Breaking Sticks

I seem to be rendering many of my sticks virtually useless... but I'm not splitting these things in half or anything. I usually use a lot of rimshots in my playing so I'm thinking it must be because of this that I'm going through sticks like mad. It's usually my right-hand stick that begins to go first... And no, I don't abuse my drums with blast beats or FFFF-dynamics.

My sticks die from being either:
-Frayed/splintered (think peeling string cheese)
-Shoulder begins to split top-down (and eventually does so)
-Small part of the tip chips off, resulting in the rest of the tip gradually being eaten away

Any suggestions to help me from killing so many sticks?
 
Make sure you're using relaxed rebound strokes. If you play with any tension, it will keep the energy from your stroke from dissipating, and it will remain in the stick (causing it to eventually break). All sticks break eventually, but if you're playing in this relaxed fashion, it should be gradual (even with rim shots).

How often would you say this is happening?

(Hope this helps!)
 
Wy Yung is a fine drummer who has been taught by Virgil Donati but his sticks tend to look as though he's been getting hungry (ravenous even!). He plays a lot of rimshots so my guess is that it's just what happens when you play a lot of rimshots with power.

I don't have anywhere near Wy's technique and have never been one to play a lot of rimshots, yet even when I played in loud rock bands in the 80s I only needed to replace sticks when the bead wore out.
 
My sticks tend to last 2-3 weeks before the first signs of the symptoms (4 if I'm lucky)

Pretty usual circumstances for mine mate. Much like Polly, the tips of my sticks used to splinter long before the things ever got a chance to break in half. I would certainly get wear and tear on the shaft and shoulder due to rim shots and crashes, but the biggest issue was always the tips. A by-product of being a drummer unfortunately.....wooden sticks break. Period.

There's always nylon tips to consider......personally, I never cared for the sound of them (a little too bright for my tastes) and the tip cracked in half once and flew up and hit me in the eye. That pretty much ended any affinity I may have had with them. But plenty of drummers use them and like the sound.....may be worth a look.
 
My sticks tend to last 2-3 weeks before the first signs of the symptoms (4 if I'm lucky)

That is pretty standard for me, in the sense that I buy about three pairs every four weeks or so. If you are playing a lot, it will go with the territory. If your heads are not pitted and you don't break cymbals, then I'd say you'll be ok. Just play with as relaxed a grip as possible.
 
There's always nylon tips to consider......personally, I never cared for the sound of them (a little too bright for my tastes) and the tip cracked in half once and flew up and hit me in the eye. That pretty much ended any affinity I may have had with them. But plenty of drummers use them and like the sound.....may be worth a look.

I agree, I sometimes used them but I found the sound a little harsh. You don't notice it so much in loud songs (the kind where you can use the butt ends of the sticks with no problem) but it's not nice in gentler tunes.

Also, and the tips don't have to crack to fly off. In the eye, eh? Nasty!

I've had my current wood tip sticks for over a year and the tips are still firm and produce a bright sound on the ride, but I usually only get to play on the kit once a week and the gentle play I do on pads during the week does no damage.
 
My sticks tend to last 2-3 weeks before the first signs of the symptoms (4 if I'm lucky)

Sounds fairly normal to me: assuming near-daily use of several hours of intense playing. I'm by no means a heavy player. I rarely have the tips chip, but my sticks splinter where they contact the rim playing rimshots. I don't help myself by using maple sticks (Vic Firth SD10 Swingers, mostly). But, it's the cost of doing business....

Wood is porous, flexible and resonates; this is why it's a good material for sticks. These factors also make it prone to splintering, etc. after continuous use. If you're not going through sticks every couple of days, you're well within what I would consider the "normal" range.
 
Put clear nail polish on your wood tips to reinforce them. You can pick it up at the Dollar Store or spend like $5 at a drug store.

CC02ClearNail.jpg
 
I've broken two sticks in the last couple of months, both split a few inches down from the tip, down thru the middle of the stick and further down the stick, following the wood grain. Its always the right hand stick, from hitting the side of my hi-hat. I think I've been having problems with my grip lately tho. Not quite sure what I'm doing wrong. Using Vic Firths extreme 5bns.
 
I just encountered the same problem with both of my Vic Firth 2BNs (if I'm riding I'll crash or splash with my left sometimes, usually at faster tempos), I think I'm catching my crash on the tip though. I did break one Vic Firth SD1 General in the same fashion on my ride, split from just behind the tip down the barrel on an angle. I love the 2BN though, I don't want to break my other pair.
 
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