How Drumstick Central Helped Me Choose A Pair Of Drumsticks

For many years I had been using the same pair of drumsticks because I am pretty much a creature of habit so once I decide on something, I am very content in sticking with it forever.

That was until a friend of mine put me in touch with a website called Drumstick Central which had a very interesting article on it teaching beginner drummers about the various types of sticks for drums out there in the world.

I had never ever given much thought to the type of drumsticks I was using but after reading one of the Drumstick Central articles, the idea of trying a newer pair of drumsticks was one that made me pretty excited.

I then set out to try the drumsticks that they recommended and I am very happy since. It is always nice to get out of your comfort zone and try something different. Break the mold and not stick with the things you know. Ironically, the new drumsticks that I discovered on the drumstick central website will most likely be the ones that I stick with for the next who knows how long lol.

I am still happy that a simple change in mindset and change in gear has made such a difference to my drumming and makes me excited to get behind that drumkit after a long day of work and bash out all of my frustrations and musical grooveness monster.

Which Sticks Do I Use On Drums?

Someone once asked who my drumming idol is and so I answered that question in a blog post.

In that particular post I make mention of the fact that Stee Gadd is my drumming idol.

I also said that his signature drumsticks are my preferred stick to use.

I can’t actually tell you why I like his signature drumsticks over any other but I think it just has to do with the fact that I’m a massive fan.

You can see what his drumsticks (and my drumsticks) look like in the picture above.

Aaron Spears Just Blew My Mind – Best Drummer?

Okay so a friend of mine really like hip hop music, a genre that I myself have never really gotten into. It is one of those genres that  the importance of the drumkit doesn’t seem to matter.

Well, that is what I thought, until I got introduced to a video and was proved completely wrong. The video was performed by one of the best hip hop drummers I’ve ever seen. In actual fact, He’s probably the best drummer period.

His name is Aaron Spears and is most well known for being Usher’s drummer.

Aaron Spears plays with so much feel and rhythm. It is quite incredible to see what he can do behind a drumkit.

Instead of me blabbing on about his skills, just take a look at this video of him.

Amazing!

Who Is My Drumming Idol?

I can answer that question for you very easily.

My drumming idol of all time is definitely Steve Gadd.

If you haven’t heard of Steve Gadd then you are definitely missing out! He’s one of the most well know drummers around the scene, especially in the United States.

Which Band Does Steve Gadd Drum For?

Steve Gadd is not known for being a drummer in a specific band but rather is most well known for being what is called a, “session” drummer. This means that he plays in different bands for many different musicians.

The musicians Steve Gadd is most well known for as a drummer is for Eric Clapton who is a British blues guitar legend. It is Steve Gadd’s work with Eric Clapton that I really love and is where Steve became my absolute drumming idol.

Check out this video where Steve Gadd performs with Eric Clapton. One of my favorite live performances of all time.

The Steve Gadd Sticks For Drums

When it comes to the drum sticks that Gadd uses, he has his very own signature drumsticks. These signature drumsticks also happen to be my favorite drumsticks

He’s The Best In The World On Drums

If you want some evidence and some so called “proof” as to why Steve Gadd is the best drummer in the world (or at least my best drummer) just watch the video below. It’s only 3 minutes but it shows perfectly how he absolutely rips on the drumkit.

My Drumkit and Set Up

In the picture above, you can see my drum set up.

I’m currently in one band but this gig requires me to have three different set-ups depending on the type of show we have that day or night.

Let me explain..

1 ) My Regular Set Up

So the picture above is of my regular set up. This is what me and my band use for regular sized venues as well as outdoor venues. Everything for this set up is acoustic until recently when I added a Roland SPD-SX to my set up so that we as a band can run the metronome. Over the years this has been the most popular set up of mine however, the second set up below is slowly but surely over taking

2 ) My Second Compact and Hybrid Drum Set Up

My second set up which I don’t have a picture of yet is my hybrid kit. This is basically just an acoustic kick drum (but the smallest size with a trigger) along with acoustic snare, toms and symbols. With this set up I also use the Roland SPD-SX for metronome but I use the pads as well a lot on this set up for more electronic sounds. This set up was meant for tiny venues as it is a very small set up but we as a band have realized that it is super versatile and can be used for any type of gig.

3) My Acoustic Set Drum Rig

Whilst the acoustic set is my most minimalist drum set up, it is ironically the most”electronic” as I rely pretty much only on my SPD-SX sample pad as well as my electric kick drum. The reason I do this is because the acoustic set has a lot of different types of sounds needed and I can easily jump through them using the SPD.

Sometimes Drumming Is Not All About The Gear

I’ve attached a video above which I watch fairly regularly. The reason I watch this video a lot is because it is a constant reminder for me that drumming and musical in general is not always about the gear that we play on.

You see, in the video, the drummer is literally using empty plastic paint barrels as drums. This drummer not only demonstrates immense talent and skills but proves that these two elements transcend the gear that we use.

What I’m saying is that we (including myself all the time) get so fixated on the gear that we are using that we often forget why we started the instrument in the first.

The kid in this video is a constant reminder to me that the pursuit of drum and my instrument is one that should always be humbling and we should never take gear for granted. Nor should we look down upon those who use other gear that are not “up to standard” whatever that may mean.

Hope you enjoy the video

Welcome To My Drumstick Review Blog

Hey Friends and followers!

Welcome to my new blog. I’ve taken to blogging in conjunction with my suaul social media as I find this platform much better to express and review the drumsticks that I’ve tried as well as other drum gear that I’ve used in the past.

I hope you like my blog about Drumsticks and Drums and look forward to enjoying this epic journey with you all.

Feel free to share, comment and like anything you see on here and don’t forget to spread the love 🙂