The 3 Best Drumsticks for Electronic Drums (Reviews)

Last Updated on January 13, 2022 by Danny

There are a lot of questions on your mind like What drum sticks are best for electronic drums? Are they good enough to be used on mesh heads? Whether I should use Nylon Tip or Wooden Tip sticks on V-Drums? Don’t worry we have all your questions answered below.

If you want to get the best out of your electronic kit, you will need a pair of good drumsticks. Most of the time sticks don’t come with a new electronic drum set hence you need to purchase them separately. The market has thousands of options, but not all of them are suitable for you. You might even be tempted to reuse your acoustic drumsticks on your e-kit; however, know that there is a difference between how an acoustic drum and an electronic kit reacts to a specific drumstick.

To ensure that you get the best out of your new electronic drum kit, we have compiled a list of the three best drumsticks for electronic drums . If you aren’t sure what to pick, there is a buyer’s guide and FAQ sections at the end to help you out.

3 Best Drumsticks for Electronic Drums – Reviews

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1. Vic Firth 5A Drumsticks – Best in quality

Vic Firth is an extremely well-known drumsticks brand; their high-quality products can be found in the hands of millions of professional and amateur drummers.

This specific drumstick has a teardrop-shaped wood tip that makes it suitable for all genres of music and it’s long taper makes it especially great for electronic drums. The tip has an accentuated edge that allows it to deliver a clear and well-defined sound when you strike your cymbals (who doesn’t appreciate rich cymbal sounds). The body is made out of hickory, delivering excellent durability along with a comfortable feel on the hand. If you take care of it properly, a single pair can last you years.

Overall, these Vic Firth sticks are best suited for fast playing. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a professional; this stick will serve you well. These sticks work great with both acoustic kits and electronic ones. So if you are someone who switches between both kit types often, these will be the right sticks for you.

While this stick itself is impressive, there is a special eStick variant specially designed to be used with electronic kits. You might want to check that out too if you are bent on getting the best of the best drumsticks for electronic drums.

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2. Zildjian Nylon Anti-Vibe 7A Drumsticks – Best for fast playing

Zildjian is best known for making high-quality cymbals that are extremely popular among drummers worldwide, but believe us when we say that they can also make excellent electronic drumsticks. Zildjian’s Anti-Vibe series has been specifically designed to reduce the amount of vibration you feel in your hand. It achieves this Anti-Vibe feature by embedding a piece of rubber on the back of the stick. This piece absorbs the vibration and makes it a better experience to play overall. While this might not seem like much of a difference when you play with them for the first time, you will be able to appreciate this feature in the long run greatly.

The body of the stick is made from hickory wood and features a nylon tip. It also features a black DIP coating which helps enhance the overall grip and comfort of the stick. Finally, there is a lacquer finish that looks good and protects the stick from damage. All of this makes it great for fast drumming.

We have listed the 7A variant because it is the one that most people will be comfortable with. At 15.5″ long and 0.52″ thick, the stick is relatively light and has a long taper, making it comfortable for soft players. However, if you are into heavy music, do not fret because there are different sizes like 5A 5B variants of this stick available.

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3. Zildjian 5B Drumsticks – Best Grip

The 5B Nylon drumsticks are another great pair of drumsticks from Zildjian. They are one of the grippiest drumsticks in the market, primarily due to their unique black DIP coating, which significantly enhances the grip levels. The sticks are also quite thick, thereby improving grip even more. While thick, the stick is well balanced and should give you a fatigue-free playing experience for long periods. For those with sweaty hands, this is a boon and a way better solution compared to sanding or dipping your sticks.

This stick is also made of hickory, making it a very balanced stick. At 16″ long and 0.6″ thick, the dimensions combined with the low weight of hickory wood make this stick great for prolonged use as this stick is unlikely to lead to wrist strain. The stick also features vibration reduction technology which improves the overall experience. Vibration is a real issue in electronic drums, and cutting them down will be very beneficial. The only major issue is that the lacquer coating is pretty short-lived, leading to you having an unprotected stick. It has nice balance for the most part; it’s only draw back is being back heavy. However, only a tiny portion of users complained, and it’s perfect for most people.

Featuring a tear-drop nylon tip similar to the Vic Firth American Classic, the 5B is fantastic at getting the best sound out of your cymbals. This is the best type of drumsticks for electronic drums with mesh heads and for anyone who wants a firm grip on their sticks.

How to choose the best drumsticks for playing electronic drum sets?

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It is easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choices of drumstick brands and options, especially for beginners. It is hard to differentiate marketing jargon from some critical feature, even for people who have been drumming for years and years. To help you out with buying the best drumsticks for electronic drums, we have listed the essential features you need to look at.

1. Which drumsticks work best with electronic drums?

Typically, nylon tip drumsticks work best with electronic drum heads. We do not mean that wood tips are bad for electronic sets, but that nylon ones have a few advantages over wooden ones when it comes to electronic drums. 

First, nylon sticks have a better bounce, which is something many drummers enjoy. Nylon ones also feel better and do not have as hard an impact as wooden ones. You could hit hard with good quality nylon tips without damaging your drums. This makes them great with an electronic drum head as electronic ones are more delicate than acoustic ones.

Second, nylon drumsticks do not splinter over time, thereby making them last longer. The lack of splinters also means that you are unlikely to damage your drum heads. They are also not as prone to wear and tear as wooden ones.

Third, nylon sticks are usually quieter than wooden ones. While electronic drum kits do not make much noise, the sound of sticks hitting the drums can still be a little noisy. Using nylon ones makes it less likely that you annoy your neighbors.

Also Read: 9 Best Amp for Electronic Drums for 2021 With Detailed Guide

2. Nylon vs Wooden Tip Sticks

The tip of your drumstick has the most significant influence over the sound of your electronic drum set. Therefore, you need to be a little picky when it comes to it. Wood and nylon are the most common choices when it comes to tips.

Wooden tips are the oldest type of tips in the world. They have a great aesthetic and a classic feel on the hand. When it comes to audio, they have neutral but rich sounds. However, do know that there are plenty of different types of wooden tips, and each has its own different sound.

Nowadays, nylon tip sticks are becoming more popular for electronic drums. This is because, unlike wooden ones, nylon ones do not splinter and therefore are less damaging to your expensive drums. They are also much more durable than wood tips. While drumsticks with nylon tips tend to be slightly more expensive, it’s not by a large margin.

3. What Size Drumsticks Should you Choose?

The size of a drumstick is represented by an alphanumeric designation, for example, 5A. The number(ranges from 2 to 9) represents the size. The higher the number, the thinner the drumstick will be. For example, a 7B drumstick is much thinner than a 5B one. 

The letter( usually A, B, or S) indicates the specific design of the drumstick. Each of the three designs came at a different period and had unique characteristics. 

The ‘A’ design is the oldest one and was first seen in orchestra drumming. The drum sticks are thin and soft, giving them a pronounced sound but making them unsuitable for intense drumming. This design is the most common, with 5A sticks being the standard drumsticks. The ‘B’ design sticks are larger than ‘A’ and therefore pack more of a punch; the name ‘B’ comes as these were designed to be used by band players. The ‘S’ design was initially used by street bands (marching bands too) and is the thickest of the three variants. This gives them extreme power and allows them to produce very high volumes.

Also Read: 6 Best Drumming Shoes for 2021 with buying guide

4. Material of Sticks

The material your drumstick is made of affects both the drumming sounds sound and your drumming style. There are a wide variety of options for the material, and you might have to experiment a little to find the one perfect for you. However, when it comes to electronic kits, you should avoid weighty materials as electronic drums are more fragile than acoustic drums and won’t withstand them.

Wood is the most common material and is available in many different options. While there are plenty of exotic options, hickory, oak, persimmon, and maple are the most common options. 

Most drumsticks are made of hickory; this is primarily due to its average characteristics, making drumsticks that are suitable for nearly all genres. Its weight, density, and strength are all well balanced. Hickory sticks also has a little elasticity which helps reduce fatigue, especially for beginners who are yet to develop the proper technique.

Oak is the most expensive option among the four. It is also the hardest among the four, making it very durable and ideal for heavy drummers. If you want something exclusive, you could get a Japanese white oak drumstick as the trees are relatively rare, which drives up the prices. However, oak is not usually preferred for e-kits due to its hardness and heaviness.

Maple wood is the lightest option, making it ideal for fast sessions at low volumes, especially with e-kits. Persimmon drumsticks can work with e-drums excellently even though they are dense and heavy.

If the wooden sticks are not your thing, there are other options. Aluminum drumsticks are one such option. While more expensive than wood, they are way more durable and have a different feel which some drummers prefer. Do not worry about aluminum drum sticks poking a hole into your drums heads; there is absolutely no risk of that happening unless there are some sharp parts. Carbon fiber is another alternative to wood that’s simply amazing. It is more durable than aluminum yet more flexible. The blacked-out look of these sticks is also great on stage. However, they are an extremely high-end option as making anything out of carbon fiber is expensive (these drumsticks cost significantly more than aluminum ones.)

FAQs about DrumSticks

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What drumsticks should a beginner use?

A beginner should typically use 5A hickory drumsticks. This is because 5A sticks are the standard size and can be suitably used with all electronic kits. We recommend hickory as it’s light, cheap, and has reduced hand fatigue.

What is the difference between 5a and 7a drumsticks?

The difference between 5A and 7A is in their size. 5A sticks are thicker and sort of a all-rounder. They can be used for all genres and are the standard electronic sticks (they are the standard sticks for all drums.), but they are especially popular among rock and metal drummers. A 7A drumstick is thinner and lighter than a 5A and is used for lighter drumming sessions, These 7A sticks are common in softer genres like jazz and blues.

What drumsticks do professionals use?

This is like asking what drums do professionals use. Professionals use drumsticks that are best suited to their musical style. The best drumsticks for them is whatever meets their drumming requirements and personal preference.. There is no one ideal stick; different professionals use different sticks.

What are the best drum sticks you can buy?

Typically the best drumsticks are 5A or 7A, depending on your preference. 7A is the best thin drumstick, while the 5A is an average drumstick that can be used for playing electronic drums of all kinds (they can be used for all kinds of drumming styles too)! 

Conclusion

Your drumsticks are how you communicate with your e-kit, any drum kit for that part. They have a significant influence on both the sound and your playing experience. It is therefore essential that you spend some time picking out the right drumsticks for you. Consider the tip, the size, and the material before you make any purchase for your electronic drums as they can make or break your drumming experience. Always bear in mind that most drum sticks that are great for acoustic drums may not be necessarily great for an e-kit. ( We do not mean their sound quality will be bad, rather that they wont sound as good).

If you are in a hurry, we would suggest that you go with the Vic Firth 5A American classic as it’s what we consider to be the best drumsticks for electronic drums. It’s light, sturdy, and relatively grippy. It will work with all electronic drums, and you will have a great time playing with it. Hopefully, this list of best drumsticks for electronic drums helped you.

P.S. get a separate carrying bag for sticks or put them in a separate pocket as you do not want to splinter or break them while moving them. You could also get a tiny drumsticks bag to hang on your drum set so that a drum stick is always within reach should one slip out of your hand mid-performance.