Stick Breakage!

How often do YOU (or YOUR drummer) break a stick?

  • Never, I've had the same ones since I was a young'un

    Votes: 7 12.3%

  • Once in a blue moon

    Votes: 15 26.3%

  • A few times a year

    Votes: 19 33.3%

  • Every other practice/show

    Votes: 10 17.5%

  • One every practice/show or so

    Votes: 5 8.8%

  • More than one at every practice/show (how many?)

    Votes: 1 1.8%
  • Total voters
    57
What about the effect of hard-hitting on good heads? I mean, it ruins heads obviously.. can't you just tell him that he needs to replace your heads if he doesn't stop hitting so hard?
 
Bulls Hit said:
Anyone playing rims shots, which would be all rock drummers I'd say, is going to break stix. The best bet is to use the carbon fibre jobs. I've had mine for around 10 years, and I like to smack the bejesus out of the old Pearl kit
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...I use rimshots a lot, but don't break sticks. You don't have to hit incredibly hard when you do a rimshot....
 
zacanger said:
...I use rimshots a lot, but don't break sticks. You don't have to hit incredibly hard when you do a rimshot....
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I guess it depends on the sound you want. My Tama Imperialstar snare only really starts to sing when beaten to within an inch of its chrome plated life.

If you play a lot of rimshots, sooner or later your stix will look like the ones in Madaudio's photo
 
Bulls Hit said:
I guess it depends on the sound you want. My Tama Imperialstar snare only really starts to sing when beaten to within an inch of its chrome plated life.

If you play a lot of rimshots, sooner or later your stix will look like the ones in Madaudio's photo
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Yeah... my Tama snare does need a lot more than my Ludwig.
 
Get the Ahead sticks with the aluminum handles. Our drummer used the Vic Firth 5A's and went through a set of those in one practice session. Now he uses the Ahead sticks and has had them for a while and hasn't broken them. I think they're almost impossible to break.
 
KingDiamond said:
Get the Ahead sticks with the aluminum handles. Our drummer used the Vic Firth 5A's and went through a set of those in one practice session. Now he uses the Ahead sticks and has had them for a while and hasn't broken them. I think they're almost impossible to break.
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I broke one out of a pair of Joey Jordinson sigs. I don't think it was from hard hitting though becuase I don't hit very hard. I think it had to do with transporting between gigs....
 
KingDiamond said:
Get the Ahead sticks with the aluminum handles. Our drummer used the Vic Firth 5A's and went through a set of those in one practice session. Now he uses the Ahead sticks and has had them for a while and hasn't broken them. I think they're almost impossible to break.
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I hate the way these feel, though. Plus you've got to frickin' bake them in the oven to replace the sleeves... I'd rather have a few extra pairs of sticks.
 
I appreciate the feedback but remember.. the point of this thread isn't acutally the BREAKING of the STICKS.. its his hard ass playing. I''m looking for this thread to give me amunition against him. :)

Like:
" Yea, all the drummers I know of only break sticks here and there, you break a few every night. PLAY QUIETER!"

or something.. :)
 
Ya know, that is a hard call. Finding a way to tell another musician, there is something wrong in the way he/she is doing things. If they are not into themselves as being "all that", then they shouldn't be offended by someone mentioning they are walking on everyone else. I guess it would have a lot to do with how you word it...but just tell them. Honestly, no hints, no talk around the situation. If they can't handle it and leave, your band will be better off for it, in the long run anyway.

I don't care how good someone is, if you have to put up with ego bullshit, it ain't worth it!! I am not saying he is ego driven...just saying IF... :)
 
true-eurt said:
Ya know, that is a hard call. Finding a way to tell another musician, there is something wrong in the way he/she is doing things. If they are not into themselves as being "all that", then they shouldn't be offended by someone mentioning they are walking on everyone else. I guess it would have a lot to do with how you word it...but just tell them. Honestly, no hints, no talk around the situation. If they can't handle it and leave, your band will be better off for it, in the long run anyway.

I don't care how good someone is, if you have to put up with ego bullshit, it ain't worth it!! I am not saying he is ego driven...just saying IF... :)
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I know all about that walking all over the other players...I have a big mouth!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: :D :D :D :D
 
lol.. you're right on...

Its tough, I don't want te be mean but its just effecting everything else.. Thanks true
 
VSpaceBoy said:
I appreciate the feedback but remember.. the point of this thread isn't acutally the BREAKING of the STICKS.. its his hard ass playing. I''m looking for this thread to give me amunition against him. :)

Like:
" Yea, all the drummers I know of only break sticks here and there, you break a few every night. PLAY QUIETER!"

or something.. :)
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Hmmm... it doesn't sound like it's a volume issue, but rather a technique issue.

I used to break sticks all the time - I'd chop through them on the hi hat. My drum teacher pointed out to me that it was because of the angle that I was using on the hats... I changed the height of those cymbals, and for the most part, things have been solid since then.

Something else to consider - I find myself breaking the crap out of nylon tipped sticks (the last four or five pairs that I broke were nylon - now I just don't buy them anymore), but my wood tips last forever. I have no idea what the cause of this is, but it's soemthing to think about.

To close, a couple notes about the Ahead Sticks - I played with a drummer who broke one. It's because of his rim shots that he always did. Brass snare rims versus aluminum sticks? Brass won. I'll also submit that one of the cool things about broken wood sticks is that they're fun things to give away to fans. My drummer breaks a stick about every four or five shows, and gives that stick (and sometimes its mate) away to fans. Can't do that with unbreakable Ahead sticks (unless you really want to get pricey).
 
zacanger said:
Yeah... my Tama snare does need a lot more than my Ludwig.
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My Tama is way louder than my Ludwig... of course, we're talking my 14x6 Tama Starclassic Bronze snare versus my 13x2.5 Ludwig piccolo...

I barely ever get the chance to use the Tama anymore, which is a shame. It's just too loud for most places I play. I like that I can beat the crud out of the Ludwig and not have to worry about it being too loud.
 
It's a beautiful playing snare. What batter head does he use on it? I find that the Remo Controlled Sound head helps to reign it in. Normally I use Ambassadors on everything, but on the Tama, Ambassadors ring like CRAZY. The CS head makes it sound perfect.
 
Update:

Last night at band practice, he hit himself in the eye with a stick and blackened his eye. THEN he broke a lug on his snare. I felt bad for him, but everyone in the band took it as a perfect opportunity to gripe about his loud playing and crap.

Hopefully this will change things. I guess his thread came at the perfect time. :)
 
Shit dude that hurts! Maybe he should practice more? I mean, he really shouldn't be that wild that he's hitting himself in the eye... Do you know off hand how much he practices?
 
sirslurpee said:
Shit dude that hurts! Maybe he should practice more? I mean, he really shouldn't be that wild that he's hitting himself in the eye... Do you know off hand how much he practices?
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Honestly he does play alot. He's started in school band 14 years ago, then jazz band, then lots of metal/heavy bands since. He's in my band, and also jams with his brothers. We have our band's practice 1-2 times per week, and he plays his other kit at home usually a little bit every day. Plays with his brothers usually at least once a week.

Yea I felt bad about his eye, he looked a little fucked up. :( But hey, with his Starclassic snare being out of commision, he'll have to bring over his little steel piccolo snare which will help a little huh?:)
 
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