Vater Sizzle Mallet and Drumstick in One — Ultra Staccato Felt, Acorn Tip
The Sizzle is a double-ended tool: a hard felt head on one side, an acorn drumstick tip on the other, on a maple shaft 16.25 in long with a 0.610 in diameter. It takes you from a cymbal swell to regular playing with a simple flip of the hand, without letting go of anything or reaching for anything.
What sets it apart
- Two tools on one shaft: felt head and acorn tip
- Hard felt, rated “ultra staccato”
- Maple shaft
- 16.25 in long, 0.610 in diameter
- Instant switch with a flip
The problem a double-ended tool solves
A drummer in an orchestra pit, a musical or a church knows the situation: four bars of cymbal roll, then an immediate rhythmic entrance. In between, you have to put down the mallet and pick up the stick, which takes a second that does not exist in the score.
The Sizzle removes that moment. The wrist flip happens during the held note, with no sound of gear being set down and no risk of dropping anything in the dark.
An ultra staccato felt, and why it was chosen
You might expect a soft felt for swells. The manufacturer chose the opposite, and it makes sense for the use: on a kit, the felt head is mostly used to start a cymbal or hit a tom without a crack, not to hold an orchestral pianissimo.
A firm felt gets a cymbal speaking faster and leaves an audible articulation on the toms. It also stays more compact, so it does not get in the way of your hand when you play with the other end.
What the acorn tip brings to the other end
An acorn tip gives a progressive contact area: light on the edge, broader when played flat. On a ride cymbal it gives a full sound rather than an isolated ping, which suits supportive playing.
With a 0.610 in diameter, the shaft sits in sturdy-stick territory: it remains usable as a drumstick in its own right, not as a stopgap.
Specifications
| Type | Combination mallet and drumstick |
|---|---|
| Felt end | Hard felt, “ultra staccato” |
| Stick end | Acorn tip |
| Shaft wood | Maple |
| Length | 16.25 in (41.3 cm) |
| Diameter | 0.610 in (15.5 mm) |
What it is for
- Orchestra pits and musical theatre
- Quick switch from a cymbal swell to rhythmic playing
- Church and worship settings where gear must stay silent
- Auxiliary percussion in an ensemble
- Recording sessions with tight changes
Compare with other manufacturers
Tools combining a mallet and a stick from other manufacturers:
| Manufacturer | Comparable option | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Vic Firth | Sticks with a built-in felt head | Heads often larger, closer to a concert mallet |
| Promark | Double-ended pit models | Thinner shaft on some models |
| Regal Tip | Combination show sticks | Softer felt, aimed at suspended cymbal |
| Innovative Percussion | Mallets with a stick end for ensembles | Designed first for the concert percussion section |
Frequently asked questions
- Can you really play a whole song with it as a drumstick?
- Yes. The 0.610 in diameter puts it in sturdy-stick territory. The felt head adds a bit of weight at the end, which you feel on very fast passages.
- Is the felt soft enough for a cymbal roll?
- It is rated ultra staccato, so it is firm. It starts the cymbal quickly and cleanly; for a very gradual orchestral roll, a soft felt is still the better choice.
- Does the maple shaft make a difference?
- Maple weighs less than hickory at the same diameter. On a tool that already carries a felt head at one end, that choice keeps the total mass down and the tool easy to handle.
- Does the felt head get in the way of the grip?
- It is deliberately compact for that reason. Your hand sits normally on the shaft without touching the head.
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