Customer Reviews

Musician's Gear Hickory Drumsticks 10-Pack

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

These sticks are obviously budget sticks. They don't really have a brand per se, even though they are a musician's friend exclusive. And it's a grab bag type of thing, where they choose for you what model you get. The sizes they pick from are 5A, 5B, and rock (slightly bigger than 5B's), and they come in either nylon or wood tip. Well, first of all, how do they feel? I found that not all the sticks were consistent, which was a major hassle because they aren't pregrouped. They come all mashed together in a bag, and you have to sort them out. The problem was that some were heavier than others. The texture of each stick was pretty rough, but a little sanding took care of this problem. So I grabbed a closely matched pair and began to play. They feel great, and the nylon tips especially are very bouncy on rides and hats. I hit hard, and rimshot about every snare note, so of course, they started denting and chipping just like all my other sticks. But these seemed to be of pretty high quality compared to other cheapies- Sound Percussion, Stick by the Pound, etc...I was impressed that they didn't dent as quickly as other sticks, but then after about 20 minutes of playing, my snare stick just got lopped in half. I didn't expect it at all, since it was initially holding up so well, but it came clean off. Anyways, enough about my little anecdote. The verdict is that they vary a lot, and some will just break in half when you least expect it. But going back to my experience with them, the second pair held up very well. They lasted about 2 months of hard hitting, and I was very impressed. So what can you expect with your purchase? 20 mismatched sticks, all of varying quality and weight, but on the whole, these are great for practice. They cost a buck a pair, and they feel really nice in your hands, especially the 5A's. I've ordered them about 9 times now, so they an't be all that bad, because...I like them. But here's a general chart for you to refer to, so you know which model to pray for.

5A wood- very slick and comfortable sticks. They taper elegantly and have a good feel to them. Just be wary that they are the thinnest models in the grab bag, and will break the quickest.

5A nylon- Same as the 5A woods, execpt the tips are more durable, and they bounce more. Still very elegant, but kind of disappointing when you pick out a "dud" pair. I thought it was a shame to waste such as durable tip when the shaft of the stick broke so quickly.

5B wood- These are cool too. They are bigger and beefier than the 5A's, and look meaner than the 5A's. Only problem is that they aren't much a weight improvement from 5A's, but are bigger. Oh well...

5B nylons- these are the best bang for your buck right here. The tip will last. The shaft will last. They are realiable, that's the bottom line. I just don't like the way they feel compared to the 5A's. They are a little awkward because of their size.

Rock Wood- These are pretty heavy compared to the 5B's, and they pack a huge punch. They also break quickly because they seem to mess up the stick quickly with it's not-so-thin design. I don't like them them because they are clumsy, and I often drop them. One time I dropped the left stick and it hit bounced off my snare and hit me in the face. Ouch! But anyways...

Rock Nylon- I'm sorry, as much as I like musician friend's nylon tips, these just suck. The tips are ugly and less useful than other models. They are too clumsy to be cool. They are too ugly to show off with, even if they are the "heavy-duty" stick size that metal drummers use. And they tend to have HUGE splinters in them. Way more than any other size. Pray that you don't get these.

In conclusion of my long review, you should know that the size is not indicated on the stick itself, you you'll have to examine it to determine which one it is. Except for the Rock Nylons, which will stick out like a sore thumb with little target's painted all over it. They look pretty ugly. But, unfortunately, the major drawback is that you can't choose. Just hope you get 5B nylons, or 5A nylons. But hey, this is still a great value. Musician's Friend has done soemthing neat here, giving you the luck of the draw. For budget sticks, these are the way to go, but if you have a lot of moolah to dump, or if you are a very hard player, the higher end sticks will always be waiting for you to grab them off the shelf. I repeat: These do not compare to Zildjian's or Vic Firth's, or Vater's, etc...They are merely budget sticks that rise above all other budget sticks. Or more simply put, "the best bad sticks" you can find.

Hope this was helpful.

I placed an order for 3 of these. What can I say, 60 drum sticks (30) pairs for 36 bucks is a steal. The sticks are all somewhat the same size,I'm guessing around 5a - 5b, each pack I got had a different type. So far, the ones I haved used were of great quality. As mentioned before, these are not really the best quality out there for as far as drum sticks go, but for drummers that rock out alot and break alot of sticks this is a good deal.

I ordered the drum sticks and the service was excellent. I recieved them very quickly. The only issue that I had was that several of the drum sticks were warped. They were otherwise very usable.

5 Drumsticks pairs!
Excellent price!
A lot of sticks to practice.
Be aware that each stick is around one inch less than a standard drumsticks.
Probably if you are a Pro drummer you are not going to like these drumsticks because the are big differences between pro-mark or zildjian pro sticks and these ones.
But if you are a beginner and don't want to pay too much, Go ahead!

These sticks are obviously well priced but the ones I got were these thick, heavy sticks that I guess they call "rock" style. One already broke in half within the first 15 minutes of play. Given their quality, I'd have to say a pair of Vic Firths may cost much more but will hold up longer and sound better.

These sticks are almost exactly the same as Vic Firth 5B wood tipped sticks. The difference is that these sticks are slightly rougher in texture, they do not have a shiny finish on them like Vic Firth 5B wood tipped. But other then that they are practically the same drum stick. The "shiny finish" on Vic Firth sticks wears off anyway (fairly soon), so I really dont see any difference... these sticks wont slip as easily from your hands if you perspire.

When I was at Guitar Center I grabbed a pair of Vic Firth 5B wood tipped sticks, and I grabbed a pair of Musician's Gear Hickory 5B wood tipped sticks and I cross matched them (one hand Vic Firth, the other Musicians Gear) - I then compared both, thickness, length, weight (always fluctuates a little from pair to pair regardless), shape - they both were pretty much exactly the same. The only real difference again being there isnt a shiny finish (or decal) on these sticks.

Price wise, in comparison, $1 per pair versus $7 plus per pair for Vic Firth. $1 a pair is 50 cents a stick... if you break or lose one... doesnt hurt nearly as much!

These sticks are a great bargain and very well made.

The one thing I can tell you is that they do not come "matched" in pairs, they come in bulk (a shrunk wrapped package of 20 drumsticks). You have to match pairs for yourself.

Regarding matched pairs: I have NEVER purchased a pair of sticks that TRULY were a matched pair. Even when purchasing Vic Firths (supposedly) pre-matched pairs, they NEVER ARE. Whenever I buy any brand of drum sticks I match pairs for my self right then and there before I purchase them. You need to ask for 5 or 6 pairs, take them out and match for yourself.

My point: you have to match pairs for yourself anyways.

Ive never had a problem matching pairs with these sticks, although I did buy 60 pairs ($60). I put all of them in a 5 gallon bucket, pull them out and match as needed... and it's NEVER been a problem. Now I have a supply of sticks that will last a long time... and if I break a stick I wont crap my pants over it cuz Im gonna have to break out another $7 to $8 every time I do!

$60 for 60 pairs, versus $420 for 60 pairs... ($7 x 60). BIG difference in price!

Hope this review helps. These are great sticks if you play Vic Firth 5A's or 5B's!

At just over a dollar a piece, these sticks stood the ultimate test: teenagers hitting buckets, pots, and tins. They are a bit thin at the tip, so I expect this is where they will break first, but after over 24 hours of aggressive use, there are no cracks, splinters, or breaks. Great beginner sticks for the price!

I just don't see how you can go wrong for the price! I guess I got 5a's with wood tips. the local stores are charging 2 to 4 bucks a pair for the same quality sticks, it's just rediculous! but 10 pair for 13 bucks is a great value and the sticks are good. as soon as they came in I taped a pair up and started to play, they felt light to me, but I like a slightly heavier stick. in all I can't complain and will be ordering a few more packs soon to try and get some different ones to fill the bag up, never know how many you might throw in a night! (ooops, I mean drop! ~ lol)

bottom line, if you waste too much time reading these reviews, you are NOT playing the Drums, now get back behind the kit! just order a set of sticks first!

A very nice inexpensive drumstick. Hubby makes stumpf fiddles. This is ideal to go with. FAST service too. An asset to amazon.

I bought this because I often find myself ruining drumsticks and being disappointed at how expensive they are. I wanted something cheap with lots of drumsticks. Note this comes in 10 PAIRS, not sticks (so 20 sticks). It's a good deal.

Pros: Cheap, some of them are actually quite nice sticks and will last you a decent time.

Cons: A lot of them are crap and will break quickly.