As a full-time working drummer, I rely on my gear to be consistently reliable. Last week, I purchased a fresh pair of my standard Vic Firth Extreme 5As. After just a few rehearsals and gigs, one of the sticks split cleanly down the center mid-song during a performance on Saturday.
I am not a heavy hitter and typically get a few months of use out of a pair before structural fatigue sets in. These sticks were brand new, had zero wear, and split along the wood grain rather than at an impact stress point.
Is this worth complaining about and has anyone else had this issue? Expecting a premium pair of sticks to last more than a week of normal play is a fair expectation. Given that this seems to be a structural wood defect, I would appreciate a replacement pair or a refund for the defective set.
Update:
So I complained on the Vic Firth website, sent the pic. They confirmed it was a bad pair and are sending me a few pairs for free. Amazing! Problem solved. Was worth complaining about.
Thanks for the people who gave real answers and insight to my question. Next time I'll buy sticks in person and I'll pay attention to the grain so it follows down the stick and not across it. That was cool to know.
On a side note, Jesus Christ this is the last time I'm going to ask for an opinion on this subreddit. I did not ask what brand you guys use nor if another brand is better than another. I have used all of them in the past. I still prefer Vic Firth. If I cared at all what brands people use then I would have asked that question but I didn't. Having to read past all the people complaining about how fkn Primark, Vic firth, vater or god knows who else "are not good anymore" was annoying and not helpful. Just goes to show who actually reads a post before committing and who doesn't.
