Thanks everyone. I would like to make one thing clear after reading some of the responses. Its not a matter of giving up or difficulty or learning curve. Its just not for me, I didn't feel it, the magic, the love or whatever it is that makes someone decide to devote massive amounts of time and money to something.
I'm sure if I worked out all of the technique and tuning issues I could have been able to play the Stick, but there are some guitar things I would miss too much. I'm not willing to make that trade.
Its funny because I know I won't be back. I was actually sad yesterday afternoon because I was looking forward to it so much and when it hit me, the realization that the Stick wasn't for me, I was really let down. Partly because I was looking forward to it and partly because I discovered that I was betraying my true self as a guitar player. Part of me had convinced myself that I was going to be a stick player while I was ignoring a part of me that was in the background doubting that decision. I was lying to myself and I didn't know it until the last moment. It would have been wrong of me to buy that Stick, I would have been killing a part of me that has been here a long time. I feel good and I applaud you stick players, you have a special community and a special talent. Good luck and stay true to yourself.

yep ...six months of practice and the doors start opening. You already have some music fundamentals, so it isn't like speaking a new language. The reward isn't immediate of course, anything that's too easy usually isn't worth doing someone said. Although I don't think that's always true. Like all things the reward you take is = to the hmm ______________ (practice) you make.... uhhh...do. If you're looking for a challenge, a new vehicle for expressing yourself -in so many ways, order one up. The commitment to purchase is enough to make you give it a fair try. I'm betting if you practice 30 minutes everyday for six months you'll surprise yourself.
My posting is as much directed to newbies-like myself who are maybe just starting out and thinking ...how in the %&*# am I going to learn this/that........immediate gratification is fleeting.
just my 2 cents....whatever you decide, the important thing is to keep making music, what you make it with is just a tool.

"Its funny because I know I won't be back"
I wonder if he stayed around long enough to read my post.. doh

Ask David Crosby:

You want to know how it will be
Me and her or you and me
You both sit there with your long hair flowing
Your eyes alive, your minds are still growing
Saying to me what can we do now that we
Both love you -- I love you too
But I don't really see, why can't we go on as three

You are afraid, embarrased too, no one has ever in your sweet short life child
Said such a thing to you
Your mother's ghost stands at your shoulder
Got a face like ice -- just a little colder
Saying you can not do that it breaks all the rules
You learned in school
But I don't really see, why can't we go on as mmm three

You know we love each other it's plain to see
There's just one answer comes to me
Sister lovers -- some of you must know about water brothers
And in time maybe others
So you see what we can do
Is to try something new - that is if you're crazy too
But I don't really see, why can't we go on as three
"Triad"

There is no betrayal and no duplicity if everything is included.
If anything playing the Stick will make you a better guitar player
jrj

Somewhat a sad thread, but for some reason this reminds me of a Bass Player interview I read about bassist Mick Karn, almost twenty years ago ?

From what I remember, in the beginning he tried playing quite a few instruments and was really bad at them, no matter how hard he tried. Almost calling it quits altogether being a musician, he discovered the fretless bass - the rest is history. Point is, everyone is better off with the instrument(s) they really make a personal connection with.

But never say never, sometimes you can always try again later.

^^^ a little OT here, but I believe memory is playing a trick on you: Mick Karn is excellent on several instruments, especially bassoon, which he played with London School Symphony Orchestra a kid and is still very proficient on that instrument. He also played sax and other wind instruments with japan.

While I'm OT, Mick is undergoing treatment for cancer and is in dire need of financial help: please visit his site, http://www.mickkarn.net/ for more info.

I hope the stick you tried was set up right! Some ppl may re-sell one and by ignorance set it up like a bass or something, and make it almost impossible to play!

x2

When I started with the NS, I was able to play with standard bass fingerpicking technique and fingerings quite easily. I image strumming/barring (with the NS "guitar-style" tuning) would be very much the same.

That was several months ago. I'm now tapping more and more each week, with perhaps only a 30-minute/night time investment. I never would have imagined I'd be doing what I'm doing now on this instrument.

I played a "straight-ahead" jazz gig last night, doing nothing but finger-plucking...going into a rehearsal with my regular trio tomorrow night which I'll be probably playing about half "traditional" technique and half tapping. That's the beauty of the NS--it's an awesomely built instrument even if you played exclusively "traditional" techniques, but the extra strings and the string-damper are there any time you want to start branching out.

There's gotta be somebody with an NS down in your neck of the woods. See if you can get ahold of one, tune the top two strings down (if it's not already in guitar-tuning), and see how you like it.

I'm pretty sure I remember the article right - some musicians are their own worst critics, and will tell people they are really bad at something, but yet are very talented. Mick Karn seems like a very down to earth person. I believe you are correct that he is an excellent musician, and does play other instruments quite well. At the time, I never heard any of his music. However, that article was really cool and always stuck with me to pay attention to what instruments I really do like playing and don't dwell on something I might only pick up a couple times a year - as well as being open minded to look for other opportunities. In my case, I sold my fretless bass years ago and bought my NS. The fretless was a great instrument, but I looked back at how little I used it compared to my fretted instruments. From there I added my Grand as I found I really do enjoy the Stick.

Excellent comments on the NS - and now the new ones have fret rails. I've always wished mine had a smaller version of the rails on my Grand. (I'm starting to smell upgrade here). I tune mine BEADGBEA, and yes, several guitar players have tried mine and could do something nice immediately.

I must say that I totally understand your decision! If an instrument doesn't immediately talk to you it doesn't talk to you. I had that experience myself with the alto sax, just hated it. So I sold it and picked up a tenor and found that one to resonate with me from the first second I touched it! For a while I also played a lovely baritone sax with a band but the beast was so expensive that I had to sell my tenor in order to afford having a baritone - and since I can't live without a tenor sax at hand I had to quit the band, sell the baritone and get a tenor again. Although I liked being in the band I just had to go with the muse

Just like you, guitar is my first and premier instrument and when I got my stick some months ago I realized I had not much help from my guitar training. Within a couple of days my right hand was as fast as my left hand on the STick... even though I have been playing guitar for decades! The part of your body that has the hardest time adapting to Stick playing is by no means the brain! I would guess harpists, drummers and piano players may have an advance from their previous training. But guitar is mainly an instrument that demands you to train both hands into one synchronized unit while the Stick demands the opposite: train your hands to become two independent units that complement each other.

Regarding "scales" I think they live in the music and not in the physical design of an instrument.

I also play alto flute, EWI and fretless guitar but the Stick is about to become my favorite for noodling around on my own, maybe composing or just playing something cool with bass, chords and melody. Or having fun with poly rhythm playing that no other of my instruments allow.