Skip to content

Maple, not hickory

WOGOD 5A maple

Two pairs of 5A sticks in maple rather than hickory, at the lowest price on this shelf — and the only maple published in this family, which is a lighter and more flexible wood.

WOGOD 5A maple drumsticks, two pairs

WOGOD 5A maple

Two pairs of 5A sticks in maple rather than hickory, at the lowest price on this shelf — and the only maple published in this family, which is a lighter and more flexible wood.

Size
5A — the reference size, as the page for another stick here explains
Wood
Maple — the only maple on this shelf. One stick here publishes hickory, one publishes nothing
Quantity
Two pairs
Length
WOGOD puts nothing in writing on this. One stick on this shelf publishes 394 mm (15.5 in)
Grip diameter
WOGOD puts nothing in writing on this. One stick here publishes 14 mm (0.55 in)
Tip
WOGOD puts nothing in writing on this — not wood, not nylon
Finish
WOGOD puts nothing in writing on this
Stated use
Rock, jazz, blues and other styles, for drummers of all levels
Amazon reference
B06XBLH7RT
EAN
0614878988720
  • The only maple sticks on this shelf, which is a lighter and more flexible wood than hickory
  • Two pairs at the lowest price in this family
  • No length and no grip diameter, which are the two figures a 5A designation stands for

Best for: A lighter touch, or a first pair where the wood should at least be named.

Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Size
5A — the reference size, as the page for another stick here explains
Wood
Maple — the only maple on this shelf. One stick here publishes hickory, one publishes nothing
Quantity
Two pairs
Length
WOGOD puts nothing in writing on this. One stick on this shelf publishes 394 mm (15.5 in)
Grip diameter
WOGOD puts nothing in writing on this. One stick here publishes 14 mm (0.55 in)
Tip
WOGOD puts nothing in writing on this — not wood, not nylon
Finish
WOGOD puts nothing in writing on this
Stated use
Rock, jazz, blues and other styles, for drummers of all levels
Amazon reference
B06XBLH7RT
EAN
0614878988720

Two pairs. 5A. Maple. At $7.20 that is the cheapest stick purchase on this shelf, and the wood is named — which the page for another listing here records as a con in its own words: does not state the wood in this listing, so this page does not either.

Maple is the finding, because it is the only one here. Hickory is the standard, and the page for the reference set on this shelf says why: stiff, and it absorbs shock rather than transmitting it into the hand. Maple is lighter and more flexible. The stick moves faster, the feel is lighter, and it dents and snaps sooner under heavy playing.

For a light touch — and for the mesh heads that nine of the eleven kits on the electronic drums shelf publish — that is a defensible trade rather than a compromise. For hard playing on acoustic cymbals it is the wrong wood.

Two pairs is the right quantity for a beginner: a stick breaks at the shoulder and the session ends, unless there is a spare.

What is not published is what 5A means on this stick. The designation is a convention — roughly 16 inches and about 14 mm (0.55 in) — and makers cut it differently. One of the six sticks on this shelf publishes the length and the grip diameter; this one publishes the letter and the number.

Nor is the tip described. A wood tip and a nylon tip sound different on a cymbal and wear differently, and the page for the reference set here lists wood tips chipping as its own con.

Availability

Read on the day this page was built: $7 at the American Amazon shop.

Read from Keepa on the day this page was last revised; stock and price both move without notice.

Prices quoted in this text were read on 2026-10-07. The live price is at the top of the page.

The questions players ask

Maple or hickory?

Maple is lighter and more flexible; hickory is denser and stiffer. The page for another stick on this shelf puts the hickory case plainly — stiff, and it absorbs shock rather than transmitting it — which is why it is the standard. Maple gives a faster stick and a lighter feel, and it dents and breaks sooner. For a light touch on an electronic kit, maple is a reasonable choice; for hard playing on acoustic cymbals, hickory lasts longer. This is the only maple on this shelf.

What does 5A actually mean?

By convention, a medium stick: roughly 16 inches long and about 14 mm (0.55 in) thick. It is a convention, not a measurement — different makers cut 5A differently, and only one of the six sticks on this shelf publishes the length and the diameter that the designation stands for: 394 mm (15.5 in) and 14 mm (0.55 in). Everything else here says 5A and leaves the figures out, including this one.

Instruments it is stated to fit

More sticks, heads & pads

  • Yamaha YS7A hickory drumsticks

    Yamaha YS7A

    Two bullets and both are measurements: 394 mm (15.5 in) long and 14 mm (0.55 in) at the grip, in hickory. The only stick on this shelf that publishes the figures a size designation is supposed to stand for.

    Length
    394 mm (15.51 in) — the only length published on this shelf
    Grip diameter
    14 mm (0.55 in) — the only grip diameter published on this shelf
    Wood
    Hickory, which the page for another stick here calls the standard: stiff, and it absorbs shock rather than transmitting it
    Designation
    YS7A. Yamaha publishes the measurements rather than relying on the letter, which is the reverse of everything else on this shelf
    Quantity
    One pair. Two sticks here come in two pairs and one in four
    Tip
    Yamaha puts nothing in writing on this — not wood, not nylon. One stick on this shelf publishes a wood tip
    Finish
    Yamaha puts nothing in writing on this
    Listing length
    Two bullets, and both are figures
    Amazon reference
    B003J9LGH0
    EAN
    4960693067437
    • The only stick on this shelf to publish its length and its grip diameter
    • Hickory, named, which is the standard drumstick wood
    • One pair, where three sticks on this shelf supply two or four

    Best for: Replacing a pair whose length and thickness are known, where the figures have to match.

    Check price on Amazon
  • Yamaha YSS5B drumsticks

    Yamaha YSS5B

    The thinnest listing on this site: no bullets at all, and no price. The brand, the model number and nothing else — where the sibling pair in the same range publishes a length, a diameter and a wood.

    Listing text
    No bullets at all. The title reads *Yamaha Yamaha Drum Stick yss5b*, with the brand name twice. Nothing else is published
    Length
    Yamaha puts nothing in writing on this. Its own YS7A on this shelf publishes 394 mm (15.5 in)
    Grip diameter
    Yamaha puts nothing in writing on this. Its own YS7A publishes 14 mm (0.55 in)
    Wood
    Yamaha puts nothing in writing on this. Its own YS7A publishes hickory
    Designation
    YSS5B is the model code. Nothing says what the 5B stands for — by convention a 5B is shorter and thicker than a 5A
    Tip
    Yamaha puts nothing in writing on this
    Quantity
    Yamaha puts nothing in writing on this
    Price
    No price was returned from the American store in the reading behind this page
    Amazon reference
    B01DGFLH7A
    EAN
    4960693129043
    • A Yamaha model code, which stays orderable and means the same stick in three years
    • A 5B designation, which by convention is a shorter, thicker stick than the 5A that dominates this shelf
    • No bullets whatsoever — nothing on this site publishes less

    Best for: A drummer who already knows the YSS5B and is reordering it by model number.

    Check price on Amazon
  • SONICAKE 5A drumsticks in blue and green, two pairs

    SONICAKE 5A Drumsticks (2 pairs)

    Two pairs of 5A sticks in blue and green. The same nominal size as the reference set at a third of the price, which makes them the sensible sticks to learn to break.

    Size
    5A
    Quantity
    2 pairs
    Finish
    Blue and green
    Amazon reference
    B0C7L2XPDK (identical on 6 markets)
    EAN
    0843037102237
    • A third of the price of the reference set, for the same nominal size
    • Two colors makes it obvious which two sticks are a matched pair
    • SONICAKE does not state the wood in this listing, so this page does not either

    Best for: A beginner’s first pairs, and spares to leave with the kit.

    ≈ $15
    Check price on Amazon

Elsewhere in the cupboard

  • AODSK AS-ZKW Z-style keyboard stand with locking wheels

    AODSK AS-ZKW

    The same Z-frame as the maker’s AS-ZK with locking wheels added, at two dollars more. It is the cheapest wheeled stand on this shelf — and the listing publishes neither of the two adjustment ranges its own twin gives.

    Frame
    Z-style in high-strength steel, stated to minimize wobble during play (maker’s bullet)
    Wheels
    Locking wheels, for movement and then secure placement. Three of the twelve stands on this shelf have wheels (maker’s bullet)
    Height
    AODSK puts nothing in writing on this. The same maker’s AS-ZK, two dollars cheaper, publishes 21.2 to 32.4 in
    Width
    AODSK puts nothing in writing on this beyond *flexible*. The AS-ZK publishes 21.8 to 35.2 in. Both listings state 61 to 88 keys
    Load rating
    AODSK puts nothing in writing on this. Another page on this shelf states the rule: where the maker publishes no figure, this site does not invent one
    Stated use
    Home, studio and stage, for children and adults (maker’s bullet)
    Manufacturer reference
    AS-ZKW
    Weight
    4,082 g (144 oz) in the product record, which is 9 lb exactly — a shipping figure, and lower than the 10 lb recorded for the same stand without wheels. Nothing here is ranked on it
    Amazon reference
    B0DPW9NWQL
    EAN
    6974012229091
    • The cheapest wheeled stand on this shelf, at two dollars over the same frame without castors
    • Locking castors: it rolls out of a room and then stops rolling, which a stand on feet cannot do
    • Publishes neither a height range nor a width range, where its own cheaper twin publishes both

    Best for: A keyboard that has to leave the room it is played in, more than once a week.

    Check price on Amazon
  • aokeo pop filter with foam windscreen layer

    aokeo Pop Filter with Foam Windscreen

    A pop filter combining a mesh screen with a foam layer. The foam adds protection against moving air and takes a little off the top end — a trade that suits speech more than singing.

    Type
    Pop filter with foam windscreen layer
    Use
    Studio recording, podcasting
    Amazon reference
    B07QP2FXTB (identical on 6 markets)
    EAN
    0854289008185
    • Nine dollars on the American store, and almost no spread across the six measured
    • The foam layer adds a second stage against plosives on very close speech
    • Foam takes a little high frequency with it — audible on sung vocals

    Best for: Podcasting and streaming, where speech is close and consistent.

    ≈ $9
    Check price on Amazon
  • aokeo gooseneck pop filter clamped beside a studio microphone

    aokeo Pop Filter Mask Shield

    A pop filter on a gooseneck with a clamp, sized for common USB microphones. It stops the burst of air from a P or a B reaching the capsule; it does nothing about the room.

    Type
    Pop filter on a gooseneck
    Mount
    Clamp
    Stated compatibility
    Blue Yeti, Snowball, HyperX QuadCast and other microphones
    Amazon reference
    B01N21H9WY (identical on 6 markets)
    EAN
    0859830006269
    • Fixes plosives, which are the single most audible amateur recording problem
    • A gooseneck holds position rather than drifting mid-session
    • It does nothing about room reflections — that is a different product

    Best for: Any spoken-word or vocal recording where P and B sounds are thumping.

    ≈ $10
    Check price on Amazon

All sticks, heads & pads