Vater Extended Play Power 5B Drumsticks — Wood Tip, Hickory
The Vater Extended Play Power 5B is a pair of heavy 5B drumsticks in hickory, 16.5 in long with a 0.610 in diameter and a barrel tip turned from the wood. It is the heaviest size in the series: the thickness of a 5B and the extra half inch of the Power models, on a stick protected where it gives out first.
What sets it apart
- The heaviest size in the group: 0.610 in by 16.5 in
- Barrel tip cut from the wood
- Protective coating on the front of the stick
- 3 in Stick Shield band facing the metal rim
- Reach and thickness combined for maximum impact
- American hickory, chosen for its density
The heaviest of the group, and why that makes sense
Adding the thickness of a 5B to the length of a long size gives the most momentum. Every stroke delivers more energy to the head, so you can play loud without revving up.
This size is not for everyone. A drummer with fast hands will lose quickness; a drummer who has to fill a room without a PA will gain volume that no technique can replace.
The number that really decides: how many gigs per pair
A professional drummer who breaks a pair every night goes through several dozen in a season. At that pace, the question is no longer comfort, it is logistics: how many pairs to carry, and how often to buy more.
A thicker stick and an armoured contact zone change that arithmetic. The wood runs deeper beneath the notch and the band absorbs the metal impact. The pair does not become indestructible; it moves out of the weekly-replacement routine.
Hitting hard without killing the rebound
The trap with a heavy size is turning playing into a workout: the stick no longer comes back up on its own, and the wrist makes up for it. The balance of the regular model, which the manufacturer says is kept on this version, avoids that: part of the mass stays close to the hand.
That is what separates this model from a simply thick stick. It delivers volume while still letting the head send the stick back, which is what endurance over a full show depends on.
Specifications
| Diameter | 0.610 in |
|---|---|
| Overall length | 16.5 in |
| Tip | Barrel, wood |
| Wood species | American hickory |
| Stick Shield band | 3 in, in the rim strike area |
| Place in the family | The heaviest size |
What it is for
- Shows without sound reinforcement, where the drummer carries the volume
- Heavy rock, hardcore and metal
- Drummers who break a pair every show
- Bass drums and low toms that call for a full stroke
- Rental and house stick supplies at venues
Compare with other manufacturers
Other manufacturers' heavy, long sizes, and what sets them apart from this model:
| Manufacturer | Comparable model | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| Vic Firth | American Classic Extreme 5B | Similar dimensions, no protective coating |
| Promark | Rebound 5B Long | Rebound-oriented taper, no targeted band |
| Zildjian | Super 5B | Similar reach, different tip shape and balance |
| Los Cabos | Rock Red Hickory | Rock size in heartwood hickory, no reinforced zone |
Frequently asked questions
- Is this size more tiring than a regular one?
- Over a long night, yes, if you do not use the rebound. Used well, it needs less motion for the same volume, which partly makes up for it.
- How is it different from the Power 5A in the same line?
- The length is the same, at 16.5 in. The thickness is what changes: 0.610 in here versus 0.580 in, meaning more mass and more wood in reserve.
- Is it too heavy for a student?
- Usually, yes. A size this heavy encourages forcing before rebound technique is in place.
- Does the reinforcement hold up to repeated rimshots?
- That is exactly the stress the manufacturer places it there for. It does not stop wear on the rest of the stick, which eventually gets gouged.
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