Vic Firth - Corpsmaster Multi-Tenor John Mapes Drumsticks

Thirty-plus years of marching percussion education and nearly three decades of WGI medals have a way of sharpening your opinions about gear. John Mapes knows exactly what a tenor stick needs to do — and these were built because he got tired of compromising between sound and feel. Mapes spent years teaching with sticks that either sounded right or felt right, rarely both at the same time. That tension is what drove the design of this stick. The result is a hickory shaft with a medium taper that balances the butt and tip end beautifully — responsive enough for quick, technical passages across the drums, with enough backbone to drive through a loud ensemble without losing control. Hickory has always been a go-to for marching applications because of its density and shock absorption, and here it produces a deep, dark fundamental that cuts through the battery without going harsh or bright. The elongated taper and slightly longer-than-standard length (16.75") give players a bit more reach across a modern multi-tenor setup — a practical detail that any tenor player who's stretched for an outside drum mid-phrase will immediately appreciate. Rebound feels natural and consistent, not springy or dead, and the extra length doesn't throw off the balance. It still feels centered in your hand. That full, rounded nylon tip is doing real work here. The increased surface area gives you a fuller, more consistent contact patch on the head, which translates to a warmer, more controlled sound — especially at higher dynamic levels where lesser tips can start to sound thin or clicky. And because it's molded nylon rather than wood, you're not watching the tip profile slowly round off after a few hard rehearsals. These hold up. Whether you're running a high school front ensemble program or playing in a competitive indoor group, these sticks were designed with the demands of modern multi-tenor writing in mind — wider voicings, faster passages, and the kind of durability that keeps up with a full season of rehearsals and shows. **Specifications:** - **Model:** Corpsmaster Multi-Tenor John Mapes Signature - **SKU:** VFSMAPTS - **Family:** Corpsmaster Multi-Tenor - **Wood Type:** Hickory - **Tip Material:** Full-shape molded black nylon - **Taper:** Medium - **Diameter:** 0.697" / 1.77 cm - **Length:** 16.75" / 42.55 cm - **Designed For:** Multi-tenor drum set-ups - **Artist:** John Mapes — marching percussion designer, educator, 29 WGI medals since 2005, 5 World Championships with Chino Hills High School and Pulse Percussion, battery arranger for Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps