In the first few years Eric drummed with his small hands with Alex Duthart sticks. Eric never understood why drummers play with thin sticks. Until he sat down behind a drum kit for the first time…
He then started with Vic Firth American Classic 5A. Why? Because his teacher recommended it. And he still uses them.
When Eric plays in small ensembles, he uses the Vic Firth American Jazz 6JA. Due to its thinner shaft, it has more rebound and that benefits his technique. But it’s not a stick to hit hard with.
In his quest for a stick with the tip of the American Classic, the shaft of the American Jazz 6JA, and a slightly thicker stick, he came across the American Jazz AJ1 and the slightly thicker American Big Band.
For the layman: A drumstick consists of four sizes that are important: The shape of the tip, the shaft, the length itself and the thickness. It pays to find a stick that suits your playing style and type of music.
Eric always buys sticks in bulk. He found out that when he plays with new sticks, they splinter and break quickly. Leaving sticks out for a few years will dry out the wood and make them last much longer.
He weighs each drumstick on a postal scale and writes the weight on the drumstick. For instance; The weight of American Classic 5A fluctuates between 46 grams and 58 grams. If his stick falls during a performance, he can immediately grab another with exactly the same weight. That plays the best.
From a book by Imre Kruis: “It’s good if you once in a while let a stick fall from your hands. It indicates that you play relaxed.”