Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I wasn't expecting much from these sticks... I mean, c'mon, no tip? How good could it sound? Well, the answer is AMAZING! Granted, it's not as precise a sound on a ride cymbal, but it's a huge sound, especially on my Ping ride.
Yes, these sticks are loud, compared to tipped sticks, and the tone you get is much more concentrated in the fundamental pitch, rather than the overtones (that can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on what you're looking for). I've found, however, that I have to work a lot less at playing at higher volumes - I can lighten up on my technique and still get a full tone and plenty of volume to cut through an amplified band.
The feel is something different, as well. Since there's no taper in the shoulder, the balance point is at exactly the midpoint of the stick. I had some trouble with double strokes and rolls at first, until I learned to choke up a bit more. What's nice is that I can dramatically change the feel (and tone/volume) just by changing my grip location; choke up for lighter and more precise work, slide back to really lay into it. I found the difference to be much more than with any tipped sticks I've tried.
One other note: I don't these sticks will ever break. I play pretty roughly in one band, and there are nicks galore in the last quarter of the stick, but since there's no taper, there's no weak point! If you want economy, these will redefine it for you.
These are definitely rock sticks, or for any high engergy/high volume music. One of the bands I play in covers a lot of stylistic ground, and I've found while I *can* use the Hammers for anything, some styles (especially more jazz/funk oriented) do come out better with a lighter, tipped stick. I've got to say though, right now the Vater Hammer is my absolute favorite stick!!
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