Detailed Brush and Broomstick Comparison | Promark

Drumming with brushes can surely be considered an art in and of itself but we also believe that it's an important skill for just about any drummer to develop. With all of the different brush offerings out there, it can be a little overwhelming (even for the seasoned pro). We partnered up with Promark by D'Addario to put together this detailed comparison of their entire line of brushes AND broomsticks, some of our favorite percussion implements.
1:45 Brush swoosh comparison
2:54 TB3 Jazz Telescopic Wire Brush
4:03 TB4 Classic Telescopic Wire Brush
4:59 TB5 General Telescopic Wire Brush
6:01 TB6 Heavy Telescopic Wire Brush
7:14 B300 Oak Handle Accent Brush
8:58 B400 Retractable Nylon Brush
10:06 B600 Nylon Bristle Brush
13:46 PMBRM2 Small Broomsticks
16:04 PMBRM1 Medium Broomsticks
17:10 PMBRM Large Broomsticks
18:17 Train Beat Comparison
Promark Brushes: tinyurl.com/Pr...
Promark Broomsticks: preview.tinyur...
Hosted by: Cody Rahn
Production: Ben O'Brien Smith @ Cadence Independent Media
This video sponsored by Promark by D’Addario
Can't get enough of Sounds Like a Drum? Want to show your support for the series? Join us on Patreon for exclusive content and MUCH more:
/ soundslikeadrum
👕⁣⁣
You asked, we answered! We've got some shirts & hoodies now! Visit our Tee Spring store here: teespring.com/...
Click for different colors, sizes, etc.
👂🏼👉🏼🥁
Leave your questions, comments, suggestions, requests down below and don't forget to subscribe!
*NOTE: Troll comments will be deleted. You're welcome to disagree with whatever you like but let's keep the conversation civilized and focused on drums.
--------------------------
Sounds Like a Drum is a CADENCE INDEPENDENT MEDIA production
For more information, visit www.cadenceindependent.com
Follow us on Instagram: / soundslikeadrum
Like us on Facebook: / soundslikeadrum

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Navigate back to different sections of the video at these points: 1:45 Brush swoosh comparison 2:54 TB3 Jazz Telescopic Wire Brush 4:03 TB4 Classic Telescopic Wire Brush 4:59 TB5 General Telescopic Wire Brush 6:01 TB6 Heavy Telescopic Wire Brush 7:14 B300 Oak Handle Accent Brush 8:58 B400 Retractable Nylon Brush 10:06 B600 Nylon Bristle Brush 13:46 PMBRM2 Small Broomsticks 16:04 PMBRM1 Medium Broomsticks 17:10 PMBRM Large Broomsticks 18:17 Train Beat Comparison

[@ToddTheJoker]

I use nylon brushes with a wooden handle and love it..brushes have a deep history and we need to keep it alive..great job guys

[@a.j.wilkes6352]

Love those Oak Handle Accent Brushes. They give a nice rim knock for that brush bossa nova beat.

[@AdamStachelek]

Started playing some acoustic country, and I haven't used brushes in a long time. This is the exact video I needed to pick out some brushes. Thanks

[@shawnrenaud2252]

Thank you for this fantastic intro to brushes. I know I''ll be coming back to it like an encyclopedia.

[@FAKusch]

You have such a nice manner and approach to demonstration and teaching. It is what makes this channel an exceptional resource for drummers of any age or experience. There is not a topic where I have come away without something to use or at least try, and I've been playing drums since 1971. Please continue this meaningful work for musicians. Cheers from Canada.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@simonvasey8546]

Nice guide to brushes. Putting aside that they are all the same brand, the advice applies to any brush choice. TOP TIP: I use non retractable brushes that can get ruined in the stick bag so I use rubber bands (remember Loom Bands?) around the wires when I'm not using them. I also use Loom Bands on my Rods to protect them in the bag and when I need to sharpen the sound.

[@CraigShawCraigShaw]

These things are more expensive than sticks, so it's super helpful to hear them all back to back! Thanks guys

[@UPdan]

Just bought the ProMark 2b Firegrain classic, 2b Firegrain rebound, 2b active grip , hickory SD1 and small broomstick after watching your videos. Great job.

[@lindasmith6668]

Great video. I have the medium sticks and they are just great for worship music. Thanks again 😊

[@whiteeaglearai2481]

I am loving my wire brushes but now I would like to try the nylon! And got to get broomsticks🎶thanks

[@HaloAdmiral]

Have a pair of the TB3 and TB4. Use them for different situations, but those are all you ever need.

[@michaeldeleersnyder519]

Love the sound of brushes and broom sticks for lower volume settings. Also cool to mix with rods. Rod in RH on hihat/cymbals and broom in the LH gives a nice lower volume pop sound...

[@mountainhobbit1971]

LOVE LOVE LOVE the 'large' broomsticks...

[@KenIn_NH]

Cody, Great segment. I think this one of your best to date. Lots of information but well organized and lots of helpful commentary! nicely done.

[@ianmuessig]

Fantastic, love brush playing. Really impressed at how different each model sounded. I prefer wood handle fixed wire brushes, I'll have to give those promarks a try.

[@ShrinkRaptor]

Since this video was uploaded, Promark has discontinued the large Broomsticks, the TB4, TB5, and TB6 brushes, the B300, B400, and B600 brushes, and the TUBZ. The bean counters at D'addario have officially ruined Promark with their corporate mindset.

[@MikeAcousticMusic]

Exactly what I was hunting to see! Thank you BTW I’m a vocalist/songwriter who also loves percussion and I’m very interested in everyone in a small group being able to enjoy and be enjoyed. These babies are the key in my opinion to solving many (most) problems for churches and more Thank you 😊

[@Eurodrummer666]

I'm not sure if someone ever made such a video on comparing brushes before. Well done.

[@Rockin_Ross]

I was big on the “Rods” bundle sticks. Didn’t dig the bamboo Tala Wands as the square sticks didn’t feel right in my hand. The broomsticks are one I’ll try as they look like a great alternative. Great video, guys!

[@jkanusky]

Very cool demonstration of all these implements. Way to go fellas 👍👍

[@mikeanscombe9883]

Very informative, comprehensive and useful review - many thanks...you really have a great thing going with Sounds Like A Drum!

[@markielinhart]

Brilliant, thanks‼️Recently I bought some hot rods initially to lower volume, I think I’m going to try broomsticks for tone thanks to you guys ✌️

[@leor.labarge8625]

I really like Hamilton's quote about brushes revealing your personality. Yeah... it has a different kind of breath.

[@christiancanalita6487]

Love the hybrid stuff! I use some of the broomstick types on a cajon.

[@PhilHenDrums]

Great stuff - this is a very helpful comparison. Regarding cymbals, when playing with brushes I find that thinner cymbals work best, as it doesn't require as much stick mass to get them moving. Also, a thin ride cymbal with rivets offers a super sustaining sound option and punctuation to go with brush grooves.

[@lindasmith6668]

Thanks so much ; this was really helpful. 😊

[@luanurbec]

Thanks for such in depth videos!!!! How great is to help the drumming community grow in knowledge...at this you guys excel !!! May I please suggest you do the same with mallets ?

[@jeffsbro1]

This is an awesome video....on all points!

[@jimmartinmusic]

Great job guys - again. I love brushes and other implements and look forward to using them when ever the right opportunity presents itself. Cody you mention in the beginning that brushes are restricted to jazz. I heartily agree. Although I could spend the rest of my life studying just great jazz brush playing, there are such great ways to use them in different styles. For anyone interested in seeing the possibilities, I recommend checking out Florian Alexandru Zorn. He has a bunch of KZbin videos out there but I own several of his education resources including the DVDs 'The Brush Secret' and 'The Brush Revolution' (the latest DVD), His approach and examples totally open the door to brush possibilities. Fun stuff and so much to work on.

[@jbondrums]

Great video and fantastic brush playing!

[@jeffcrousedrums1584]

Great video! I love brushes but I haven't tried the brooms yet. Very cool!

[@triboluminiscencia_]

Aww! Wish they still made the TB5

[@trentmannina8342]

I really love and appreciate your reviews

[@tdries]

Great video, as per usual! I have the TB 3 Brushes. I found the rubber handle of those brushes made my hands smell rubbery. So I wrapped the handles in electrical tape, and now my hands don't get the funky rubber smell. I think pro mark even makes stick tape you could use as well... Anyways, just thought I'd share that idea :)

[@TheKiddOnDrums]

Just love this channel!!

[@ahchv]

Would love to see one for mallets next !!

[@TK-xo2mf]

I use the TB for a acoustic jazz because 1. I use Evan's J1 etched heads on my snare. 2. They sound the best on cymbals. Also great on cymbals

[@stefanoricchiuti3726]

usefull and interesting video. Thanks.

[@TheOrangeSwag]

Thanks for the educating video! Just as you talked about Promark brushes, are there equal counterparts for Vic Firth that get the same job done? Or are there less of a selection when looking at Vic Firth for brushes?

[@BCSchmerker]

+soundslikeadrum *I use specific VATER® accessories on the YAMAHA® RY2T4/MSD14AF at OMS Japanese Christian.* The WHIP™, which uses thick plastic rods on a wood handle, most closely approaches the PRO-MARK™/D'Addario® PMBRM2 Broomstick™. I also improvised cymbal mallets by installing VIC FIRTH® Universal Practice Tips (stock replacement for Firth's own CHOP-OUT™ practice drumsticks) on 8A American Hickory. The one pair of conventional sticks I use at OMS Japanese Christian is the West Side™, developed for nouveau jazz, bebop, and music-theatre pit.

[@Big_C_4205]

Here’s a little fun fact: the broomstick type drumsticks were used in Wonderwall by Oasis and Whir by the Smashing Pumpkins I’m pretty sure

[@jerrygamez5723]

Awesome video guys. Thanks.

[@jonashellborg8320]

Just as London goes into another month of lockdown, and all the stress that brings, I decided to make November 2020 “brushes month”, and try to learn to use them whilst locked inside my flat. :-)

[@TonyDiaz.]

The broom sticks look interesting for low volume practising without the need of mesh. And if these make the cymbals lower in volume, even better.

[@waynechurchill7212]

Love the broom sticks

[@allmetaliswelcome]

Check out Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for sum' non-jazz brush playing. The "Let Love In" record especially

[@weschilton]

Really interesting video... I still have a pair of Regal Tip brushes and Blasticks from the late 80s that I used on literally thousands of gigs. I'm wondering though, my two biggest complaints about the Regal Tips are that they were always extending completely out while playing, and that they are slathered in graphite. For more than a decade I played a 12" snare drum and fully extended brushes were always getting caught up in the hoop, so I pulled them in about 25-30%. The Regal Tips have these little humps in the rod to set them at different extensions, but they really don't work and I eventually had to bend the rod at the point I wanted them to fully extend to. The graphite just made a huge mess, both on my hands and on my snare head. So do these Promark brushes still use a ton of graphite on them as well? And how to they hold up to partial extensions while playing? Thanks!

[@jc3drums916]

I once found some imitation hot-rods that had the sliding rubber rings like the Broomsticks. Interesting idea, but unfortunately those rings eventually dried up and fell apart. It took many years, but considering how infrequently I used those things, the dowels (only 7, but they were thick) were still in great shape when it happened. I've never used Broomsticks, so I don't know if the rings will wear out before the bristles. I also have classic Hot-Rods, but those never last very long. The thin dowels break very easily. Sound-wise, I think the Broomsticks might be better. The rods have a bit of a high-pitched click when the dowels compress together upon impact.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

We really dig the Broomsticks and haven’t seen any sign of the o-rings drying up and/or cracking, even on a pair that’s 6+ years old.

[@jc3drums916]

@@SoundsLikeADrum Admittedly, it took well over a decade. It's still kinda annoying to me. I'd rather have something in a fixed position that I knew wasn't going to deteriorate over time without even being used, like what the Hot-Rods have.

[@RjBenjamin353]

Great points.

[@itsthebeat5065]

B300, got to have, tanx!

[@dylanwbarnes]

Do the Vater nylon monster brushes sound similar to the broomsticks?

[@zzd6944]

Great！

[@MalikEmmanuel]

is that a drummer's world kit?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

It is! Good ole' nesting drums.

[@connorbost8113]

What snare and head are you playing in this video?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Looks to be my Noble & Cooley 7x14” maple, which likely had a coated G12 batter on it 👍🏻 -Cody

[@jc3drums916]

Regal Tip Classic all the way. The Innovative Percussion Chad Wackerman Paintbrushes are the best, but I don't think I'd take advantage of its features often enough to justify the high cost. I haven't tried Pro-Mark's brushes, aside from the Nylobrush for an alternative sound. Vic Firth HB are too stiff.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Lots of great options out there!

[@brandonstennett1467]

What about power rods

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

As in Hot Rods? Those are a whole other beast. We wanted to stay focused on brushes and broomsticks otherwise this video would have been 45min long...

[@e5h8x3]

Random question, but are broomsticks liable to explode if you wack em? I've had some brushes do that to me and it sucks to clean up haha

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Haven’t ever had an experience like that with them. If you’re hitting a lot of rimshots/playing particularly hard with them then they will break down faster. -Ben

[@jacksonmiller3016]

What’s the snare you use??

[@BubblegumBrown]

Was this video named after bedknobs & broomsticks?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Ha! Nope- named after the products being compared.

[@BubblegumBrown]

@@SoundsLikeADrum This is completely unrelated, but you should do a full episode on Mastro snares. Check out the song Wild Fire by Laura Marling. Coolest snare sound ive ever heard. Its a toy/real snare from the 50s and 60s initially endorsed by the Beatles at the beginning of their mania.

[@thecavedrum]

Does the Medium Broomstick could be used on a cajon?

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Any of these implements could be used on cajon.

[@MrDa5hit]

Can you do a asmr video of this please?

[@betulaobscura]

Jeff Hamilton has his own brushes model.

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

This is true! There are a few drummers with signature brushes.

[@halfwayj2766]

Loud swishy stuff and finesse swishy stuff are the phrases of today

[@SoundsLikeADrum]

Might just have to make some shirts...

[@halfwayj2766]

Sounds Like A Drum I’ll take a gray and a red, medium please

[@georgemilutinovich1820]

Brush nylon.

[@dimitrijevicveljko]

2:48 rip headphone users

[@thomaslthomas1506]

I’ve never been fired for playing too quite.....

[@felipegirotto]

É um episódio de Power Rangers que a galera filmou sem saber.

[@pete5668]

Brushes don't lie. They let everyone know whether I'm a Russian or a dragon.

[@The_Other_Ghost]

Death metal?

[@RjBenjamin353]

I got tired of brushes now i use a vacuum cleaner

[@lanphanh]

Does anyone know could I use these brush sticks on the electric mesh heads? I know that we should not use the felt beater on the mesh kick drum, but how about the brush sticks on the mesh heads snare and toms? Thank you for your help!