Ahead Lars Ulrich Signature Stick Review

[@Zerozerozero-m9l]

Pros and cons for me: I play metal btw... Pros: - No chipping, breaking, or splintering. I really enjoy not having my kit looking like a sawdust factory. And no wood chips in the rim of my snare. - I feel like they push a little extra sound and volume out of my drums. Yes, they do indeed bright up the sound. But I like that. It's almost like an acoustic EQ. Everything is just a little bit sharper in the attack. - They look amazing, and prior to using black wood sticks, they don't leave marks on your cymbals. - They feel great in the hand, and really pack a lot of power in the strokes. Especially for double strokes. - They don't need to be replaced very often. Yes, they are expensive, but I wear out/break mine every 6 months or. So that's 2 pair of sticks per year. That I can't do with high quality wood sticks. And also, when wood sticks begin to chip off, they differ in weight. That also doesn't happen with Ahead sticks. - I haven't really noticed the shock absorption, but I do know that my cymbals lasts way longer. I've been playing every brand for the last 15 years, and I have broken my cymbals many times. I've had the same Zultan Rock Beat series for 5 years, and only 1 out of 8 have been needing a replacement. All the while using Ahead sticks. And that 20'' china takes a serious beating. No cracks. - greater rebound indeed. Cons: - They are a bit on the heavier side. Even the 7A's. - If you don't like the bright sound, it's not for you. They really make the drums bright and piccolo like. - They don't last forever. That's not really a con, because what does. But they do break after some time. Now, if you're playing lighter music - that isn't metal - they will last longer. But for metal and blast beats, they will break at some point. - I'm in the process of figuring out the best stick for me in Aheads line of drumsticks, and that is pretty expensive to try out different types. So if you buy the Lars Ulrich signature and want something totally different, then it's pretty tough luck for your bank account. - They are completely useless for cross sticks. They just sound like tapping the rim with a plastic stick. It's not very musical. Only woodsticks can do that properly. - after some time of usage, you'll regularly have to tighten the nylon tips, because they get loose. The pros outweigh the cons for me, and I will never go back to wood sticks for a multitude of practical reasons. So I really recommend Ahead sticks.

[@BrendrumJones]

Great comment , well said, I did find the cross stick good on them tho, surprisingly so. Thanks for your PRos and COns I'll pin the comment 👍🏻

[@BumpNrun69]

Your first "Pro" point says it all for me, especially the wood chips. I have an e-drum kit with mesh heads that I also play. Try to imagine the mess I have to look at all the time. Hello vacuum cleaner every other day! Although your "Con" point, regarding plastic sounding cross-sticks is a big let-down for me too. Great points on both sides of the coin, Thanks.

[@teion3]

Breaking cymbals can be bad technique too.. Its not all about the drumsticks. Same for the drumheads or sticks themselves. Having a good technique can save you more money than you can imagine

[@Zerozerozero-m9l]

@@teion3 I know. But my point still remain. I don't necessarily have the best technique. It's pretty "primal" at times. And I still don't break my cymbals

[@doanlinh9525]

another huge advantage of Ahead sticks is you can avoid unwanted bending when storing in a not-really-good environment. My country is a South East Asian with hot and very humid weather. And you know, my pair of wood after storing in my warehouse for about 10 years, when getting out, oh no... it bended quite a lot and lost about 20mm (nearly an inch) in length. I lost all my trust in wood sticks after that. Now i'm having 2 pairs of Ahead, they are absolutely better. Thinking about the 3rd pair of Ahead, i want to try something bigger or smaller because i used the 5B size for a pretty long time. Currently i'm on the look at the Daru Jones sig or the M2CX marching.

[@brucevilla7490]

My rule of thumb: Ahead for practice, wood for gigs.

[@BrendrumJones]

Good thinking

[@shotgunchris]

My rule of thumb: ahead in the trashcan.

[@xusta111]

3 shows in and they look like this already? Bro how do you play lol

[@BrendrumJones]

lol, well thats the hi hat stick , but it was 3, 2 and a half hours

[@ZX9RDan]

Biggest drawback for me: They are NOT rimshot friendly. They will break if you rimshot a lot, and I do 80% of the time. That's the reason I stopped using them... 20years ago. Got a new set recently (cause they were cheap) and Ill be using them on the pad.

[@BrendrumJones]

you think theyve improved in that time ? expensive if you have to keep buying them

[@fireyourrocketts]

I keep reading that from time to time; I bought a pair on these sticks back in 1998, played with them for several years, hitting hard as I usually did and I play rimshot on the snare, that was with top 40 cover bands; I could never break them ...and I still have them! I even have the pair of plastic jackets that came with the ones I got brand new, aside from the rimshot, there is a way to hit them drums and there is a way to hit them, same goes for cymbals, one can be loud and heavy hitter without breaking the equipment you are using; it takes time and work but it is possible and if I could do it, anyone can. Seriously, I never had to buy another pair; I used the Aheads for heavy rock tunes while using the wood ones, usually pro marks 747 Rock for everything else; so on a typical gig, out of about 40 tunes the Aheads were used about half of them! 3-4 times per week all year long from 1998 until December 2002, now that is a long time usage if you ask me!

[@Daves1world]

Polyurethane and Aluminum are interesting for stick choice. I'm definitely gonna try a pair out. Lol

[@BrendrumJones]

yeah very much, progression maybe ????

[@jackhouston357]

I've been using alum sticks since high school 60's

[@rogerbrichacek3140]

I play the Tommy Lee Studios and love them for just about everything but jazzy light ride 5A sticks make a great ping without too much wash compared to any wood stick big difference. Great for rim playing. ❤

[@BrendrumJones]

Cool, i must give them a try ive never played them

[@doanlinh9525]

i have the Tommy Lee Concert which is the longer version of yours. They are very nice. I also have the WorkOut as well.

[@doanlinh9525]

I have 2 pairs of Ahead: the WorkOut and Tommy Lee Concert. They are amazing. Normally i use the TC pair but sometimes i use the WorkOut to play some short songs

[@BrendrumJones]

cool, id like to give the tommy lee ones a go.

[@BLASTbeatDAD]

You said it doesn't give you rebound like a wooden stick? Have you not tried a NYLON tip wood stick? I've used them since JR. HIGH chair band. And a lot in HIGH SCHOOL marching/solo and ensemble. It wasn't allowed for elective jazz. But now, as a 37 year old man, I still use NYLON tip for quick response and tons of bell rebound for playing fast and extreme metal.

[@BrendrumJones]

yeah but this is different, the whole stick is plastic, there is more of a bend in stick length/tapper so the rebound is not the same especially when playing rim shots. have you tried these ?

[@BLASTbeatDAD]

@@BrendrumJones I have not bought, only tried in music stores. I wanted them SOOO bad when I was younger and saw joey from slipknot (now of VIMIC) because I wanted joey everything, lol. But to be honest... I'm really starting to want those VATER extended play sticks. Its for those who use the shank of the stick to do more of the dynamics and power from sawing on the hats or rim shots. I don't use rim shots because a band instructor pretty much brain washed me into thinking those are "mistake" hits, lol. He would make you run a lap around the gym for dropped sticks, rim shots and lost paper music. But for using the shank for what I typically go for... I think it would extend the life as the name indicates. But with a vinyl tip so I still have my bell response for nice INFERNO (behemoth) type cymbal accents and rides, but a good solid chop to go into blast beasts with. I don't use my whole arm to hit, so instead of my muscle making the powerful sound, I like the stick to do its job. 170 bpm to 250+ its ideal to get that kit working for me... Anywho, I'm in the beginning parts of making my own KZbin drumming channel. No uploads yet cause I'm so critical of myself. I keep deleting what I'm doing after a few days of editing. So, I just thought it would be "good guy karma" to quit leaving negative crap on peoples vids. You keep up the good work man. I enjoyed it, and now you earned another sub. Hell, we gotta help each other my brother. Cheers from TEXAS, u.s.a.

[@alyxl4mb904]

Whenever I play ahead I always use gloves and use the XL Rock Concert sticks

[@BrendrumJones]

Cool thanks for that

[@TRC_PNW]

Thank you - I found your video to be very useful and open-minded. I just picked some of these up today in a 5A "Fatbeat". I have some tendonitis issues in my left hand (not from 35 years of drumming but from a work related thing) and so the interest for me is not in the added durability (tho, a nice bonus), but totally for the anti-shock / anti-vibration aspect. I played the Zildjian anti-shock sticks for a while and really liked them but got sick of the rubbery part at the ends falling out eventually and went back to standard sticks (Vater Los Angeles 5A). I had never played these but I am going into it both expecting to not like them but also with a "why not give it a try?", attitude. So far I've played them on a Real Feel and Reflexx practice pads. The Aheads are much louder on the Real Feel pad than wood sticks. I gotta say, the first impression is very positive - they feel good in my hands, the balance feels fine so far, and the rebound is great. Ok, next up is to use them on the kit tomorrow both by myself in the morning and then later a full practice set run through with the band in the evening. We'll see, but so far so good... I'll report back.

[@TRC_PNW]

Couldn't wait until tomorrow to check them out so banged on the kit a bit. Yeah, they feel good, the rebound is amazing, but the sound...not so much. Way too bright on the cymbals and it even makes the drums go thin. Most apparent was how they sucked all of the fatness out of my Black Beauty. Oh well. They were certainly worth a try and I could definitely see them working in the right kind of musical environment like speed or thrash metal, hardcore punk, etc. but these just are not going to work for me either. Tone matters. :)

[@BrendrumJones]

Hey, yeah like i said in the video i was shocked at how they are so good at stopping the vibration. they are well worth trying out, let me know how you get on with them on the kit. thanks for the good comment. chat soon , Brendan

[@TRC_PNW]

Commented above that I couldn’t wait and tried them out. Yeah, not going to work for me but for some genres, I think they could work.

[@BrendrumJones]

@@TRC_PNW cool thanks for letting us know 👍🏻

[@Samsmelserfb]

My dad had a pair of these at some point, he loved them, they were his favorite, but he lost them one day. Never found them again.

[@DadRockProject]

Would you say these could be better for an electronic kit?

[@BrendrumJones]

no, id say it would the same really Ive seen in the comments since doing the review, many people use them for practice, i think thats a good idea

[@KarstRats]

I tried plastics for an electric kit and had to hit the dog shit out of the pads to get a noise. But maybe these have more ass because of the metal. I wouldn't do it though.

[@yeetfeet1878]

I definitely want to try these out lars is my favorite drummer! Thanks for the review!

[@BrendrumJones]

No problem Yeet, thanks for watching and saying so, means a lot, chat again Brendan

[@yeetfeet1878]

@@BrendrumJones no problem I subscribed!

[@gangrel_76]

Got a pair of these and was still playing them 5 years later. I find these too heavy though so I now play Ahead 7A sticks

[@BrendrumJones]

I hear ya , I just found the balance odd . Chat again 👌🏻

[@ZeKK1204]

is this what joey jordison also used in 1999 to 2005?

[@BrendrumJones]

Yes, I may have been a different size but it's pretty much the same thing , same company. 👍🏻

[@St_Mindless]

What Joey used is basically a thicker 7A

[@1111Paiste]

Maybe try them with the grip tape. ??

[@BrendrumJones]

for the wood drumsticks to stop the vibration?

[@1111Paiste]

@@BrendrumJones No, for the Ahead drumsticks. It does change how the stick feels while playing, in a good way. IMHO

[@BrendrumJones]

Ahhh yes, cool thanks for that 👍🏻

[@RoktheNation]

@@1111Paiste yep, grip tape does wonders to these sticks and are close to feeling like wooden sticks but I'm still not satisfied hitting the cymbals, the feel is odd .. I have a pair of these and they are sitting in my stick bag collecting dust.. Wood sticks all the way for me..Just a better feel and rim shot friendly..

[@xdvatican3535]

Can you try Joey jordison sticks

[@BrendrumJones]

ill try

[@warrenalbert9336]

So do these come with a rubber end where you hold them? I have looked at them on ebay many times and can not find a set made for me. I need a set for rock but not with ron tips more of a longer not ball type and the ons like this are for jazz or light playing. And they make a 16-1/2" long but for wrong type playing. Can they make a 16-1/2 or better yet a 17" long with .035 wall thickness to hold up and for rock and oldies music with out the rubber and having to tape them up, Seems like too much involved just to play these. And some have a $15. shipping and or are demos ( used) in the Max 7 which also has the ball tip I dont like. Guess I will stick to stick made of wood. And to say that wood breaks 5 to 10 times faster? I have not broken any regals etc in years. What do they hit a double edge sword?

[@BrendrumJones]

Hey how's it's going , yeah that's greats that you don't break sticks. I play over 150 2.5 hour shows a year so thats probably why , I also never said they break 5-10times faster that's a company statement , but I would imagine they last alot long but you don't have to worry about that so I would stick with wood 👍🏻

[@guitargod63]

I had a pair of these along time ago, idk where they went

[@BrendrumJones]

Expensive sticks to lose my friend 😂😂

[@guitargod63]

BrendrumJones got them as a gift, and I haven’t played my drums in years cause it’s packed away at my grandmothers house

[@guitargod63]

BrendrumJones but I still got my music spirit, playing bass and guitar now

[@BrendrumJones]

@@guitargod63 nice one

[@DavidOakesMusic]

I had some Ahead sticks when i was starting out. i broke them more than wood sticks.

[@BrendrumJones]

really, a few people have said that to me , its funny

[@lewislittledyke9817]

Main thing for me is insane rebound on drums, extremely low rebound on ride

[@BrendrumJones]

Yeah it's a different experience completely from a Wood stick , suppose it's just getting used to it

[@BLASTbeatDAD]

Good review though. Sorry, I forgot the positive part my brother.

[@BrendrumJones]

thanks man

[@BLASTbeatDAD]

Were all brothers in drums, lol.

[@OHBJJ9634]

Just got these.

[@BrendrumJones]

Great, they're great sticks, happy holidays.

[@karensantos3251]

Nice ☺

[@BrendrumJones]

thanks

[@thepluggy1]

agree completely, toms and cymbals feel great, but on a snare, especially if that snare is tuned high, it feels terrible.

[@BrendrumJones]

Totally

[@sunset6222]

For $30 in the USA they are still worth it

[@BrendrumJones]

Hey yeah they're 32 euro over here , they last a long time and it's worth trying them out

[@domturo]

Very good... recently endorsed by AHEAD. rock model is great too 🤘

[@BrendrumJones]

Very cool, well done man, thanks for watching the video. Chat soon 👍🏻, put in a good word for me at Ahead 😂😂👍🏻

[@stuartdennig6098]

Tommy Lee also uses these ...

[@BrendrumJones]

thats right, but it mayba a different size, like a 5a or something else

[@roebucksummers8614]

@@BrendrumJones same diameter, just the difference of the length.

[@BrendrumJones]

@@roebucksummers8614 cool thanks for that

[@roebucksummers8614]

@@BrendrumJones no prob mate.

[@doanlinh9525]

he has 2 signature models: the TC and TS. The TS (Studio) is slightly shorter compared to the TC (Concert). It equals to size 5B, same as this model, but shorter taper.

[@St_Mindless]

When I buy signature sticks, I never use them. Keep them mint. They're too beautiful for me to beat up. I'll use 5A, 7A for playing

[@BrendrumJones]

I know what you mean,these look great , the things I do for reviews 😂😂👍🏻 chat again

[@St_Mindless]

@@BrendrumJones I have Joey Jordisons Ahead sticks, both models of his signature Pro Marks. I have Chris Adlers sticks, now I'm wanting the Lars sticks printed with the red paint

[@BrendrumJones]

@@St_Mindless I haven't see them yet, must look them up

[@St_Mindless]

@@BrendrumJones you can find them on Amazon 👌

[@derfisch6700]

Why am i watching this im a guitarist

[@BrendrumJones]

probably because we are all locked in our houses, lol, god speed Der

[@derfisch6700]

BrendrumJones yea thats true

[@user-wh6sp6st8s]

Some of these comments are shocking to me. I have played for 25 years. Every kind of music you can think of..from Sadé to Morbid Angel and i have never had wood shavings everywhere..nor do i break sticks every time i play. I suspect alot of people's issues stem from poor technique and not setting up your kits properly. I have used 1 pair of sticks since 2020. I dont get how everyone is breaking sticks and cymbals left and right. A drum or cymbal is only going to give you so much volume. Hitting it harder and harder is just being foolish. Thats why drums are mic'd uo.

[@BrendrumJones]

I think thats a narrow minded view of drumming. Not everyone drums the same and not all music calls for soft playing

[@user-wh6sp6st8s]

​@@BrendrumJonesthats..not what I'm saying...volume is not infinite. A drum can only be so loud. A cymbal can only be so loud. That is why microphones..exist. Drummers do not need to sacrifice technique in some quest to become a basher. It's an insult to the craft.

[@blipowicz]

the brighter sound is why their drums sound like ass now compared to back before like st anger

[@BrendrumJones]

I like the new drum sound he has especially live.

[@elbythedanial5151]

And lars said ‘ so focking what?!’

[@ChiefSupreme6803]

Get your own original sound by using the Lars Ulrich signature sticks!

[@kirbyd]

Lars has a weird style . He plays Metallica songs great. But He tried to sit in with my friends band one random night in SF in ..1999 at the paradise lounge (old Metallica stomping ground )And he could not improvise to save his life . They tried a bunch of different “jams” for lack of a better term, and he couldn’t hang . It was rough . Sounded like a kid trying to play . Childhood me was crushed . There was only like 5 other people there besides me in the “crowd” (and his group of friends) so I guess he didn’t care too much . And he was like “ can I sit in ?” “ of course !” Then …nothing . Super awkward . My friends terrible band (all great players ,just cheeesy taste in music)we’re just kinda looking at each other not knowing what to do . After multiple attempts at failed improvisations , The bass player eventually busted out something from ride the lightning, and Lars immediately started playing his parts perfectly. They kinda made it through a few songs the best they could off the cuff (not great), but good for off the cuff Metallica songs they may or may not have ever played before . and that was a wrap. They ended their set with Lars . Can’t really follow that however lackluster it was . And there was nobody in there anyway. Lars WAS super friendly and signed the drummers snare , etc , etc . and that’s that . Point of my long winded story nobody asked me to tell is : Lars can’t jam . At all. Curious about his sticks though .

[@theHammr88]

"Two weeks ago, I got a pair." 🤣 Congrats dude. 😂 Good luck with those.

[@danielgrajeda5837]

You cannot replace the sound of wooden sticks on your cymbals. Hi hat and ride feel and sound noticeably different with those sticks. Didn't mind the subtle difference on the drums. But the cymbal dynamics was lost for me.

[@BrendrumJones]

I agree