One of the most exciting new drum products unveiled at this year’s NAMM show was Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini’s signature Vater drumstick, the Wicked Piston. As a longtime fan of Vater sticks, I am really impressed by what the company and Mike came up with. The stick is incredibly versatile, featuring variable weights that you can “adjust” simply by where you grip the stick. This seems like a no-brainer, and certainly every drum stick feels different depending on where you grip it, but what’s so cool about the Wicked Piston is that the weight of each grip location is specifically calibrated for any kind of drum scenario you might need in a metal band.
Check out our rundown of the stick’s specs below:
