Vic Firth: Ruler of the Sticks
Believe it or not, lots of engineering has gone into designing drum sticks and mallets to meet the constantly evolving demands of drummers and percussionists. Numerous manufacturers have innovated drum sticks in their own creative ways. Some brands produce sticks with specific dimensions or materials, while others offer more customizable options. But no brand carries the same degree of recognition and versatility as Vic Firth.
The Biggest Name in Sticks
The Vic Firth Company was formed in 1963 by Everett “Vic” Firth. Currently headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the Vic Firth Company (typically referred to only as “Vic Firth”) offers a wide array of sticks used for drum set and marching percussion, as well as mallets used for timpani and pitched percussion (vibraphone, xylophone, marimba, etc). But before diving too deep into the company’s background, it’s worth learning about Vic himself.
Vic Firth was born on June 2, 1930 in Winchester, Massachusetts, but was raised in Sanford, Maine. Drumming was not Vic’s first musical endeavor. The son of a respected trumpet player, he began learning the cornet when he was 4 years old and went on to also learn piano, clarinet, trombone, and percussion. Primarily focused on orchestral drumming, Vic became a professional percussionist at just 16 years old, while he still attended high school. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from New England Conservatory and was hired as a percussionist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1952. At 21 years old, he was the youngest member to ever earn a chair in the orchestra. He quickly worked his way up to principal timpanist, a position he held from 1956 - 2002. Additionally, Vic taught percussion at New England Conservatory from 1952 - 1995, beginning almost immediately after graduating.
A Business is Born
By the end of the 1950s, Vic became a bit frustrated by the lack of variety among drumsticks and mallets available to percussionists. So instead of taking it up with manufacturers, he decided he’d make his own sticks to best suit his musical needs. The first pair of Vic Firth sticks were whittled by hand in Vic’s home garage in the beginning of the 1960s. The prototypes were carved out of bulkier sticks, but were slimmed down, had an altered taper, and a ball-shaped tip. Dimensions and specs were dialed in through copious amounts of trial and error. Students of Vic and other local percussionists took a liking to his new designs. Music shops began placing orders, forcing Vic to scale up production and officially start a business in 1963. With the help of a wood turner based in Montreal, Vic began manufacturing sticks on a larger scale. The first models were the SD1 and SD2, which are still popular models to this day. Vic also wrote two snare drum method books in the later 1960s, and published a book of snare drum solos in 1968.
From then on, Vic Firth sought to equip drummers with “The Perfect Pair” of drumsticks by offering sticks and mallets that vary in length, taper, tip shape, thickness, and material. Currently, the company produces over 200 varieties of sticks and mallets, giving drummers a plethora of options to find gear that best fits their needs. Vic sticks are manufactured in Newport, Maine. In addition to drumming-related products, the company briefly manufactured a line of wooden gourmet cooking products including pepper mills, salt grinders, and rolling pins.
Pic from rhythmtrader.com
Deeply Rooted in Boston
In 2010, the Vic Firth Company merged with Zildjian, the largest cymbal manufacturer in the world, located in Norwell, Massachusetts. The two companies control an enormous portion of the percussion industry, making the Boston area an exceptionally important region for the art of drumming. Many of our students enrolled in drum lessons use Vic Firth sticks, which helps support a local business, regional musicians, and music educators, including Boston Drum Lessons.
Vic Firth passed away in his Boston home on July 26, 2015. He leaves behind one of the most recognizable names in the drumming world and a legacy of education, innovation, and musicianship. Drumming would undoubtedly look very different today without Vic’s impact.
Learn to get the most out of Vic Firth sticks by meeting with our professional instructors.