I use Vic Firth 85A (I think its just 5A but on the stick it says 85A) and they work really good and I haven't broken them yet.

I'd say that it's all a matter of personal taste. I've used Vic Firth and Pro-Mark (I prefer Vic Firth) and 5A, 7A, and Dave Weckl Signature sticks. They all have their place - and I find situations where each stick is useful.

As i have just started learning drums i don't know anything about them. I use the sticks that came with my Ion electric kit, and they keep slipping out my hands, any tips to stop this happening?
Also, do i hold the sticks tightly or loose in my fingers.
Any help here would be great.
cheers

jim

Try to hold the sticks tight enough to stay in your hand but loose enough to bounce back up after you hit a drum

I use Neil Peart Signature Pro Mark thin And not to light but not to heavy and very durable. And my second Choose would be regal tip Alex Van Halen signature because of their length (19" i think) there basically tree trunks!

I would echo what Defloc said, and add that I have seen the sticks that they send home with new electronic kits, and they aren't usually too good. Useable maybe, but not anybody's favorite stick, to be sure.

I would go to a local music/drum store, and try out everything that they've got on a rubber drum pad - you'll almost definitely find a pair that feels more natural than the "default" pair.

Thanks for the advice guys, hope another set of sticks will improve my playing as well.....

Cheers

I use zildjian 7a wood tip sticks.
i like the tip and they come with a special rubber dip coating or without. and are quite difficult to break too!

yess zildjian 7a wood tips

i play a lot of metal and ive had a pair for over 2 years i think and i havent broken them yet

i recommend them

I changed sticks when I changed kits Acoustic kit verses an Electronic kit. I now use a much lighter stick with the Roland kit.. like a Viv-Firth 7A or Pro-Mark 7A

Vater 7A Nylons for me,,,, can't get the control with a bigger stick but it means punching the drums more 'cause the 7A are pretty small sticks. I like nylon tips for the extra ping on the cymbals and a little more of that slap on a clear tom head. It's all a matter of preference though. jim1453 if you find a stick that magically makes you play better let us know, I'll be picking up a pair (or a hundred) for sure, LOL!!!

When I had my Pearl kit I used I believe a 5B's..but theres no way I could do that now and theres no need..with this kit..

in order of preference, I'm using
1) Ahead Ulrich signature (the best for me)
2) Vic original US Metal (very heavy, great for training)
3) Pro Mark Joey Jordison signature (they're only 5a so I wrapped them with Vic tape)
4) Zildjian sticks
5) some other Italian stuf.

Vic Firth or Pro Mark 7A for the electronic kit..

If you're just starting out I'd reccomend 5A's, they're definately the basic model. It's all really about personal taste, and what stlye of music you will be playing. If I want a lighter feel I'd go for Travis Barker signature, they're the sticks I use most.

Ive been playing for just over a year now and I have liked the 5Bs. I noticed that a lot of people on here use 5A or 7A. Is there any other reason you all use the lighter sticks besides personal preferance? Does it help to have a lighter stick so you dont "throw" them while you play? I have a problem with throwing my sticks every so often haha.

I use a 7A because of the Electronic Kit.. the lighter, and thinner stick the better for me..I dont need much weight or size with those pads

well my favoite for electric a regal tip 7A's because they are very light and pretty durable

Acoustic was quite different.. I think I was using a 5A stick dont quite remember..

i even use 7A's on my acoustic kit by regal tip and they usually last me 5 months or so and dont think i play soft all the time i do alot of rim shots and like to make noise so the regal tips are very nice

Yea, Im guessing that they were 5A's I know that they were much bigger then a 7A stick..I always use Pro-Mark..they actually have the thinnest stick..

I've been using the Zildjian 7A nylon tip Dips. The dip coating keeps the sticks from slipping out of my dry hands so I can put more energy into playing and less into gripping the sticks. The nylon tip is for the electronic drums, I use the wood tips for acoustic drums.

I used to play the red Weckl sticks until I got tired of cleaning my cymbals and heads from red marks, I believe they offer the same stick now without the annoying red/brown finish? Anyone else have/had this problem with colored sticks?

well i have some yamaha strikeforce brown/red colored sticks and I used those in a studio session and there were spots on my cymbals too. so I just switched to either black or regular wood color

I never used a colored stick I always had the natural wood finish but I know there is a lot out there..

Vic Firth 5a is my fave stick to use..wood tip. they feel great in my hands. they're the reason i switched from traditional to matched grip

I use the extreme 5A from vic firth. I started off with the regular 5a, then switched to the Rock model. I liked fact that they are longer, but these were too heavy. The extreme 5a offers the same length but are way thinner than the Rock.

The extra length is really helpfull and would recommend it to anyone, except you guys with an electronic kit, then you'd be better off with the 5a

Im very comfortable using the Pro-Mark Millennium 7A stick nice and thin and very little weight stick.. hard to find though not always on the shelf..

I also use vic firth 5a nylon tip on both my sonor kit and my v drums.When I use my practise pads for rudiments and stuff i have an old set of sticks that i've attached a triple A battery too with gaffa tape for added weight.When you grab your normal sticks after that you can go much faster much easier. can't stand sticks that are shiny, they slip out of my hands.

I use floral stem wrap tape that you get from a craft store this stuff is the best.. gotta give the credit to my wife on this one.. works fantastic for me anyway.. when I practice on the pad I use a slightly heavier stick but similar size so theres not a tremendous difference.. but just enough to get that work out..

I got the idea of strapping batteries to the sticks from a Bobby Rock video.But yeh heavier sticks will do the same thing.You could even do it to the heavy sticks for a full on workout.He actually has some special stick weights with velcro that wraps around,but i've never seen them in a shop.so it's a DIY job.
Is floral stem wrap tape a fabric? i've never heard of it.

No Its hard to explain Its like a very thin but stretchable paper, this allows you to pull it tight around your sticks and its slightly tacky for gripping your sticks.. and once it wears off and you remove the tape the stick itself remains tacky for a while so its like a double deal once with tape and once without and the stuff is cheap thats the best part.. best stuff I have used in 30 Yrs.. but everyones different this works well for me..