Vic Firth Rute 505

I really enjoy using these sticks in quiet situations. Really a good go to item.

My church took down the fish bowl I was playing in, so the cymbal hits were sharp and loud. I switched to these because the wooden rods would just break too easily and too early for the cost. The cheap rubber band on them broke easily, but I split some gaff tape and put two thin strips near the end and one in the middle. It keeps the volume down but still keeps the rods feeling more like a stick than a brush.

Guitar Center always has a great selection of drum to choose from.

First and foremost, I am a hard hitter so I was concerned about the durability of this product. These have held up quite nicely (aside from some minor fraying at the tips) in the two months that I have had them and used them every time I touch my drums. They produce a nice warm tone that's quieter and perfect for more intimate gigs. This product is very versatile but my only complaint is that they are quite bottom-heavy... as in the handle end of the rute is much heavier than the plastic rods are. So don't expect to have the same responsiveness you get from a wooden drumstick from these rutes. They don't bounce hardly at all, so doing a double stroke roll for example could be challenging if you don't have quick hands. Also, the rubber bands I got on my pair didn't look like the ones in the picture. They were essentially small, black rubber bands just wide enough to go around the tip of the rute. The idea of a movable band is great, but I lost the miniscule bands that came with these weeks ago, as they flew off while I was playing and probably landed where I'll never see them again. Over all I'd say this was definitely worth the money. Basically it's very similar to a brush without the responsiveness. I'd recommend it to a player who's looking to expand his or her arsenal.

This is by far the most versatile pair of brushes,(for lack of a better word) between jazz brushes and sticks. They have a ring that can be adjusted in order to control the volume and attack of the brushes, so you can quietly play without compromising full range of sounds and without disturbing the neighbors, if you live in an apartmnet. definitely worth getting as part of your repertory of brushes, rakes, sticks. Simply awesome. Five Stars!!

overall theyre great. they last so much longer than wood ones. but they are really flexible so in some of my harder strokes, they bend as i strike, they get worne but they last. i perfer the wood vic firth because i just like the feel better. so the quesstion is this. firm feel or long lasting.