Drumstick sizes: 5A vs 5B vs Extreme 5B, and why rock drummers run 5B
Reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
5B beats 5A for most rock drummers: same 16 inch length, but a thicker 0.595 inch diameter (5A is 0.565 inch) built for durability and volume, per Vic Firth's own spec sheet. Extreme 5B keeps that same 0.595 inch diameter and only adds a half inch of length (16.5 inches), it is not thicker. New player? Start with 5A. Already breaking sticks? Move to 5B.
The short answer
Vic Firth's own numbers settle this quickly. The 5A is 16 inches long and 0.565 inch in diameter. The 5B is the same 16 inch length but a thicker 0.595 inch diameter. The Extreme 5B keeps that same 0.595 inch diameter and only stretches the length to 16.5 inches. Three sticks, one real variable changing at a time: 5A to 5B changes girth, 5B to Extreme 5B changes only length.
For most rock, band, and practice room drumming, 5B is the better default. It is thicker, more durable, and pushes a bit more air off the drum heads and cymbals at the same swing speed. If you are new to drums, start with 5A instead: it is lighter, more forgiving of technique mistakes, and it is Vic Firth's own best selling model. Move up to 5B once you are consistently cracking 5A's.
American Classic 5B
Why this one: Same 16 inch length and medium taper as the 5A, but a thicker 0.595 inch diameter built for durability and volume. Vic Firth's own pick for rock, band, and practice.
5A vs 5B vs Extreme 5B, side by side
Here is the full spec sheet, pulled directly from Vic Firth's own product pages for each stick.
| 5A | 5B | Extreme 5B | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 0.565 inch | 0.595 inch | 0.595 inch |
| Length | 16 inch | 16 inch | 16.5 inch |
| Taper | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Tip | Wood tear drop | Wood tear drop | Wood tear drop |
| Wood | Hickory | Hickory | Hickory |
| Vic Firth's own positioning | World's best-selling stick, every style of music | Ideal for rock, band, and practice | Like the 5B, with more power and reach |
All three share the same hickory wood, medium taper, and wood tear drop tip. Diameter and length are the only two variables that move, and they never move together: 5A to 5B changes diameter only, 5B to Extreme 5B changes length only. That is worth knowing before you buy, because it means you can dial in girth and reach independently instead of assuming a longer stick is automatically a heavier one.
Why 'Extreme' doesn't mean thicker
"Extreme" is the most misread word on a Vic Firth stick wrapper. It sounds like it should mean bigger in every direction, more diameter, more weight, more of everything. It does not. Per Vic Firth's own spec sheet, the Extreme 5B has the identical 0.595 inch diameter as a standard 5B. The company's own listing describes it plainly: "Like the 5B, with more power and reach." Its own copy explains the whole Extreme line the same way: "Extreme" models within the American Classic series each feature an extra 1/2 inch of length, providing extra reach and power.
So the Extreme 5B is not a heavier stick. It is a longer lever. The extra half inch, 16.5 inches instead of 16, moves your hand slightly farther from the tip, which adds reach and a touch more leverage on rim shots and cymbal crashes without adding a gram of extra girth to your grip. If you already like a 5B's feel and just want a bit more distance to the drum or cymbal, for a wide kit or a drummer with long arms, Extreme 5B is the upgrade. If you actually want a thicker, heavier-feeling stick, Extreme 5B will not get you there. You would need a different model entirely.
Why rock drummers reach for 5B
Vic Firth's own positioning is blunt about who the 5B is for: its own product page calls it "ideal for rock, band and practice," and describes the model as one that has "long been one of the world's most popular drumstick models." The extra 0.03 inch of diameter over a 5A means more wood between your grip and the drum head, so the stick survives harder rimshots and backbeats without cracking as often. It also moves slightly more air off the head and cymbals at the same swing speed, which reads as more volume from the back of the room.
Real signature sticks show how far players actually push past that 5B baseline once a genre gets heavier. Foo Fighters and Nirvana's Dave Grohl plays a 0.600 inch Zildjian signature stick, already documented on CYS as longer and slightly thicker than a standard 5B. Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith goes further at 0.605 inch with his Vater Funk Blaster, slightly heavier than a standard 5B. Pantera and Hellyeah's Vinnie Paul went furthest of the three at a documented 0.630 inch, noticeably thicker than a standard 5B.
How far real rock and metal drummers push past a stock 5B
5B baseline
0.595 inch diameter, 16 inch length. Vic Firth's own stock rock and band size.
Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters
0.600 inch, 16.75 inch Zildjian signature stick. Documented on CYS as longer and slightly thicker than a standard 5B.
Chad Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers
0.605 inch Vater Funk Blaster. Documented on CYS as slightly heavier than a standard 5B.
Vinnie Paul, Pantera
0.630 inch Vic Firth signature stick. Documented on CYS as noticeably thicker than a standard 5B.
The pattern holds across all three: nobody with a heavy, rock-leaning signature stick goes thinner than a stock 5B. They all go up from it, and the harder the genre, the further up they tend to go.
Which one should you buy
New to drums, or replacing a broken pair with no strong preference yet? Buy 5A. It is lighter, easier to control while your technique develops, and it is Vic Firth's own highest-volume model, so it is the easiest size to replace anywhere.
Already gigging, practicing hard, or playing rock, punk, or metal where you are hitting with real force? Buy 5B. The extra diameter buys you durability and volume without changing your stroke length. If you are gigging regularly, the sticks are half the "bring your own gear" problem: a personal set of clip-on drum mics like the Sennheiser e604 solves the other half, since plenty of venues do not own working drum mics at all.
Like the 5B's feel but want a bit more reach, a wide kit, an open ride you have to stretch for, or just long arms? Buy Extreme 5B. Same 0.595 inch diameter as the 5B, just a half inch longer.
American Classic 5A
Why this one: The lighter, more forgiving default. Same medium taper and tip as the 5B, just 0.03 inch thinner. Vic Firth's own best-selling model and the safer first stick.
American Classic Extreme 5B
Why this one: Identical 0.595 inch diameter to the 5B, just a half inch longer at 16.5 inches. Reach for this over the 5B if you play a wide kit or want more leverage without more weight in your hand.
Bottom line: if you only buy one pair today, make it the 5B. It is the size Vic Firth itself builds for rock and band playing, and it is thick enough to survive real gigging without giving up the 16 inch length and medium taper every stick in this family shares.
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