Zildjian Hal Blaine Artist Series drumstick review: the Wrecking Crew's session stick
Review of the Zildjian Hal Blaine Artist Series drumstick (SKU ASHB): hickory, 15.25 inch length, .500 inch diameter, medium taper, acorn wood tip. Zildjian's signature model for Hal Blaine, the most-recorded session drummer in popular music history.
Reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
The Zildjian Hal Blaine Artist Series (SKU ASHB) is Zildjian's signature drumstick for Hal Blaine, the most-recorded session drummer in popular music history. Hickory, 15.25 inches long, .500 inch diameter, medium taper, acorn wood tip. Zildjian's retail network markets it as built to resemble the lighter, shorter sticks Blaine played across roughly 6,000 singles as the Wrecking Crew's drummer, including Pet Sounds and Bridge Over Troubled Water.
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What it is, in one paragraph
The Zildjian Hal Blaine Artist Series (SKU ASHB) is Zildjian's signature drumstick for Hal Blaine, the most-recorded session drummer in popular music history. Hickory, 15.25 inches long, .500 inch diameter, medium taper, acorn wood tip. Zildjian's retail network describes it as built to resemble the lighter, shorter, smaller-size sticks Blaine played across roughly 6,000 recorded singles, including 40+ number one hits.
Who Hal Blaine was, briefly
Harold Simon Belsky, known as Hal Blaine (February 5, 1929 to March 11, 2019), anchored the LA Wrecking Crew, an informal session-musician collective, across the 1960s and 1970s. He played drums on The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966), Phil Spector's Wall of Sound productions, The Mamas & the Papas' catalog, Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970), and thousands of other records, by his own count roughly 6,000 singles. Modern Drummer Hall of Fame (1986); Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a session drummer (2000). Full profile at /drummers/hal-blaine.
Spec sheet
Zildjian Hal Blaine Artist Series (ASHB) spec
- Wood
- Hickory.
- Length
- 15.25 inches (38.74cm).
- Diameter
- .500 inch (1.27cm), noticeably thinner than a standard 5A (.565 inch).
- Taper
- Medium.
- Tip
- Acorn, wood.
- Finish
- Lacquer.
Where it sits next to another session-drummer signature stick
| Zildjian Hal Blaine (ASHB) | Vic Firth Steve Gadd Signature (SSG) | |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | Hickory | Hickory |
| Length | 15.25" (38.74cm) | 16-1/4" |
| Diameter | .500" (1.27cm) | 0.565" |
| Taper | Medium | Medium |
| Tip | Acorn, wood | Barrel, wood |
| Best for | The lightest touch on pop/soul session work | A fuller, more all-purpose session feel |
Both sticks exist because two generations of session-drumming legends wanted something lighter and more controlled than a standard rock stick. The Blaine stick goes further in that direction: at .500 inch it's thinner than the Gadd stick's already-moderate 0.565 inch, and shorter too. Pick the Blaine stick for the lightest possible touch; pick the Steve Gadd Signature for a slightly fuller stick that still reads as session-appropriate.
A session-drumming icon's signature stick
SKU ASHB · Artist Series
The stick itself
15.25 inches, .500 inch diameter, hickory, medium taper, acorn wood tip. Independently corroborated across Guitar Center, Long & McQuade, and Lone Star Percussion's own listings.
Source: Long & McQuade; Lone Star Percussion.
~6,000 singles · 40+ number ones
Why Blaine's name is on a signature stick
Blaine was the most-booked session drummer of the LA Wrecking Crew era, playing on records by The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, The Mamas & the Papas, and dozens of other acts, often uncredited. A signature stick built to his own lighter touch is a rare tribute to a musician most listeners never knew by name.
What the stick is built for
- The lightest touch in CYS's session-drummer stick lineup. At .500 inch diameter, it's thinner than most signature sticks CYS has reviewed, built for control over power.
- Pop, soul, and easy-listening session work. The dimensions suit the subtle, in-the-pocket playing Blaine's catalog is built on, not arena rock.
- Acorn-tip warmth. The rounder acorn tip reads warmer on cymbals and hi-hats than a pointed or barrel tip, useful for the controlled, brush-adjacent playing session drumming often calls for.
- Not for players who want a thick, heavy-hitting stick. Rock and metal drummers wanting more mass should look at a standard 5B or a heavier signature model instead.
Verdict and the affiliate hook
If the goal is the lightest, most controlled stick in CYS's session-drummer lineup, tied to the drummer most responsible for the sound of 1960s and 1970s American pop, this is it. For a slightly fuller session stick from the next generation, see the Vic Firth Steve Gadd Signature.
Hal Blaine Artist Series (ASHB)
Why this one: The lightest-touch session stick CYS has reviewed, built to Hal Blaine's own thinner, shorter dimensions. The pick for pop and soul session work that wants control over power.
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.