Maple drumsticks?

[Julián Fernández]

Today I played with Vic´s SD2 Boleros and was reminded how good maple sounds on light cymbals...

Is anyone playing maple as their main sticks? Is there much difference on how much maple lasts (compared to hickory)? I´ve been playing 5As for ages... Maybe it´s time for a change?

Cheers!

[bensdrums]

I switched to the SD4 about four years ago now. Maple is significantly lighter than hickory, and as you've pointed out, has a very unique articulation on cymbals. The lighter weight is a little different to manipulate I'd say for some players who play almost strictly with rebound all the time. I prefer a thinner, "jazz-ish" stick and barrel tips over tear drops/acorns, so the SD4 was a good option for me.

Initially, I switched to lower my overall volume and to accommodate the increasingly smaller gig venues I was playing where I had to really keep the volume of the kit down and try to maintain intensity. It worked for that purpose, and over time I really started to prefer the stick altogether, even on the gigs where I can open it up volume wise.

They'll break easier than hickory if you're a hard hitter or if you saw up the shoulders a lot on your hats or cymbals. But if you're the kind of player that wears down tips long before you're in danger of breaking the stick, or haven't broken a stick or head in years to ages, I'd say maple's a good option.

[chris perra]

I use the same size stick.. Headhunters 5B.

http://www.headhuntersdrumsticks.net/

For quieter playing I use the Maple and for louder the Hickory.

They use the same knife to cut both so they are exactly the same feel and balance.. Just a slightly different tone with Maple vs Hickory and for me it drops my volume a great deal without having to work as hard to play quiet.

[Morgenthaler]

Maple sticks will give you less control, worse rebound and more shallow sounds from toms. I dislike maple sticks.
If you want to play at a lower volume, practice that.

[Odd-Arne Oseberg]

Not main stick, but I certainly have SD2s around. Different flavour. Also the general stick most recommend for young students, big and fat, but light.

In the classical bag they're the main ones along with the Tom Gauger's that are also maple and the smallest but real heavy for their size, sandalwood Pusjens.

It's just sort of a common traditional recommendation, around here anyway, to have some bolero sticks in your bag, both for certain snare things, but also just for the ride sound.

Perosnally, my main kit sticks are hickory. Erskine Ride sticks when I have to use some motion to feel the groove, but still keep mit down.

[GoAndPractice]

SD2's are always in my bag but never my main stick. I love them for some super quiet combo gigs, ride cymbal sound is great.

I can't get over their feel though, they're not physically rewarding at all to play. I'll do a whole gig and by the end my hands are still cold.

[funkydrummer]

I actually keep a pair of the Todd Sucherman sig models in my bag strictly for low volume gigs. I generally use a Vater 5B wood tip hickory, and the Todds are really close in size. They feel a little too light these days for louder volume situations but for quiet stuff I love them

[kinkymook]

I switched to VF SD 10 Swingers years ago as I was tired of getting 10 minutes into a gig and having half of a hickory tip split off. Maple tips NEVER CHIP, ever. It's amazing.
Also, I was able to use a bigger stick with less weight. I DO feel like you have to play them a bit differently than a hickory stick as they can shatter quickly if you're bashing with them, but I'm stuck with them now as hickory feels VERY dense and heavy to me. I feel like they work for every situation. Don't hesitate to try them.
I also have to disagree with the notion from Morgenthaler that they have worse rebound and no control. IMO (and peers opinions who have tried them) they actually rebound quicker and make doubles and combinations easier.

[Julián Fernández]

I got a brick of SD1s... First impressions: They feel massive on my hands (coming from playing 5As for a long time). The short tapper has an interesting feel to it... I kinda like it. They weight less than my usual sticks but somehow the larger diameter makes up for a nice feel on my hands. I´ll try them tomorrow on the kit... Thanks for the tips!