Blast from the Past

There’s a drum stick maker not far from where I live that’s been raising eyebrows for a number of years now. The Headhunters “Stick with the Groove” has been a staple for drummers for decades. But Dave Rundle, the brains and energy behind Headhunters Sticks & Creations, has a knack for pushing the envelope quite a bit further.

Three recent additions to the Headhunters already-loaded roster of tools caught my attention and I just had to see which, if any, would earn a place in my stick bag. To be honest, in the past I’ve looked at some of Dave’s creations and thought, “I’ll never have a need for that” only to discover that they gave me exactly what I’d been looking for.

My Favourite Brushes of All Time
The new Vintage Jazz brushes take the original Jazz Brush and swaps out the 16-mil wires for 13-mil wires. This results in more individual wires with roughly the same weight and balance as the Jazz Brushes. The thinner wires give the brush a somewhat gentler sound, with delicate texture, but still with authority. I found the balance and feel to be excellent, and these things don’t rattle like many of the brushes I’ve used over the years. (After my “field test”, I went back and bought two more pairs.)

Unique Interpretation
Bullets are the original Headhunters Jazz Brush with a unique addition. At the business end of the grip, just shy of the brush wires, you’ll find a wedge-shaped nylon band. I jumped at this one as I tend to be a bit hard on brushes. The nylon “bullet” lets me do accents and rim shots without killing the aluminum handles. The bullet also gives you more options when playing on cymbals.  A definite winner for brush enthusiasts looking to expand their sound palette.

 

Tribute to One of the Greats

Billy Gladstone manned the Radio City Music Hall drum chair during the 1930s and 1940s. A very creative fellow, he invented many improvements and innovations for drums, his highly prized snare drums being just one example. In 1949, Gladstone was issued a patent for a unique idea: a double-ended drum brush. The design has finally been brought to life in the form of Headhunters’ Billy Gladstone tribute drum brush.

 

The total length had to be increased to 13.25 inches to accommodate two brushes and also allow for retraction. When packed, a few inches of brush extend from both ends. When extended, the ‘other’ wires mostly disappear into the handle. One end has the 16-mil wires as found in the Jazz Brush and the other end, marked with a white band, has the 13-mil wires of the Vintage Jazz Brush.

I bought these mostly out of curiosity, assuming I wouldn’t have an actual use for them (see above). But after working with them for a bit, I’m really enjoying them. The grip area is slightly longer than most brushes, and this suits me (in the past, Dave has made longer handled brushes for me). The balance and weight are just right, despite the extra material needed. And because the bushes are of the ‘Push-me-pull-you’ design, the playing end stays put better than most. It’s also interesting to use a different end in each hand, though I haven’t tried switching the brushes while playing.

Conclusion
All three of these Creations tools are now in my stick bag.