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Drumstick Wood Selection
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WHICH WOOD IS THE BEST? There's no single answer. Your choice will depend on personal preference and specific musical requirements. The three most common types of wood used in drumstick manufacturing are American Hickory, Japanese White Oak, and Hard Rock Maple. Other woods sometimes used for drumsticks include birch, ash, rosewood, lancewood, and ebony. AMERICAN HICKORY The most preferred hickory for drumsticks comes from the Southeastern United States. The specific gravity of hickory is 0.82 at 15% moisture content. It is considered to be a "hardwood" even though it is not as dense or heavy as oak. This does not make hickory better or worse than oak. It's just different. That difference becomes a personal preference for the drummer. JAPANESE WHITE OAK (SHIRA KASHI) Grown in the mountainous regions of Japan, this particular specie of oak has a specific gravity of 0.90 at 15% moisture content. It is about 10% heavier than American hickory. Japanese oak, being more dense, is a harder wood which will normally take more wear, tear and punishment. It resists chipping and "wearing soft" when compared to other kinds of wood. Incidentally, Pro-Mark was the first drumstick manufacturer to introduce Japanese Shira Kashi White Oak in to the American Market (1957). Since then, other companies have tried without success to market either American Oak or their version of Japanese Oak (not Shira Kashi). MAPLE Maple is about 10% lighter in weight than hickory. Many drummers like maple because they can have a relatively large diameter stick without the weight that would normally be associated with a larger diameter stick. Maple is much less durable than hickory or oak. |
