Stick-pad pairings: an inexact and fun science

 Prompted by an earlier discussion of “pad sticks” at the FB Boutique Sticks group, I’ve decided to offer a few suggestions for pairing ordinary drum sticks with practice pads in ideal combinations.

First, a word about “pad sticks,” which have been discussed earlier in this blog:

Generally speaking, “pad” sticks are designated as such by the manufacturer, and not an historic category.

They most often come with a diameter similar to a smaller marching drum stick (think 2S or so), with a medium taper and an oversized ball tip.     

  

Pad sticks are designed for use on a practice pad, most often to practice rudiments and to clean passages before applying them in rehearsal or performance. But without an historic designation, pad sticks are basically an invention of stick manufacturers and drum companies looking to expand their “brand”.

The oversize tip makes them risky to use on an actual drum, unless that drum is built to withstand the additional forces provided by a heavy stick. (The original pad stick from Vic Firth was not labeled as such in the beginning, but as model “Thunder Rock” for rock drummers.)

Moving away from Pad sticks — go back and read the post on those from a couple years back if you like — I was intrigued by the idea of pairing sticks with specific practice pads, the way Girl Scout cookies have recently been paired with strains of marijuana. This list is by no means exhaustive, and reflects the opinion of one Drummer, but is a good place to start.

1. Vintage pads (through around 1990). Older pads work best with the sticks in use at the time of their design and manufacture. Using a modern marching stick on a Real Feel tan rubber pad from over twenty years ago may not give the most ideal results for feel and response as using a stick in production in the mid to late 1990s. Likewise for pads made earlier, like this 1960s Remo pad. Promark was just beginning to make a splash in the US with their handmade Japanese oak sticks. Here’s an early 60s Remo pad with a pair of Promark Japanese oak 2B sticks, and the feel is very satisfying.

2. Marching-specific pad with marching sticks. Marching specific pads weren’t really a factor until the later 1990s and later, but their appearance in the world of practice pads changed a few of the rules for pad and stick pairings. Designed to take the heavier hits of newer marching sticks, marching pads don’t always offer the nuanced feel of a more standard pad (like a Remo, still on the market and used by students around the world even today). So if you have a marching-specific pad, you’ll be happiest with modern marching sticks. Below, a HUN adjustable snare pad and my VF Brian Mason signature sticks, which I use when playing with my local community marching group. They feel great and are sturdy enough for the craziest rim shots.

3. Custom/boutique sticks and tunable pads. When I use boutique, custom, small batch sticks, I prefer to use them on tunable pads with a Mylar head. That’s the closest to an actual tuned drum, and the least likely to damage the sticks. If your pad uses a coated head, it’s helpful to lightly sand the center of the pad to remove some of the coating (to reduce wear and tear on the tips).  Inculcate brush patterns mostly utilize the outer four to five inches of the head, so you won’t lose much brush coating where you really need it. 

Below: a really lovely pair of Cooperman concert sticks with a QuietTone tunable pad.

Again, this is only a starting point, and can get as specific or as general as you like. If you have lots of pads and sticks to choose from, it might be fun to consider which pair well, so you can get optimal use from each.

Happy drumming.

DIY time: flip-over drum mutes by Pearl, and by Yours Truly

Yeah, I know. 

Technically, this is some kind of copyright infringement.

But since I don’t plan to sell mine, I figure no harm, no foul.

Pearl’s design retails for $25.

 

My copy, which cost less than five bucks in materials.

The idea, I think, is to muffle the worst of the overtone ring, which my design does pretty well.

I suspect making it with suede would work better as the suede offers more flexibility, but I can just play with the leather to work it a bit and eventually achieve the same result.

I noticed that in the customer reviews, someone said Pearl’s design was faulty because you couldn’t keep it from popping off the tension bolt when playing a rim shot or loud accent. My thinking is that ther user might be faulty because if you’re muting the drum, why would you 0ay, you know, loud?

It’s a good design, and works nicely on my new-old drum.

Vintage Corner, UPDATE: The Leedy Drum Master, refurbished and a real player!

After some trading and discussion, John at Revival Drum Shop refurbished my Leedy Drum Master by installing a replacement throw-off and swapping in square-headed tuning rods, which made the drum more user-friendly and less prone to failure.
Here's a blueprint of the original strainer design (thanks, Michael Windish), followed by a photo of the replacement (an era-close model from the 1950s). The original throw-off was broken and missing parts and I could not be bothered to search high and low for a rare replacement, so I asked John to find something era-adjacent and reliable:

The other end of the strainer system worked fine and looked sturdy enough to remain in place.

I traded some things to Revival to cover the cost of the refurbishment and a barely used Revival shop padded bag large enough to hold the drum.

Once home, I asked my Sweetie for about half an hour to put the drum through its paces. We live in a little house with no meaningful soundproofing so she tries to be understanding of my need to drum, and I do most of my drumming at home on pads or heavily muffled drums. But I needed to hear this drum really sing, and get a sense of what I'm working with.

Is is an ideal concert drum? Not in the modern sense, though it would certainly fill in nicely when a "field drum" is called for in a wind ensemble. In fact, it's just a deep, warm sound that could work alone or with a drum kit. And sometimes, I just want to play a live, wide-open drum for its own sake.

Here's a video where I try out some things, including different mufflers and tunings. In the end, I can't tune it super-high as its over 80 years old, with a very lightweight shell and wood hoops, so some compromises and lowered expectations are in order. Still, it's a truly fine instrument that I will enjoy the heck out of, and I'm glad I have it.

Homemade snare muffler.
I have another commercially-made one on order but this will work for now.

The head that it came with is fine for the time being. Eventually I'll replace it with a standard Remo Ambassador head.

My goodness, what a gorgeous drum.