Vic Firth X55A American Classic Hickory

Stick choice is a very personal thing, what works for one won't necessarily work for another.

But whatever stick size you use you can be assured of quality when buying Vic Firth. They are always tonally matched and I have never once had a bent stick when buying Vic Firth.

My absolute favourite sticks for balance are the Zildjian Travis Barker signature sticks. But Zildjian sticks have never lasted longer than 5 minutes for me, they seem so brittle, especially the tips.

I've got a pair of these Vic Firths in my stick bag that have been there for over a year and they're still absolutely solid and going strong. Our band gigs every month or so and we practice every week with myself playing daily, yet I only destroyed 3 pairs of sticks all year. I've broken cymbal stands from how hard I can hit!

I did have one pair that went unusually quickly, brand new and one snapped half way through our first set, but that has been a one off and I've been using Vic Firth sticks for years!

Top all that off with the usual Thomann service and these sticks are a real winner. It would take something special for me to change sticks now!