Drumstars is here to help you choose the right tip for you.
“Would you like Maple, Hickory or Oak drum stick or even a Brass, Aluminium or Steel snare drum?”
There are so many different options available when it comes to musical instruments, particularly drums and it can be a bit of a mine field.
In this article we are going to discuss the pros and cons of both Nylon and Wooden Tip Drumsticks, and let you know what some our students thoughts are on the subject.
There so many different reasons why people prefer one type of drum tip to the other.. Some people believe that a Nylon tip is a great stick for practice, as they feel they are more durable, and ideal if you play on an Electronic drum kit.
Others prefer a Wooden tip for its warmer sound, and feel they can get more of a natural sound out of the drum or cymbal, and some use both depending on the type of performance they are doing.
When i have spoken to some of my students about this, and asked them what their preferences are, heres some of the things that they said:
- “I prefer to practice with Nylon tips, as they seem to last a lot longer for me. I find a wooden tip starts to wear away over time… i mean you’re hitting metal with wood, its bound to break eventually!”
- ” I find that if i use Nylon Tips, my cymbals sounds really pingy and i love that it gives the cymbal that little bit more clarity”.
- ” I practice with Nylon because i play on mesh heads on my electric kit, but when i’m performing i prefer to use Wooden tips, i just think it sounds better”.
- ” I really enjoy playing Metal and i think you really need your cymbals to cut through and Nylon just gives your cymbals a bit more umph”.
- “It depends on the cymbals i’m playing… If the cymbals are naturally quite bright, i would stick with a wooden tip, but if i play darker cymbals, it just makes the sound a bit more defined”.
- “If i need to play a little bit softer, I usually play with Wood tip”.
- “I just stuck with wood tip because the nylon tips always fall off”
- “When i’m recording a song in the studio, i prefer to use wooden tips as i think it allow you to control the sound on my cymbals. If i use a Nylon tip, it just sounds really noisy”.
Personally, i carry both Nylon and Wooden Tip with me as i think it totally depends on the style of music your playing, the feel you want to create in a particular song, and it just means if you aren’t quite happy with a certain sound, you have options to see if you can find that ideal sound that serves that particular song.
Overall, it all comes down to personal preference and what sound you want to get out of your drum set. Both tips bring different vibes to the table, and if you are yet to try both types, i would strongly recommend getting a pair of both, and seeing what works best for you.
I am interested to find out whether you prefer Wood or Nylon Tip and why?
Leave us a comment below!
