Hickory Drumsticks

The details

Hickory Drumsticks

Hickory is what most sticks are made of, and it deserves the position. It is dense enough to take repeated rim impact without denting quickly, and it has enough internal damping to absorb a meaningful part of the shock that would otherwise travel into the wrist and elbow. For a player doing three-hour sets, that damping is not a detail.

Which hickory stick you get is decided by four numbers rather than by a model name. Diameter and length set the mass in the hand. Taper length sets the balance and the rebound: a longer taper moves weight back toward the hand and gives a springier, faster stick, while a shorter taper leaves it front-heavy, stiffer and more powerful. Tip shape sets what the cymbal does. We quote all four and will match a pair you already play if you send us one.

Then there is the part nobody prints on the packet. A stick breaks where the grain runs out of the shaft, usually through the shoulder, and that is a selection question rather than a species question. We select for straight continuous grain running the full length, and we pair by weight and by pitch, because two sticks that weigh the same can differ in stiffness and a mismatched pair feels wrong before a player can explain why.

Drum shops, schools, touring bands and anyone tired of buying a letter and a number. Send your artwork and quantities for a free mockup and quote on custom hickory drumsticks today.