I've been a die-hard Pro-Mark man for years and years, but I test-drove two models of johnny raBB sticks (5A Traditional with ball tip and Rikki Rockett's Bottleneck), and I was very impressed with them. Each of these sticks were chosen for a particular purpose. I tried the 5As because I needed a stick for low-volume country music in smaller clubs. I was using Pro-Mark Hot Rods for this purpose previously, but, on top of going through them at an alarming rate, you just can't play country swing patterns on the ride with them (they don't generate much volume at all). The 5As I tried had a very small wooden ball tip and a short, sharp taper, which made this a perfect stick for what I needed it for. On top of that, I don't think I've ever used a stick that just felt so right in my hands. The weight and balance were spot-on, and I could almost swear that johnny raBB uses pool cue lacquer on their sticks. Whatever it is, I like it better than Pro-Mark's Millennium II lacquer. They had the right amount of tack to them right out of the box.
I tried the Bottleneck model because I needed a stick that would stay in my hand when I had to bash the daylights out of my drums at a larger venue. It's partly my fault that I sometimes find myself playing louder than is probably necessary on large stages/halls, and my normal stick of choice (Pro-Mark Mike Portnoy signature model) sometimes feels like a toothpick when I do. What ends up happening is that I'll choke back on the stick to compensate, and, next thing I know, I'm holding on to it for dear life (this happened to me right in the middle of "Wipeout" more than once--not a pretty sight or sound). The Bottleneck has just the right amount of heft to it--not too big and not too small. The concave grip design works great for keeping the stick in your hand, which is good for someone (like me) that doesn't like to use tape, gloves, or tack materials like Gorilla Snot, etc. You'd have to be hitting like an animal to send this stick flying out of your hand. I know that it says "Rikki Rockett" on it
, but it really is a great stick for heavy hitters.
What do you guys think? Anyone else out there tried johnny raBB sticks?
Cheers,
Mick
I tried the Bottleneck model because I needed a stick that would stay in my hand when I had to bash the daylights out of my drums at a larger venue. It's partly my fault that I sometimes find myself playing louder than is probably necessary on large stages/halls, and my normal stick of choice (Pro-Mark Mike Portnoy signature model) sometimes feels like a toothpick when I do. What ends up happening is that I'll choke back on the stick to compensate, and, next thing I know, I'm holding on to it for dear life (this happened to me right in the middle of "Wipeout" more than once--not a pretty sight or sound). The Bottleneck has just the right amount of heft to it--not too big and not too small. The concave grip design works great for keeping the stick in your hand, which is good for someone (like me) that doesn't like to use tape, gloves, or tack materials like Gorilla Snot, etc. You'd have to be hitting like an animal to send this stick flying out of your hand. I know that it says "Rikki Rockett" on it
, but it really is a great stick for heavy hitters. What do you guys think? Anyone else out there tried johnny raBB sticks?
Cheers,
Mick
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