The main purpose for gloves is to keep the cymbals clean. If you are marching cymbals, you're hands are going to be sore and rough anyways. In order to protect the cymbals, you need to wear the gloves. They don't really help or hinder visuals either.

we used plain white golf gloves, but first, you have to buy the right and left hand seperatly, due to golfers using one glove when they play, and second they can cost a lot depending on what brand you get, but they are really comphey(sp?) once you break them in

can you guys post some links of the different type of gloves and were to buy

Our line(lassiter) uses baseball gloves for our practices with show gloves over them for shows. Works great for preventing blisters, sores, and pain in general. But, we've found that franklin gloves tend to tear the easiest, so if other baseball gloves are available (walmart of target) stick with those. Good luck with your line!

I like using Mechanix gloves because they provide good protection from palm to fingertips.

With me the gloves are more for hand protection. This doesn't happen to everyone but I learned the hard way that it is very possible to inflict nerve damage playing unprotected. It can still happen either way, it just cuts down your risk.

For cymballers with itty bitty tiny little girl hands the extra thickness of weightlifting or Mechanix gloves helps keep your lines from wanting to lengthen the slit in the straps to go tighter when the straps get older and more stretched out. But if your lines are like mine then they aren't really in a rush to have their straps tight enough :P

I've changed my mind since that last post and think that gloves are the way to go. Always. My hands couldn't be happier. Black Under Armour batting gloves. $25 at your local sporting goods store.