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Super Sticks The company shtick: Super Sticks patented drumsticks are the most incredible revolution in the history of drumming and percussion! Independent testing shows that Super Sticks are superior to ordinary nylon/wooden tip drum sticks. Super Sticks have been noted to produce a sound between a nylon and wooden tip - and that’s just for starters!! Super Sticks will give you greater rebounding-superior bounce-ease of stick-motion; neck to butt equalization - incredible timbral effects on cymbals and much, much more! We beat our competition sticks down! 100% moneyback guarantee if our patented tips ever break! Sample tested: 5A (Flat Top and Barrel Tip) Length index: 97 Weight index: 96 Playability: The review was not helped by the temporary shortage of 7A samples, and the 5A, the lightest on offer at the time, was still significantly heavier than my regular choices. I found them slightly unwieldy, due to the extra weight and the relatively “low” centre of gravity, towards the butt end. That said, the sticks are well-made and well-finished. The unique design element is an oversized, hollow tip designed to increase the rebound. And it certainly does bounce! The sticks felt extremely lively on all surfaces, and rebounded brilliantly, especially on e-cymbals. I sense that the inventor is onto something with the springy tips and my only regret is that I didn’t get to try these in a comfortable size. In fact, I’m tempted to remove the tips and try attaching them onto a lighter body to get a real feel. Super Sticks take a bit of adaptation, but once you’re comfortable, you may never put them down.
Vater The company shtick: At Vater, our goal is simple: to produce the very best drumsticks and percussion accessories in the world. Vater guarantees their drumsticks to be straighter, more consistent and of higher quality than all other leading drumstick manufacturers. Vater’s nylon tips are guaranteed not to fall off, crack or break for the performance lifespan of the drumstick. 100% of Vater’s drumsticks are manufactured in the USA. All Vater sticks are tone and weight-matched by computer analysis. Vater products are endorsed by drummers like Chad Smith, Stewart Copeland and Josh Freese. Sample tested: Manhattan – 7A Length index: 100 Weight index: 94 Playability: Interestingly, these hickory sticks were among the least-matched in terms of weight, but nonetheless felt well-balanced. They were on the heavy end of the 7A scale, but the extra weight is due to a bit of extra length. The extra millimetres make a difference to the performance, with the sticks exhibiting plenty of rebound on all surfaces. They shone on mesh, but had a good feel on both rubber pads and rubber-coated cymbals. The added length also appeared to offer extra shock absorption, reducing impact on the hand and fingers. The sample pair disappointed on aesthetics, with the largest colour difference of all the samples, and we were also surprised to find imperfections in the nylon tip. digitalDRUMMER, FEBRUARY 2011
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