After carting three instruments to a couple of shows, I had an idea to lighten the load a bit and started working on playing my Alto Stick tunes on my classic tuned Grand Stick. As it turns out, I don't have any Alto tunes that can't be played on the Grand. The hands need to move up to the high frets and the fingering has to be a bit more precise but it's entirely doable.

In the midst of playing some of these tunes on the Grand Stick it occurred to me that this undertaking would likely not be even remotely possible on Fret Rods or jumbo guitar frets. One of the things that always struck me about the Rails is the crispness of the notes way up high on the fretboard. These Alto tunes really brought this home.

Just one in a long list of innovations from Emmett.

So how do you like the sound when you play an alto piece on the grand? Maybe a lil less chimy/bell like? OR maybe your rocking different pickups so thats big. I'd like to hear an A/B sometime if you make a lil clip.

I love the rails too man! Good call. Now I just need to see if the rails do the NS justice(in my playing style). I do alot of slap and hybrid stuff on there so....

The pickups are identical. Through the middle range of the tunes, the sounds is pretty similar. Up high, I'm working with heavier strings on the Grand so the very high notes don't quite cut through as much.

I actually charted one of my Alto tunes off my CD using StaffTab complete with simple looping instructions. I've been holding off posting it until I could put up an accompanying video. I might chart a Grand version as well and shoots videos for both.

Huh ok. And yeah the uber-art institute of stickist commissions you to make the 2 vids. The check is in the mail, currency is bonus karma points ok.

This is certainly true. Emmett's Rails make playing up high as fluid ans easy as anywhere else on the board.

I love Rails. They are precise, fast, amazing...

I might have mentioned this already; forgive me if I have. During my short experiment with Baritone Melody tuning, I had to figure out where I was going to be playing the melody in "Gymnopedie #1" (coming soon, folks). To keep it in the original octave in Bari tuning, I ended up playing the very highest note on the very last fret/rail, and in that area, it sounded clean and clear. Maybe not quite 100% as powerful as it was several frets down, but still extremely impressive, and it would have been totally fine if it had remained there.

Luc,

Emmett has designed an instrument that makes total access to the whole boad very easy for both hands. Try playing up that high on an instrument with a body and see how you have to change your technique completely to make it work.

Yeah Rails!!