Tupan Sticks & Beaters - Contact me to order, or if you have questions not answered here.
Sticks
I make fiberglass tupan sticks (switches). Perhaps you have seen and heard them at performances. They feature:
Currently eight models, offered in 16, 15, 14, 13 inch lengths. The 16 and 15 come in three grades of flex ("whippiness"), soft, medium, stiff, based on the amount of fiberglass removed from the shank. The 14 and 13 come only in soft.
Flex grade is marked in one of two ways. The old system uses white rings below the yellow grip. The most flexible has two rings, the medium has one, and the stiffest has no ring. Starting in October 2020, a label on the shank is being used instead. The last digit of the model number reverses the old system, which makes "3" the stiffest. The photo shows the 15, 14, and 13 lengths - in the new system: 151, 141, 131. The black-yellow-red motif is the current standard production. The other two were made for personal use. I currently prefer 14-soft (141) on my 20" mylar BG drum. But a Bulgarian professional who borrowed my drum for performance chose 15-stiff (153) instead.
I also offer lightweight hardwood beaters - 32 cm, 80 g - a size suited for Bulgarian playing. The earlier stock (above) was peach wood - the current production (below) is blackwood acacia. As a result of feedback, the beaters have a slightly wider, heavier tip, for a better "punch". The next production run will also include 35 cm beaters, for those who prefer a slightly longer reach. Pricing
Starting in 2020, sticks are $9, and beaters $16. Shipping & handling within the US is a flat $7 for small-to-moderate sized orders.
Tech
In North America, these tupan sticks (and now beaters) are being used in bands playing Balkan brass, Bulgarian, Greek, and Turkish music. They are also popular among occasional players and students. |
Tupan Sticks - Larry Levine
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