
Active Wave 570

Glenn Kotche
Master drummer and percussionist Glenn Kotche, the rhythmic anchor for Wilco since 2001, has teamed with D'Addario's ProMark brand to develop a first-of-its-kind new drumstick, the Active Wave 750.
"I've always dreamed of a drumstick like this"
The Active Wave 570 features ActiveGrip, which is a heat-activated grip coating that gets tackier when a drummer's hands heat up and start to seat. The stick also features the WaveHandle, specially contoured to provide additional grip and a comfortable place for all fingers. (The ActiveGrip and the WaveHandle were both invented by D'Addario.
Demanding
"To meet the demanding performances of Wilco and my other projects, I needed a special grip solution that I could trust, that didn't feel like rubber or a synthetic," Kotche says. "The new ActiveGrip feels like a regular hickory drumstick at the start of the show, and gets tackier when my hands start sweating. It's an absolute breakthrough in grip.
"Plus, the WaveHandle design adds an additional contoured grip that also works as its own sound source. I've always dreamed of a drumstick like this, and I'm proud to share it with other drummers that demand the ultimate grip without sacrificing feel."
Kotche will be performing with the Active Wave 570 at Wilco's annual Solid Sound festival at MASS MOCA in North Adams, MA, June 26-28. In addition to a full Wilco set, Glenn will play a solo set that includes an original piece of music commissioned by ProMark & D'Addario, one of the festival's sponsors.
The Active Wave 570 will debut at Summer NAMM 2015 and will be available August 1, 2015. Wilco are on tour throughout the summer and fall - dates can be found at wilcoworld.com.
Get the MusicRadar Newsletter
Want all the hottest music and gear news, reviews, deals, features and more, direct to your inbox? Sign up here.
Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.
“Its provides the mix ‘glue’ that makes everything sound cohesive and finished”: Here's how to compress your mix bus for sonic punch
“I remember thinking: ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could ask Sting to sing that line?’ Suddenly someone said: ‘Sting’s here on holiday! He’s on the beach!’” How Mark Knopfler got lucky with Money For Nothing
“I got to jam with Stevie Wonder. Just me and him, one afternoon. We each had a keyboard and we were just trading riffs and jamming together and it was like, ‘Wow’”: Howard Jones talks vintage gear, his new piano album and that 1985 Grammys synth medley