On drums...

I tested a pair of Jack DeJohnette's signature stick yesterday... Brian sent them to me (thanx a million)...

WOW

And I mean it - the bigger length is fantastic for someone like me, who hates leaning towards the drums, when reaching for the toms while making fast fills...
They're light, and (for me) have a perfect balance.

I'm used to playing with 7A, because I like using a light stick that is small in diameter. I also use Jojo Mayer's sticks when I need to play harder.
BUT, these JD sticks are really great - a BLEND of both, and still working for light stuff.
I'm TOTALLY surprised by their performance...


Thank you Brian... For this wonderful surprise...



Since we're talking about sticks - what is Your preffered choice and why?!?

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Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

Nice , always good to find a stick you are comfortable with.

Because I play Blues/Rock/Hard Rock music, I use a heavier stick than a lot of you guys.
I used 5b's for many years, but wanted something slightly thinner, yet thicker than a 5a. I found a pair of Johnny Rabb sticks yrs back that were almost perfect, 5B Traditional Ball Tip.
They were very thin for a 5B, a little longer than most sticks with a heavy ish shoulder (I like lettiing the stick do the work for volume/accents).
Johnny Rabb sticks disappeared, I had a local guy that supplied us with sticks,make me a stick that was a touch thinner than the Johnny Rabb but with the same profile......Perfect.
Unfortunately the stick maker Passed On, and no-one took over his legacy,,,,,,such a shame .
Anyways, I eventually found a stick that felt right, but has a more standard shaped tip, I've found I actually prefer the softer attack the greater surface provides on both Drums and Cymbals.

Anyways..
SilverFox JX Wood. JX stands for Jazz Xtreme, but I would think them a little too Extreme for Jazz. , I use a chinese made direct 'rip off'' of ProMark HotRods for softer gigs too.

Thats the long story

NEXT

Cheers

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Jeff
Gots ta luv da Beech
Australia

Hey Goki,

Welcome to the club!

I have been using the Vic Firth JD wood tip (SJD) for several years now, and they fit me perfectly. They are essentially a 5A (.565 diameter / 15 7/8 - 16"), but extended to 16 3/16 length (.565 x 16 3/16).

The teardrop tip provides great cymbal definition, and they have just the balance and reach that I want. I have tried 5A's, and even though they are only 3/16 - 5/16" shorter, they feel like playing with a pencil stub, and the Vic Firth X5A (.565 x 16 1/2") are just too damn long.

After a conversation on sticks on the Sonor forum a while back, where someone was complaining about their favorite sticks being discontinued, I have taken to buying the SJD's in bricks of a dozen pairs at a time, with intent to build up a lifetime supply, just in case.

My only complaint with them is the white finish, which tends to accumulate on cymbals from laying into them with the stick shoulder. You won't see it right away, but I have been using them for years, and can see it for sure.

As it turns out, a guy who used to run the drum shop in Manny's (now defunct NYC music store) has been at Vic Firth for several years now, and I have pleaded with him to make me some SJD spec sticks in natural finish, and offered to buy them in large lots, if that would help. No luck.

Maybe if a few of us ping him on the same subject...

p.s. You have a few cymbals that were selected using SJD's, and should be pretty used to them.

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?

A quick wipe with acetone will take care of that. Of course, you cannot be a logo lover; cleans them right off, too.

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Gregory

I just switched Goki after years of using the same sticks. I gotta go read the things though can't remember what the heck they are called.

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Ron

Ron, off topic also but which HHX series.

Hey, Ron. I've only taken acetone to cymbals to remove the logos, not for cleaning the cymbals. Acetone will clean any grease or oils, or any dirt that's held in place by grease or oil, but it won't polish a cymbal, or remove oxidation. Acetone is a great cleaner, leaving almost no residual oils behind, but if you like logos on your cymbals, keep it far away from them!

On the subject of cleaning cymbals, I still dust mine, and if something ugly starts growing I wash them like dishes, but that's about it. I'm not sure what a natural finish means... but I'm guessing you mean cymbals that have all the signs of heat and oxidation still on the surface, and are neither lathed nor polished? If so, acetone will not alter that finish.

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Gregory

I have an HHX groove ride in the natural finish and also a 16" stage crash.

By natural finish I mean unpolished. Not like the rusty looking ones that meinl do I think it's their extra dry range? Anyway the natural finish I'm talking about is smooth, clean but not shiny. I bought them as I was sick of polishing my other cymbals! if you check out the sabian website you will see what I mean.

Looking to buy an old tumble dryer over the next few weeks to build my own cymbal polishing machine! I have a great friend who is an engineer and he is going to help me with the technical stuff! It will hopefully end up looking like this

http://www.procymbal.com/about.html

Possibly not as nice to look at but should do the job hopefully.

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Ron

Looks like that process removes the Logo's.