The Vater Extended Play™ Series is an extremely durable drumstick that has two distinct features to help address issues of common wear and tear on a players’ drumsticks. The first feature is a pearl-colored, specially formulated durable finish that protects the tip and shoulder area of the stick to slow early chipping and cracking. The second feature is their exclusive 3 inch “ Stick Shield™ “ located in the rimshot area that is highly impact resistant and 8X stronger than Steel with maximum tensile strength. The grip area of the stick has the same great-feeling finish as found on all Vater Sticks. Extended Play™ sticks offer the optimal balance and feel of a Vater hickory stick, with advanced durability and resistance to rimshot fatigue and breakage.
"After a couple weeks of playing, the tip and shoulder areas of the Extended Plays were the first to show signs of wear. But the damage was subtle and certainly not enough for me to justify tossing the sticks in the trash. After about three weeks, I started to see some slight splintering around the Stick Shield rimshot area. Even with my heavier playing style, the lifespan of the Extended Play sticks was double that of traditional sticks, while maintaining the familiar feel of regular models. If you typically have to toss sticks prematurely because of shattered wood around the rimshot area, the Extended Play series would be a great alternative rather than going to a fully synthetic stick." - Modern Drummer Magazine