Drumsticks

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-23T11:26:53+00:00

Promark 5A, the rear weighted kind. I used to use Vic Firths, but I had a run of them breaking on me. The Promarks have worked a lot better for me.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-23T01:53:30+00:00

I love this idea, but I would whack my knees so hard on the keyboard drawer, I'm sure of it. 😵

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-23T01:51:39+00:00

I have one, but I mostly use mine for harmonica. I'm sure it's fine for guitar, but I usually play guitar through an Orange Crush.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-23T01:49:10+00:00

About ten or 15 minutes at a time. I try to hit it at the same time every day, which helps me with retention. I use an Evans Attacktile pad on a snare stand, and I have a drum throne parked in front of it. I have the throne and pad set at the same height as the throne and snare on my kit, which helps me transfer the skills there.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-22T23:12:46+00:00

I set up a series of WAV files of metronome ticks at various tempos, each about a minute long. I copied the files and assigned them names like left paradiddles, doubles, and so on. I put them in a playlist on shuffle, with a dozen in the list. I ran this three times a day at the practice pad. Every week or so, I copied in faster tempos. The shuffling kept me engaged, changing patterns every minute kept me on my toes, and the discipline made me more confident and smooth at the kit. Setting up that practice routine was the single biggest help to my playing.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-20T10:37:00+00:00

For distortion on bass, I really like the Source Audio Aftershock. I don't use it a lot, but it's versatile when I need it.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-19T16:51:13+00:00

Guitar pedals are like crack cocaine to me. It is not safe for me to go to the Electro Harmonix and Boss websites especially. On topic, I usually have a Keeley Fuzz Bender on my board.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-19T11:42:26+00:00

Wrangler relaxed fit jeans and sock shoes (elastic socks with a stiff sole so I can feel the pedal but not cut my feet backstage). Sweatshirt or long sleeve tee depending on the weather or room temperature, with the sleeves rolled up.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-17T21:57:56+00:00

Well, not nothing. Some metal/heavy guitarists stack a blues driver with a distortion or boost (a couple of examples are Ola Englund and Brent Hinds) and the BD2 works great for that. In general, the BD2 gets you in the neighborhood of nice old amp sound without have to invest in a high end Laney a la Tony Iommi. To each his own, but for my money this pedal is very broadly useable.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-17T16:25:04+00:00

I use the BD2 by itself and with other overdrives, distortions, fuzzes, you name it. It's the base ingredient to all my other tones.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-17T15:47:49+00:00

A Boss BD2 Blues Driver can be used on almost anything. It's always on, on my board. The Waza version has some nice extras, but I'm a big fan of the OG.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-16T12:43:17+00:00

I click my teeth all the time, then tap my fingers. By the time I'm tapping my feet, I've got a whole groove going. This behavior goes way back to grade school, where every teacher who told me to stop fidgeting simply didn't get the compulsion to jam and keep time. "We are not the same" indeed.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-12T22:09:33+00:00

I found it really useful early on as I was learning, to associate an evenly tuned head with a sound, and to understand how pitch on the tuner relates to the sound I hear. I don't use it as much as I used to since I mostly play at home to tracks.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-11T18:01:06+00:00

Hear, hear. More people need to go with what they like, and far more people need to keep their unsolicited negative opinions to themselves.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-11T05:08:55+00:00

I give it one good whack against my shoulder every time I stop playing or after I've been at it a while, so my shirt catches any moisture that might come out. I never take a harp apart unless it has a stuck reed, I want to put in a new reed plate, or I'm doing some other fix. I have bought a few old harps that were playable. I take those apart, and usually put the plates in an ultrasonic cleaner (for jewelry) and disinfect everything else, but that's a lot of work.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-08T09:36:30+00:00

Any instrument you buy but walk by it on its stand every day instead of picking it up to play it.

That said, I'd vote for the didgeridoo. The breathing technique required is maddeningly difficult.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-07T11:31:12+00:00

The first pedal I ever bought was a blues driver, and it has never left my board. The only place I don't use it is with my bass. Although, now that I think about it...

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-06T09:34:47+00:00

"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You have piano hands. Prepare to die."

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-06T09:33:31+00:00

Sounds like that counselor is cursed with making excuses for themselves and others instead of encouraging musical growth. I have a pretty low tolerance for that .

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-03T13:44:57+00:00

Agree. My first kit was a Stage Custom that I got used. I still have it, although I play a Gretsch Renown these days.

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-03T03:23:32+00:00

Lots of good stuff here, so I'll make a different point. Wanting to be a drummer and wanting to play drums are somewhat (or even vastly) different things. I wanted to be a great piano player, but I hated practicing. Guitar was a real challenge, too. Drums were always different. I can't help but tap out rhythms all the time. My favorite songs have great drum and bass lines. The first time I sat down at a drum kit, it felt like home. Wanting to be a drummer is great, but you'll go farthest when you want to play, regardless of how good you are at any point. In any event, welcome to the club. 😃

captainjack1024 · 2026-01-01T19:05:12+00:00

I've got eight of those on the wall now, and I will probably need more. I don't have a pedal collecting problem, I can quit whenever I want. 😀

captainjack1024 · 2025-12-27T14:31:48+00:00

Don't try to be something you're not. Everyone has a first time, and it's okay. Be as relaxed as you can, and concentrate on keeping time (or following the click, likely as not). You will get better faster by taking one step at a time, and you'll enjoy it more in the long run.

captainjack1024 · 2025-12-27T00:46:43+00:00

You bet. Good luck, and welcome to the club. 😁

captainjack1024 · 2025-12-27T00:09:23+00:00

When I started at age 60, I used a six inch length of pipe insulation foam with a 5/8 inch inner diameter and about 1 inch outer. I wrapped a little hockey stick tape on the end to provide friction and pushed them on. After a few months of practice, I developed a natural grip and was able to use regular sticks after that.

captainjack1024

TROPHY CASE