Howdy all.

I have been out the Stickist loop for awhile now. Have there been issues with instrument orders and construction over the past few months? I ordered a NS/Stick back in August of 2019 and still haven’t received it. I asked for an update back in August of 2020 and they said it would be done in September. Cut to November and I ask for another update and they said it would be done in December. Cut again to March and still no word. I’ve always had good experiences with Stick Enterprises, but this is pretty unprofessional and unacceptable.

Luke

6 - 8 months average wait on my latest order. I just ordered a custom Bass from another company builder which is about the same waiting period.I don't mind the wait and I don't inquire. A high quality instrument takes time and consider other orders also.

I too have noticed that ever since Cambria [left ??] things have not been quite the same on the communications end, but don't feel bad - I have a RB-8 under construction at least as long as yours - but in my case I purposely told the folks at S.E. to really take their time, as I personally want to see a person new to the Chapman Stick get their's before mine.

A year or two wait is not unusual for a fine hand made instrument, keep in mind I believe each and every instrument which comes out of S.E. is made completely in house, one instrument at a time.

I hope you get your instrument soon, even before mine, and that it serves you well for many many years to come.

Just as a datapoint that the lights are indeed currently ON, about a month ago, I ordered a set of strings and was contacted by Jeff Mack at Stick Enterprises about ensuring my NS Stick was in the database (it wasn't, and he added it).
And my strings arrived in less than a week.

I ordered a new Stick in February and was told "8-10 months". Still way faster than any custom instrument order anywhere, but longer than their normal 4-6 month. I'm told COVID has made certain materials difficult for SE to acquire in a reasonable amount of time. And I can relate...as an exotic hardwood worker in small town Saskatchewan, I must mail order most of my obscure tools and some materials. Since COVID, it takes FOR-EVER to receive things.

I don't know what the normal wait time for a NS Stick is. But on order since 2019?? You should call SE and talk to Jeff. I've found him easy to communicate with.

Just to provide a couple of additional data points.

Supply chains are screwed up worldwide. Note that there have been auto plant shutdowns because they're having trouble getting microprocessor chips from their suppliers.

I ordered a drum set from Sweetwater back in July of '20. Normally stuff from their warehouse hits my door in 2-3 days. The set was on backorder from Roland, and it didn't become available until September.

I ordered my RB-10 in January, was quoted 6-8 months. Changed my order in mid-February to specify the the new passive EMG-equipped R-Block (the Villex pickups were apparently a significant bottleneck), and that changed the turnaround time estimate to 3-4 months. I didn't inquire as to whether this was from my original order date, or the date of the revision, so to keep expectations as reasonable as possible, I'm assuming the latter which means I should have it sometime in June at the latest.

I've signed up for the Interlochen Workshop in early July, so I'm just hoping I have it by then. All these multi-year turnaround times have me concerned on that score though. I mentioned my plans to Jeff, and asked him to just give me a heads up if it looks like it may be delayed beyond late June. If I'm going to be disappointed, I'd rather get the news sooner than later.

Must be something in the air, as I just got contacted by Jeff that my Black RB-8 is completed and ready to be shipped once I make the final payment, which smartly on my end I did a substantial 2nd deposit after my first, which it turns out was done on October of 2019... but again, I did tell them to take their time with this one so that's why with me it seemed like a very long time [at one point I forgot I ever had it on order !!]

Funny thing though, I thought it was a dark blue - a super dark blue RB blank which Cambria had set aside for me, which was supposedly from the original batch of Railboard beams, but maybe somebody else needed it/beat me to it/or Cambria's order info simply got lost in the sauce... either way, now I really can't wait !!

Truth be told, this is just me - I think I'll go the Reverb route when it comes time to get what will be my last Stick: a first generation 34" scale 5 + 7 Grand Stick, as for me it would/will be easier that way, when the time comes [maybe in a year or two...]

So, off to the post office to mail the final payment check, then hopefully in a couple of weeks, she'll be here at my doorstep

How exciting!! Hope mine isn't too much farther up the pipeline than yours is, George!!

Well, keep in mind... mine was 18 months in the making, and I won't know if it was/is the actual color Cambria picked for me until I actually see it once it arrives here, God willing... in a couple of weeks or so.

Patience my friend, patience !!