Best Drumsticks for Electronic Drums – 2021 Top Picks Reviewed

| Last Updated: December 27, 2021

There are many types of drumsticks out there that are suitable for use on many kinds of drums and applications.

What is of most interest to us in this review are those drumsticks that are more suitable for mesh heads.

These are the types of drum heads used in electronic drums.

Are All Drumsticks the Same?

All drumsticks are made pretty much in the same fashion and may look,exactly the same. There are some differences where there are color variations and where different types of materials are used in the manufacturing process. But there are subtle differences in the length and thickness of the drumsticks.

The first difference will be the weight of the drumstick, where the heavier ones will be more suitable for heavier music types. Lighter drumsticks are much more adaptable to lighter music styles and also for practicing purposes. The lighter drumsticks are also easier on the wrists so that you can play longer.

The next difference will be the length of the different drumsticks that may differ quite notably in length, as well as weight. This may cause the drumstick to feel heavier at the shoulder for a more aggressive attack. The length may also influence the reach and the response on the drum head.  

There are many different sizes available in drumsticks, and these are all numbered  ranging from two to seven. The lower numbered drumsticks are heavier than the larger numbers. The letters involved with the identification numbers indicate a different thickness.

How Do I Choose Drumsticks?

For the beginner, it is always better to start out with a lighter drumstick until you have mastered your style of playing. The thickness of the drumstick will affect the overall weight of the drumstick. The different weights of drumsticks are also more suitable in different music styles.

As mentioned before, all drumsticks are identified in numbers that are printed on the side of the drumsticks. These numbers will determine what the weight of the drumsticks are as well as the thickness. Different weights of drumsticks can be used in various applications.

The heavier drumsticks, like the twos, are more suitable for use in music styles, such as metal and rock styles. The lighter sticks that are in the range of six and seven are more suitable for softer drumming styles. These softer styles are jazz and blues and even for classical music playing.

The middle numbers are more suitable for medium-hard drumming and are also usable in other styles. The medium-weight drumsticks are ideal for both soft and harder playing music styles. For beginners, it is also good to get a 5A or 5B weight of drumstick while they are determining their own style and preferences.

Comparison of the Best Drumsticks for Electronic Drums

IMAGEPRODUCT
  • These long reach drum sticks are suitable for many styles of drumming
  • The colors give it a positive aesthetic look
  • It is manufactured to straight and keep 100 percent straight for long
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  • Theses drumsticks are manufactured and finished to a smooth finish
  • They are lightweight and well balanced for a clear tone
  • You get the classic feel from these nice looking drumsticks
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  • Best for the money
  • These drumsticks are specially designed to be used on electronic drums
  • The long taper design helps to give a clear tone on the mesh heads
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  • These drumsticks are tone and pitch tested to precision
  • The tip is heavier for a fast attack and response on your drums
  • It is sanded to a smooth and fine quality
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  • The lightweight design of these drumsticks makes it perfect for smaller hands
  • You get a well-balanced stick that feels very comfortable
  • The absorption technology is built-in the back end
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Review of the Best Drumsticks For Electronic Drums

In this review, we will take a closer look at the drumsticks that are more suitable for use on electronic drums.

Best Overall:
Zildjian 5B Nylon Black Drumsticks

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PROS

  • A full-size oval tip for a much better tone
  • These drum sticks are made with a long reach capability
  • The drum sticks are quite sturdy and very comfortable to use
  • Made from hickory wood for long-lasting durability and power
  • It is lightweight and still strong enough to withstand the hammering

CONS

  • A high price tag
  • The nylon tips snag on the mesh
  • Black marks on the head because of painted tips

What Recent Buyers Report

These drum sticks are very pretty, and the name of the company is a respected and well-known name brand. They are quite sturdy and very comfortable to use and are light enough to be used by anyone. It feels great in your hand and feels overall comfortable to use.

Why it Stands Out to Us

These Zildjian drumsticks are made from high-quality materials to make them sturdy and quite comfortable when used for drumming. The teardrop bead of this drum stick will help to produce a much clearer overall tone. The 5B profile is designed to give you better balance and improved response for the stick.

Who Will Use This Most

These drumsticks are quite suitable to be used for the beginner and the expert drummer with the long-familiar stretch. The nylon tips suggest that it is suitable to be used with electronic drum mesh heads. And on top of that, it can be used in a variety of styles and applications.

Bottom Line

Though the aesthetics of these drumsticks are quite good looking and eye-catching, the painted tips still color your drum head. That said, it is still a very good quality drumstick that will last for a long time. You get great value to make up for the high price point.

Runner-up:
LA Special 5B Hickory Drumstick From Promark

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PROS

  • A low price tag is attached to these drumsticks
  • Made from hickory wood for a much better flexibility
  • Three pairs of drumsticks are included with this purchase
  • Nylon tips are included with these drumsticks for use on electronic drums
  • These drumsticks are made from high-quality materials for a reasonable strength

CONS

  • Lower-end craftsmanship
  • The drumsticks are not meant for heavy use

What Recent Buyers Report

If you are low on budget and need some drumsticks, this is the perfect set of sticks to buy as a backup set. The drumsticks are smooth and well made and are also not too heavy for beginners. These drumsticks are great to be used for practice and for backup.

Why it Stands Out to Us

These drumsticks come at quite a low price point, and you get three sets of drumsticks in one purchase. They have quite a reasonable quality to them and balanced out to be used for many types of applications. The nylon tips are suitable for use on electronic drum sets.

Who Will Use This Most

The LA Specials are suitable for use with most types of music styles and great to have in your backup kit. It can be easily used for entry-level drummers, as well as for professional players. The 5B profile makes it perfect to use by most drummers for a variant of styles.

Bottom Line

The quality you get for the low price point makes up for the shortcomings of these drumsticks, and you pay less. This is not a heavy-duty set of drumsticks that can be used for heavy music styles. But they are quite suitable for beginner drummers and for light styles.

Best for the Money:
American Classic eStick From Vic Firth

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PROS

  • Wood tips are used for more surface area
  • It is made from high-quality hickory wood, great resilience
  • They are well designed and manufactured to be very durable
  • You have quite a long reach with these drumsticks for easy use
  • You have a well-balanced set of drumsticks with these Vic Firths

CONS

  • Only great for mesh and rubber pad

What Recent Buyers Report

These drumsticks from Vic Firth are great to be used on rubber pads, as well as for mesh heads of electronic drums. You have a nice feel in your hands when used with electronic drum heads. These drumsticks feel quite natural in your hand, and they are very well balanced.

Why it Stands Out to Us

The round wider wood tips of these drumsticks give you more service area for a much warmer tone. The more tapered and lighter shoulder allows for a lighter stick and a better feel on mesh heads. You have a much better resilience from the material it is made of.

Who Will Use This Most

This eStick form Vic Firth can be used by professionals, and it is light enough for use by entry-level drummers as well. It is suitable and designed to be played on the mesh head of electronic drums. It can also be used on rubber pads for practicing and for warming up.

Bottom Line

Even if there is a high price tag attached to these drumsticks, you get great value for your money. This is a good investment in your drumming career and can be used for a lifetime of drumming pleasure. Overall this is a great value for your money for every drum player out there.

4. Vater 5A Nylon Tip Drumsticks

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PROS

  • It is made from good quality materials to last longer
  • Nylon tips are used for better mesh head drumming
  • These drumsticks are well balanced for easier use
  • You have high moisture content in the wood for durability
  • These Vater drumsticks give you that classic drumstick feel

CONS

  • You have some stick vibration
  • Not at true weight as indicated
  • Not easy to use on mesh heads

What Recent Buyers Report

The drumsticks from Vater are really very durable and feels great in your hands. These drumsticks are made to be used for heavy use and hard-hitting music beats. They are very nice and well-balanced drumsticks that can take a hammering.

Why it Stands Out to Us

The drumsticks are made with high moisture content in the wood to help the sticks last much longer for better service. The nylon tips attached makes it perfect for use on mesh heads. The heavy tip allows for faster attack and response on the drum heads.

Who Will Use This Most

The weight and the well-balanced body of the sticks make it perfect to be used by entry-level drummers. It is also ideal for professional drummers who love to play hard and strong. These drumsticks are a perfect all-rounder that can be used with many different applications.

Bottom Line

At the price you pay for these drumsticks, you would not expect to get such great quality and performance. These nice-looking and eye-catching drumsticks will be a favorable stick for everyday use and for practicing. This is an overall great quality set of drumsticks that should be in the stick bag of every drummer.

5. Zildjian 7A Anti-Vibe Drumsticks

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PROS

  • It is designed to be very comfortable in your hands
  • You get a drumstick that falls easy on the drum head
  • These drumsticks have nylon tips for use on mesh heads
  • The lightweight design makes it not too heavy on the wrists
  • An anti-vibrating technology is used with the manufacturing of these drumsticks

CONS

  • Rubber parts can get lost
  • A high price tag attached
  • You do not have a tight grip on the sticks

What Recent Buyers Report

These drumsticks are very comfortable to be used for small hands, and the weight makes it easy to use for drumming. The drumsticks are perfect for use with an electronic drum set on the mesh head. The anti-vibration feature is nice and helps to keep the sticks still in your hands.

Why it Stands Out to Us

The shock-absorbing feature of these drumsticks makes a very comfortable stick to use on mesh heads and rubber pads. These drumsticks are well designed and well balanced and are very easy on the wrists. This helps not to tire out the wrists so you can keep on playing for longer.

Who Will Use This Most

This 7A profile makes the drumsticks quite light and makes it perfect to be used with smaller hands. It is also very suitable for use by entry-level drum players, as well as for professionals. This is a good lightweight drumstick that can be used by light types of musicians.

Bottom Line

You get a high-quality drumstick with a few extra features that will make quite a difference in your style. It is suitable for many different musical applications by many types of drum players. The anti-vibrating feature of these drumsticks helps to protect your wrists from overtiring too much.

Advantages of Investing in Quality Drumsticks

There are a number of advantages when purchasing a set of drumsticks to put your money down on a good quality set.

  • A good quality drumstick will, in the first place, last much longer than the lower quality sets of drumsticks. When you start with a set of drumsticks, you should preferably have a set that will not tire your hands too easily. It must also feel comfortable in your hands.

  • The type of music you start out playing and the type you eventually settle on after mastering the drums is never the same. In most cases, you will settle down with the type of music that feels comfortable for you to play with. To get the right set of drumsticks at the beginning is not possible.

  • It is a good practice to get yourself two or three different sizes of drumsticks to practice with. The best way to go is to get one set of three weight categories, like heavy, medium, and lightweight drumsticks.

  • Also, invest your money in good quality brand names that are well known in music circles. This is always a safe way to go when buying drumsticks for the future.

Conclusion

Always remember to invest in a good quality set of drumsticks that will suit your physical characteristics. A comfortable set of drumsticks will go a long way in your drumming career. For best results, always test out a couple of drum sets in-shop before you make a final decision.

People Also Ask

There are always a couple of last-minute questions you need answering before you commit yourself to a choice. It is very important to get answers to these questions so you can make an informed decision. So let us look at some of these nagging questions to ease your mind.

Do You Need Special Drumsticks For Electronic Drums?

In the first instance, you should never use old sticks or sticks with damaged tips on electronic drums. You should use nylon tipped drumsticks with electronic drums, the reason is that it dents the tip, and wood will leave wood dust because the mesh head of the electronic drum has small holes in it.

What is the Difference Between Nylon and Wood Tip Drumsticks?

Nylon tips sound brighter on the symbols and clearer on the mesh head of an electronic drum. The wood tips have a darker and moodier sound, and they are more consistent in tone. But it all depends on your personal taste, so it is always better to try out first.



Hi there, my name is Craig. I took over Gear Savvy in mid-2019 and have had a blast writing content about music ever since. My role here is to steer the ship and ensure readers have the best information available for learning a thing or two. When I’m not working on content, I’m a husband and a dad. I enjoy spending time with my family, playing guitar, or messing around in my woodshop.