Vic Firth unveils new sticks and more

Vic Firth has showcased a wide range of new drumsticks, beaters, mallets, stick bags and more. First up, there are five new Modern Jazz Collection models, which were developed collaboratively with drummers including Jeff Ballard, Greg Hutchinson, Joe McCarthy and Lewis Nash. Specs are as follows:

MJC1 – A slightly elongated 55A shaft with a medium taper and oval tip. The thicker diameter helps deliver a little more weight and emphasis to the ride cymbal.

MJC2 – Slightly thinner than the 5A with an extra long taper for unbelievable response and playability. Elongated arrow tip provides a broad surface area, perfect for pulling lots of complex overtones out of the cymbals.

MJC3 – An 8D shaft with a little extra length for a great up-front feel. Well-balanced with a medium taper, proportionate neck and oval tip.

MJC4 – The unmistakable sound and feel of maple! A 5B diameter with a long taper for great rebound. Small barrel tip provides a focused cymbal sound.

MJC5 – An 8D shaft with a medium taper for great balance. Unique nylon tip marries elements of a barrel and an oval, for bright and well-defined cymbal sounds.

There are also all new Cajon beaters from Vic Firth, which have been designed with functionality and musicality as top priorities. There are two models: The Cajon Bru-llet marries elements of a brush and a mallet to brilliantly translate both slap and bass tones to the Cajon, and the VKB4 Cajon has a spherical foam rubber head that produces a warm, full bass tone on Cajon with just the right amount of attack.

Next up, we have the new Artist Milestone limited edition sticks. There’s a Buddy Rick signature stick available in wood and nylon tip, and a Carmine Appice signature stick, which is dipped in black. Vic Firth is releasing these limited edition products to celebrating Buddy’s 100th birthday and Carmine’s 50-year career in the recording industry.

There are two new artist signature model updates from the brand as well. Originally released in 2011, Gavin Harrison’s signature stick is designed to stand up to his incredible stylistic versatility behind the kit. The updated model features a royal blue matte paint in the gripping area.

A founding member of Dave Matthews Band and truly one of the best-known drummers in the world, Carter Beauford brought his immense talent to Vic Firth five years ago in search of the perfect pair. This update sees the stick offer a natural grip rather than the original Vic Grip coating.

Next on the list of announcements, Vic Firth has unveiled a new Red Essentials Stick Bag. A limited edition product in 2016, the bag will now have a permanent home in the brand’s catalogue. Finally, there are some new mallets on offer form Vic Firth, including two new signature keyboard mallets: the Rusty Burge signature vibraphone, and the Ed Saindon signature vibraphone.

As well as this, there are new Iain Moyer Corpmaster multi-tonal mallets in various sizes for marimba and vibraphone ranging from medium-soft to very hard.