So I referred to the previous stick (#487) as an instant rockstar kit, and have been influenced by an actual rock star, Ondrej Smeykal, to prefer a little more this style right here. This type of taper with a reasonably sized bell delivers power and precision with impeccable balance. The wall thickness are tuned throughout to optimize performance. It has a wide dynamic range from a soft whisper to totally raging and does everything really easily. This is truely a professional musicians quality instrument for recording/performing mic'd or accoustic, yet easy enough for the total beginner. Do you fit somewhere in that range?