Ahead Drumsticks 7A
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Drumsticks as advanced as your technique.
Ahead Drumsticks are truly ahead of their time. Ergonomically tuned handle diameters. Precision alloy core provides negligible weight and balance variations. Super-hard replacement polyurethane covers protect both sticks and gear. Vibration-reduction system reduces hand fatigue. Aluminum drumsticks with replaceable nylon sleeves.
Features
- Ergonomically designed handle
- Precision alloy core
- Super-hard polyurethane cover
- Vibration-reduction system
Don't lollygag. Get Ahead right now!
-
Stevesmith 05 Vicfirth Signature Drumsticks
Review Snapshot®
by PowerReviews(based on 268 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
33%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Easy to use (4)
- Functional (3)
- Good quality (3)
Cons
Best Uses
- Concerts (3)
- Practicing (3)
Most Liked Positive Review
Finally left the Dark Ages of wood
I have been playing the drums for 15 years and was never happy with ANY wood stick I ever bought. I must have tried every stick that ever existed to find that "perfect&q...Read complete review
I have been playing the drums for 15 years and was never happy with ANY wood stick I ever bought. I must have tried every stick that ever existed to find that "perfect" stick which was flexible to use, light, but powerful at the same time, and didn't leave wood chips all over the floor from rimshots.For years, I hated it, and I wouldn't dare try an all metal stick, as I value my Zildjian Cymbals too much. But then came along AHEAD, and I gave it a shot. I am simply amazed by the performance of these sticks, they feel balanced, light, and I can deliver the energy to the drums just as well. They don't leave woodchips all over the floor, they are extremely durable, and I don't break them as much. Every break a nylon tip? Or crack a wooden tip? No problem! With the AHEADS, you simply replace the tip with a screw-on nylon tip. (Or any other tip you use) Are the sticks metal? Yes and no. The core is metal, but hollowed out, so it's light, and the stick grip (half section of the stick) is metal so it feels comfortable. But the top half of the stick is a covered taper poly plastic material, which absorbs shock when hitting cymbals... (this is important, as it keeps your cymbals from cracking) I'm so sick and tired of ignorant sales reps or "drummers" who think these drumsticks crack your cymbals. Again, i've been using these sticks for years and I have NEVER cracked one single cymbal. Period. Also, this shock absorbent material doesn't effect the sound and feel when playing on the drum heads. So you get your cake and can eat it too.So if you break the stick then what? Well I highly doubt you will snap the stick in half. If you do, you're hosed and will have to buy a new stick. But I can play incredibly hard when the time calls for it, and I have yet to snap one in half. Usually what happens is the cover will split or crack. When this occurs, stop using the stick IMMEDIATELY, and replace the cover. It's that simple. You spend 2-3 bucks on a taper cover and your stick will last you twice, triple, quadruple what your wood sticks last.I look at it like, this was the last pair of sticks I ever bought, and I just "maintain" it, like I do the rest of the kit. Awesome product. I will never go back to wood.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Is there a "0" rating?
Don't waste your money or your time, brethren. Wood sticks last 3 TIMES AS LONG as the sleeves, at least for my style of play. I'd rather spend my energy dusting off drums ...Read complete review
Don't waste your money or your time, brethren. Wood sticks last 3 TIMES AS LONG as the sleeves, at least for my style of play. I'd rather spend my energy dusting off drums than spending countless minutes and hours messing with supergluing tips and baking/blowdrying sleeves, IF the sticks themselves happen to survive. I went back to my Pro Mark All American Hickory 2B's and haven't looked back. While the idea of an unbreakable stick is innovative, some massively better quality control is needed to justify the cost per-pair.
So I bought a pair of 5B's, thinking that my days of constantly cleaning sawdust off my beautiful DWs and shelling out $$ to replace broken sticks were over. Boy was I dead wrong. Snapped right in two at the collar (with the sleeve still pristine) after about 2 weeks of playing. LIKE AN IDIOT, I shelled out another $$ on 2B's to replace them. Thinking it was just bad luck. SNAP, same thing after 3 weeks. The only good feature about these is they don't leave sawdust all over everything. Hence the "2" rating.
The shafts are hollow aluminum, folks. NOT durable at all, especially if you play a lot of rimshots (which I do). The tips fly off at any given moment, poking holes in all but the strongest of heads. Sure, you can superglue them, but that makes replacing the sleeves a tad difficult. They probably would be better suited to less aggressive styles of music than hard rock or metal, but sadly that's the demographic Ahead markets toward.
No value at all. The sleeves wear out rather quickly (if you don't break the shaft anyway) so you'll still be constantly buying replacement sleeves, new heads after the tips fly off and break them, and lots of cymbal polish to remove the scuff marks the tips leave before they fly off. The grip absolutely sucks so you have to spend even more on grip tape or gloves just to hold on to the things. I ate $$ on two pairs of sticks and replacement sleeves over the span of just over a month. which is TWICE as much as I spend on wood sticks in the same timeframe.
Reviews
Reviewed by 268 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-10
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Pros
- Astonishing Look
- Easy To Use
- Good Quality
- Light
- Shock Absorbing
Cons
- Lose Sensitivity
- Not Durable As Described
Best Uses
- Concerts
- Heavy Metal
- Practicing
Comments about Ahead Drumsticks:
I was eager to get these sticks, as I was tired of cleaning my set and carpet, also having the idea of super durable sticks that I could rely on at any practice or live gig.
The tips and shells need to be adjusted oftentimes, I was surprised after 4 months of use, I was hitting the bell of my ride cymbal with the shoulder of the stick, when the stick suddenly broke up, yes the metal/aluminium body split in 2 parts. The second stick did behave as well the next week.
Then I came back to my Vic Firth's and they lasted almost 9 months, for a 1/3 part of Ahead's price.
I also noticed that these sticks are not very suitable for other genders, I mean you lose a lot of feeling on your hands, they do reduce a lot the vibration.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Functional
- Good Quality
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Ahead Drumsticks:
I've had this pair for 10+ years, but probably only clocked about 5 years of use. I've replace the sleeves about 4 times now, mainly due to under skilled technique. They transfer less shock through the stick but in my opinion don't have as varied tone for rim knocks and snare tonal effects. I switch out for reggae or musical styles that use more of the wooden stick's sound profile but for straight rock they're great. I'm ordering a new pair to replace the one I broke.
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Pros
- Easy To Use
- Functional
- No Wood Chips Everywhere
- The Grip Is Good
Cons
- The Hand Grips Wear Out
- The Sheaths Will Crack
- The Tips Come Loose
Best Uses
- Concerts
- Practicing
Comments about Ahead Drumsticks:
I have had 3 pairs of the 5B's for a few years now. I used them for months every day and after cracking two Zildjian A Custom Crashes and a hybrid I stopped for about a year. I am a powerful player... I play a few hours a day so wooden sticks leave my drums and carpet covered with shavings and wood dust. I can't deal with that all over my Masterworks kit so I went back to these. The grip is good but it wears out after a few months. The tips come loose so you'll have to put lock tight blue or teflon tape on the threads. The plastic sheaths crack after a few months and they are tough to find. The price is double what these should be but for me it's worth it to not have to spend 10 hours cleaning on and around by beautiful kit... Even with some expensive cracked cymbals. I'm older now and I have money... take your risks accordingly with these...
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Functional
- Good Quality
- Improves Sound
Cons
Best Uses
- Concerts
- Practicing
Comments about Ahead Drumsticks:
I like that both ends are made of the same material because I play with a matched grip and my left hand plays with the butt end of the stick. They also last a very long time before "splitting" without leaving splinters on my drum heads.
Comments about Ahead Drumsticks:
The price and the fact that I did crack a cymbal pretty bad while using these loses a couple of points. Still a good product. I may have bad technique, and I can accept that, but if I have been using wooden sticks in the studio last week, not only would I have broken at least a couple of sticks in the middle of all those takes, but I would have littered the place with wood chips. These kept me from losing a take to a broken stick and making a fool of myself by opening a saw mill in the middle os someone's studio.
These things are a great product. They are designed to do exactly what they say: they don't break.
They seemed produced well. I did crack a cymbal while playing with these, but there was also a small crack on the edge of the cymbal already. I don't know that the cymbal wouldn't have cracked using wooden sticks.
I can't help but wish that they were cheaper, but I also know that they will outlast numerous pairs or wooden sticks, so they effectively pay for themselves.
Comments about Ahead Drumsticks:
Always use wood, the sound is unique and unique and not comparable to anything ...
The sensation isn't like the wood...
They break very easily when you are using the technique of rim shot...
Very expensie...
Comments about Ahead Drumsticks:
Don't waste your money or your time, brethren. Wood sticks last 3 TIMES AS LONG as the sleeves, at least for my style of play. I'd rather spend my energy dusting off drums than spending countless minutes and hours messing with supergluing tips and baking/blowdrying sleeves, IF the sticks themselves happen to survive. I went back to my Pro Mark All American Hickory 2B's and haven't looked back. While the idea of an unbreakable stick is innovative, some massively better quality control is needed to justify the cost per-pair.
So I bought a pair of 5B's, thinking that my days of constantly cleaning sawdust off my beautiful DWs and shelling out $$ to replace broken sticks were over. Boy was I dead wrong. Snapped right in two at the collar (with the sleeve still pristine) after about 2 weeks of playing. LIKE AN IDIOT, I shelled out another $$ on 2B's to replace them. Thinking it was just bad luck. SNAP, same thing after 3 weeks. The only good feature about these is they don't leave sawdust all over everything. Hence the "2" rating.
The shafts are hollow aluminum, folks. NOT durable at all, especially if you play a lot of rimshots (which I do). The tips fly off at any given moment, poking holes in all but the strongest of heads. Sure, you can superglue them, but that makes replacing the sleeves a tad difficult. They probably would be better suited to less aggressive styles of music than hard rock or metal, but sadly that's the demographic Ahead markets toward.
No value at all. The sleeves wear out rather quickly (if you don't break the shaft anyway) so you'll still be constantly buying replacement sleeves, new heads after the tips fly off and break them, and lots of cymbal polish to remove the scuff marks the tips leave before they fly off. The grip absolutely sucks so you have to spend even more on grip tape or gloves just to hold on to the things. I ate $$ on two pairs of sticks and replacement sleeves over the span of just over a month. which is TWICE as much as I spend on wood sticks in the same timeframe.
Comments about Ahead Drumsticks:
You might think they are good quality but they aren't. Sure they "never break" but think why. They are made of metal and to prevent metal to metal contact on cymbals that have plastic sleeves. The sleeves have a shorter life span then traditional oak or hickory drum sticks. And for those who don't know, nylon tips make your cymbals look dirty and unattractive. And if you've got nice expensive Paiste cymbals or any cymbals for that matter, then your going to be forking over dollars upon dollars in sleeves and cymbal shiner. I know. I used them. They are a waste. I suggest Neil Peart 747 series by Promark. Those are light and long lasting
Comments about Ahead Drumsticks:
The math adds up to buy these but the headache isn't worth it. I play in a worship band twice a week and break these every two months, while when I play with $10 wooden sticks I break a pair a week. So it might be more economically friendly to buy these but after going through all the pain of replacing the $4 sleeves every week (which includes heating them up with haird dryer, baking them, or boiling them) new tips, and grip tape, it's just not worth it. Especially since they make your cymbals sound dull, and toms sound dead. After three pairs of the speed metal sticks and all 6 of them breaking at the base of the stick were the sleeve was never worn, I might as well spend the extra money on something that doesn't destroy the sound of my drums and cause me to worry about them breaking without notice.
Comments about Ahead Drumsticks:
these sticks are CRAZY AWESOME! i've been playing with my ahead 5b rock drumsticks and they are incredible. i've been playing zildjian 5b dips, and these beat the f******g pants off of them definitly worth the slightly pricier uhhh, price.the aluminum butt-end is a little slippery if you're a sweater like myself, but that can be fixed with some ahead tape or gloves, whatever meets your fancy. the plastic shaft is such an amazing innovation to sticks. the plastic is surpisingly durable i can wail on those things for about 10 months before i have to buy new sleeves, but they only cost like $3.50 at GC so its basically like buying a new pair for 3 bucks. they're also really light once you get used to them. the best part...THEY PROTECT YOUR CYMBALS FROM DAMAGE,AHHHHHHHH WOOOOOOO!!!!! that's right they plastic shaft absorbs most of the shock from the blow but still releases the same noise, no muffling or nothinoh, and they are the only company (that i know of) that has a 60 day garuntee if they do not satisfy you then 1. you ar insane 2. you can simply fill out a small form and return the sticks and, Presto! you get a full refund! the second i started playing these sticks i ripped that form up into a million pieces. enjoy and keep rocking *devil horns hand signal*
