Vic Firth Rute 505

I use these almost exclusively with my acoustic folk band. We are all amplified so I don't need to play overly quiet but I do need to play a bit softer. These are perfect for The band. They are not as loud as sticks but louder than wire brushes. I can do almost anything with these that I can do with sticks and they sound great! The rubber ring will come off and I loose them. I use a rubber band or just play without it. They still play okay without the ring. I also perform with my electric blues band. We play alot of "heavy" blues like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Hendrix. So I play much harder with this band and usually use sticks but I have used these at practice to see if they would work for a smaller indoor venue. They sound good. I do generally still prefer sticks. You can't get a good buzz role or drag with these. There is very little rebound. But if you have good technique, especially the Moeller technique, you can still get some decent doubles, accents, ghost notes, etc... You are not going to get a perfect substitute for drum sticks but, for me, these are close. They are durable and feel good in my hands.

I bought these as an alternative to hot rods wooden dowel rutes. The Vic Firth 505's are much more than a volume reducer-- they provide artistic musical options as well. But if you are also looking for an alternative to easily broken wooden dowels, here's what I have found: -Noise reduction is not quite as significant as the wood dowels are, but does provide adequate performance in this regard. You can play them as as soft, but you can also pull more volume from these sticks then you will get from wooden rutes. -Stick definition (particularly on cymbals) is much better in comparison to the wooden dowels. -Durability. This is the reason to buy these if you're solely looking for volume reduction. I've played pretty hard with these, and while the plastic does show some wear, they don't snap in half like the wooden counterparts do. For roughly the same price, you'll get a much longer life. -Playability is pretty nice, the grip is solid and robust. But do be aware that there is a certain amount of "give" in the bending of the plastic rods that is a noticeable attribute of the 505's. To a musician, the volume reduction and durability is the side story of the 505's. In fact the versatility and unique sounds that can be produced are truly the real strengths of their design. The durability and volume control are simply added positives.

Great for acoustic performances that are low volume, but still need a little more intensity than brushes. Also, excellent durability!

If you play a little hard the bundles will slide out of the handle

Feels like my hand is in the rebound zone way before these even contact the skin at the initial hit. Though they appear a lot more durable and definitely out last my wood rods. But unfavorably there is some lag time involved when playing. They are nice to play to a quiet tone. At times (many) they also catch the side of cymbals in between the rods when playing, especially the hi-hats.

Excellent to use for either practice or if your hands are arthritic.

Im not prone to write reviews..but this purchase really pissed me off...I waited anxiously, for a set of sticks,that I paid more for because of the Brand name...so many reviews, like''great sticks..feels great..etc'' I was hopeful that I had found a solution for a quieter way to practice...Heres all I have to say..the were ridiculously light,it felt like ''trying to play'' with a hand full of soda straws...and heres a fact NOBODY mentioned.....They have ABSOLUTELY NO REBOUND...impossible to do a double stroke..and a roll,forget it!...absolutely flat..no response whatsoever. Save yourself the wondering...There IS NO QUIET STICK..play loud play proud or go home.

Great sound for low-volume playing. I have the Vic Firth Jazz Rakes for ultra-quiet and soft playing. Have wooden hot rods for medium-volume playing. These are a little quieter than wooden hot rods but feel and sound much more like a "stick" than the jazz rakes. Sound is great, handle feels nice, the tips do "flop" some though and occasionally i find them getting stuck between my hi-hats. Overall great compromise between brushes and hot-rods.

Queste bacchette sono state un acquisto fantastico! Ottima impugnatura, molto resistenti ed efficienti per i vari stili musicali da suonare.

Very good quality, very fast delivery (after week i received this product). I recommend this product to every drummer. Good

Increíbles, las compré para reducir el volumen y así no molestar a los vecinos y dio resultado, ademas hacen que suene elegante el golpe, son para jazz

De bonnes baguettes pour la batterie mais le prix n'est pas fortement très concurrentiel.

Excelente producto