Drumstick purchases

[Tim]

Fed up with the only music store in town which happens to be Guitar Center, zero selection, overpriced, horrible customer service and a big fucking joke to be honest and I refuse to keep supporting them. So I'm asking the people who shop online in the US, which sites do you purchase your sticks from? Thanks in advance.

[Seafroggys]

I won't be much help, as I purchase my sticks locally. However, most of my online purchases have been at musician's friend, and I've got a cymbal from massmusic. Musician's Friend has always been good.

[Tim]

I did look at MassMusic but I have never ordered from there so wasn't really sure how legit they are, thanks for the feedback.

[Stapler]

My audio tech teacher usually goes through sweetwater, says they haven't let him down. Then again, I don't know about pricing and such being as they get a ridiculous discount and all. I do know though there customer service is astonishing.

[billdrum]

I usually use Musician's Friend if I order online, but I have a local dealer that keeps my stick choices in stock. I have used Explorer's Percussion as well. Sometimes they have specials.

[tard]

Music123, they are on amazon and ebay, good prices on heads too and free shipping.

[Vinnie's Ice Cream]

customdrumstix.com

At $4/pair and literally anything you want, including CNC digital copying of whatever your favorite stick is. Hard to beat. Particularly when VF is running $8+ in retail.

I usually order in decent bulk, making them even cheaper. Great company.

[Vinnie's Ice Cream]

CustomDrumStix.com

They can and will make you anything. Even exact copying your favorite stick from another brand.

They come out to about $4.15/pair and are as great as any VF I've used over decades of playing. Ordering in bulk really drops the price, plus they are great personable people to deal with. You can actually talk to the people making your sticks.

[tard]

I was gonna order some from CDX but with what they wanted extra for the nylon tip and shipping it came to $60 more for a brick than what I pay for Vic Firths from music 123. According to their facebook page I guess they are out of business now anyway so it dont really matter. Equipment problems, delays, refunds and a problem between the owners from what I have heard on other forums.

[Vinnie's Ice Cream]

Originally Posted by tard

I was gonna order some from CDX but with what they wanted extra for the nylon tip and shipping it came to $60 more for a brick than what I pay for Vic Firths from music 123.

That's impossible. A brick of VicFirth sticks from Music123 is $90

24 pairs from CDX is $90.

12 pairs from CDX is like $50 with the nylon tip. Who uses's nylon tips anymore anyway?


They are still taking orders, changed ownership is all. Couldn't find them on Facebook.

[Seafroggys]

I love nylon tips. Back when I didn't break sticks that much, I'd always break the tips. I use wooden tips to record, but nylon tips for everyday use.

[spirit]

how the balls can you possibly break enough drumstick tips to justify switching to nylon? are you playing on upturned knives?

[Seafroggys]

Switching? I never really was on wood tipped, at least not since Freshman Year high school, but whenever I tried wood tipped I'd break the sticks. BUt my sticks also lasted a LONG time back in high school (one pair lasted two years before I retired them, I didn't even get a chance to break them). Now I go through a pair every 2 months or so.

[Vinnie's Ice Cream]

Just talked to Danny over at CDX, they are most definitely still in business. Revamping their ordering page/system or something should be back up soon on the website.

6 pairs of sticks a year is nothin!

[Jeffs Carrot]

They are still in business

I ordered a pair from them a few days ago

[tard]

Originally Posted by Vinnie's Ice Cream

That's impossible. A brick of VicFirth sticks from Music123 is $90

24 pairs from CDX is $90.

12 pairs from CDX is like $50 with the nylon tip. Who uses's nylon tips anymore anyway?


They are still taking orders, changed ownership is all. Couldn't find them on Facebook.

12 sets nylon tip sticks plus 1 free from cdx is $84 plus $66.39 shipping to canada is $144.39
12 sets of vic firth 5bn from music 123 is $87 plus free shipping to canada is $87

I use nylon tips because I find they wood tips chip real easy ( 2 or 3 a night) and get flat spotted and then sound kinda dead and Vic Firth's warranty will replace the sticks if you loose or break a nylon tip, plus I used nylon when picking out my cymbals so I dont like the sound of wood tips on my rides or hats now and I find there is more definition on the hats and rides when changing between the shoulder and tip of a nylon stick which improves dynamics. Also the extra crispness of the nylon seems to cut thru better in a live setting as well as the extra attack on the heads that a nylon tip gives.

Originally Posted by Vinnie's Ice Cream

Just talked to Danny over at CDX, they are most definitely still in business. Revamping their ordering page/system or something should be back up soon on the website.

6 pairs of sticks a year is nothin!

Nicks facebook page says they are closed and he was the one making the sticks and getting the wood, and this was posted by Danny on drummer world:

Originally Posted by drumsdb
I just wanted to stop in and address a few things that I can in regards to CDX. At this time, we are NOT shutting down the company. While Karl is correct that Nick's primary responsibility was production of the drumsticks and mine was the business side of things.
However, there is a continuation plan for CDX but I have been forced to halt production due to actions by my former partner. At this time, I can not comment any more due to legal action, but I assure you all that CDX will be back and stronger than ever!!
It's a shame that great drummers and customers get caught up in a business issue like this. I look forward to working with you all when we are taking orders again!
Danny

Id be leery of paying for products from a company in this situation, who knows how long it will take to sort out the legal end of things.

[Vinnie's Ice Cream]

Originally Posted by tard

12 sets nylon tip sticks plus 1 free from cdx is $84 plus $66.39 shipping to canada is $144.39
12 sets of vic firth 5bn from music 123 is $87 plus free shipping to canada is $87

I use nylon tips because I find they wood tips chip real easy ( 2 or 3 a night) and get flat spotted and then sound kinda dead

Not sure where you got those prices from, perhaps that's from the exchange rate? In which case.. that is a bummer. But those certainly are not the prices here in America from CDX.

24 pairs is $99, says right on the front page. At $1.50 extra per pair for nylon tips, that is $36. $99+36= $134 for TWENTY FOUR PAIRS.

Pretty basic math. No idea why shipping to you would be $70, that seems very off.



Tips chip from bad hits. Period. No if ands or buts about it. It's a common problem - You are chipping tips because you are catching rims, edges, etc
You need to address fixing your technique, not mask the problem with a bandaid.

It's not like myself, and everyone else, gets the magic "no chipping tip" batches of sticks.

[tard]

Originally Posted by Vinnie's Ice Cream

Not sure where you got those prices from, perhaps that's from the exchange rate? In which case.. that is a bummer. But those certainly are not the prices here in America from CDX

Pretty basic math. No idea why shipping to you would be $70, that seems very off.

Tips chip from bad hits. Period. No if ands or buts about it. It's a common problem - You are chipping tips because you are catching rims, edges, etc
You need to address fixing your technique, not mask the problem with a bandaid.

Well thats the prices they quoted me last fall and just double checked it on their website, here is the link if you wanna try it yourself: http://www.customdrumstix.com/all-drum-sticks/custom-sticks.html
Base price $5 per pair , tip type = nylon +$2 per, taper = medium, length = 16, dia. = .596, finish = smooth, no lacquer, no color, 12 pairs qualifies for 1 extra pair so 13 pairs and price is $7 x 12 pair = $84 + shipping to canada = Federal Express International Economy $62.22 or International Priority $69.12. But your right, pretty basic math!


As for chipping sticks, I have been playing for over 33 years and the same kit for over 12 and I can assure you its not from catching edges or rims, there are never any marks on my heads anywhere close to the rims and I hit cymbals on the shoulders of my sticks. I have had pieces of the tip fall out using them riding a bow and had it happen on my practice pad kit as well which has flat rubber coated pads with no edges or rims to hit. When looking at the tips of the sticks afterward its not like they are dented or nicked, its actually pieces of the wood separating on the grain and falling out or off and if they do it they seem to do it within the first few minuets of use.


BTW I talked to a few music stores today and although there are more wood tip sticks available than nylon tip sticks which make the wood tips a bigger seller the sticks that are available with both wood and nylon tips such as 2's, 3's, 5's, 7's, 8's etc, the nylon tip version out sells the wood version by about 2 to 1, so I guess a few people still use them.

[Vinnie's Ice Cream]

Originally Posted by tard

As for chipping sticks, I have been playing for over 33 years and the same kit for over 12 and I can assure you its not from catching edges or rims, there are never any marks on my heads anywhere close to the rims and I hit cymbals on the shoulders of my sticks.

Hmmmmmmm well maybe you should contact VicFirth and find out why you keep getting bum sticks, and the rest of us get the good ones!


PS - Just because you've been doing something a long time, doesn't mean you've been doing it right.

[tard]

Originally Posted by Vinnie's Ice Cream

Hmmmmmmm well maybe you should contact VicFirth and find out why you keep getting bum sticks, and the rest of us get the good ones!


PS - Just because you've been doing something a long time, doesn't mean you've been doing it right.

I had already switched to nylon before changing to Vic firth, it was Vader and Pro Mark that I was having the problems with, but like I said they were doing it mostly when riding the bow or bell of a cymbal but also would do it on my practice pad kit that has rubber coated pads with no rims or edges to catch so that was not the problem, plus if it was technique why would some tips last full life, weeks to months, and others chip with in the first few min of use, that just dont add up. Also like I said it wasnt chips or nicks it was the tip splitting on the grain and mostly one side or the other falling off but even had a few of them where the grain went on an angle that a piece of the middle fell out.