[CJDG]

Their website states nylon

[skinslapper]

I'm totally into the sugar maples. Best Stick Ever!!!!

I've been keeping my snare flat aswell. Just anjoying something different at the mo and I'm finding I'm not as many beats on the quick stuff as I used to.

Oh and Alison, If your tips are black, they're probably delmar. Anything else is most likely nylon.

[Tommatt]

I must be doing something wrong cause I haven't broken a stick yet. I had the tip crack off a vater, but thats it. And I'm trying to hit the hats softer when I play. I don't do a lot of rim shots though. I remember all my drummers constantly breaking sticks while practicing. The Sides slowly chip away, but they've served their purpose by then.

	Vater Drumsticks Shop for Vater Drumsticks at Musician's Friend

[guss]

Tom, Your better off then me, I started breaking them this year! You have a better style them me I guess!

Skin, what company carries the Sugar maple, and is there a lot of sap that comes out of them?

[CJDG]

Breaking sticks does not make a good or bad drummer. If you play and it sounds good to you without injuring yourself or your gear then fine...

There are many drummers who would disagree and say that traditional is best, or if you break a stick your technique suffers, etc... everyone has an opinion and you need to evaluate that and see what is true. There are NO perfect sticks for ALL occasions. Sticks should be viewed like we see toms or cymbals... different flavors. You might perfer to use a 5A for jazz, a 747 for rock, and multirods for acoustic jams...

In the end if you are not hurting yourself or your gear then there is no harm done. And the fact that your stick might be breaking is just a hint, that you are damaging your gear, and need to address that the stick is not right for the situation, or your playing is incorrect. Is it that you are hitting the rims with the tip of the stick, is it that you enjoy rim shots way too much, is it that you really crank that sholder of the stick into the ride cymbal bell???

I was breaking hickory sticks like candy; chip the tip and a crack down the grain. I beefed up to some 5A and 5B oak sticks and have tripled the play time without even harming the tips yet. I love my new sticks because they can handle detailed playing and more intense rock/metal playing.


Addressing to everyone here:
Best thing to do is to open up like this... if you have a problem consult other drummers. I have over 20 years in playing drums. So the years of experience available to you to ask questions adds up very quickly. Oh and I learn new things about drums every day so please don't feel like you have nothing to contribute here.

[guss]

Oh CJDG, I meant stick wise, I meant, I wish I wasn't breaking them at all!

[CJDG]

I was speaking to tommatt on him stating he hasn't broke one yet.

[guss]

Sorry about that, I was a bit unclear the first time.

[Alison]

Thanks CJDG and Skinslapper, I take it my Premier 7As have nylon tips. I also have a pair of Ahead sticks which are meant to take out some of the vibration caused by drumming, especially on my electronic drumkit. They have a stick of aluminium inside. They've white tips, so probably nylon, and the outside can be replaced. But I haven't used them on an acoustic kit yet so I don't know what they are like on that. I stick to my Premier sticks because they feel just right and I haven't broken one yet!

	Ahead Drumsticks Shop for Ahead Drumsticks at Musician's Friend

[CJDG]

NP Guss... Nice speaking with ya...

The Ahead sticks are pretty durable... took me 2 1/2 months to break the pair I owned back in the day. I never bought them again because I felt they were too limiting since you couldn't use the back half of the stick for anything. They felt great though... really increased my ability to play longer...

Zildjian makes some sticks with vibration reduction in them... if you end up looking for something different. I think there have been a few folks here raving about them.

There are lots of really good sticks out there... problem in when you switch playing styles you know real fast if the stick you are using isn't right. I may still keep a pair of hickory sticks in my bag if the oak ones don't meet my needs... but so far I enjoy the precision.

	Ahead Drumsticks Shop for Ahead Drumsticks at Musician's Friend

	Zildjian Cymbals Shop for Zildjian Cymbals at Musician's Friend