Oak sticks

I was thinking about buying a 6-pack of Pro-Mark sticks to hold me over for a couple months. I usually go through sticks relatively quick; a pair of 5A's will usually last me about a week and a half. Up until now I've always used hickory sticks, and I'm wondering if you would advise me to change over to oak sticks. I've heard that they're much stronger than hickory or maple sticks. Could a couple of you just compare and contrast oak and hickory sticks. They're about the same in price. I was looking at the Pro-Mark 808 (old Cobham) stick in Japanese White Oak.

I'm no doctor in drumming, but I think having your sticks lasting only a week and a half is a bit too short

that's what i think

my vic firth 5b's usually hold up at least 2 months

and they still smell like apples..

I agree with what you're saying, Tenner. I need to work on self-control...lol. Sometimes a pair of sticks will last me a couple months, other times a pair will last me a day - it really depends what mood I'm in or what setting I'm in while I'm playing. Once in a while I'll just hit too hard, and I don't hit hard correctly...I just start playing with my arms. Say I play like this for an hour...well sometime in this hour a pair of sticks is going to break. This is obviously something I need to work on. If i'm jamming with a couple guys I'll get to into it, and instead of hitting hard with proper technique, I'll start playing with my arms. This doesn't just take a toll on my sticks, it also damages my heads badly . Most of the time I'm pretty much under control, but it's when I have these little 'crazy' spurts that I'll break a pair or two of sticks. I'm trying to stay under control all the time, and learn to play hard with proper technique, instead of just bashing the {censored} out of my set.

But anyway...back to the question about oak and hickory sticks. What are their pros and cons?

japanese oak sticks will last you a long {censored}ing time compared to to hickory and maple. you gotta try them though to figure out if you like them or not, they have a little different feel and rebound, but in a good way. short answer, get them, they last long.

Exactly, I've been playing the Promark 727's. The hickory ones shred like mad from rim shots alone whereas the oak ones just dimple and eventually start to wear slowly. But yah, there's is a subtle difference in the feel too, but whether that's good or bad is purely your call.

I have used all kind of wood sticks and never find pair of sticks that lasts longer than 2 weeks... and usually i play about 2-4 times at week... normally my sticks lasts two practice times... sometime sticks last only 5 minutes... yesterday we have a gig and i started play it with brand new tama 5b japanese oak sticks and tehy last 5 songs until they broke... x))) m

I bought 4 pairs of Pro-Mark 747B's Oak and they were horrible.

The tips shattered or came off and I broke every stick except one

in the last pair right down the middle and 1 at the tip in 2 jams with the band. I really think I got a bad batch since 1 member said Pro-Mark was having trouble with the glue. The Oak dosen't dent or get beat up as fast as hickory but I didn't care for the feel of the oak (vibration).

Nick, where are the sticks breaking at? at the tip? wood splintering in the middle?

If you have trouble with the tips try 747s instead of 5A's. Same width as 5A's at the butt with less taper at the tip so tip is more durable.

If you splinter the wood in the middle I'd try oak, they will hold up to damage longer, but as others mentioned will have a different feel.

Might want to adjust the cymbals if you hit the edges a lot, that can really chew up sticks.

Good Luck!

Yah, good advice on the cymbal adjustment.

It amazes me how with the same kit, my drummer and I have drastically different wear on our sticks. He shreds the hell out of the 2 inches or so below the tip, eventually cracking it off. I can't even reproduce that type of wear when I try!! If he starts using my sticks more often, I'm gonna get a little PO'd!!!!

Oak isn't necessarily a stronger wood than hickory, but it's definitely more dense and rigid. It doesn't chip as easily as hickory, but it's rigidity causes it to shatter easier (not as flexible). Oak also doesn't absorb shock as well, so it transfers rim shots and cymbal strikes to your hands more than hickory. Neither is better than the other, they're just different. Try them both and decide which you like better.

That sounds like a fair assesment of what I feel between oak and hickory. The hickory does seem "spongier."

I use Ahead aluminum sticks. My buddy got em for a x-mas gift and I was like what the F***? But I tried em and love em. I have a touch of the old carpal tunnel from years of bad habits, and these are much more comfortable with that. But what's better is they're still perfectly in tact here four months later. Definitely a record for me. Especially since I've used only these sticks since I got them. Ordinarily I would've gone through quite a few pairs by now if I was using wooden. They were about $30 I think, so I'd say it's worth it to pay a little more for the benefits. The plastic sleeve up top is a little chewed up, but they come with replacements. The sticks themselves are good as new. Plus they look badass cause they're black and shiny. Ha ha. Easton and Ahead are the companies that make em, I believe. He got them at GC though.

I used those Easton Aluminum sticks at one time. I'm a hard hitter and found that they were too rigid and had no give in em, ended up causin more damage to the cymbals and drum heads so I gave em up. I also tried 5A hickery sticks, nothin but a big pile of saw dust around the drum set when using those. They lasted about a combined 3 or 4 hours of playing. Now i'm using a set of Vic Firth 5A's and they're much better. I've been on the same pair for a couple of weeks now I guess they're Oak. Good sticks.

ND

Nope. If they are Vic Firth American Classic 5As, they are hickory. I don't think Vic Firth makes any oak sticks - none that I've ever seen anyway. They just make great sticks - nice feel, good balance and very durable.

I am corrected . They are hickory. I didn't think they were because they've lasted so long now, I just looked at em, and they're starting to chip away, but still lasted longer then the piece of crap Zildjian's I used for a little while before snapping them. Those Zildjian's wouldn't even make quality fire wood, but they were free, so what can I say.

ND