The sticks were straight and the poly ball seems to be well fitted on its short shaft which is then well glued into the end of the snare stick. The finish on the sticks was not good. I was picking little splinters/wood shavings out of my hands with in moments of beginning to play. Having no 0000 sandpaper on hand, I rubbed them down with a piece of denim cloth to try to get the roughness smoothed out a little. It helped but I still had to smooth them later. Also, I would have expected that the normal length of the 5A stick might have been shortened by 1/2 to 3/4" of an inch to provide a better balance in the hand. The poly ball adds a significant amount of mass to the back end which means the grip fulcrum has to be moved toward the butt end of the stick resulting in a lot of stick out front. You get used to it rather quickly but shortening the stick to improve overall balance and control might be an innovation worth considering by the good folks at Innovative Percussion.
In my opinion, the stick is OK as it is but a better finish and better balance would make this useful tool even more useful and enjoyable.
Date Posted:
Posted By:
Roger Myers
Rating:
4.00
not worth it
Comments:
Unfortunately, these mallets didn't make it through one performance. The mallet ends are not very stable, and the wood snapped and broke. I got two pairs, just in case, and this happened with both pairs in the same performance. Definitely not worth the chance.
Date Posted:
Posted By:
Chris Kulp
Rating:
1.00
Life saver
Comments:
This has come in handy for a musical I'm playing. Great combo stick to have in the arsenal for quick switches from bells/xylo to drums or drumset.
Date Posted:
Posted By:
David S.
Rating:
5.00
Innovative IP5A Xylo/Bell Combo Sticks
Comments:
I agree with George, but in a pinch, they do the job. Great for quick changes from snare to bells, but not for everyday use.
Date Posted:
Posted By:
Cindy Reese
Rating:
4.00
Xylo/Bell combo stick
Comments:
Terrible stick balance, terrible sound from the Bell mallet head, the whole thing is too long, and it feels like a cracked stick because of the core inside where it was probably drilled to stick in the Bell mallet head.