David Peraldo
New Member
On a few country songs with the train beat I love using the big monster brushes and loosening the snare wires a bit for that big fat sound.
Those are sweet. Kinda like an old friend.Regal tip 583r. If you can find them buy them. I scoured the internet a few months and bought as many as i could find/afford. I might have a dozen pairs which should last about a dozen years if/when we get back to it...
Me too!Regal Tip Ed Thigpen are perfect for me.
I like the partial wood handle and medium weight.
Yep, that old white handle brush was VF first venture into brushes. I remember mine getting stuck all the time and I would have to whip the whole brush to get them unstuck. One day, BAM! wires all over the drums! I contacted VF and they sent me another pair. But over time, they stuck too. I switched back to Regal Tip. I think VF corrected that problem a few years later and now they make some very fine product.I was reminded while listening to some Pentangle yesterday that I should probably take another stab at really learning to play with brushes.
I was never very happy with my old set — a pair of Vic Firth retractable ones with white knurled plastic handles. They were always getting stuck. Lucky for me, the black rubber inside them literally melted into a sticky viscous goo a few years ago (and ruined my whole stick bag in the process), so I’m in the market for a new pair.
What do you guys recommend?
Those white handled brushes used to known as The Buddy Rich model.Yep, that old white handle brush was VF first venture into brushes. I remember mine getting stuck all the time and I would have to whip the whole brush to get them unstuck. One day, BAM! wires all over the drums! I contacted VF and they sent me another pair. But over time, they stuck too. I switched back to Regal Tip. I think VF corrected that problem a few years later and now they make some very fine product.
I have both VF which are Livewire model, very stiff have metal beads welded to end of each wire. Actually they are similar to playing 5 A sticks or rods with their bounce. They are almost to loud in some instances so my recommendation is to stay away from them unless you need big time definition. Personally I prefer a “medium wire” and the Promark TB 5 is one of the nicest. The cushioned shaft is thicker than VF and I actually them more controllable. They are still stiff enough to work nicely on cymbals but soft enough in sound. Promark also has a TB6 stiff wire. As I live in Canada i’m going to try Headhunter product which offers two models.. Jazz and Rock. I can phone them directly to get their recommendation and place an order.I was reminded while listening to some Pentangle yesterday that I should probably take another stab at really learning to play with brushes.
I was never very happy with my old set — a pair of Vic Firth retractable ones with white knurled plastic handles. They were always getting stuck. Lucky for me, the black rubber inside them literally melted into a sticky viscous goo a few years ago (and ruined my whole stick bag in the process), so I’m in the market for a new pair.
What do you guys recommend?
Regal Tip is selling direct now, so you can get them off their web site. They also offer free shipping if your purchase exceeds some dollar threshold. I forget the threshold, but it is either $100 or $120 if my memory serves me.I use Regal Tip's Ed Thigpen Model. It's a hybrid handle of wood and plastic. These retract and the wire is very warm on my flat ride and drums. I played Steve Gadd's bent wire brush and Jeff Hamiltons heavier models and those are okay too. But these Thigpens are very comfortable. I also like the Clayton Cameron's, but I can't find mine and I think they are out of production. They were nice too.