Vic Firth’s Keith Carlock Model Are Now My Favorite Sticks

Ask any drummer who is serious about playing and they will tell you: messing around with sticks, pedals, heads, tuning etc, is a big deal. In fact, all great musicians focus on the details of their gear regardless of their ax. Why? Because the really great ones have a SOUND. And these details help you achieve the sound you desire.

That being said, I think I’m switching sticks.

I’ve been using the “Buddy Rich” Signature model by Vic Firth for about 7 years now, but my new love are these new Carlock sticks. I don’t really know how they did it, but there is something about the small bead and the way the stick is tapered and weighted that makes it BOUNCE LIKE CRAZY. If you know Keith’s playing you know that he, perhaps even more than many drummers with great technique, is ALL ABOUT the bounce. His strokes are so open and loose that it is just gorgeous to watch and listen to.

Clearly, I’m into Keith’s playing. And he loves double strokes. So do I.

I figured that if Keith worked with Vic Firth to develop a stick that would highlight the technical strengths of his playing (ie double strokes), then that stick would work for me because I rely heavily on doubles as well. The good news is that I was right!

I used these sticks on a pop gig this past weekend and they just felt great. My strokes felt more effortless. I’ve been practicing with them too and I really notice something about the bounce. The stick just wants to jump out of my hand. The other difference is that the sounds I’m getting out of my hi-hat and ride cymbals are crisper, cleaner and more defined. That makes sense based on the small bead.

Anyway, I am going to roll with these for a while (ha ha).

Here is a link to the sticks on the Vic Firth site: Vic Firth Keith Carlock Sticks