Been playing Vater Drumsticks Stewart Copeland Standard for years but the last pair I purchased were a complete disaster. They are shorter, lighter, and even had a different logo and no lacquer on them compared to the sticks I used for years. They are simply different sticks. I contacted Vater and sent them the photos you see here on request. After that email, I was completely ignored making multiple phone calls and emails to see if they intended to do anything about these garbage sticks they were selling. I had to get a credit refund from Amazon instead of Vater doing the right thing. It's crystal clear that they don't give crap about the quality of their products sadly. I think after the recent passing of owner Ron Vater the company has gone down the tubes. I'll never buy another pair of their sticks.
Photos; one stick laquered, the other not and the butt ends cut different. Second photo you see the new stick well under the 16-in norm and is lighter giving them a totally different feel. Hard to tell the third photo but it's a different logo, not that that's important.

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I've tried several brands, but Vater is the best for durability and reliability. I usually like heavier and larger diameter sticks as I'm a hard hitter but surprisingly, these sticks are extremely durable and last a long time. The rebound and sound your get from the rounded oval tip is great! Great sticks!

These are somewhere in between 5A and 7A, which is just what I was looking for. They play really well on acoustic and electronic drums, and they'll probably be my go-to drumsticks from now on.

Some sticks just feel right the minute you hold them. That's how these sticks felt to me. Balanced very nicely and great rebound. They sound great on the cymbals and drum heads. One of the best all round sticks I've used. They are my standard stick that I now use and keep in the bag.