Links to the two most reliable percussion retailers (Steve Weiss Music and Lonestar Percussion) are provided below. Purchasing from a local music store may be more expensive and slower to deliver if these items aren't in stock. Some items may be available from Amazon as well.
Minimum Equipment
Purchase the Stick Pack below, or acquire each item separately.
The Steve Weiss Stick Pack #1 includes:
Vic Firth SD1 Snare Drum Sticks
Vic Firth SD1 American Custom Drumsticks are ideal for concert band, orchestral and rock work.
Steve Weiss | Lone Star Percussion
Innovative Soloist Series IP240 Medium Birch Marimba Mallets
The Innovative Percussion IP240 Soloist Series Medium Marimba Mallets are designed for general use on the marimba.
Consider purchasing 2 pairs of these mallets to ensure even wear in preparation for 4-mallets playing.
Steve Weiss | Lonestar Percussion
Malletech Bob Becker BB34 Medium Rattan Xylo/Bell Mallets
”Malletech BB34 Bob Becker Series Xylophone and Glockenspiel Mallets are a medium-bright lightweight xylophone mallet with a clear, but not overly bright tone. Sometimes referred to as “Becker Blues” these mallets were designed for solo xylophone and are light, similarly weighted and easy to maneuver quickly around the instrument.
Steve Weiss | Lonestar Percussion
Vic Firth T1 American Custom General Timpani Mallets
The Vic Firth American Custom T1 General Timpani Mallets are for all-around playing. Produces rich sound yet is capable of rhythmic clarity. Vic Firth American Custom Timpani Mallets are turned from a single piece of rock maple, which eliminates a core that could rattle and the need for a screw-on washer to secure the head.
Steve Weiss | Lonestar Percussion
Liberty One Basic Stick Bag
A basic bag at a great price!
Expanded Collection
2 Pair - Innovative Soloist Series IP240 Medium Birch Marimba Mallets
Purchase an additional pair of the IP240 Mallets Mallets. (Consider ourchasing a second pair with the Steve Weiss Stick Pack above, or separately)
Steve Weiss | Lonestar Percussion
Vic Firth SD2 Bolero Snare Drum Sticks
Vic Firth SD2 Bolero Wood Tip Drumsticks feature a round tip. Perfect for light jazz, studio, orchestral and pit work. The SD2 are turned from select rock maple for a light, fast-playing stick with great flex and rebound.
Steve Weiss | Lonestar Percussion
Vic Firth T3 Stacatto Timpani Mallets
The Vic Firth American Custom Staccato Timpani Mallets have a medium-hard felt head for clear rhythmic articulation. The parachute style heads are mounted on solid rock maple handles which are designed with even weight distribution for your strokes to never sound heavy.
Steve Weiss | Lonestar Percussion
Vic Firth T2 America Custom Cartwheel Timpani Mallets
The Vic Firth American Custom T2 Cartwheel Timpani Mallets are ideal for soft rolls, legato strokes and the richest sounds. Very soft.
Steve Weiss | Lonestar Percussion
Vic Firth T4 Ultra Staccato Timpani Mallets
The Vic Firth American Custom Ultra-Staccato Timpani Mallets are the hardest mallet in the American Custom Series and produce the utmost clarity for passages that need the most articulation possible.
Steve Weiss | Lonestar Percussion
(2 Pair) Innovative RS251 Medium Rattan Vibe Mallets
The rubber mushroom shaped core achieves a rich and fundamentally warm tone. Each pair is hand matched for weight, size and sound.
Even Greater Expanded Collection
To expand your collection even more, choose sets of the following mallets. Avoid sticks and mallets with words like 'student', 'starter' 'budget' or 'economical' in the descriptions.
Recommended brands for mallets include: Innovative Percussion, Vic Firth and Malletech. Keyboard mallets typically have birch or rattan handles. Birch handles are slightly longer than rattan. Rattan handles are slightly flexible and cushion some of the shock while striking the bars. Birch handles are more common for Marimba mallets while rattan is more common for Vibraphone, but many models are available with either handle style and is a player's preference.
Recommended Brands for snare drum sticks include Vic Firth, Promark & Innovative Percussion. Vic Firth sticks are pitch paired, meaning that the fundamental tones of two stick are matched to form a pair. This improves balance and tone production.
Recommended brands for Timpani mallets include Vic Firth, Innovative Percussion & Grover Pro. Timpani mallets should have wooden shafts, which includes bamboo shafts for some manufactures.
2 Pair Soft Marimba Mallets
2 Pair Hard Marimba Mallets
2 Pair Soft Vibraphone Mallets
2 Pair Hard Vibraphone Mallets
1 Pair Hard Bell/Xylophone Mallets
1 Pair Soft Xylophone/Bell Mallets
1 set of Triangle Beaters
(Recommend Stoessel Triangle Beaters, with pairs of several of the small to medium size beaters)