Second line of Maxwell sticks brought out

There is now a second brand of snare drum sticks with Reid Maxwell’s name on them.

Innovative Percussion of Nashville has brought out the product PS-RM1 Reid Maxwell Pipe Band Model #1 in maple, 16-inches long, 0.75-inches round, with a round bead tip. The sticks follow the existing Maxwell model brought out by Andante Percussion of Northern Ireland, which has provided drums to his band, Simon Fraser University, since 2009.

Innovative Prcussion confirmed that the Andante Maxwell sticks will no longer be made and that Maxwell’s relationship with the company is exclusive.

Maxwell is the first in the line of Signature Series of products form Innovative Percussion, and the first pipe band product for them. The company is unrelated to Innovation Promotions, which puts on pipe band events. Innovative Percussion makes sticks and mallets for Drum Corps International bands, set drummers and “world music.”

A spokesman for the company said that the sticks are made to Maxwell’s specifications, and that they differ from the previous Andante sticks. but it is not clear how or if they differ from the Andante sticks with the drummer’s name on them, or if the Maxwell Andante sticks will be discontinued.

Innovation Percussion Worldwide Sales Representative Michael Eagle said that Maxwell’s relationship with his company is only as an endorsee and he has no employment status with the company.

He added that Simon Fraser University is currently the only drum section playing the sticks.

When asked how the sticks differ from or are better than other pipe band drum sticks, Eagle said, “As a manufacturer of nearly all percussion implements in many musical genres, Innovative Percussion’s quality control efforts are much higher than most pipe band product manufacturers. Our custom, computerized weight sorting and pitch matching technology have the tightest tolerances in the industry and provide extremely consistent drumstick pairing.”

Other Grade 1 band leading-drummers with snare sticks in their name include Gordon Brown, Boghall & Bathgate; Stephen Creighton, St. Laurence O’Toole; Drew Duthart, 78th Fraser Highlanders; Jim Kilpatrick, Spirit of Scotland; and Eric Ward, Greater Glasgow Police Scotland.

Pricing was not clear, but other snare sticks from Innovation Percussion run around US$17.

The 56-year-old Maxwell started his pipe band career with the Ballingry School Juvenile Pipe Band in his native Fife, Scotland, and later played in the Grade 1 Dysart & Dundonald before immigrating to Canada and playing with the 78th Fraser Highlanders, Peel Regional Police and, since 1992, Simon Fraser University.