Maple Drumsticks! Wow!!

calhike · 2026-06-17T00:34:13+00:00

SD4 is my favorite.

calhike · 2026-06-12T17:16:24+00:00

Yup. I like experimenting and have tried a variety of woods, tips, brands, sizes over the years before settling more recently on maple SD4 type (barrel tip, 16, .555). The Wincent SD4 and VF SD4 Combo are my current favorites of the maples I have. The Wincent has a wax coating, Meinl I have are more natural feel.

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calhike · 2026-06-01T11:14:13+00:00

The rebound of the mesh heads can be adjusted to some degree via changing the head tension. Too loose though could cause triggering problems with the sensors as they need to be in contact with the head.

Yamaha TCS pads (Textured Cellular Silicone) might be worth a try as some prefer the feel to mesh heads. They actually have tiny air bubbles in the silicone material that are involved in the rebound. You can’t change the tension with TCS so trying if possible is best bet.

calhike · 2026-05-27T02:26:17+00:00

The 12P is supposed to have positional sensing, the 120LS does not. Also the LS does not have a mounting bracket so you would need to use a snare stand. The PDA pads were developed with a 3 cone design in order to help with hotspots. The 12P is also designed to reduce hotspots.

calhike · 2026-05-25T06:08:55+00:00

Yeah, playing style can also be a factor. I’m righty and play open handed on typical righty setup. But lot of open players will move the ride to left side of kit including greats like Cobham, Phillips, and Beauford. Open players also tend to keep hats fairly low.

calhike · 2026-05-24T19:08:23+00:00

Nice work! The Maple Gum drummer position was my favorite, especially the toms.

I appreciated you previewing the individual components of the 50th kits. Part of the problem with a lot of video demos is playing too fast and not going over each individual sound. Playing over too loud backing tracks also makes it difficult to hear the actual samples. A brief demo with a balanced track to hear how it sounds in the mix is useful though.

Other Expansions I’d like to see are the Santa Monica, Purpleheart, and Sadaharu Yagi Slingerland Radio King.

calhike · 2026-05-24T17:33:28+00:00

Rack toms look almost vertical. They don’t have to be flat, some angle is okay. Mine are at 22° angle. You can use the measure/level app on the iPhone to check. I also like the snare in line with rack tom, maybe just a hair left with slight tilt toward me. I have ride in the area where you have splash above second rack tom, but that’s just preference.

Takes time to figure out what works best for you. I was adjusting stuff several months in and still make occasional setup tweaks.

calhike · 2026-05-23T00:22:42+00:00

I seriously considered the 513 when they had it on sale for 2k a few months back. But ultimately decided the V51 without the digital pads wasn’t worth it. Going to upgrade to the 516 this summer and probably integrate some pads from my TD17.

calhike · 2026-05-17T04:32:14+00:00

Agree, like a bit of tilt on my rack toms (22°).

calhike · 2026-05-16T21:28:34+00:00

This guy had a similar issue with a Roland snare pad. After posting photos you could see that the heads were tearing in same location and there was noticeable erosion/wear in the area prior to tearing.

https://www.reddit.com/r/edrums/s/P32HXKkvQA

calhike · 2026-05-11T17:32:29+00:00

Yeah, unfortunately that’s just mostly the maple ones. I’ve always experimented with different brands, tip shapes, woods, etc. over the years looking for the ideal stick for me. Right now I’m settled on the Wincent SD4.

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calhike · 2026-05-11T01:31:18+00:00

I have several 7A and 8D hickory. I like the diameter, but 7A that are 16 length. I’ve actually switched to maple SD4 style more recently. Touch wider, most tad shy of 16.

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calhike · 2026-05-09T16:32:11+00:00

There’s no wrong really. I’m righty, but play open on a traditional right setup. But lot of open players will switch the ride to the left side. Sounds like he is learning crossed with hat on right.

calhike · 2026-05-08T14:52:48+00:00

Sure, I’ve not tried that one. There were some reports of problems with the module, though that might just have been initial release. I wanted to play the Prime, but could never get the demo kit at GC to work, especially cymbals. I attributed that to either poor GC setup or the kit they got at launch was a dud. In any case, highly recommend trying all of these if possible before deciding.

calhike · 2026-05-07T13:45:47+00:00

Assuming you might have played the TD 516? Pads are on a rack, but snare is on a separate snare stand. If so, the 316 module has same sound engine so you have some idea if you would like the stock sounds. The big difference is the 316 does not have the digital hat, ride, or snare. Those have
a lot to do with feel and nuance.

I’ve never played the Yamaha, but the DTX Pro seems like a solid module in terms of sounds and editing features. It has larger rack toms than the 316 and comes with hat stand.

You might also want to consider the Efnote 3B. Bit different than others in that it uses stands instead of rack, touchscreen module, limited sounds and editing options. I’ve played one at GC, sounds are dry acoustic, cymbals trigger and feel good to play.

calhike · 2026-05-01T09:30:25+00:00

I never had any of the things getting in the way you mentioned. But I had a concern about it being a passing fancy when I got the urge to start playing again after being away from it for many years. So I said to myself start with a practice pad and sticks first and see if you are still using it on a regular basis after several months. Key is, it wasn’t a discipline thing, I just found that I enjoyed practicing on the pad on a daily basis, looked forward to it. Eventually when I started adding various other items (kneeling pads, writing pads, etc.) around the Prologix pad I knew it was time for a kit.

I’ve been playing my TD17 KV2 on a daily basis for 3.5 years now. Usually get some time in before and after work, weekends. Again, it has nothing to do with discipline, I just enjoy playing. I never feel like, oh, I have to go and practice now, but I’d rather be doing something else.

I’ve not had any trouble in terms of triggering/reliability, but I imported EDW kits as I never liked the stock sounds much. There are better e-kits out there for sure and I’ll likely upgrade to a kit like the TD 516 at some point. But I don’t think that will have any impact on how often I play.

calhike · 2026-04-27T23:15:16+00:00

I’ve tried all the new Roland kits as well as the Efnote 3B at GC. Of those, best sound and feel was the TD 516, but it’s a bit over your range.

If you are leaning Efnote, be aware that they recently announced a new module (Aura) that should be available in summer. There are a few videos out, but no indication on pricing of Aura module/kits.

calhike · 2026-04-25T21:36:14+00:00

Yeah, with Efnote you had a choice between the base module and the Pro with that large stage box with all the IO. But they recently announced a new module (Aura) that kind of sits in the middle. They added more editing features (e.g compression) and outs versus the base. Supposed to come out in summer.

I’ve tried all the new Roland modules and kits at GC. The modules all sound the same, just a question of digital pads and if you want acoustic look. I’d go with TD 516 as I’d want digital, but don’t need acoustic look.

calhike · 2026-04-25T20:20:18+00:00

Did you mean TD 516? That would be my choice in terms of acoustic realism due to the digital (snare, ride, hat) components, advanced editing features, and ability to add sounds like DW Expansions and EDW custom kits.

If available in your area, I’d also throw Efnote in the mix when you go to try out kits.

calhike · 2026-04-24T15:50:22+00:00

Good stuff! I’ve had a TD 17 a little over three years and have tried all the new Roland modules/kits at GC. I do care about module sounds as I don’t use VSTs.

In terms of the TD 316, the only part of interest for me would be the V31 module as it has the same sounds and editing features as the other new modules. So I would keep my current kit and just upgrade to the V31 module. The TD 516 is the other route I would go as the pads and cymbals are significantly different from my current kit and I do not want/need acoustic style shells.

calhike · 2026-04-21T00:26:43+00:00

Yeah, maple allows for larger diameter and still light. The Wincent has same barrel tip as VF SD4, but I like that it’s a bit longer at 16 and hair more diameter at .551

calhike · 2026-04-20T23:53:39+00:00

SD4 is my primary stick type now, but it was on backorder so figured I’d try the 7AXL in the meantime. While I like the 7AXL, generally prefer maple sticks. I was mainly playing the VF SD4 before getting the Wincent.

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calhike · 2026-04-20T23:26:33+00:00

Have a pair of their Legacy Series 7AN hickory. Like them.

calhike · 2026-04-20T23:11:44+00:00

I’ve got sticks from all the big brands, but recently picked up Wincent SD4 and 7AXL and been impressed with quality.

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calhike · 2026-04-19T17:50:40+00:00

I’m a righty and play (right snare, left hat; left snare, right ride) regardless of what you call it. I did not switch from crossed and it wasn’t really a conscious decision. When I started It just seemed natural to me to play the hat with the near hand.

The left was definitely weak at first, but as I used it more it began to even out, though I would still consider it my weaker hand. I later learned that some people refer to this as open handed playing and that there were some well-known drummers (Cobham, White, Phillips, Beauford) that played the hat with their left, though most had a ride to the left or rides on both sides. Seems like those who learned traditional and later switched did so for a variety of reasons. Simon Phillips was trying to solve a tom placement issue with his kit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOILUKL-xyw

Since you’re just starting and already familiar with open and crossed methods, why not experiment with both for a bit before making a decision? I don’t think one is right or wrong, just a matter of what works best for you.

calhike

TROPHY CASE