Produced to the exact specifications of the late Latin music icon Tito Puente – The King of the Timbales – these LP Tito Puente Signature Timbale Sticks are recommended for use with timbales and other similar percussion instruments. The sticks kiln-dried hickory wood – whereby the wood moisture content is minimised – ensures rich tones and excellent projection when used to strike a timbale. Hickory itself is a durable resilient wood so itll absorb the shock of a hard-hitting percussionist. About Tito Puente Born Ernesto Antonio “Tito” Puente in New York in 1923 Tito Puente was awarded the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995 and then the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 2003. With high-profile musical collaborations and appearance in shows such as Sesame Street and The Simpsons Puente is often credited for bringing Afro-Cuban and Caribbean sounds to mainstream audiences. His most famous composition Oye Como Va (1963) was popularised by Carlos Santanas 1970 cover version. Specifications Product Name: LP Tito Puente Signature Timbale Sticks 15″ Product Code: LP870012 Wood: Hickory Length: 38.1cm Diameter: 1.3cm