Vic Firth has recently introduced some new products, and we thought it would be a good time to feature some of the new Corpsmaster® sticks.

Scott Johnson recently parted ways with Vic Firth and his popular signature models, SSJ Snare Drumsticks, SSJ2 Indoor Snare Drumsticks (Scooters), SSJ3 Practice Sticks, SSJTS Vega Tenor Sticks, and SSJTSW Vega Tenor Swizzle Sticks have all been discontinued. However, the same sticks are still available from Vic Firth, only without Scott Johnson’s name attached.

• SSJ Scott Johnson Snare Drumsticks are now Vic Firth MS5 Corpsmaster® Snare Drumsticks
• SSJ3 Practice Sticks are now Vic Firth MS6CO Chop-Out Drumsticks
• SSJTS Vega Tenor Sticks are now Vic Firth MTS1 Tenor Sticks
• SSJTSW Vega Tenor Swizzle Sticks are now Vic Firth MTS1SW Tenor Swizzle Sticks

Two other recent new products in the Vic Firth Corpsmaster® line are the Vic Firth SBBTS Bill Bachman “Billy Club” Tenor Stick and Vic Firth Lee Beddis Snare Drumsticks.

The OffWorld Percussion Invader V3 Practice Pad has been taking the percussion world by storm since its introduction. The OffWorld Invader V3 features the most realistic feel to a marching snare on any pad that we’ve tried. The Darkmatter™ playing surface and realistic rim make this pad a must-have.

The OffWorld Invader is the only snare drum practice pad that we know of that features a realistic, marching style rim. The rim is made of high pitched plastic to accurately replicate the sound of a rim shot. We believe that this pad will help you develop your hands more then traditional gum rubber pads, because of the lower amount of rebound from the playing surface.

This is a fairly loud pad, so we wouldn’t suggest it for silent practice. However, it is very articulate and allows you to really hear what your playing. Placing the pad on top of a marching snare drum allows your drum line to practice at lower volumes, while still developing their hands as they would on a kevlar style drum head. A great pad that is definitely worth the price.

At the 2010 NAMM Show, Pearl is debuting its all-new electronic drum set: Pearl E-Pro Live. Pearl E-Pro Live is a revolutionary electronic drumset that looks, feels and sounds like real drums. Never before has today’s drummer been offered the limitless sonic capability and realistic feel of electronic drums on a drumset built with real drum shells, real brass cymbals, and real drumset hardware, all from the percussion industry’s leader, Pearl.

Pricing, Videos and Images of Pearl E-Pro Live Are Now On Our Site: Pearl E-Pro Live

Anyone who has teaching experience or has played in a Marching Bass Drum section has come across the seemingly lifelong issue of…..why do I have to keep spending money on replacement Bass Drum Mallet Holders that keep breaking? The less-than-sturdy plastic clips on most Mallet Holders break easily caused by anything from the weather to simply using them too much. And most of the time, they break at the worst possible time….on the final run-through before the field show begins.

Well, a concerned parent of a high school Bass Drummer in Ohio decided that there must be a way to stop spending money on holders that break and built a better Bass Drum Mallet Holder that will save you hundreds of dollars in budget spending. The Mallet Minder is definitely the “better mouse trap”. Made of durable TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), the Mallet Minder is designed to be (and absolutely delivers) reliable, quiet, affordable and esthetically pleasing to look at. This Bass Mallet Holder has been field tested for two years in all kinds of weather conditions and has held up against everything a drum line can throw at it.

If you want the answer for spending money just once on mallet holders for your bass drum line, then check out the Mallet Minder…..you won’t be disappointed.

The newest Pearl Limited Edition PHH1580 Philharmonic Concert Snare Drum is a 15″x8″ African Mahogany shell drum with wood hoops and is sure to be a collectors item that is as beautiful to look at as it is to play. This special production concert snare drum features a 4-ply African Mahogany shell that produces incredible overall tonality with a slight emphasis on low end tone. The 15″x8″ shell size and unique synthetic gut snares produce a true “concert march” sonic quality that would make J.P. Sousa proud, while still providing a “here and now” quality that will translate over to a wider range of song selection. In addition to the 4-ply 15″x8″ shell with full rounded bearing edges, this drum also features 6-ply wood hoops, 8 chrome tube lugs with insulated low profile chrome claw hooks, an SR-500 Triad Strainer system with 2 sets of synthetic gut snares and 1 set of heavy coated cable snares, Remo Diplomat batter and Renaissance snare side heads, and a limited production quantity label on the inside of the drum.

Steve Weiss Music is pleased to announce that we now carry the full line of Bopworks Drumsticks. These sticks are reproductions of popular “light” jazz models from the 50’s and 60’s. Sticks from this time period tended to be shorter and thinner with longer tapers than modern sticks. These designs allow you to play “off” your ride cymbal more without becoming overpowering or washing out because there is less weight in the front of the stick. The Bopworks sticks are ideal for combo gigs in small rooms but are versatile enough for almost any jazz gig that comes your way. We tested these sticks on several light ride cymbals, such as the Bosphorus Masters Series, and the sound was phenomenal. They created a full, articulate ride cymbal sound without the excessive overtones created by heavier sticks. Fast tempos at soft dynamic levels were effortless, but you could also punch a big accent when needed. They had a somewhat “bouncier” feel than modern sticks due to the longer taper.

The Bopworks line-up currently includes four “standard” models and three signature models.

The signature sticks are faithful reproductions of sticks used by the artist at the height of their popularity. All of the Bopworks models are made from hickory and are matched for pitch and weight.

For additional information, visit http://www.bopworks.net/