Thanks! I was trying to remember when I first got them. That was about the time I was being introduced to Buddy Rich, but early details are a little fuzzy in my brain! I do also have a couple of pairs of the 15A's, minus the BR label, from after his contract lapsed.
@@jevan1994 Buddy first used Slingerland from around 1939 to 1945. He then went back to Ludwig/WFL until 1959. Rogers from 1959-1966. Trixon/Vox and Fibes during 1967 then back to Slingerland until 1978, when he returned to Ludwig. He played the restored 40s Radio Kings from 1983 until he died in 1987. If you add up the years, it’s nowhere near 99%.
A lot of drummers dont know that MR BUDDY RICH himself wrote the book on Modern Day Drum Rudiments . This was around 1941 ( dont remember the exact date ) Ehst he did for us 80 + years ago is still used today , except for a few more rudiments that have been added to his. . THANKS BUDDY. RIP
I've still have a couple of pairs of Buddy rich slingerland sticks , i did get a pair of the Vic Firth ones , as soon as i tried them out , i could never get use to them just to heavy for jazz, maybe, ok for rock drumming , really couldn't see Buddy using this type of stick .
I used to have some of those as well! A very nice stick. Per the comment below, the Bopworks R&B stick is _very_ close to the Ludwig one. I've got several pairs of those now, and they've supplanted the VF Peter Erskine model as my go-to stick. Thanks for watching!
yes i think it all depends on what grip you use I've always used traditional grip , perhaps the Vic Firth ones would suite match grip better , i did fill a bit let down when i got them , I'll have to try the Bopworks R&B out , Thanks for the info . @@fepatton
When I saw the Buddy Rich band in at Basin Street West in San Francisco, I went up on the bandstand with a bunch of other high school drummers and 'borrowed' several pair of his sticks after the show. There must have been 20 or 30 extra pairs of sticks in a pouch mounted on the second floor tom. The sticks had a noticeably unusual shape: They were tapered down maybe 1/8" or so where the stick would lay between the base of the left hand thumb and first finger (and on the right hand where the stick would be gripped between the tip of the thumb and the first finger) - and then were tapered back up again to the original stick thickness for the rest of the stick length. Wish I still had a few pair, but they are long gone. I have a very clear memory of this, but have never seen this design duplicated. The sticks (of course) had his name on them.
YOU ARE CORRECT. For a little while MR. RICH used an oddly shaped stick using the 15A as a base but they were modified. If my memory is correct, Only his left hand stick was like this. I became friends with MR Rich in 1969 and we stayed in contact USUALLY by phone and sometimes by a short note ( letter ) He did not like to talk about drumming but he loved to talk about SPORTS .
Nice video - very informative! The Bopworks Memphis R&B Model looks exactly the same to me. So if you like the Ludwig 15A, that naturally seems like the way to go. If you want to stay with Vic Firth, the closest stick they make to the 15As are the Matt Garstka Signature Sticks. I use them all the time and love the way they feel!
They are extremely close to the ludwigs that buddy used. The feel in your hands are amazing similar. I have an UNMARKED pr from buddy dating back to the late 1950s
Thanks for an excellent comparison video! I liked the VF Buddy signature sticks when they first came out in about 1990-91 & bought about a dozen pairs. The finish was a white stain covered by clear lacquer. Their current version of their BR model isn't the same & has white paint that flakes & gets over everything. Vater has a “West Side” model that has a light clear lacquer (almost a natural finish), and is very close to the original VF BR signature sticks. I'm definitely going to check out the alternatives mentioned in the comments!
Yes, he used a lot of different models, and of he could play with any sticks, but the first several times I saw him live, which was in the 80’s during his Ludwig contract era, he was using these. If you look up his appearance with the Boston Pops, you can see them quite clearly. As a young, impressionable teen, those became the only sticks for me! But I also remember buying several pairs of, I think, Slingerland Buddy Rich model sticks when I bought my first new set in 1981. They were just normal sticks - nothing to write home about. Thanks for watching!
The London Drumstick Company makes an exact replica of this stick! Based on an original from the late 70's. They're exactly the same. Yeah, wow though the VF and the original are nothing like each other.
I noticed that MANY of the Vic Firth signature model Sticks are not the same as what they are made out to be. I wonder if the DRUMMER allowed V.F to place their names on the sticks but would NOT allow them to produce and sell the exact same same sticks.
I dont know why VIC FIRTH call their model BUDDY RICH signature sticks when they are not even close to the look, feel and weight of Buddies sticks. ..I have 3 prs of buddies sticks. 2 pr used by him and 1 pr NEVER USED by anyone. He gave me all 3 prs. I had the honor of playing with him and his band during a multi show GIG for the USO in the late 1960s. Can u imagine a 19 year old drummer swapping licks with him. ANYWAYS thanks for your comparison . I also have sticks from Louis Bellson, Gene Krupa, Ginger Baker, Charlie Watts , Dino Danelli,Dave Clark, Pete Best and more
I’ve used mostly Vic Firth. Once I was forced to switch away from the BR model, I experimented with several models, and today I use VF’s Peter Erskine model. (The original wood tip. Seems like there are a lot of PE models now.)
The Ludwig sticks came out in around 78, when he switched back to Ludwig drums for the last time.
Thanks! I was trying to remember when I first got them. That was about the time I was being introduced to Buddy Rich, but early details are a little fuzzy in my brain! I do also have a couple of pairs of the 15A's, minus the BR label, from after his contract lapsed.
He actually used Slingerland drums and drumsticks 99% of the time.
@@jevan1994no, not even close
@@thecrippledrummer Yes he actually did. If you look up pictures of him performing, the kick drum will say Slingerland 99% of the time.
@@jevan1994 Buddy first used Slingerland from around 1939 to 1945. He then went back to Ludwig/WFL until 1959. Rogers from 1959-1966. Trixon/Vox and Fibes during 1967 then back to Slingerland until 1978, when he returned to Ludwig. He played the restored 40s Radio Kings from 1983 until he died in 1987. If you add up the years, it’s nowhere near 99%.
A lot of drummers dont know that MR BUDDY RICH himself wrote the book on Modern Day Drum Rudiments . This was around 1941 ( dont remember the exact date ) Ehst he did for us 80 + years ago is still used today , except for a few more rudiments that have been added to his. .
THANKS BUDDY. RIP
I've still have a couple of pairs of Buddy rich slingerland sticks , i did get a pair of the Vic Firth
ones , as soon as i tried them out , i could never get use to them just to heavy for jazz, maybe, ok
for rock drumming , really couldn't see Buddy using this type of stick .
I used to have some of those as well! A very nice stick. Per the comment below, the Bopworks R&B stick is _very_ close to the Ludwig one. I've got several pairs of those now, and they've supplanted the VF Peter Erskine model as my go-to stick. Thanks for watching!
yes i think it all depends on what grip you use I've always used traditional grip , perhaps the Vic Firth ones would suite match grip better , i did fill a bit let down when i got them , I'll have to try the Bopworks R&B out , Thanks for the info . @@fepatton
Thanks for a great video, I agree with you Vic Firth should make a Buddy Rich stick true to the Ludwig model.
When I saw the Buddy Rich band in at Basin Street West in San Francisco, I went up on the bandstand with a bunch of other high school drummers and 'borrowed' several pair of his sticks after the show. There must have been 20 or 30 extra pairs of sticks in a pouch mounted on the second floor tom. The sticks had a noticeably unusual shape: They were tapered down maybe 1/8" or so where the stick would lay between the base of the left hand thumb and first finger (and on the right hand where the stick would be gripped between the tip of the thumb and the first finger) - and then were tapered back up again to the original stick thickness for the rest of the stick length. Wish I still had a few pair, but they are long gone. I have a very clear memory of this, but have never seen this design duplicated. The sticks (of course) had his name on them.
YOU ARE CORRECT. For a little while MR. RICH used an oddly shaped stick using the 15A as a base but they were modified. If my memory is correct, Only his left hand stick was like this. I became friends with MR Rich in 1969 and we stayed in contact USUALLY by phone and sometimes by a short note ( letter )
He did not like to talk about drumming but he loved to talk about SPORTS .
Fred check out Bopworks sticks Memphis R&B Model which was based on the Ludwig Buddy Rich 15A.
Nice video - very informative! The Bopworks Memphis R&B Model looks exactly the same to me. So if you like the Ludwig 15A, that naturally seems like the way to go. If you want to stay with Vic Firth, the closest stick they make to the 15As are the Matt Garstka Signature Sticks. I use them all the time and love the way they feel!
Thanks for the tip! Definitely going to order a pair of those Bopworks sticks. 😄
They are extremely close to the ludwigs that buddy used. The feel in your hands are amazing similar. I have an UNMARKED pr from buddy dating back to the late 1950s
Thanks for an excellent comparison video! I liked the VF Buddy signature sticks when they first came out in about 1990-91 & bought about a dozen pairs. The finish was a white stain covered by clear lacquer. Their current version of their BR model isn't the same & has white paint that flakes & gets over everything. Vater has a “West Side” model that has a light clear lacquer (almost a natural finish), and is very close to the original VF BR signature sticks. I'm definitely going to check out the alternatives mentioned in the comments!
Hey Fred! I know Buddy did play the 15A model from Ludwig but he also played a Pro-Mark 5A according to his daughter.
Yes, he used a lot of different models, and of he could play with any sticks, but the first several times I saw him live, which was in the 80’s during his Ludwig contract era, he was using these. If you look up his appearance with the Boston Pops, you can see them quite clearly. As a young, impressionable teen, those became the only sticks for me! But I also remember buying several pairs of, I think, Slingerland Buddy Rich model sticks when I bought my first new set in 1981. They were just normal sticks - nothing to write home about. Thanks for watching!
Very interesting! I'm not one to buy signature sticks but I had to buy the current VF Buddy sticks. They're so good!
The London Drumstick Company makes an exact replica of this stick! Based on an original from the late 70's. They're exactly the same. Yeah, wow though the VF and the original are nothing like each other.
Cool video!
can you please do this with Stevie Gadd sticks? I had an OLD pair and I swear there were smaller then his Vic Firth ones now!
I noticed that MANY of the Vic Firth signature model Sticks are not the same as what they are made out to be.
I wonder if the DRUMMER allowed V.F to place their names on the sticks but would NOT allow them to produce and sell the exact same same sticks.
I dont know why VIC FIRTH call their model BUDDY RICH signature sticks when they are not even close to the look, feel and weight of Buddies sticks. ..I have 3 prs of buddies sticks. 2 pr used by him and 1 pr NEVER USED by anyone. He gave me all 3 prs. I had the honor of playing with him and his band during a multi show GIG for the USO in the late 1960s. Can u imagine a 19 year old drummer swapping licks with him.
ANYWAYS thanks for your comparison .
I also have sticks from Louis Bellson, Gene Krupa, Ginger Baker, Charlie Watts , Dino Danelli,Dave Clark, Pete Best and more
What a fantastic experience! Thanks for sharing that.
Nice. What other brand drumstick did you used?
I’ve used mostly Vic Firth. Once I was forced to switch away from the BR model, I experimented with several models, and today I use VF’s Peter Erskine model. (The original wood tip. Seems like there are a lot of PE models now.)
@@fepatton Someone once told me Meinl Stick are nice too. But never tried those.
I am a huge buddy rich found myself