Pro-Mark Simon Phillips Signature drumstick review: the fast-rebound 707 behind his Toto and session career
Review of the Pro-Mark Simon Phillips Signature 707 drumstick (SKU TX707W): hickory, 16.25 inch length, .551 inch diameter, long taper, large round wood tip. Phillips's real, 37-year Pro-Mark endorsement, not the similarly-named Vic Firth SSP built for Creed's Scott Phillips.
Reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
The Pro-Mark Simon Phillips Signature 707 (SKU TX707W) is a hickory drumstick built with the Toto and session drummer for Pro-Mark's Artist Series: 16.25 inches long, .551 inch diameter, a long taper, and a large round wood tip built for fast rebound. Phillips has used Pro-Mark sticks for 37 years by his own account. It's not Vic Firth's SSP, a similarly-named stick built for Creed's Scott Phillips, a different drummer entirely.
Affiliate links: we earn commission on qualifying Amazon purchases. See our full disclosure.
What it is, in one paragraph
The Pro-Mark Simon Phillips Signature 707 (SKU: TX707W) is a hickory drumstick Pro-Mark built with Simon Phillips for its Artist Series: 16.25 inches long, .551 inch diameter, a long taper, and a large round wood tip built for fast rebound. Phillips has endorsed Pro-Mark for 37 years by his own account, quoted directly on the manufacturer's own site. It's easy to confuse with Vic Firth's "SSP" model, but that stick is named for a different drummer entirely: Scott Phillips of Creed.
Who Simon Phillips is, briefly
Simon Phillips, born February 6, 1957, in London, England, started performing professionally at age 12 in his father Sid Phillips's Dixieland band, joined the London production of Jesus Christ Superstar at 16, and became one of London's most celebrated session drummers. He drummed in Toto from 1992 to 2014 and has recorded across hundreds of sessions (Mike Oldfield, Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, Judas Priest, and more). Full profile at /drummers/simon-phillips.
Spec sheet
Pro-Mark TX707W spec
- Wood
- Hickory.
- Length
- 16.25 inches (16 1/4 inches).
- Diameter
- .551 inches, close to a standard 5A.
- Taper
- Long, the longest of Pro-Mark's Autograph Series trio, for the fastest rebound of the three.
- Tip
- Wood, large round shape, for a full, spread-heavy tone on rides and a heavy attack on toms.
- Series
- Pro-Mark Artist Series, confirmed directly on Pro-Mark's own product page.
Where it sits among Pro-Mark's Autograph Series signature sticks
| Pro-Mark Simon Phillips (TX707W) | Pro-Mark Joey Jordison (TX515W) | Pro-Mark Mike Portnoy 420X ActiveGrip | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | Hickory | Hickory | American hickory |
| Length | 16 1/4" | 16" | 16 1/4" |
| Diameter | .551" | .551" | .565" |
| Taper | Long | Quick | Long |
| Tip | Wood, large round | Wood, large round | Wood, oval |
| Grip coating | None | None | ActiveGrip heat-activated |
| Best for | The fastest rebound of the three, a 5A feel with extra front-end weight | A more controlled, less bouncy response with a dark, wash-heavy cymbal attack | Heavier hitting with sweat-resistant grip security |
A 2014 hands-on review tested the Phillips TX707W alongside the Jordison TX515W and Portnoy's original 420 nylon-tip stick. It found "no stick exceeding .551 inches in diameter" among that trio, each pulling extra punch from front-end weight and oversized tips rather than raw mass. The Phillips TX707W and the Jordison TX515W share the same .551 inch diameter and wood tip shape, but the taper splits them: Phillips's long taper gave the reviewer the fastest rebound of the three, while Jordison's quick taper favored control over bounce. Portnoy has since added a second, heavier signature stick, the 420X ActiveGrip, at .565 inches with a wood tip and a grip coating. That stick wasn't part of the 2014 review, but it's the thickest in the table above and the only one with a grip coating.
The Pro-Mark partnership
Pro-Mark artist bio · 37-year relationship
"For the past 37 years, I've used ProMark drumsticks."
Simon Phillips's direct quote on Pro-Mark's own artist bio page. Pro-Mark's copy calls him "by far one of the world's most renowned and respected musicians," citing his range across rock, fusion, jazz, and world music.
Source: Pro-Mark / D'Addario, Simon Phillips artist bio page.
SKU TX707W · Artist Series
The stick itself
16.25 inches, .551 inch diameter, hickory, long taper, large round wood tip, lacquered finish. Priced at $18.99, in Pro-Mark's standard hickory-stick tier.
Source: Pro-Mark product page; Steve Weiss Music.
Not to be confused with
Vic Firth's "SSP" model
Vic Firth's current catalog includes an SSP stick, but it's built for Scott Phillips of Creed, not Simon Phillips. Two different drummers, similar names, different manufacturers entirely.
What the stick is built for
- Fast rebound with a 5A-familiar feel. The .551 inch diameter reads close to a standard 5A, with the long taper adding rebound speed a stock 5A doesn't have.
- Medium-to-heavy rides and low-tuned toms. A 2014 hands-on review found the large round tip pulled "a full, round ping with lots of spread" on rides, and "a big, heavy whump" out of low-tuned toms without choking sustain.
- Doubles and mixed rudimental figures. The same review credited the long taper and large tip with a "very fluid feel" on fast alternating patterns.
- Not for thin cymbals. The same reviewer noted the oversized tip "wasn't super pleasant on thin cymbals," better suited to medium-or-heavier weights.
Verdict and the affiliate hook
If you want the real, documented Pro-Mark stick behind Simon Phillips's Toto and session career, the TX707W is it: a fast-rebound, 5A-adjacent hickory stick with 37 years of Phillips's own endorsement behind it, not a mix-up with Creed's Scott Phillips on Vic Firth. For a more controlled, less bouncy alternative at the same diameter, see the Pro-Mark Joey Jordison Signature.
Simon Phillips Signature 707 (TX707W)
Why this one: Simon Phillips's real, 37-year Pro-Mark signature stick: fast-rebound hickory at a 5A-familiar .551 inch diameter, not the Vic Firth SSP built for a different drummer entirely.
Drummers documented using this drumstick
Each drummer profile cites this product in their stick / head / cymbal / kit frontmatter. Click through for the full editorial profile + sourcing.