My friend Don sent me a pair of these sticks after he'd tried them and liked them himself.
I spent about an hour last night and another couple of hours today hanging out with them and researching their web site for information.
Boso sticks are made from bamboo, sourced and manufactured in China.
The sticks are available in two different densities of bamboo plus a laminated combination of the two, in the basic sizes most drummers use: 5A, 5B, 7A, 2B and Marching. Don sent me a pair of the Marching sticks and right away I knew they were different.
In all photos, left to right:
-- Vic Firth Jeff Queen solo stick
-- Rogers 1S, circa 1970s
-- Boso Marching
The Boso stick is 17" long and has a diameter of .710, with a very short taper. The feel is VERY lightweight when compared to similarly-sized hickory stick, and that's part of Boso's point. The company was founded in large part to provide a longer-lasting, more flexy alternative to traditional hickory sticks, from a material that could be more sustainably grown and harvested.
Bamboo has proven its durability and sustainability in the home-building industry with applications in flooring and furniture design. Boso sticks attempt to prove those same qualities in drumming.
A note of caution: Bamboo sticks do not feel or play like wood. Before picking up a pair of Bosos you need to forget a lot of what you know about drumsticks, and just open yourself to a different experience. My friend advised me to grip the Bosos "about 80% of your normal grip and really feel the action."
Bamboo has proven its durability and sustainability in the home-building industry with applications in flooring and furniture design. Boso sticks attempt to prove those same qualities in drumming.
A note of caution: Bamboo sticks do not feel or play like wood. Before picking up a pair of Bosos you need to forget a lot of what you know about drumsticks, and just open yourself to a different experience. My friend advised me to grip the Bosos "about 80% of your normal grip and really feel the action."
I haven't played with these long enough to form a solid opinion yet. At this point, after only a couple hours' exploration, I still tend to favor my old reliable Jeff Queens. But I am open to other possibilities, and I'm even open to changing up my approach to playing if it's beneficial for both my hands and the planet.
At first blush, here are some observations:
1. The bamboo construction is clean, even and close-grained. The feel of the stick in my hand is pleasant and much lighter in weight than my usual hickory marching stick.
At first blush, here are some observations:
1. The bamboo construction is clean, even and close-grained. The feel of the stick in my hand is pleasant and much lighter in weight than my usual hickory marching stick.
2. The tip is quite a bit smaller than that found on a typical wooden marching stick, and this does change the response and the sound. I think this could be a good stick for indoor drumlines and perhaps even some concert applications where the score calls for "field drum," though that might also be fulfilled with Boso's 2B stick.
3. It does take some time to adjust to the very different feel of this stick. In the videos below, I compare the sound and response playing the same pattern of three different sticks (in the same order as shown in the photos above).
3. It does take some time to adjust to the very different feel of this stick. In the videos below, I compare the sound and response playing the same pattern of three different sticks (in the same order as shown in the photos above).
And here is another video comparing another figure, using first the Jeff Queens and then the Bosos.
(Yes, that's a first-generation VF Stockpad; and no, it's not for sale.)
I'm not ready to say this is or isn't my new go-to stick. I think I'll need a lot more time with it before I can know either way.
What I can say is that this stick has promise, especially for younger players who are still developing their muscles and whose hands might benefit from a lighter approach to playing in marching settings. I also think it would be interesting to get a pair of Bosos in the 2B sizse and try them out in non-marching applications.
While I applaud the company's attempts at greater sustainability, the fact that these sticks come from overseas doesn't address the large carbon footprint involved in bringing them to US and European markets. If the company were based in China, that might change things (though it could also mean that drummers in North America would have less access to purchasing the sticks here).
The web site indicates no office or warehouse location, though it gives a New Jersey phone number for the company's founder/owner.
I suspect that even after ten years, this remains a smaller company (compared with the giants like Vic Firth and Promark, whose products ship worldwide). Still, pursuing new materials for drumsticks is always a welcome idea, and could bear fruit over time.
I'll try to order a pair of 2B and see what happens. The sticks appear to ship directly from an overseas warehouse, so you could be waiting awhile. Still, I applaud anyone who wants to try and make sticks more sustainable, and for that alone it could be a worthwhile experiment.
I'll continue to play with these and report back in a few weeks.
Happy drumming!
I'm not ready to say this is or isn't my new go-to stick. I think I'll need a lot more time with it before I can know either way.
What I can say is that this stick has promise, especially for younger players who are still developing their muscles and whose hands might benefit from a lighter approach to playing in marching settings. I also think it would be interesting to get a pair of Bosos in the 2B sizse and try them out in non-marching applications.
While I applaud the company's attempts at greater sustainability, the fact that these sticks come from overseas doesn't address the large carbon footprint involved in bringing them to US and European markets. If the company were based in China, that might change things (though it could also mean that drummers in North America would have less access to purchasing the sticks here).
The web site indicates no office or warehouse location, though it gives a New Jersey phone number for the company's founder/owner.
I suspect that even after ten years, this remains a smaller company (compared with the giants like Vic Firth and Promark, whose products ship worldwide). Still, pursuing new materials for drumsticks is always a welcome idea, and could bear fruit over time.
I'll try to order a pair of 2B and see what happens. The sticks appear to ship directly from an overseas warehouse, so you could be waiting awhile. Still, I applaud anyone who wants to try and make sticks more sustainable, and for that alone it could be a worthwhile experiment.
I'll continue to play with these and report back in a few weeks.
Happy drumming!
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