Vic Firth Nicko McBrain Signature drumstick review: the 5B-plus stick behind Iron Maiden's gallop

The Vic Firth Signature Series Nicko McBrain (SKU: SNM) is the namesake signature drumstick built for Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrain. Vic Firth's own product page describes it plainly: a 5B shaft with a beefed-up neck and tip, a medium-sized stick that produces a big sound. Hickory wood, 16 inches long, 0.595 inch diameter, medium taper, wood tear-drop tip, lacquer finish. The pitch is added width in the neck and tip over a standard 5B, for power and durability where extra volume is required.

Nicko McBrain has anchored Iron Maiden since 1982, replacing Clive Burr, across 14 studio albums from Piece of Mind (1983) through Senjutsu (2021). Long-documented Paiste cymbal artist since July 1980. Full profile at /drummers/nicko-mcbrain.

Both are documented metal-drummer signature sticks at essentially the same 0.595 inch diameter, but they solve the durability problem differently. McBrain's Vic Firth keeps a traditional hickory build and just adds width at the neck and tip; Ahead's Lars Ulrich stick swaps the wood core out entirely for aluminum. Players who want the classic wood-stick response with a bit more backbone should reach for the SNM; players chasing maximum stick lifespan over a long tour should look at the aluminum-core alternative.

• Hard-hitting metal drumming that still wants a wood-stick feel. The beefed-up neck and tip add durability without leaving hickory behind, useful for a player who doesn't want an engineered aluminum or carbon-fiber core.
• Cymbal-heavy playing. McBrain's gallop-driven Iron Maiden style leans on constant ride and crash work; a wood tear-drop tip reads warmer on cymbals than a nylon tip.
• Players who like a standard 5B silhouette. Same length and diameter as Vic Firth's own classic 5B, so the upgrade is durability and power, not an unfamiliar new profile to learn.
• Not for players chasing maximum stick lifespan. For a touring schedule that chews through sticks fast, an aluminum-core alternative like the Ahead Lars Ulrich Signature is built to outlast hickory by a wider margin.

If you want the stick Nicko McBrain's name is actually on, the Vic Firth Signature Series Nicko McBrain (SNM) is it: a traditional hickory 5B-plus build, sized and taped like a standard 5B but reinforced at the neck and tip for a hard-hitting heavy-metal pocket. Priced like a standard stick, not a premium specialty item, which makes it an easy, low-cost way to try a documented signature spec.

Vic Firth

Signature Series - Nicko McBrain (SNM)

Price tier: $

Why this one: Nicko McBrain's own namesake Vic Firth signature stick: hickory, 5B dimensions, beefed-up neck and tip for extra power and durability, at standard hickory-stick pricing.

Heavy metalMetalHard rock

View on AmazonFull review →