Vic FirthSignature Series -- Buddy Rich

I've been a drummer for over 50 years, (well over 50 years!), and most of my sticks were Pro-Mark. However, until April 2019, I've only owned and played acoustic kits. In fact, I stopped playing for about the last 10 years because..., well..., life happens.Anyway, I bought my first E-kit in April 2019, (Alesis Surge Mesh), which I've since added more toms, another kick bass and ride cymbal. I'm not going to review the Alesis Surge Mesh kit here but in short, if you don't want to go into the serious money, the Alesis Surge Mesh kit will deliver $1000 performance for under $700! Get it and you'll be glad you did!As for the Vic Firth Buddy Rich Sticks, I could not believe these would be a stick that Buddy Rich would use but for all I know, maybe they were. I would have guessed BR to go with a lighter, thinner stick, which is what I usually always used.Jazz and Big-Band being what it is, it would seem to make sense that a lighter stick would help toward speed and deal with longer rolls and playing time. However, I think that for all those previous years of that belief, I was wrong!The rolls I do with these sticks are faster and more distinct than they ever were with the lighter sticks. I have no hesitation saying that these sticks have certainly improved my playing.First, the Vic Firth BR sticks that I received were 16.3 inches long and my digital calipers show them to be .587 to .589 inches in diameter.They're a heavy stick, (I didn't have a good way to weigh them), and the first thought that I got when I picked them up was "Led Zepplinish", John Bonham, hard hitting. They're a 5B stick and actually had a good comfortable feel. I play a conventional grip, (some call it 'traditional grip'), and these felt right for that.I happened to buy a pair of Zildjian 5A wood sticks at the same time, which are smaller diameter and lighter. What I found out was the Vic Firth sticks are seriously the best sticks I've ever owned in all those years! As an older player, I need a longer warm up time and I'll start my excesses with the Zildjian 5A sticks for about 20 minutes.When I change to the Vic Firth BR sticks, I suddenly feel like my left and right hand rolls are on steroids! I'm able to do a much cleaner and crisper group of quads, trips, paradiddles and even do some wicked buzz-rolls I never was able to do before.The Zildjian 5A sticks create an isometric form of practice/exercise that then comes through when I go to the heavier Vic Firth stick and to that, I suggest that everyone give the concept a try, (assuming that you haven’t already).I’ve always been partial to nylon tip sticks because I like the sound they give on a ride cymbals or a pair of 15” Zildjian hats. Oh, I’d move to a wooden tip when the music needed that but the sound of the tip on an E-kit pad really makes no difference.The wood tip sticks seem to make a louder, distracting, ‘thud’ sound when I’m playing through my amplifiers and there’s a significant bounce difference between the wood and nylon tips when it comes to feel, (for acoustic and e-kits).The e-kit is what I have now and therefore, I found the nylon tip sticks to be my preference 99% of the time. Just as I mentioned earlier, the Vic Firth BR stick is heavier than what I was used to but apparently, this is exactly what I need now.The stick has great flex and performance for such a heavy weight and I couldn’t believe how much better I could play Stevie Gadd’s opening to “50 Ways to leave your lover”.I recommend that anyone who’s always looked at heavy sticks like something a Death Metal band would use, or like playing the drums with a pair of small baseball bats. Reconsider the way these sticks may help your chops and at least try these them out!One more thing, as someone who’s well over 60, I can say that arthritis is a real thing and when I bought this e-kit, I was afraid I would be limited to single stroke rolls.I do have quite a bit of problems with arthritis in my hands and fingers, particularly but in fact, the use of my fingers and hands has gotten better and the arthritis doesn’t seem to get in the way while I’m playing!Those of you who may have had the same concerns and maybe even stopped playing because you thought it was not going to let you do what you used to do, all I can say is guess again!The heavier stick may be making up for some of the trouble I have in my hands, I don’t know for sure, but I can say that I’ve never played as good back before I stopped, as I do now, and that’s a fact.I’ve since bought two more pair just to keep them around if I need them. Sometimes these things come out for sale and then suddenly, you can find them anymore or you have to buy a used pair, so I like to make sure I have backups.10-Stars!Rich

These drum sticks are great! They have a good weight balance and an overall good feel when playing. My only issue is that the paint makes it a little slippery when palms are sweaty. I'd definitely buy these drum sticks again but maybe in a natural or mild gloss finish.

These sticks make a difference. The have a cleaner sound, especially when it comes to buzz rolls along the lines that Buddy Rich made famous.

Love these Buddy Rich signature sticks made by Vic Firth. If you’re looking for a thicker stick that doesn’t comprise your speed, look no further. This stick design has the taper starting closer to the head of the stick which allows more front end power for rim shots and a thicker spot to hit your crash cymbals without worrying about chipping or breaking. When using these sticks, you can rest assured that each pair are perfectly mated together. My only complaint is that the white paint is so smooth that it makes the sticks a little too slick and your grip can be lost. But it wouldn’t be a Vic Firth BR signature without the white paint. A very small amount of grip tape can help with that.Overall, I’ll never use another stick when playing a drum set/kit.Absolutely will purchase again and highly recommend to any moderate to pro level percussionist (drum set/kit).Also, I can only find the nylon tip sticks online. My local music store didn’t even know these come with a nylon tip. Thanks so much, Amazon.

Let me start by revealing my huge disappointment with these sticks: After using them for nearly 3 months I still can't play like Buddy Rich! (I guess that's to be expected. I never really could play like Dave Weckl when I used his sticks either.) Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let me say these are terrific all around sticks - a little fat, a little long and a lot white - but almost oddly effective. Great balance and leverage enabling the drummer to increase striking power without sacrificing touch. (That's saying an awful lot if you think about a second or two.)Now I've read a few complaints about the white wood tips marking up cymbals. (Maybe so, but I'm a nylon tip guy so I don't really care!) Also, extra heavy hitters and those who live life on the rims - you're always going to go through sticks like proverbial through a goose so stop your crying, (or learn to love aluminum.) The bottom line with these sticks is I don't think it really matters what style of music you play - from traditional jazz to heavy metal, I think these babies would work great.

Love the heavy shoulder, hi hats beware. Great balance. Plastic tip is perfect for L.A.Woman cover on the ride.

These drum sticks are nice. I think that, overall, they probably don't quite beat out my aluminum pair. But, I use them mainly because they have Buddy Rich's signature on them. I did not ever watch him perform other than a video or 2. But, yikes, he must have had a decent lung capacity based on the length of his Channel 1 Suite and being able to speak without sounding winded at all afterward. A friend and I have difficulty keeping up with some of the steady beats in the music that we play and it is not close to the speed of Buddy Rich's music. My skill is far from that of Neil Peart, who I am guessing was inspired by Buddy Rich based on 1 of his associated acts being the Buddy Rich Big Band. It is possibly because of his drumming style that Rush was named that way.

If you are thinking about buying a pair of these Buddy Rich signature sticks, here is some info. The sicks are a thicker size, definitely bigger than 5A. They last for a very long time. They have a smooth finish to them, so if your hands become sweaty, they could possibly slip out of your grip more often than wood sticks. They are a heavier pair of sticks but they are not crazy heavy. They do feel really nice and pretty well balanced. I don’t think i will use any other pair from here on out.

I have been drumming for a few years now, using a variety of different sticks - my often used ones being from the Stagg brand.These (Vic Firth Buddy Rich Signature sticks) arrived today and I couldn't be more happier with them.Unlike any other sticks I have used previously these ones feel noticeably thicker, the weight on them is amazingly comfortable for me as is the length. The white paint and all around design of the sticks are beautiful to me, and to hold them they have a smooth, glossy feel yet I can get a very nice, firm grip on them.These are without a doubt the best sticks I have used so far! I still can't quite play like Buddy when using them, but they've refreshed my desire to make wild rhythms and I plan to supply myself with these particular ones when this current pair eventually wear out.5/5 from me.

I've always loved Vic Firth sticks, have tried all the other makes and though many are good only VFs have been consistently excellent. As a rock drummer who likes to hit hard I never considered using the Buddy Rich model - he was an unbelievable drummer, a legend, but I just thought a jazz stick (long taper? tiny bead?) wouldn't be up to the job. In fact, these sticks are almost perfect - plenty of weight in the 'handle' for fat, loud playing, but the thin taper gives me so much more response and speed, with less effort, than my usual rock sticks. Fast and complicated ride patterns are much easier with this stick, it's changed my view of sticks completely. I play a lot of prog rock, lots of dynamics, swapping between loud and quiet sections etc, fast and slow, these sticks can do it all. They don't even feel like other sticks, absorb shock and vibration better, they almost seem to play themselves. The only reason I use anything else (X5B) is that I love the Vic Grip coating, by comparison these sticks are slightly more slippy, but other than that the BR model is an incredible performer.. rockers, give them a try, I think you'll be impressed.

Nephew very happy, but I was disappointed that the seal on one of the tips was not as good as the one on the other stick. It seemed like something had been missed. We will keep an eye on it and see if it weakens the tip causing it to fall off. If so, we will seek a refund.

Brilliant sticks. Give lots of response and make the drums sound more alive! Nice weight balance and the white colour makes you look epic when you play live! The only reason for the markdown is that the white dipped paint doesn't last all that long. We rehearse twice a month and I would say (if I could afford it) I would need a new set of these each month. If you want to sound great and also look different these are the sticks for you!

Good product at reasonable price.