Best 5A drumsticks | Vic Firth vs Promark vs Vater

The 5A is the size drummers mean when they say “sticks”. It is the do-everything diameter, light enough for a beginner and heavy enough for a gig, and every brand makes one. Three of them account for most of the pairs sold in the world: Vic Firth’s American Classic 5A, Promark’s Classic Forward 5A and Vater’s Los Angeles 5A. They are the same size on the label and not quite the same stick in the hand. This is the difference, and which to buy.

The short answer

Buy the Vic Firth American Classic 5A if you want the stick everyone else is playing, the most consistent pair-to-pair matching, and the easiest thing to find in any shop on any continent. Buy the Promark Classic Forward 5A if you want a stick that feels a touch quicker and lighter at the tip, with a more definite ride sound. Buy the Vater Los Angeles 5A if you break sticks and want the one that lasts longest.

If in doubt, Vic Firth. It is the reference, and the other two are measured against it.

Spec	Vic Firth American Classic 5Aper pair	Promark Classic Forward 5Aper pair	Vater Los Angeles 5Aper pair	Our take
Price band	🇬🇧 UK: £11–£14🇺🇸 US: $12–$16🇪🇺 EU: €12–€15	🇬🇧 UK: £11–£14🇺🇸 US: $12–$16🇪🇺 EU: €12–€15	🇬🇧 UK: £11–£14🇺🇸 US: $12–$16🇪🇺 EU: €12–€15	Street prices, new, at the time of writing. They move; the links below are live.
Wood	American hickory	American hickory	American hickory	All hickory. Maple and oak versions exist, but the standard 5A of each is hickory.
Length	16 in / 40.6 cm	16 in / 40.6 cm	16 in / 40.6 cm	Identical.
Diameter	0.565 in / 14.4 mm	0.551 in / 14.0 mm	0.570 in / 14.5 mm	Promark is the slimmest in the hand, Vater the thickest. Small numbers you can feel.
Tip	Tear drop	Oval	Small round-ish wood tip	The tip is the ride sound. Tear drop is full, oval a little more focused, the Vater tip brighter and more articulate.
Balance	Neutral; weight through the middle	Forward; taper starts further back, quicker feel	Slightly rear; solid, a touch heavier at the hand	Forward balance feels fast, rear balance feels powerful. Neither is right.
Consistency	✓Excellent; pitch-paired and weight-matched	Very good; pairs matched	Very good; pairs matched	Vic Firth’s pairing is the industry standard for a reason.
Durability	Good	Good	✓Very good; the thicker neck helps	Vater’s reputation for outlasting the others is earned.
Finish	Clear lacquer	Clear lacquer	Clear lacquer	All three sell grip and painted versions if you want them.
Availability	✓Everywhere	Almost everywhere	Most places	The Vic Firth 5A is in every shop, every airport music store and every rehearsal room lost-property box.
Price	Same	Same	Same	Within a pound of each other, and buying a brick of twelve pairs brings all three down.
Where to buy	Guitar Center 🇺🇸Gear4music 🇬🇧Thomann 🇪🇺Reverb · used	Guitar Center 🇺🇸Gear4music 🇬🇧Thomann 🇪🇺Reverb · used	Guitar Center 🇺🇸Gear4music 🇬🇧Thomann 🇪🇺Reverb · used	Affiliate links to the shop for your region; buying through them costs you nothing extra.
Rows won	2 of 10	0 of 10	1 of 10	A count, not a verdict: the rows that matter to you are the ones to weigh.

✓ marks the row's winner. Prices are bands, not quotes: 🇬🇧 UK · 🇺🇸 US · 🇪🇺 EU.

What actually differs

Lay the three side by side and the differences are a millimetre of diameter and the shape of the tip. That is enough. Diameter is what your hand notices first: the Promark feels slightly slimmer and quicker, the Vater slightly chunkier and more solid, the Vic Firth in the middle. Tip shape is what your ride cymbal notices: a tear drop gives a full, warm ping, an oval a slightly more focused one, and a smaller rounder tip the brightest and most articulate.

Balance is the subtler thing. Promark’s Forward line moves the taper back so the stick feels lighter at the tip and snaps back faster; it is the stick for players who like to feel the rebound do the work. The Vater sits a little further back and feels stronger on the backbeat. Vic Firth is neutral, which is why it is the reference.

Durability and consistency

If you break sticks, buy Vater. The thicker neck is where sticks usually go, and it makes a difference over a year. If you care that every pair feels like the last, buy Vic Firth; their pitch-pairing means the two sticks in a pack match each other, and the next pack matches this one. Promark sits between the two on both counts.

None of this is a reason to agonise. A pair costs less than a pizza, and the only real way to choose a stick is to play a gig with it. Buy one pair of each, play them for a week apiece, and you will know. Our stick size guide explains what the numbers mean if a 5A turns out not to be your size, and the wood guide covers hickory against maple and oak.

Who should buy which

• A beginner, or anyone who does not know. Vic Firth 5A. It is the reference stick and the one your teacher probably plays.
• A jazz, funk or fusion player who likes a quick stick. Promark Classic Forward 5A.
• A rock drummer who breaks sticks. Vater Los Angeles 5A.
• Anyone who plays the ride a lot. Try all three; the tip is the whole difference on that cymbal.
• Anyone buying in bulk. Whichever of the three is on offer in a brick this month. They are all good.

Pair the sticks with a pad and the rudiment trainer and the difference between them will matter less than the ten minutes a day.