Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

I have returned to amateur drumming after a brief stint as a boy snare drummer in the 1960s. Back then we used Ludwig sticks, big fat #6B to practice and #2A to perform. My Vic Firth AJ3 sticks are excellent in every way, and are well matched as they produce exactly the same pitch when striking the drum. 100% quality control. I'm still a fairly lame drummer, but have my moments with Vic Firth!

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

A great jazz stick, same diameter as an 8D but with a long taper. On single stroke rolls I can blaze with these. The balance point is perfect for me because of the long taper, whether I'm playing traditional or matched grip. Its a light stick too. Compared to the Zildjian Super 5A, or the Vater Super Jazz, the VF is lightest, and the cymbal sound with the VF on my ride, is like a velvety silver ping with a dark lush subdued wash. Gentle shoulder crashes are perfectly controlled by your force. This stick brings out the best sounds in your kit whether it's toms, crashes, rides, or snares. I hope they never improve it and destroy what they have here. Now sticks are a personal matter, I am a light hitter so chipping the tip may happen sooner for some. I get at least 6 months out of a pair, and I play 1 hour minimum daily, 6 days a week.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

For jazz combo work, these are superb sticks. They have a thin diameter with a fine taper that offers a light touch. They are perfectly balanced for playing with precision. I've tried 3 other major brands of jazz stick, but the Vic Firth AJ5 is now my go to stick. If you're a jazzer, I can highly recommend trying these great sticks.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

Best sticks I have used! They have a great taper and excellent rebound. They come in so many diameters it is easy to find a thickness you like.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

The AJ6 gives a nice, shaft to hold on to (about a 5A), but the taper is so gradual and the neck is so thin that these absolutley feel great in your hands! Great rebound on the drums, and even better rebound on the ride cymbal! You can play very fast ride patterns a lot easier with the AJ6's. Also, like Vic Firth's ad says it is truly impossible to overplay with these! You can dig in to the ride cymbal as hard as you want to and it will never get out of control (the cymbal or you). Fantastic sticks! Also, if you dig the AJ6, also check out the Pro Mark MJZ 7. It's basically a maple version of the AJ6. You'll actually REQUEST an uptempo jazz tune with these sticks (instead of cringing in fear when "Seven Steps to Heaven" is called, like I used to!)

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

EVery pair of these I have used over the last eight years have been timber matched, and weighted perfectly. The stick allows a heavy type player like myself to be more subdued, musical and play under the soloists. I play all styles with this stick except the blues. I use an AJ-3, light touch and firm head contact or re-bound at my control.

Comments about American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

perfect for ballads/jazz -while playing at moderate volume.
**also, i believe hickory resists "wear" a little better than my usual fav of maple.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

I'm still using these and like them. The other sticks I use are the Regal Tip Combos and Zildjian 7As. The Combos measure .475" in diameter and are great for jazz. The Z 7A's measure .525" diameter and are the biggest stick I need to use. The Firth 5AJs are a perfect in-between at .490". My only beef with them is that Firth doesn't make them with a nylon tip. Being hickory, the stick plays really well, but the tip splinters quickly on cymbals and for that reason they don't last long. Great sticks, minus one star for not making a nylon tip version. IF ANYONE READING THIS KNOWS OF A HICKORY STICK THAT MEASURES .490" - .510" WITH A NYLON TIP, PLEASE RESPOND AND LET ME KNOW ABOUT IT.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

I have been playing for 6 years and just recently decided to try the American Jazz drumsticks. They are my favorite pair of drumsticks thus far. I'm yet to find a stick that sounds as good as these all around the drums. It gets a great sound from all of the cymbals especially my ride. These drumsticks last a really long time and are very affordable. I would recommend these sticks to any jazz drummer from novice to professional.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

If your looking for light and tough sticks these are it. Really let you "feel" the drums. The tips do break down fast, but by then the stick is ready to be replaced. I can get a few weeks of daily playing out of them. Looking for a nylon tip model, but still love wood.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

I use these sticks to reproduce authentic vintage drum sound from a 1930s Leedy drum kit with calf skin heads, original vintage cymbals and hi-hat playing syncopated dance music of that era. The AJ4s have exactly the right weight and hardness. They also withstand hitting the side of the paperthin cymbal that's as sharp as a knife. These are not rock music sticks, these sticks are for drummers that want to bring out the fine nuances that make old dance music great.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

I generally used a 5B but, never really liked them until the shoulder got worn a little. Taking some of the weight off greatly improved my speed. Eventually the stick would break or split and was back to a top heavy stick for a few weeks. This all changed with a my first pair of AJ1s.Great feel,speed,and balance.My only gripe is I wish the bead were just a tiny bit larger.A great all around stick.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

I play jazz and experimented with the J2's. Really liked them, but one broke the day of a gig. I was ready to go back to the 5A's I had used before, but as luck would have it, I parked near a music store and was able to try a few different sets of sticks. While they didn't have the J2's in stock, I did find J1's and used them that night. I have since bought several more and they are my primary's now. The shaft gives me the beef I wanted but the weight somehow feels lighter than my 5A's did. The small wood tip sounds great on my K's and I really like the balance. They really glide through those fast ride-triplets and yet sound great when using the shaft for certain applications on all my cymbals including the 'hats. Highly recommended.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

I do a lot of jazz gigs in quiet venues and I prefer light sticks for keeping the sound level down and for playing fast, articulate passages. I like the way the tips are formed and the overall balance of them. These are my favorite sticks. Definitely not for heavy rock style drumming however.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

Great price on aj5's

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

Bought them a year ago. They've been my mainstay on and off and they're still going strong. They're just a little short. The aj3 is a little longer but it like the taper and tip to stay the same on each model. Too bad

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

Use for performance

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

The AJ6 offers unparalleled volume control at softer decibel levels. The narrow bead and shoulders provides superior sonic control. This is the tool that I use the most at gigs. Not recommended for festival work as they break fairly easy, when have to start hitting hard use the butt-end in a pinch.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

First stick I've found that has great tone on toms and cymbals (ride). Light weight for great cymbal stick sound but thick enough to get great volume.

Comments about Vic Firth American Jazz Hickory Drumsticks:

Can't find anything negative about this stick. Great balance, feel, bounce.