Greetings fellow Stickists.

I was reading about the midi options on stick.com and would like to hear about your experiences with midi on the Stick.

First, the following questions are going to be with the assumption that the Stick is already routed for a GK pickup, but doesn't currently have one.

1) Gk-2 vs GK-3: is there any noticeable difference? SE currently offers the 3, but used to offer the 2.

2) As stated on Stick.com, they modify the GK pickup for the string spacing of the Stick. Is that something one could do at home (or your local qualified tech), or do they get custom made pickups specifically designed for the Stick?

3) Have any of you had a GK pickup that you were using on your guitar, but decided you wanted it on your Stick, and sent both your Stick and pickup to SE for installation?

4) Any disadvantages to midi on both sides?

Any info will be appreciated. Thanks!

1) Gk-2 vs GK-3: is there any noticeable difference? SE currently offers the 3, but used to offer the 2.

Same sound, same technology. Different shape of the controls

2) As stated on Stick.com, they modify the GK pickup for the string spacing of the Stick. Is that something one could do at home (or your local qualified tech), or do they get custom made pickups specifically designed for the Stick?

Pickup is manufactured differently. You can't change the dimensions.

3) Have any of you had a GK pickup that you were using on your guitar, but decided you wanted it on your Stick, and sent both your Stick and pickup to SE for installation?

4) Any disadvantages to midi on both sides?

Clumsy. Too mnay controls and placement gets awkward

Bad Idea. The standard Roland pickup is curved to match guitar radius,Stick is flat and the spacing is different. Stick Enterprises knows how to cut the channel and set up the pickup.
Spend the 500 bucks to get it done right.

The channel is already there in his potential instrument.....

The installation of the Stick Ent. supplied GK pickup onto a Stick that already has the channel cut is not difficult if you have some basic mechanical skills. Stick Ent. supplies a nice kit to do this. The pickup they supply is modified - the elements are taken out of the housing and mounted onto a custom made circuit board that is flat and has the spacing adjusted and is encapsulated in acrylic. The cable going from the controls to the pickup bar is shorter as well. There are only 4 screws need to secure the pickup bar to the Stick and doublesided tape is used to secure the control housing to the Stick.

Can you make one yourself? It has been done in the past but it's not what I would call an easy project to undertake. If you are patient and have attention to detail, yea it's possible. I've been working on a dual system off and on for while...ended up transferring one from my other Stick to the instrument I'm working with. As far as I know Stick Ent. will not convert one you supply to them...but that might have changed.

As for single or dual...really depends on what your plans are. The low end of the bass side takes a while to convert to midi in most convertors = more latency. Ok for string type sounds. Processed thru a V-Bass or the newer VB-99 it's quite useful. But as Steve mentioned the controls are kind of clunky to get too. The older GK2's were mounted on the back - but I saw (here maybe?) a Stick with a GK3 mounted on each side...still not easy to work with but better then being on the back

Dave