Hickory Drum Sticks

One of the common trends in music is that when something is good, it sticks around. When it comes to percussion, hickory drum sticks are the perfect case study for this trend: they set the bar that every other stick material has to measure up to. It's no surprise, since hickory offers a fantastic balance between power, durability and resilience that makes it an incredibly versatile wood for sticks. From hard rockers to pop cover bands to country artists, drummers in every corner of the music world rely on hickory sticks to help them perform - in fact, many percussionists will have multiple sets of these drum sticks just for the slight variations in shape and size.

There are two major factors to consider when you're looking for the perfect pair of hickory drum sticks. The first is overall size. The harder you play, the heavier you want your stick - not only so it will sound more powerful, but also so it lasts longer without breaking. After that, there are the tips to consider. These may be solid wood or capped with nylon, and there's a whole range of common shapes. As a rule of thumb, rounder tips and nylon tips tend toward brighter, clearer sounds while wooden tips and acorn-shaped tips are the preferred choices for warmth and richness. To see all these different tips and sizes in action, take a look at some comprehensive stick collections such as the Vic Firth American Classic Hickory Drumsticks. These come in several sizes as well as six unique tip shapes, each available in nylon or wood, so you can get your sticks exactly how you like them.

If you're on the fence about how you like your sticks in the first place, there are a few ways to get informed. For starters, you can bring up some of the top-rated and best-selling sticks and check out the reviews to see what other drummers have to say about them. There are also signature sticks to look at, like the Regal Tip Jake Hanna Performer Series drum sticks and the Zildjian Bill Stewart Artist Series Signature drum sticks. Find a pair named for a drummer whose sound you like, and with a look at those sticks, you'll have an impression of the sort of stick that can deliver that sound for you.