There may not look like there’s a whole lot going on between one drumstick and another but the truth is, each and every individual drumstick has its own unique sound and signature…a lot like a fingerprint…and pretty much every serious drummer falls in love with one specific kind of stick and one specific kind of tip sooner rather than later.
Drumsticks with plastic tips are popular because they have a uniform sound all around the tip, have more durability than wooden tips (especially when playing cymbals), and create a brighter sound popular in rock and jazz music.
Let’s dig a little deeper into why drumsticks have plastic tips, what other factors influence the sound that drumsticks make when you use them, and whether or not there are any real drawbacks to using plastic tips as well.
Are Drumsticks With Plastic Tips Popular?
While not all drummers like plastic tips on drumsticks they have gained popularity over time, in large part because manufacturers have been able to improve durability, improve its sound quality, and produce much more consistent sound even when you switch sticks within the same brand.
Let’s dig a little bit deeper into the benefits of plastic (nylon) drumstick tips:
- Longer Lasting
- Brighter Sound
- More Consistent Sound
Longer Lasting
Straight out of the gate the biggest reason manufacturers move away from wooden tips to plastic or nylon tips is because of the durability factor that this engineered material brings to the table.
Plastic tips feature a hollowed-out plastic/nylon material that has been contoured into a couple of different shapes…more on that in just a minute…and then glued directly to the playing end of a drumstick.
The end result is something really strong, really durable, and really reliable…even if you love to wail away on the drums!
Every now and again you’ll get a tip that goes flying off for sure…and I’ll touch on that in a bit, too…but for the most part, plastic tips are a whole lot more durable and less prone to chipping and catastrophic failures.
This durability really shines when it comes to playing cymbals. Wooden tips can ware out unevenly or have chips come off from repeatedly hitting a cymbal. Plastic/nylon tips will hold up much better.
Brighter Sound
Another reason people have fallen in love with drumsticks that have plastic tips is because of their ability to produce a brighter, cleaner kind of sound that is quite distinct from the one produced by wooden drumsticks.
By and large wooden drumsticks (with wooden tips) are going to have a much darker kind of sound even when you are playing different types of drums. There’s a richness there for sure, but there’s also a lot more “mood” than some songs call for.
This darker and softer tone also means that your drum attacks might not stand out as much. That definitive “ping” as you hit the cymbals can be lost or severely lessened…especially as wooden tips start to break down and soften.
With plastic and nylon tips on the drumsticks the sound is a lot brighter, a lot cleaner, and significantly sharper.
More Consistent
Lastly, plenty of folks have moved away from wooden tips…even though they love them…to plastic and nylon tips just because the end result is a lot more consistent from one drumstick to another.
Every serious drummer is going to tell you that you are going to rip through drumsticks, probably faster than you think. This is especially true if you’re spending lots of time practicing and playing loud, aggressive music.
The durability and longevity of these engineered materials exceed what you can expect to get out of even the most well-made wooden drumsticks, but the consistency of sound that you’ll get…especially when you move to a new set of sticks…is off the charts.
Individual wooden drumsticks have their own tone and their own attitude. Plastic and nylon is a pretty “dead” material without a lot of variances, so you know exactly what you’re going to get when you find a brand you really like.
Since plastic and nylon are composite, “man-made” materials, as long as you purchase the same brand of sticks from the same company, the tips will always be uniform and nearly identical to each other. This makes for a very consistent sound.
Stick Tip Shape Matters, Too
Other factors come into play as well, especially the actual stick tip shape that you are working with.
Plastic and nylon materials can be molded into pretty much any configuration imaginable and still produce fantastic results. You have much lower tolerances to play around with when you’re working purely with wood.
Oval – Oval plastic tips are going to have a much larger spectrum of sound that you can play, particularly when you are banging away on your cymbals.
Tear Drop – These are probably the warmest of all the plastic tip shapes you’re going to find, getting you close to traditional wood sounds (though it’s still a little bit off).
Rounded – Rounded or ball style tips are going to produce the cleanest, brightest, and for sure the crispest sounds you’re looking for – really taking advantage of everything the plastic properties have to offer.
Acorn – Acorn-shaped plastic tips are full, really fat, and really rich. You lose a little bit “in translation” compared to wooden tips that are also acorn-shaped, but not that much.
Barrel – Barrel style tips are really well-designed for when you want extra punch and pop, real loud sounds out of your drums, and expect to really wail away on your instrument.
What Are The Negatives To Using Drumsticks With Plastic Tips?
Even though plastic-tipped drumsticks are popular, they do come with some negatives. Unlike wooden tips, if a plastic tip breaks then the entire tip breaks. If this happens there will be a noticeable sound difference. Plastic tips also have a more “pingy” sound that some drummers don’t like.
Plastic tipped drumsticks likely have a place in most any drummers stick bag, if for no other reason than to be able to change your sound on the fly. But they do have some aspects that drummers don’t like:
- Lacking a Natural and Warm Sound
- Heavier Vibration on Cymbals
- Total Tip Failure
Not as Natural or as Warm a Sound
We’ve remarked a couple of times already that the sound you get from plastic is always going to be a little bit off compared to what you’d be expecting from wood.
The difference is a lot less than it ever used to be in the past – but it’s still a difference.
More Vibration on Cymbals
Make no mistake about it, wooden drumstick tips are able to deaden the vibration you create every time you slap your cymbals around in a way that plastic can’t.
You’ll have to find a way to cushion this vibration if you’re looking to work it out of your music with plastic symbols on the ends of your drumsticks.
Higher Potential for Total Tip Failure
Finally, because these tips are glued on and totally separate from the rest of the drumstick body they are always going to be a little weaker than wooden tips that are narrow, but usually still a part of the drumstick itself.
That opens up the potential for catastrophic failures where the tip goes flying off and you’re left with an otherwise fantastic drumstick you can’t use any longer.