Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- Theguy Withnoeye wrote:
> Wich drumsticks do you prefer?

Ah, the Quest for the Perfect Drumstick. Like the Quest for the 
Perfect Wallet (pocketbook), one that lasts a lifetime.

At the moment, I am pretty hooked on Vater 7A Manhattan. The Vater 7A 
is the same diameter as everyone else's (.540") but is a full 16" 
long instead of the more usual 15.5". It has a round tip and a lovely 
feel, very light, responsive and with a great rebound, but plenty 
heavy enough for e-drum work. The downside is it's highly polished 
and, in my case with very dry hands, does spend some poportion of the 
time flying around the music room under its own steam. I also have 
some Vic Firth 8Ds which are (theoretically) the same dimensions but 
which have a very broad shoulder and not as much taper as the Vater, 
and feel a lot heavier. I use these when I want a bit of a thrash.

I have some Zildjian dip 6A, which are good for grip, with the same 
dimensions as the Vater, but they are *incredibly* light - in theory 
they're hickory, but they feel like balsa! They're actually too 
light. I just use them when I'm having a Bad Flying Stick day.

I also have some Zildjian "anti-vibe" 5As - regular 5A with an anti-
vibration core in the butt of the stick. While they definitely do 
what they advertise - reduce impact vibration - I have gone off them 
in a big way. First, they're too big. But worse, the downside of 
killing vibrations is it also badly affects rebound. Playing 
rudiments with them on is really difficult. I now only use them if I 
have sore hands for some reason.

I have some Promark 5A and hate them (incredibly crude finish), and 
an unknown brand of stick which just bear the word "Jazz" and seem to 
be 16" x .500" (yes, half an inch). These are a bit too flighty too.

So - right now my recommendation for e-drumming is Vater 7A Manhattan.

Stewart