummer here in hk and he said he went through a pair of sticks every 2 arena shows (so about every 4 hours of show time)

[SBdrumz]

Hiya DS!

I use VF SD4 combos with my 7pc variety band (you talks about a 'Boat Gig'!!!), and I can usually make a pair of sticks last a couple of 3-4 hour gigs. With my 80's Rock Band, i'd get through a 3 hour gig on a pair of 5A's.

I used to chew 'em up pretty good, too. Looked like a termite problem. The symptoms were as follows: throats getting chewed up by the hi-hats and crashes, left stick getting mauled by snare rimshots.

Hi-hats: I actually dropped them down a little so that I guess my stick is hitting them at about a 45 degree angle. Same with the crashes. Also, make sure you're using glancing blows. This mitigates the chopping a little bit.

Snare rimshots: I learned to trust the microphone! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Really...when we play hard, we cause a metal vs wood collision, and usually metal always wins. It took me a long time to trust my microphones. Eventually, the stage volume came down, and I was saving trees.

hope this helps!

-Scott

[Groovemeister]

I use Vic Firth 5B's for everything including jazz music.

A common fallacy is the fact that you can't play jazz with anything over a 5A. I find that the size of the 5B fits my hand so well, I am able to afford greater control and therefore, more control over dynamics that I couldn't get with a smaller stick...

Anyway, onto the question!

I usually get through a pair a gig. Sometimes more, sometimes much less... I too (like Rudy) find I wear the shank where I hit rimshots too..

I hit rimshots 90% of the time due to the sound you get from the snare. ANY snare I've ever come accross sounds better when it's played with a rimshot. Just because you are playing a rimshot doesn't mean you have to play it loud!!

MP

[Drumskull]

Well, this helps. Thanks guys. I'm going through about the same. I guess I wasn't crazy... By the way, I should've clarified. I don't use the sticks until they break. I throw them out when the shoulder gets too chewed up from the cymbals. When they start feeling "uneven" in my hands.

[troutbrooke]

Lately, my sticks have been lasting a long time, mainly because the gigs I've been playing have forced me to play quiter than usual. Normally, I would say a pair lasts for about 3 hours of serious playing.

[cjbdrm]

The problem is probably your hi-hat. Change the angle of the bottom cymbal with the tilt adjustment screw so that when the hi-hat is closed the bottom cymbal's edge doesn't protrude out so much. If you twist the hi-hat stand so the tilt adjustment screw is farthest from you, that'll be a good start. You may have to lower the hi-hat to compensate.

If your other cymbals are the problem, you're playing them wrong.

The only wear on your stick should come from rimshots and a little from the hi-hat.

How long your sticks will last depends on the type of gig...

[peter c]

I have always gone through
a ton of sticks. It's one of
those things.

As was said before, the edge
of the HH could be one of the
issues, along with the angle
of attack on the cymbals.

Rim-shots are another possib-
ility. Check these out.

[img]cool.gif[/img]

[hanayalator]

Ya check to see if the bottom hihat can be seen when the hihat is closed. If you can it's going to kill your sticks. Also, for the type of gig you're playing, you might want to try so heavier/thicker sticks. I know you said they don't feel good, but give your hands a while to get used to them. Also, try playing as loose and relaxed as possible. Getting a big sound from you drums doesn't have to mean hitting them as hard as possible.

[Degas]

Sticks break for sure...comes with the territory. However some cymbal adjustments (lancing) should slow down the WoodChuck or Beaver that lives in your drums. I rarely break my sticks but maybe Iam just not playing enough!?!?!?!?