In this section I will tell my recommended choices of sticks, mallets, and accessories for percussion. These are in no way the only acceptable equipment, but the ones I prefer.
Vic Firth SD1 General and Tom Gauger #15 for general playing.
Vic Firth SD2 Bolero and Tom Gauger #16 for light, pianissimo playing.
Vic Firth Ralph Hardimons, MS1, and MS2 for marching percussion.
Innovative Percussion for most marimba playing.
Innovative Percussion James Ross Series and Mike Balter Grandioso Unwound Series for xylophone and bells.
For those of us with a low budget, Vic Firth and Grover make good mallets. If you are not worried about cost, then I would recommend Black Swamp or Clevelander mallets.
Tom Gauger is the way to go with bass drum mallets.
Zildjian makes the best cymbals in my opinion, but Sabian is good to. Accept no substitutes!!! For suspended cymbal, Vic Firth makes some very good yarn mallets.
For most accessories I think Black Swamp and Grover are the best.