I don't break sticks anymore but now I have a new problem.

[Stixx777]

I don't break my sticks anymore I warp them. They start to curl up from where my hands are to the tip. I just went through my stick bag and sorted out 8 warped sticks. I haven't bought sticks in over a year but I will be buying soon. Anyone else have this problem?

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Ted H.
www.tocsinrocks.com

[Boingo]

Originally posted by Stixx777:
I don't break my sticks anymore I warp them. They start to curl up from where my hands are to the tip. I just went through my stick bag and sorted out 8 warped sticks. I haven't bought sticks in over a year but I will be buying soon. Anyone else have this problem?

That's a new one on me. Out of curiosity, what brand/model sticks do you use, and what type of wood are they?

[acidbran]

If they are the unfinished type by Promark, (yuk)that may 'splain it.

[ufotofu]

Warping sticks... that is truly remarkable.

If you saw me hit the drums, you'd probably die laughing (I am a very very light hitter compared to other people I've seen play the drums.)

[suuntov]

I have not broken a set of sticks in years.
Been playing with the same set for at least 2 years.

[FloridaDrummer]

I have a pair that is over a year old. Use them about 10-14 hours a week or more.

[Stixx777]

I use mostly Promark 747 oaks sticks. These sticks are at least a year old but they are a lot older now that I think about it. I tried some of the cheap Hickory promarks and they did not last at all. I think it was from the PD as cymbals that aided in the warpage. When I had my TD-7 with a Octopad 2 I was breaking Easton sticks after a week. I always hit a lot of rim shots on the snare so that may also help the problem. I still break sticks occasionally on the churches set which has all PD-9 and 7's.

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Ted H.
www.tocsinrocks.com

[Boingo]

They're electric drums boy. You can lighten up on that power stroke. You know what I'm sayin ! I have had my V-pro's 2.7 yrs. I use the ProMark 747 (cheap) hickory sticks and have had them for well over a year. No breakage, warpage or splintering. Maybe you're eating too much spinach.

Seriously, I think your style has a lot to do with it. We have several drummers using V-pro's at our Church. They primarily play acoustics and really tear up the equipment when switching to E's. All 3 PD-120's have been rotated and need new rims. About a half doz cymbal boom arms have broken and a PD-9 recently split in two. Their sticks are chewed up (but that's mostly from acoustics). There might be a better stick out there to take more punishment, but I think your'e going to have trouble with most.

[Cyberjam]

I haven't seen that one before!

I have not broken any sticks in about five or six years. Now I use either Powertip AA or the old Vic Firth 7A. At one time I used the Powertip CCC (tree stumps). Now I want the control of a smaller stick, not the power of a tree stump!

PS OT: My FTP site is back online again. I noticed someone trying to hammer it the other night so I shut it down for the evening. Damn DOS attacks!

[Steveo the Devo]

Warping sticks? That would imply that the stick is being held the same way every single use. ie. The exact same area of the tip is striking the pad and the forces generated are forcing the stick to bend.
This would almost be an impossibility. Most sticks will naturally rotate around during use.
It could be that humidity changes etc are causing the problem rather than technique.

[Lee E. Nelson]

Warped sticks? No problems here...I've been playing the same set for over a year now!!! Another benefit for us e-drummers - "Long Stick Life".

For those of you who are "newbie" drummers, a quick tip when picking out new sticks: take the sticks out of the little plastic bag and "roll" them across a flat surface...look for major amounts of "wobble". (In my opinion, most manufacturers have improved the quality of their sticks...competition usually makes that happen).

For me, since going to electronic drums about 2 years ago, I've switched to a ProMark 5A stick (from a 5B) - Lighter stroke, better technique!!!

[snared]

I haven't even thought of checking my sticks for "warpedness". How hard are you guys hitting the drums, to be breaking them like that??? I hardly ever broke sticks on "A's", and I am not that hard of a hitter. They usually wore you and broke from weakness, rather than just breaking from hard hitting.

I like using smaller lighter sticks now, as well. I use Eastons mostly. I got them mainly because they looked cool, and they were the "signature" sticks of the drummer of one of my favorite bands. That, and they look really cool. I do have "wood" sticks, too. I discovered "Omar Hakim" nylon tip signature sticks a few years ago. I like that they are lighter than most "rock" sticks but still not too light. I also like the nylon "ball" tip(obviously good for "A" drums and cyms).

[dr. kildrum]

I'm not sure whether I fall in the hard hitter category or that I have just played a ton over many, many years. But, I have broken more sticks than many music stores carry in their total inventory at one time. In addition to that, I've broken dozens of heads (quite likely over a hundred), countless cymbals, a few drum shells, pedals, cymbal arms, you name it. About the only thing that I have never broke is a rim, warped yes, broke no. I've seen it happen, but not to me.

With the e's, I am significantly more circumspect. I have only broken a few sticks (and the sticks I use are lighter than the sticks I normally use with my A's so that is somewhat surprising). I think the rubber rims help tremendously in this regard, and I have had to rotate them a couple of times already. I would imagine by rotating the one that is on the snare around the kit as well, I will extend the useful life quite a while, probably a year or two more before I really need to replace all the rims (I already have one backup of each size in case of emergency).

Sticks in general, should not warp, unless you leave them in humidity that is the rough equivalent of being underwater. A good pair is only a couple of bucks more than a lousy pair. With E's, you break sticks so infrequently, treat yourself to a decent pair or two. When I first got E's I bought several different kinds/weights to experiment with. Once I settled on what was right for me, I bought half a dozen pairs thinking that would last a month or two. I haven't counted, but I have more than half of all those sticks still hanging in the stick bag on the kit.

[matts64]

I quit using Promarks several years ago. I use 7ANs. Around here, the only Promarks I could get were the unfinished kind. I would break those in a week. In comparison, I now use Zildjian 7ANs. I will break maybe one stick a year.

Yesterday, I bought some of them 7AN VSticks. Actually. I got the glow in the dark model made by Emmite. They are supposed to absorb about 80% of the shock to the hands. The ads state that they should last for many years. Amazingly, they feel like they have the same weight and dimension as the Zildjian 7ANs. I played for several hours with them last night. I must say that on Edrums, I can't tell the difference between these sticks and the woodies. The pair I have have a smaller tip than the other models I've used. That will make a difference on the Acymbals, though. I'll let you all know if they stand the test of time.

[EdgeCrusher]

i have the same problem. warping sticks. i cant stand playing them eiteher. Im using Vater Power 5As

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hit harder???