Yep, most definitely wider, in fact even the Stickup has to be modified with added screws and adjusted pole heights to accommodate the wider strings. The wider fretboard has taken a bit of getting used to. Initially with my first Grand I was always saying I wish they were wider but before long I got quite comfortable with the original string spacing.

I personally believe the new spacing will ease the initial transition to Stick while still allowing them to be close enough for seasoned use. I still find myself getting use to the extra reach for the higher bass strings. I believe it is a good change but would not like it to be expanded beyond the new spacing that is shipping on new models right now.

I assume the wider spacing may have been a contributing factor to the creation of the new PASV4 Block and you will notice below the screws present in a Stickup installed on a PASV4 instrument. Also, you may notice that some strings don't line up perfectly but poles heights seem to effectively compensate for that thus not impairing sound production in any noticeable way. This is why I have a theory (and only a theory) that Emmett most likely will be tweaking the Stickup in a coming new batch.



Several potential factors may encourage nothing to be done to the Stickup at all... it sounds fantastic already right now, the high cost of design/production changes (and changes may result in messing up factor one), and no telling how many of the original are still in stock.

I will have to say that all things considered the only real change that I would desire is an added adapter like "duclon" made for his 10-string to enable easy switching between to PASV4 and Stickup as written about here and could be sold as an add-on product...

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=169&start=10&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

I have attached his picture below as well.



The look of the add-on may be a challenge thus making it not a SE to most likely avoid the job because it does not present SE level elegant simplistic beauty. But of course a future Block size Stickup would eliminate both need and desire except for retrofits.

I love the Stick.

-Curtis

Here's an idea Bill Lee came up with in an NS Stick thread I started that mirrors this one. A retractable damper like the one on the NS Stick so you can play open notes and let them ring out if you want. It would add another playing technique option to the Stick.

I'd like to see a "GuitarStick" that's just 6 strings in standard guitar tuning. Maybe classical guitar width to give a little more spacing between strings. It would be an instrument that millions of guitar players could pickup and instantly be familiar with. You would get all the great "tapability" of a Stick in a friendly, familiar format for guitar players. But don't try to make it sound like a guitar, keep the unique tonal shades of the Stick. I think it would be a new addition to a guitarist's arsenal - electric, acoustic and GuitarStick.

Now that's a really cool idea! I almost ordered my Alto in a custom "double guitar" tuning, but I was too afraid of losing the classic Stick magic due in part to the 5ths tuning. But a 6 or 7 string guitar model in traditional guitar tuning would be a dream for the tapping lead guitarist. It seems like that would really complete the Stick family.

As for a suggestion of my own, I would love to see an "ACTV4" pickup. It would simply be the ACTV2 with two additional pickups closer to the bridge, like the PASV4. It would have the crystalline beauty of the ACTV2 but with the 4-pickup tonal versatility of the PASV4. I'm guessing the only reason it hasn't been done is lack of room inside the module. -Matt

Speaking of pickups, I'd like to see a Stickup with the same footprint of the PASV/ACTV.

That is a quite popular desire.

I was seriously considering trying this before I got my new Stick, in fact I even bought an extra EMG-FT pickup for the bass side, so I could make it an ACTV-3. There is a little bit of spare real-estate inside the Block, but probably not enough for two extra pickups. And if there was, the whole layout would have to change to allow the pickups to be placed in the right spots. You could use a smaller footprint switch for stereo/mono and stacked pots for the volumes, so that's not a problem. But it's also likely that the battery would need to be moved outside the Block, as it's right in the way of a bass-side bridge pickup.

Cheers,

EG

I really want a Cello spike. It would make life SOOOOOOO much easier.

I think you could adapt a Ned Steinberger end pin stand to the Stick: http://www.nedsteinberger.com/instrumen ... ms.php#end
Perhaps the cello one would be the best choice. The only thing you would have to do is to carefully rout a hole under the belt-hook and put a threaded insert there. NS Design also offers a stand for cello and bass that fits the same thread (I don't know if it's the same for cello and bass, but Steinberger is a practical guy so probably it is interchangeable)..