SO I need some first-hand experience with understanding the dimensions on the Railboard vs the stick...
I'm a multi-instrumentlist playing bass and keys, at the same time … every gig. It sure looks cool playing two different instruments at the same time (hammer on the bass, twiddle on the keys (but s stick probably looks cooler, right?)), BUT it's just hellish and timely to set-up, a drain on the energy in the room.
I've been dreaming of a getting a stick for years, and now, I'm looking to take the leap imminently. The plan would be to get a 10-string in classic tuning with MIDI set-up on the melody side, so I can run my baselines on the bass side and my synth sounds on the melody - set-up time solved, still looking badass.
Now I need help figuring out what's best for me and my relatively small hands - I often get snickers from my taller low-end friends for the slim string-spacing on my trusty fretless.
I'm trying to decide between the 10 string Stick and the tailboard,wondering which will be more beneficial to my needs. The slimmer neck profile should have no affect on the playability relevant to my hand size (not gripping the stick, just pivoting is the correct way to hold it, yes?) but then the railboard also has the wider grand string spacing, which could affect my playing, yes?
I guess what I'm asking is how different the feel is between rail and stick - Would either be easier for a smaller handed player?

FYI I'm in Maryland, near DC, if anyone knows where I can try out some stick!!!

With, the proper technique (see Greg) you won't have any problems. I would go for a wood or bamboo Stick. 10 String Classic is nice, however, you would be able to handle a Grand…. Welcome!! With the prowess you have on your other instruments, the Stick will open up new vistas and a rich pallet of colors!!

I played a Stick for the first time yesterday. I found that the "keel" on the back of the Railboard made all the difference in terms of establishing a pivot point for the hand movement Greg Howard favors so much: it was his Railboard I was playing. Using three fingers and hand movement on the Railboard was fantastic, much more so than the 12 String Grand.

The Railboard's string spacing is a bit narrower than the Ten String Grand: Greg said that it is roughly halfway between the standard and Grand ten string models.

There's no need to worry about having small hands! I've got small hands too and have no problem switching between a 12-str 36" Grand and a SG-12. I just move around my hands more on the bigger Grand. When you get into playing you will find that there isn't a need for keeping both thumbs on the back side of the neck, like guitarists and bassists typically do. What you should do is to tighten the Stick strap and keep the instrument firmly supported on the two points of the belt hook and your left shoulder. At that horisontal instrument position you will find that it sounds better and gives you more playability to just drum away with fingers all over the board (that may include thumbs as well, at least the right hand's thumb).

Hm... well, some chords may put up a challenge at the wider fret spacing close to the nut, but with twelve strings there always seems to be a way to reach any note somewhere else.

I agree with RAndy that the bamboo Grand is a great choice. That's what I have and I must say that, besides the benefit of having 12 strings, the option of having it with a PASV-4 also means a lot to me as I love that dual-pickups-in-phase sound with full lower mid boost. The RAilboard sounds great too of course... but with a different tone - that is similar to playing my PASV-4 Grand only by its neck pickups.

I have a 12 strings Grand Stick and the first time I touched it I really tought "wow, how can I play on such a big instrument"...and it last few days...today? I never think about that...I just play...lol. Writing this post I can look at my stick and I realize that, yes it's large in the low part (distance between frets), but I never feel it's too large (wide)...I tried a 10 strings only once and it was only for few minutes and I had the feeling it was too small for me...lol. I guess if I had one in hands for a longer time that would be ok. I've seen in the past pianists with very small fingers and they just develop a technic for themselves and they are as good as piano players with long fingers. What you have between your ears is often better than the size of your fingers. Good luck to make your choice...it's a beautiful instrument...whatever it's a 10 or 12 strings.

The Stick's design is very ergonomically friendly. You can easily reach all the notes on both sides with either hand, and no straining.

The Railboard improves your reach over the board by virtue of the board being thinner from front to back, so I'd say you shouldn't worry about this at all.

If you like the sound of the Railboard as much as the other Sticks, then your choice is clear.

I agree with Greg's comment about the Railboard. I have both a Grand 10-string, and a Railboard. The thinner neck of the Railboard makes it easier to reach the bass strings. I has some issues with the grand, but it's due to my poor technique....I have my thumb too far to the back of the neck and strain to reach...Go for the railboard

Hey guys, thanks for all the responses!
Yes, I totally trust the ergonomic design of any stick - I've been playing music long enough that I'd trust myself to be able to figure out my fingerings etc/ no matter that spacing issues. That being said, I am looking for some sense of scale between the instruments since I can't really just go to Guitar Center and pick one up haha.
Jumping off what Greg said, are there any really succinct videos/media comparing the tone of a railboard and a wood/bamboo stick? I can find samples of each separately but not together - I have heard that the railboard tone is very clear an snappy, comparable to some of the wood models... any direction you could point me?

As of now, there are no videos like Greg's "Meet the Pickups" video that directly A/B the R-Block with the Stickup, ACTV-2 and PASV-4. This is because 1) The R-Block is so new, and 2) because of its construction, unique to the Railboard (a kind of "body-through-pickup" design) isn't an option available to other Stick models.
Any of Greg's new videos featuring the Railboard will give you a perfect sense of how the R-Block in active mode sounds. For another perspective, there's my one and only video, too:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF3joRANqXM[/youtube]
I went straight into a Focusrite USB interface with phantom power on, recorded in Cubase, and added just a touch of reverb; no other alterations done.

I have small hands as well, and I use a 10 string bamboo Stick. To preface, I've never tried a 12 string or the Railboard. I'm 5'6" and personally, I find the 10 string to be just the right size. Sometimes I have difficulty playing the top string with my left hand, but it's usually the higher notes on the neck or when playing dexterous chords. I think some of it is due to the thickness of the neck (not that it's really that thick), but my guess is that the thinness of the Railboard alleviates some of this issue. So even though the Railboard is slightly wider, I think it would still be okay for us small-handed folks. (Again, never personally tried the Railboard, but this is my speculation.)

I'm not sure about a 12 string if you're concerned about hand size, but for your purposes, it would give you extra range to cover keyboard parts. Though, I came from a 12 string Megatar, and I didn't feel like I lost too much going to 10 strings (but my purposes are much different than your purposes). Between the Railboard and wood 10 strings, it really comes down to personal preferences. The Railboard is heavier (bamboo is one of the lightest), but it is also less expensive, and I've heard the action can get lower. Each has different pickup options, as well as visual appeal.