Ahead Drums — Metal Drummers Who Use Ahead | MetalForge
Which metal drummers use Ahead sticks? See every pro in MetalForge's database who endorses or plays Ahead gear — kit specs and prices.
About Ahead
Ahead has manufactured aluminum-core drumsticks since 1992, when a design from Easton Sports engineer Rick Grossman became the "Advanced High Efficiency Alloy Drumstick" — AHEAD for short. Distributed by Big Bang Distribution out of Northridge, California, Ahead's durability pitch has made it a touring-metal staple.
Why Metal Drummers Choose Ahead:
- Aluminum Core – A core that essentially can't break the way wood can
- Replaceable Sleeve – When the outer sleeve wears out, replace the sleeve, not the whole stick
- Speed Metal Model – Originally Joey Jordison's signature stick, kept in the catalog after his departure
- Signature Series – Includes Lars Ulrich's current signature model
Metal Applications:
Ahead's multiple-times-longer-than-wood lifespan pitch has built a strong following among touring hard-rock and metal drummers who go through sticks fast, including Lars Ulrich (Metallica), whose current signature model is built on the Ahead aluminum platform.
Ahead History
In 1992, Rick Grossman of Easton Sports — already known for aerospace-grade aluminum baseball bats and hockey sticks — approached longtime multi-store drum retailer Bob Kasha with a design for a synthetic aluminum-core drumstick.
Kasha became a consultant to Easton on the project, and together they refined the design into the Advanced High Efficiency Alloy Drumstick, or AHEAD for short: an aluminum-core stick with a replaceable outer polyurethane sleeve, so a worn stick could be resleeved instead of thrown away entirely.
Kasha founded Big Bang Distribution in 1992 to bring the new sticks to market, sold his own retail stores in 1994 to focus on distribution, and in 1997 purchased the Ahead drumstick line outright from Easton Sports.
Based in Northridge, California, Big Bang Distribution has run Ahead ever since, building out the aluminum-stick concept into thrones, practice pads, and other percussion accessories alongside the original sticks.
Ahead's durability pitch built a strong following among touring rock and metal drummers who go through sticks fast, including a run as Joey Jordison's signature stick (originally the JJ1 model, later renamed Speed Metal after his departure) and, more recently, Lars Ulrich's own signature model.
Ahead Milestones
- 1992: Rick Grossman (Easton Sports) designs the first AHEAD aluminum-core drumstick; Bob Kasha founds Big Bang Distribution to bring it to market.
- 1997: Bob Kasha purchases the Ahead drumstick line outright from Easton Sports.
Ahead in Metal
Ahead's near-unbreakable aluminum-core design built a following among touring metal drummers, most visibly through Joey Jordison's JJ1 signature stick (kept in the catalog as "Speed Metal" after his departure from the endorsement) and Lars Ulrich's (Metallica) current signature model, the Ahead LT.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Ahead sticks does Lars Ulrich use?
Lars Ulrich plays his own Ahead signature model (LT), an aluminum-core stick with a replaceable polyurethane/nylon sleeve and a teardrop nylon tip.
Are Ahead drumsticks good for metal?
Yes. Ahead's aluminum core essentially can't break the way wood can, and the replaceable outer sleeve means a worn stick can be resleeved rather than replaced entirely — a durability pitch that's built a strong following among touring metal drummers.
How do Ahead drumsticks work?
Ahead sticks use an aluminum core wrapped in a replaceable polyurethane sleeve. When the sleeve wears down from heavy playing, you swap the sleeve instead of buying a whole new stick, since the aluminum core is built to last far longer than wood.