Bopworks is an Austin, Texas–based company that started in 2006 with an objective to provide accurate reproductions of the thin sticks used by top jazz drummers in the 1950s and ’60s. There’s the pencil-thin Birdland and more moderately sized West Coast and ’40s Swing models, as well as signature Mel Lewis 7D and Art Blakey 8D sticks. The Bopworks catalog was expanded in 2017 to include two thicker models (Memphis R&B and Rhythm & Groovz) and a pair of vintage-style Spread-Lok wire brushes. We were sent a sample of each to review. The Originals The thinnest Bopworks stick is the .500″x15.3125″ Birdland model. According to company owner Chris Bennett, this is an exact duplicate of a stick from the 1960s. It has a long taper and a small, elongated oval tip. This stick is meant for players who require a super-light stick that won’t produce a ton of overtones on […]

May 2018 Issue