RB Rotationally Balanced Drumsticks
Most new drumstick designs introduce a different tip shape, a different taper, or a different length. But the RB Percussion Rotationally Balanced drumstick incorporates change in the fundamental physics of how a drumstick operates.
RB's theory is that in order to maximize rebound action, a drumstick should be held so that the fingers control the stick right at the point where it wants to rotate naturally its balance point. Unfortunately, a traditional drumstick tends to have its rotation point somewhere just a bit toward the butt from its center. (Balance one of your sticks on the tip of your finger, and you'll see what I mean.) If you were to hold a stick so that your fingers controlled it at this point, you'd be choked up quite a bit, with a lot of the stick extending past your palm and much less than usual pointed toward the drum. As a result, drummers don't hold their sticks at the rotation point; they hold them much closer to the butt end-well below the rotation point. This gains impact power, but sacrifices that quick rebound.
RB solution is to insert a weighted plug into the butt end of their sticks, thus
artificially moving the balance point back closer to the butt end. (Tape a couple of dimes to the butt end of your stick, and you'll see the effect.) This puts the point at which the stick wants to rotate naturally just about where one would normally grip the stick.
Voila! Dramatically improved rebound, without sacrificing power.
Early experiments with putting weights into hickory sticks created sticks that were too heavy overall, so RB is now using hickory only for jazz models, while 5B and 28 models are made of maple. An attractive glittered cap is used to cover the weight at the end of the stick, but enough wood is left around the butt to play the sticks reversed (which, by the way, creates an impact equal to much larger traditional sticks.)
These are the first sticks I've ever used that actually provided a mechanical assistance to my playing. I found them comfortable to play with, incredibly fast, and altogether a legitimate innovation in drumstick design. The sticks I used were wood-tipped; nylon-tipped sticks will be available shortly.
Rick Van Horn
Modern Drummer Magazine
