My plans for this year are subject to constant review as potential funding sources appear like challengers in Street Fighter 2. Since it once again seems vaguely possible for me to get a Stick this year, I have been thinking about Stick tunings in terms of matching with my vocal range—a bit like shopping for an acoustic guitar.

This led me to consider Deep Baritone Melody and Deep Matched Reciprocal tunings. What are your thoughts on these tunings, generally speaking?

Having zero first-hand experience with anything other than Classic, I can only tell you my impressions based on the tunes I've heard from others using these tunings. In general, I hear a little more richness and fullness of tone out of the melody side, and maybe a little better sustain. Perhaps that sustain is a result of compression, but when I've heard and messed with acoustic guitars in lower tunings (especially via Joni Mitchell) the difference in sound is staggering. I don't see why that wouldn't hold true for a lower Stick tuning.

"stick tunings in terms of matching with my vocal range"

My personal thoughts on this concept go in a different direction. I want to accompany my voice with the Stick, and I find the Matched Reciprocal I have chosen doesn't conflict with my range because it can play easily in ANY key that suits me. While my guitar simply hates Bb (uncapoed) the Stick doesn't care what key I'm in because it doesn't impose significant advantages or disadvantages in note selection. Guitars like the keys A and D for the nice location of bass notes; the Stick lets me find just about any bass note in any key that suits my voice.

There are lots of reasons to choose one or another of the tunings available for the Stick, but I have not found that a different tuning would improve it as an accompaniment instrument - Stick offers me an open choice of key quite different from the key-imposed advantages or disadvantages that are the reality of the guitar when it is used as an instrument of vocal accompaniment.

...yes, it is true...
... MR gives IMHO the most convenient distance between the hands...

...but all depends on what one is used to work with...

I have used MRD, MR and RMR and tried light, medium and heavy gauge. I don't think any tuning would accompany your voice range better or worse, because the Stick has such a wide range than whatever tuning you are using it will be possible to play the notes that best support your voice. The real reasons for using a specific tuning might be either to reach a better positioning of both hands on the board, reach a few extremely high or low notes or simply optimise the tone according to your taste. For the best tone the relationship between string's thickness and tension is more important than the tuning. If you find that a certain tuning gives you too sloppy strings you can just tune up the full instrument a half-note for more twang and sustain (not recommendable for a light classic though, as the thinnest string may break). I've played a one half-note raised RMR (custom tuning "RRMR", LOL) for a month no on my Grand and love it. Just get the Stick and try out all tunings and you will hear what suits you best.

Thanks for all the feedback.

This point gets, quite directly, to my way of thinking about guitar. I like fat strings when playing guitar: they offer a larger contact patch for my fingers and more string tension. My ideal individual string tension is roughly 23 pounds, more being better than less. My left hand is brutish in its strength and lack of precision, and even my right hand has a lot of improving to do with regard to precision (this is due to my neuromuscular disorder).

I wonder if there would be any way to determine the best tuning and string set for me based on string tension. Does it seem likely that SE would have the requisite data? Would this be a bother for SE, or does Emmett live for this kind of thing (as I suspect may be the case)?

...you're absolutely right Per...

What tuning do you have your Stick tuned in now?

I do not have a Stick now.

I have no personal experience with those tunings, but I have messed around with a few different tunings, and I think what worked for me was using a tuning that made sense to me mentally. I played around with matched reciprocal when I was first learning, but things didn't really start clicking until I switched to dual bass reciprocal. For me, I had trouble seeing the instrument as two separate sides, but had a more "monolithic" approach to things. For me, it made more sense that everything radiated out of the central low string, going up in 5ths in one direction and 4ths in the other.

So I guess my advice would be to take a look at the tunings, see how the strings and frets relate to each other, and see where your typical hand positions would be. Then ask yourself what makes the most sense to you? What feels more natural?