Smoke is a very good friend of mine, awesome drummer and member of the so-cool PNW blues band
Blues Attitude. He came up with quite a neat concept, christened the "Hoop Knocker", which is produced by Iron City Drumworks. You can get details, see pretty pictures, and read Billy Ward's review here:
http://www.ironcitydrumworks.com/right2.htm
It's a beautiful piece of wood that fits along the outside of the snare, so the stick hits it when cross-sticking. I've heard it on Smoke's own snare, and it takes cross-sticking into a whole new dimension.
My very own Hoop Knocker just arrived (after a delay while the ICD guy took some understandable time off to play with his new baby daughter). I chose the cocobolo/maple combination, for the reddish wood to match my red drums. The craftsmanship is excellent, the wood gorgeous, and the sound phenemonal. It was easy to install with nothing other than a drum key required, even for someone as relatively inept as I am with no directions to follow. The unobtrusive brackets stay on the snare, and the wood piece attaches/detaches easily.
I will now be looking for every conceivable opportunity to cross-stick, whether it's needed or not!
