Drum stick taper

roncadillac

roncadillac

Platinum Member
For well over fifteen years I have used vater Manhattan 7a or the sound percussion 7a (because they are identical and cheaper), before that I mainly used Vic firth 5a.

I just a few days ago got to play with a pair of Pro Mark classic (forward?) fire grain 7a. I actually really liked the sticks in the setting I was in and I'm now considering picking up a pair to play around with.

This got me looking into pro mark sticks then seeing the rebound vs forward models with their difference being basically just taper and tip then ultimately rabbit holing into the idea of what different tapers do to the feel of a stick.

I could feel that the forward 7a sticks are definitely a bit more front heavy than my usual vaters but I didn't notice a reduction in playability. It does sound like the longer taper of the rebound line would feel even nicer in the hand though. I never thought much about the taper of the vaters, I would say medium?

It also doesn't help that the rebound sticks have a teardrop tip while the forward sticks have an oval tip which adds a variable and eliminates a true apples to apples comparison.

So what say you? Give any mind to taper? Notice a difference in feel with shorter vs longer taper? Is this all just marketing fluff? Did I actually possibly not like the sticks more but I'm romanticising because I got to jam with an old band mate I haven't seen in over a decade?

I've got enough players circle points that I could get a free pair of both models of 7a and just give them a try.
 
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Long taper sticks feel smaller and lighter in the hand. I generally prefer medium to long taper so I can use a bigger stick that doesn't feel like a tree trunk. I'll also add that there IS an upward limit to long tapers. The Vic Firth Freestyle series have crazy long tapers and the sticks feel way too light to me.

I think Vater's general approach to taper is fairly short, which I think is why so many of their sticks feel heavier than you'd expect them to. I love some of Vater's sticks but a few just feel way too front heavy for me.
 
roncadillac said:
For well over fifteen years I have used vater Manhattan 7a or the sound percussion 7a (because they are identical and cheaper), before that I mainly used Vic firth 5a.

I just a few days ago got to play with a pair of Pro Mark classic (forward?) fire grain 7a. I actually really liked the sticks in the setting I was in and I'm now considering picking up a pair to play around with.

This got me looking into pro mark sticks then seeing the rebound vs forward models with their difference being basically just taper and tip then ultimately rabbit holing into the idea of what different tapers do to the feel of a stick.

I could feel that the forward 7a sticks are definitely a bit more front heavy than my usual vaters but I didn't notice a reduction in playability. It does sound like the longer taper of the rebound line would feel even nicer in the hand though. I never thought much about the taper of the vaters, I would say medium?

It also doesn't help that the rebound sticks have a teardrop tip while the forward sticks have an oval tip which adds a variable and eliminates a true apples to apples comparison.

So what say you? Give any mind to taper? Notice a difference in feel with shorter vs longer taper? Is this all just marketing fluff? Did I actually possibly not like the sticks more but I'm romanticising because I got to jam with an old band mate I haven't seen in over a decade?

I've got enough players circle points that I could get a free pair of both models of 7a and just give them a try.
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Yes. ;)
 
I prefer a long "rebound" taper because it's better for things like double strokes, intricate patterns and shuffles.

@roncadillac Is the Sound Percussion 7a really the same stick as the Vater Manhattan? Or is it just similar? Are they lower quality?

I used Manhattans back in my jazzier days, and really liked them. It would be great to find them even cheaper.
 
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IBitePrettyHard said:
I prefer a long "rebound" taper because they are better for intricate patterns and shuffles.

@roncadillac Is the Sound Percussion 7a really the same stick as the Vater Manhattan? Or is it just similar? Are they lower quality?

I used Manhattans back in my jazzier days, and really liked them. It would be great to find them even cheaper.
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bit pre internet day they were identical still have some of both/ interchangeable./
 
IBitePrettyHard said:
I prefer a long "rebound" taper because it's better for things like double strokes, intricate patterns and shuffles.

@roncadillac Is the Sound Percussion 7a really the same stick as the Vater Manhattan? Or is it just similar? Are they lower quality?

I used Manhattans back in my jazzier days, and really liked them. It would be great to find them even cheaper.
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I honestly don't notice a difference in feel or durability from the sp to the vater. The vaters have always been 100% consistent for me, the sound percussion will have maybe one "dud" stick every 6-8 pairs. At the dramatic price difference I'm fine with throwing a stick away occasionally.

A brick of 4 pairs can be had for $25 and a few big retailers have coupon codes right now.
 
Taper makes a big difference in weight distribution. Long taper - rear weighted feel. One of my favorite sticks I struggle with (VF Buddy Rich). The taper is strange. More of a short taper. I struggle with this stick vs most others. It's great in many ways but due to the weight distribution it throws me off when I first pick it up.
 
Martigan said:
Taper makes a big difference in weight distribution. Long taper - rear weighted feel. One of my favorite sticks I struggle with (VF Buddy Rich). The taper is strange. More of a short taper. I struggle with this stick vs most others. It's great in many ways but due to the weight distribution it throws me off when I first pick it up.
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It's been a very long time since I played the vf buddy rich stick but I definitely remember it always feeling weird and "off" when you first pick it up but quickly settling in to being comfortable and responsive.
 
yea the Buddy Rich Vic Firth pair.. I have one in White and are a little on the heavy side so , so they reside in the top shelf of the Stick ladder placement box never to be played/used but only to be oogled at . Yea overall too heavy but
 
I have a pair of Promark Rebound 2b's. Tip is gigantic and they weigh a hefty 67grams. However due to the taper they feel lighter (rear weighted) and are quicker to play than you would think for their size. It's interesting how certain attributes can really change the dynamic of a stick.
 
I like medium taper, but I'd rather err on the long side than the short one. A long taper stick feels light like 7A, while a short taper feels clumsy for dynamics and tiring for stamina.
 
IBitePrettyHard said:
I prefer a long "rebound" taper because it's better for things like double strokes, intricate patterns and shuffles.

@roncadillac Is the Sound Percussion 7a really the same stick as the Vater Manhattan? Or is it just similar? Are they lower quality?

I used Manhattans back in my jazzier days, and really liked them. It would be great to find them even cheaper.
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I think the Goodwood sticks are exactly the same stick. I believe they are Vater seconds. Every once in a while you'll find an unusable stick, but for the most part they are fine. I use mostly Vater sticks, but have Goodwoods at home for practice. Size varies based on the situation. A brick of Goodwoods are less than $75 at Musician's Friend. So you wind up paying around half the price of Vaters.
 
What say me? I like long tapered sticks like the Vic Firth Extreme 5A and David Garibaldi models. Also, the Vater Classics 5A. The longer taper affords the player a lighter, more agile stick with a quicker rebound. Winston is right, generally speaking, regarding a lot of Vater sticks. They tend to feel a bit clunky and seem to "play short" as opposed to equal length sticks with longer tapers. I always liked Regal Tip 5B nylon tip sticks due to the quick rebound.
 
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Winston_Wolf said:
Long taper sticks feel smaller and lighter in the hand. I generally prefer medium to long taper so I can use a bigger stick that doesn't feel like a tree trunk. I'll also add that there IS an upward limit to long tapers. The Vic Firth Freestyle series have crazy long tapers and the sticks feel way too light to me.

I think Vater's general approach to taper is fairly short, which I think is why so many of their sticks feel heavier than you'd expect them to. I love some of Vater's sticks but a few just feel way too front heavy for me.
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I agree Vater's taper is shorter than VF, but I am also convinced all other factors the same the Vater hickory is denser, so the same dimension stick (taper, length, diam) always feels heavier (because it is).
PromMsrks are defintely always a forward weighted heavy stick.
I guess we are lucky to have so many options.
 
Martigan said:
Taper makes a big difference in weight distribution. Long taper - rear weighted feel. One of my favorite sticks I struggle with (VF Buddy Rich). The taper is strange. More of a short taper. I struggle with this stick vs most others. It's great in many ways but due to the weight distribution it throws me off when I first pick it up.
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I still have a pair of Ludwig 15A Buddy Rich Model Sticks from the early-80's. They are much thinner and agile compared to the Vic Firth signature and Vater West Side models. A very different stick in terms of weight and shoulder/neck dimensions. Bead shape is very similar along with overall design, however.
 
I like the feel of a short taper when playing on a pad. The forward weight makes the stick feel really solid. The longer taper has advantages, though. The quick rebound has been mentioned, but I also find it easier to get a good cross-stick sound with a long taper.

 
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