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.
The 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.
Voilà ! 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.
