Ah. I see what's happened! My fault for not looking close enough at the recent sale images.

Last time I took a good look at those images I didn't have the real thing for comparison, so because the ad states in words that it's strung with light classic I assumed the pictures showed the same. I should know better than to assume. Sorry for the confusion.

Those strings (heavy gauge RBR!) are not on the instrument now. They were included in the sale, but are safely in their packets, the PO having realised that they were totally unsuited to this instrument.

I'll take & post some fresh images later today.

It helps greatly Greg. Thank you.

In that light we can forget about MR for the purposes of this topic. I'm happy to go with the classic tuning the instrument was designed for.

I only inclined to MR as it was, I believe, the 'next step' in Emmett's development road of tunings? If it was a simple change to make then fine. It's not simple, so let's stick with classic.

At this stage my priority is to restore #1642 to as high a degree of playability as I can manage, so that I can get on with learning to play Stick with as few handicaps as possible.

The aesthetics of preferred tunings is a matter for later when I'm (hopefully) not so ignorant & unskilled.

Fresh views of #1642 showing strings & screws at nut & bridge

A more detailed look at current action for some of the strings

N.B. All images in this & previous post resized to 860x645 to respect file size. Originals are much bigger (4288 x 3216) if anyone needs a closer look!

The last 2 string views. String 2 is the one that currently appears to be best set (so low that the action ruler is useless - as it ought to be with a Stick, if I understand correctly?)

I hope the current situation is clearer now?

Hi arcoddath,
Thanks for the offer, but as clarified above MR is now off the menu for this Stick.

And you are quite correct, if it was to be MR, then it would need to be light MR (plus the 'shaved' screws).

PS. If anyone out there in the UK wants a set of heavy gauge DBR for an appropriate model of 10 string Stick then PM me & I'd be happy to pop them in the post (N.B. Typically I'm only near a Post Office once every 3 weeks, so best if you're not in a hurry!).

Hi David, if it were me I'd start with the nut screws, on my instruments the strings are just a little bit above the first fret (perhaps the heaviest bass strings a little higher), set to minimum height that allows you to tap a decent sounding note at the first fret (if it's too low it will rest on the fret or be noticeably quieter than tapping at other frets).

Then at the bridge the screws should be lowered until you start to get fret buzz when tapping at different frets along the string, then raise it back up a half turn. Some of your screws at both ends look quite high and will probably need to come down a few turns to start off. If a bridge screw ends up needing to be lowered quite a lot perhaps the nut screw for that string might need to be raised a bit to compensate afterwards.

Since you don't have a truss rod or intonation adjustments, thus a smaller set of variables to work with, hopefully you'll get to a nice playing setup relatively easily without needing some extra fret work.

Hi Rob,

Thanks for that very sensible sounding advice.

I'm inclined towards a "sort out one string at a time" approach, unless there's a consensus otherwise (appreciating that there may be a possibility of needing to go back to the early ones after doing
the later ones).


Maybe a hidden bonus of having those two fixed truss rods is that they make the beam super stable?

Obviously I have little experience to judge by & no actual knowledge of what #1642 has been up to since 1985, but the general condition doesn't suggest use so hard as to cause fret wear?

Rob beat me to it. And the string height gauge is not going to tell you anything. It's nut screw height - tappable first fret. Then bridge screw - if that neck is STRAIGHT. You just go with what the string gauge will allow. That Stick looks to be in good shape so if you go with strings originaly intended for it, it should respond. My Ironwood, w/ the two beams, had the misfortune of being in the basement for 20 years, and I just sent it to Emmett, after ordering a new Stick, and said "Do what you will." It came back with fret dressing, brass screws, an adjustable truss, a new pu, all for the amount of $750 (2007/8). Oh, and a re-foamed case. I mean, in retrospect, damn good value for the $. For a Stick I paid $1200@ Sam AshNYC in '84. And my '08 12-string Bamboo Grand DBR w/ MIDI pu & PASV4, hardcase, came in just shy of $4000. The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.
So I still play the Ironwood, but I play the Grand every day. I mean it was built for ME by Emmett!
Good luck to you, you own a piece of history and a work of craftsmanship and artistry. And vision and invention.

It REALLY is a nice looking instrument....