how its made: vic firth sticks(factory tour)

[Comprehenshun]

I quit using Vic firth because one day I bought 2 pairs of Colin mcnutt's on the Internet. one pair was completely differently weighted than the other. I use innovative percussion now.

[carlmasondrums]

love vic's cant beat 3A wood tip !

[TheGSdrumreviews]

Come check out our channel for reviews on sticks,pads nd drums....come check us out

[stone0fleaves]

so much process for sticks that are 1obucks haha

[evercusion1]

y pensar que cualquiera de esos palos, pudiera estar en mi baquetero ahora mismo :O

[iSMITH4life]

i hate my vic firth sticks... Ahead sticks all the way baby!

[avpmisamazing]

Is there a video for how the vic firth mallets are made?

[drummingboy5]

?uestlove Vic firth signature drumsticks

[drummingboy5]

I like Vic Firth and Promark sticks. I mainly like ?uestlove signature drumsticks cuz they feel so light, I like the length of the sticks, and I like the design.

[TheDragonmaster18]

for marching i prefer promark cause they last longer and dont break as easy but for drumset vic firth all the way

[mynameisbaldwin]

4:03 The First time I heard it I thought he said "After the butt is ground into the dick..."

[Count998]

I fuckin love vic firth!

[spacitydrummer4JC]

Video summary: Vic Firth grinds butts

[MrDrumer4life1]

Can I have the rejected sticks? :)

[eatrocksah]

vic firth doesn't keep enough moisture in the wood, that why they all split down the middle, pro-mark same thing, vater keeps a little more moisture in the sticks, i've never been able to split a vater stick, they just start to splinter where u rimshot the most.

[tonebfcru]

my favorite part.. 8:47

[lordtyamat]

Take (copy/paste) this info...Capital letters and commas makes it LESS confusing when reading.

How they made Vic Firth, the best sticks in the world!

(Additional tags)

Some Vic Firth artist: Aaron Spears, Tony Royster Jr, Steve Gadd, Scojo Scott Johnson, Ralph Hardimon, Mark Wessels, Jeff Queen, Tom Aungdt, Vinny Paul, Nicko McBrain..to many to mention!

[SLOWBURN420]

Dave Weckls are the best, Zoros are nice or just about any 5A wood tip will do 4 me

[santiago0497]

DRUMMERS SPEND A SHIT LOAD OF WOOD!

I BET WE CAUSE GLOBAL WARMING

LOL

[santiago0497]

JUST REALIZED DRUMMERS ARE KINDA LIKE A CAUSE OF GLOBAL WARMING... WE SPENT A SHIT LOAD OF WOOD LOL!

[iskatealmost15]

Some much effort they put into making these and I break a pair every two days.

[SMoKeScReeeeN]

@iskatealmost15 ur a fukn amateur.

[iskatealmost15]

@SMoKeScReeeeN Just started drumming three months ago, maybe that's the reason? You ignorant prick.

[joeptoeper14]

@iskatealmost15 yeah... But you're just stupid if you don't realize you shouldn't hit as hard as you do after breaking a pair of sticks...

[iskatealmost15]

@joeptoeper14 funny part is, i dont hit that hard. i just play atleast 4 hours straight a day.

[cvcgac]

@joeptoeper14 Ass wipe. You get a totally different sound if you hit hard. Sticks breaking shouldnt be a reason not to play loud. Sticks break and its totally normal.

[cvcgac]

@iskatealmost15 Dude. It's normal if sticks break. For me its like 1 pair every 8 hrs. I practice alot. :D

[iskatealmost15]

@cvcgac finally someone that know what theyre talking about. thank you.

[cvcgac]

@SMoKeScReeeeN Nope. Sticks break while u use em. Its normal.

[SMoKeScReeeeN]

@cvcgac no shit, but if ur someone who 'breaks them everyday', have fun with that.

[norman321ful]

i like when they split in the middle cause they dont get in your eye

[chrisgr00ver]

lol, I love the Steve Gadd sticks. I just bought two pairs today, its usually the only sticks I will play with.

[jake61072]

ive been using vic for 3 years and i prefer them over just about every stick but vaters and promarks. btw zildjian- stick to cymbals

[CherryONeil]

I use 7a sticks with the nylon tips.

[drakomytaka599]

I like the feel of vic firths but my vater and pro-mark sticks last much longer.

[TheOpenHanded]

i like vic firth sticks but they aint as strong as promark sticks.

[jesse17ful]

this makes me want to burn the crappy drum sticks i am using right now

[pete5668]

you have to cook the chicken very well first, then you have drumsticks

[omertking]

Vic firth sticks always splitting down the middle for me why?

[drum789]

@omertking what kind of sticks are you using? if using a light stick(for example 7a sticks to play rock or metal )or even playing a lot of rim shots (or even if you hit the edge of a heavy cymbal this is bound to happen

[omertking]

@drum789 yea i play metal but i use 5a sticks

[guitardude1230]

I have had plenty of Vic Firth sticks where the nylon tip has just popped right off long before the stick itself breaks.

[Nile505]

I got some nova sticks and the plastic breaks all the time...But usually the stick it self fractures. I dont like the novas they vibrate back at me too much

[Ggevorkyan]

@Nile505 if you read the description of novas, it says they have defects, they are probably recycled sticks from other companies. novas are sticks that you buy to save money. vic firths are sticks you buy to save time and get great sound.

[69adrummer]

Kinda makes a guy feel bad for doing rimshots.......NAH!

[antonioaquila]

got wood?

[MrDraglet5]

sounds like such a complicated process.

[zeldamax28623]

all that work for 10 bucks a pair. wow.

[ImixProd]

@zeldamax28623 I agree. but then again, they make them in bulk ;) and still manage to make great sticks!

[xxMikePortnoyJrxx]

@zeldamax28623 well they make millions of pairs of sticks so of course they would be cheap. and they're 8 bucks where i live lol

[fordshop11]

@zeldamax28623 Not in Australia, $23 for a pair of extreme 5A!!!

[circleslammer]

The great thing about VF is they are the only stick company that actually makes their own dowels, as opposed to just importing them which controls warpage and quality. They are ALWAYS straight and consistent, more so than pro mark, vater or regal tip. Stick with VIC!!

[KVMproductions]

@circleslammer actualy im in my middle school band and they just dont make the sticks they make the essential elements books to and the book isnt just for percussion it is for every other instrument on the planet and quick question is it wierd for your vic firth 7A sticks to have nothing written on them because mine dont but i bought them at a store that only sells vic firth sticks

[catholicbaterista]

I am a professional drummer, and sticks will be sponsored to me... I was given Ahead Drumsticks, Innovative Drumsticks, Pro Mark Drumsticks, Pulse Drumsticks, Regal Tip Drumsticks, Vater Drumsticks, Zildjian Drumsticks... But if I am to buy the drum sticks I prefer VIC-FIRTH and I even suggest my students to grab VIC-FIRTH...

VicFirth factory guys are doing great, providing the world the best quality drum sticks... Keep it up...

[iamafractal]

That's a major improvement over those drum sticks made by the other company on howitismade...

[KevinJackson108]

I break AHEAD sticks like crazy...to me they are waste of money...at least you have luck with them...i've broken 4 pairs. Never bought them again.

[KevinJackson108]

ProMark is better...hands down.

[platynakrk]

@KevinJackson108 agree

[tonsoffuns]

Betty crocker makes food... David crocker makes Drum Sticks... How ironic!?!?!?!?!???

[germansheparddogs]

the ink on mine came off :(

[PogoPantheon]

I like vic, but i'm trying IP soon.

[Meatlooaf]

these are awesome sticks, but promarks are my favs !

[shadow80194]

vic firth is awesome

[yit2525]

i love vic firth sticks

[arrondicesare]

I worked there when I was in high school. back then we 'rolled' the sticks on a folding table and eliminated the warped ones. From there we pitch paired them by ear - bounced them off granite slabs, unused gravestones, and matched the pitch to make a pair of sticks, then boxed them up and shipped them out.

[JackM1479]

i do snare drumm, just bought a pair of KP2 sticks in white for £11, well worth it ;-)

[ncardw09]

yeah my pipe band plays those. they are awesome. but i prefer the Beat Street Eric Ward 2. look em up they are awesome. i little lighter than KP2s but just as thick and grippy.

[rjlgspi24]

Vic Firth sticks are the best!

[meta1gear4]

vater is waaaaaaaay beter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ericmsandoval]

@meta1gear4 What makes Vater sticks better? (not being sarcastic..serious question) I've thought about switching also.

[meta1gear4]

@ericmsandoval the sticks r made with a abot more moisture in them , alowin them 2 last longer n giv beta rim shots..... iv found dis out after a very long period of research n many of ppl hu evn endorse other brands like vic firth n pro mark hav actualy sed dat they prefer vater bcoz those stiks fulfil their needs....buh dey canot use ny otehr brands since they have agreed 2 using their own signature stiks from the other brands...

[AleX0002]

@meta1gear4 really man... do you really have to type like that? It doesn't make you look any more gangsta, you just look like an idiot

[Frankster81]

@AleX0002 - Maybe he's a goofball. Or maybe he got his head stuck in one of the factory machines and it got turned into wood.

[mjpitche]

You make your sticks way too light these days. I use a 5B and I just can't seem to get the right weight/feel.

[SuperDrummerJoe]

@mjpitche try 3A

[spitball301]

@SuperDrummerJoe i have some 3A's, they have their uses. they're too big and clunky to me. i use 7AN's

[whatupdude96]

all three pairs of these drum sticks ive had chipped with in a week

[dreamopeth]

seein this video makes me realise what I pay for. Real Pro work there. Although a bit steep at £10 a pair though

[CoreyCage]

Just got my first pair of Vic Firth sticks today. I have been using rb sticks, just because they were cheap so I could get lots of them and have backups. Vic Firth sticks seem to feel a lot better playing and they seem to be a lot stronger than the maple rb sticks I previously used.

[CoreyCage]

By the way, when I say "rb" I do not mean Rock Band lol.

[munkych33z]

i currently use pro mark, but im thinking about moving to vic firth or ahead. which ones would be better for death/thrash type metal, but still be able to handle a drummer that plays all genres?

[hobes9]

i personally have used all of the sticks you have listed. defiantly use the vic firth sticks, their great for any kind of music..just look at all of the famous drummers who use them. ahead it alright, but it gets worn out fast. pro-marks would be my second choice. i right now use vic firth Nicko Mcbrains signature sticks (iron maiden) and they rock.

[datommaster]

5b or 5a extreme

[Thuringen]

Vic firth is pretty widely used in metal as far as I know, always with wood tips. Vic Firth wood tipped 5b's are my personal fave, though I do keep a pair of 5a's with nylon tips around for jazz.

[cclmagic]

just go with vic, they wont let you down. ive tried ahead and i ended up going back to vic firth. theyre the best sticks out there.

[Greggorath]

Vic firth sticks are weighted nice and evenly. Promark would be my second choice if I had to use them; they are also nicely weighted but I don't like the heads as much. They break down faster. I find Zildjian stick to be quite cheap and Vaters aren't weighted all that great. Vaters are strong, no doubt, but not weighted all that great.

Vic firths are by far the best stick in my opinion because they are very versatile. I'm not limited to what I play when I use them.

[sdeanmusic]

I wonder if they can "tone them out" earlier on in the process, unless the logo, finish coat and synthetic tips are effecting the tonality so much that they need to be check and sorted just before packaging. I'm thinking it may be possible to understand if a stick is "out" right after the bar becomes a dowel and is cut to length. Anyhow I play Timbale and I can weigh, grade and shape my own Hickory sticks in my shop at home, Sorry Vic ;)

[jomomwashere]

I like my Pro Marks and my Zildjians a lot better thank you.

Vic firths just don't cut it for me. I dunno, they don't look all that great, some are too light, some are too heavy, and they break pretty easily. And that might be the hickory they use, but I dunno. I use Zildjian hickory's and Promark Japan Oak. ANd they seem really durable.

ANd I use size 5A btw.

[manudrum2]

You dont know how to play then.

[jomomwashere]

... I don;t know how to play in general only because my vic firths break? You're ignorant.

[manudrum2]

I'm ignorant just because I told you that you dont know how to play properly? Wow, you must be a kid that doesn't anything know about life.

I've played all kinds of sticks, ahead, vic, regal, silverfox, zildjian, vater... I play mostly with vicfirth, and they last longer than any other. IMO they don't break "pretty easly" as you state.

[FaithIsAccidental]

I agree. I use Noah Bernardo's (Wuv) from P.O.D.'s signature model. I've had the same pair over a year...

[bcwdrums]

They certainly are serious about their sticks........Cool...

[mpmrecords]

This video was awesome. Vic Firth truly are the best sticks, but realistically they all break at about the same rate. All the major brands last about the same. I usually break about a pair of sticks a week more or less depending on how much I gig... but normally it's not

a clean break, instead the sticks wear down to the point that they just need to be replaced. If you break too many sticks, maybe you need to find a different size stick that works better for you.

[ben80s08]

i brought my vic firth sticks in sptember and its dec and there still going strong no signs of breaking at all vic firth all the way

[athansauc]

i must say, all that trouble for a pair of sticks and when a drummers holds it they break in half in just a few minutes =(

[RideBMXForLife100]

i hate vic firth the paint comes off to easy and they break to easy.

[RJHEllis]

So what do u use?

[RideBMXForLife100]

zildjins or stciks that my local music store makes.

[RJHEllis]

koolio

[williamgag]

you should use Vater !

[xEpicPyrox]

actually he's right. i've had 5 pairs of vic firth and they all broke with normal playing. no pair of pro-mark (i have about 10) have broke. same with vater.

[quadbassblaster]

holy shit ! so much trouble for just the stick ?! the tone frequency and laser straight testing is something i didnt even see on the vid about how drums are made !

[RJHEllis]

If this is just the stick! I wanna see how drummers are made.

[xsvmaster]

In an easy bake oven.

[am2112rush]

Great video. Interesting to see the quality control process.

[eastendrangersgoalie]

back in the day we didn't have fance smancy machines we used our bare

hands

[Localdrummerweb]

Did you hunt dinosaur eggs for Easter too lol

[NapoleanXV]

back in the day, to cure the flu they stuck leaches on you and cut open an arm

[ThunderDonkey]

sticks suck, broke 2 in 1 week.

[SeriousPieEnthusiast]

maybe it's because you're a fucking metal loving tool

[codyman333]

where do you get carbon fiber sticks

[burnhotburnclean]

what do they do with the sticks that dont make it past the tone test??? ill take them!!!

[RJHEllis]

i would like a answer too. Yahoo answer it and tell me what u get.

[drummr4JC]

I got to tour this place! Awesome. All of the ways they double and triple check the sticks are just amazing. Go Vic!

[fhssnare]

If vic firth sticks go through this much hy is almost every stick i get warped or and definately not pitched paired.

[ben80s08]

i got some vic firth for the sticks they look durable and some what flexable

[ben80s08]

i like carbon fiber drum sticks they last a lot longer them theses wood sticks do

[JoshwahTheDrummer]

I've used a lot of different sticks and Vic Firth ones are the best i've used

[Thudpaw2006]

I have used Vic Firth for going on 20 years. Sure, over that long period, I've had a few bum pairs here and there, but overall, they are clearly superior sticks to any others that I've tried. My all time favorite for marching snare are MS2N's. I'm currently really pleased with the Danny Carey signature sticks. Perfect length/weight/balance for me!

[Spencerlestiadi]

I've never used Vic Firth. Maybe I'll give them a try sometimes.

[TwoSnipersOneStrawPd]

in my 4 years of playing drums vic firth has been the some of the worst sticks i have used. they are too light and they give the drum a snappier sound. its not the drum its the stick. the best are promark and vater

[acidtones777]

they are too light? they come in different weights,ya know! pro-mark are very mid- to front heavy. I've played Firth for 20+ years and endorsed them for 8. Most consistent sticks I've tried in 30+ years of playing- that's a few pairs. But ultimately it's still personal feel. Keep Rockin'!!

[theJman545]

pro-mark,vic firth,ahead are good drum sticks.i will recommend it for you.zildjian sucks because when i bought zildjian stick,i used it then after 1 one day i played it again and it broke and zildjian very expensive.fiber sticks (brand Name of a stick) is a good stick also. i used them for 7 years already.

[StutsMonkey]

Innovative all the way, just putting that out there

[BlackDrumm3rKid]

only for marching...SYSTEM BLUE FTW!!

[Deathlycream]

wow I didn't expect such quality controls. I use Zildjian sticks but Vic Firth are really fine.

[sabian1hhx1only]

i wonder what they do with all those sticks at 7:46 that dont get shiped out i mean dam i will take them lol.

[XiphiasGladiusMaximu]

yeah, i love how at 4:50 he says that the stick will break before the tip lol ive had 2 pairs tips break hahah the sticks are perfectly fine though lol i still love vic firth though their pretty much the only drum sticks that are worth a damn ive only completely broken one stick while playing. ive broken a few away from the drum set because some one said i couldnt and well thats a different story

[oedasdawer]

I love Vic Firth :D

[twindrummers64]

promark is better

[jameswilliamstafford]

way better then vics

[GaryFlores]

i got some promarks and one of them broke the 2nd day i used them, i had a previous vic firth stick i replaced it with so i had a promark in my left hand and a vic firth in my right. the pro mark broke a day later.

[MoreThanLuck]

those pads look really soft

[lilwave123]

so what happens to the sticks that get kicked out of the process? recycled? :D

[MoreThanLuck]

how?  Probable becomes wood chips.

[lilwave123]

that's how they make desks... it just seems like such a waste, I bet they can think of a variety of ways to use it.

[GnAArL]

get sold as unbranded / rejects

[FOXGEAR92]

This is SWEET.

[SuperPerson32]

This is amazing!!! These are great sticks!!! it still amazes me on how far technology has gotten! butI do like Pro Mark and AHEAD sticks aswell.

[Marvin24241]

Dude I have the Pro Marks and I have to say that yeah they're pretty good, but Vic Firths are better...I literally yesterday just broke one of my Pro Marks and started using the Vic Firths I had in waiting after they broke and the sound was so much better on the drums, I could actually feel it...My band had to record the song we were making again because of the drums and everything...

[ROBOTICS100]

I have Vic Firth Marching Sticks they're amazingness

[ROBOTICS100]

I have Steve Gadd's !

[RAWman26]

@SuperPerson32 you like pro mark and AHEAD? yeah once you play with vic firth you cant go back. DISLIKE. STOP PLAYING.

[Tmar1970]

3 Drumsticks has the best classification system ever. They are packaged 3 at a time by weight, pitch, and balance, and they come packed in bricks that are very consistent.

[drutch230]

loud7 your right, the sticks within the pair will usually be pretty well balanced but within the model each pair can vary significantly, the same thing happened when I bought a brick of Peter Erskines. I believe this happens across the board with all stick companies, it's almost impossible to regulate wood density that minutely

[gorilla4321]

Never heard of grinding wood before.

[LOUD7]

I bought 12 pairs of jojo mayer sticks and i kid you not their different in weight.I was so upset because i really thought every pair would be the same.

[CokeCxnt]

u r a dick head, each stick will be off, but themone the pair it with is about the same

[LOUD7]

Dude...have respect.Dont ever call your mother a dick.She looks like hell....but thats not a reason for you to call her a dick.

[uriangatobataclan]

This is it! Now I now why I fell in love with the Vic Firth sticks... it's not my imagination... they're GREAT!!!!!!!

[Sahagunense]

ProMark.

[robeldrumming]

pro mark sucks.... choose vic firth or vater drum sticks

[MetalDrumer106]

not the shira kakshi oak stick there amazing

[strikeme5]

i bought 5 sets a while ago and there amazing quality and sound they can create on the drum it's self

[xRockDrummer94]

can anybody tell me how to pronounce vic firth

[gomddrummer]

vick as in michael.

furth as in, rhymes with earth.

and personally, i prefer ahead, or promark.

vic firth make me feel gross... but eh, to each his own.

[Lolman240]

AHEAD STICKS FTW

[MetalDrumer106]

good vid just not big on vic firths im more of a pro-mark guy

[chabal1234]

cool vid

[paulwall1981]

I love most kinds of sticks. But giving a choice of wood sticks, I would choose Vic Firth cause as far as wood sticks go, they are the strightest and truest wood sticks you can buy. Plus the list of endosers cannot be beat. Long live VIC FIRTH!!!

[giosmrbig]

very cool !!

[GIBsonGeek777]

back in the day pro and vic used to be basicly the same thing but now it goes vic, pro, then vater

[mrsiix]

i love em and vater too

[savonpoika1]

Vic Firth sticks are really best sticks! I have 1 pair of them and they are more better than Pro Mark or any else.

[angelfirephoenix]

vic firth all the way......

[Ninjaclownjez]

Vag Fuck(my nickname for the sticks) lol, Vic Firth FTW

[skawik]

the best sticks are TAMA Strongest name in Drums^^

[spaulding89]

Vic Firth sucks my dick. Go to ProMark there sticks are pitched perfect.. Vic Firth does give a shit anymore.

[airsoftdude4321]

wtf are you smoking promark wood is shit. vicfirth are definetly the best.

[spaulding89]

dude I have been playing drums for 12 years and i march drum corps and use to always use vic firth sticks because there were awesome but they just started not to care and there sticks dont match. if they did care and there sticks matched like they use to then yes they would they best sticks. i havent picked up a pair of hardimons in so long that felt the same in each hand

[IIITreyDuPontIII]

I've been playing for a while now too and I think that vic firth definately beats promark. Plus you look at all the huge names that use vic firth that were playing longer than me or you.

[spaulding89]

exactly they used vic firth a long time ago and got endorsed by them so they wouldnt have to change. it wasnt that long ago when vic firth started not to care. about 3 years ago.

[IIITreyDuPontIII]

I still haven't gotten any mismatched sticks. And they still last four to five weeks.

[BobLawless]

Ahead Aluminium Sticks Baby!!!