any opinions on the older wood neck models? vs Graphite

cheers
Scott

If you're asking to compare OLD wood Sticks with OLD Graphite Sticks keep in mind the OLD "graphite" Sticks (1980s) LOOK Graphite but are not Graphite, they are Polycarbonate.

In regard to opinions? Well they are both great instruments but both have a few minor draw backs.

#1 Neither have adjustable truss rods
#2 Neither have adjustable bridges

That said Stick Enterprises can work wonders retrofitting old Sticks with adjustable truss rods which as it turns out is very important so you can keep your neck totally straight and the strings VERY LOW.

And as long as you stay with classic tuning or don't venture too far from it you don't need an adjustable bridge. You need to adjust the bridge for intonation if you use a different tuning but if you stay with Classic tuning you're OK without it. If you want to use one of the newer tunings or a very different string gage you may need to talk with SE about it to get custom bridge screws or see if you can even do it.

In regard to sound Polycarb Sticks tend to be a touch brighter than wood but where as most of the sound of a Stick comes from the pick-up and strings hitting the frets rather than what it's made from there isn't a HUGE difference in sound assuming they both have the same pickup. On older Sticks that pickup is the standard Stick-up pickup which even today is a GREAT pickup.

So there you have it, one man's opinion. PERSONALLY if i could buy an old iron wood Stick or an old Poly carb Stick I'd take the Polycarb ONLY because year ago I owned one and wish I still had it. And my currentl Stick is a Graphite (not polycarb) Grand so apparently I have a thing for black sticks!

Hey Scott,

Do you mean how do the non-bamboo, hardwood Sticks compare to graphite? I've owned one of each and although they were quite different in ages, I'd say the wood Stick had a bit more sweetness to the tone, but the graphite Stick has a more consistent tone overall and more strength down low. I'm still talking pretty small differences here, nowhere near as much as the difference between a graphite-neck bass and wood-neck bass.

Cheers,

Justin

oops I should have mentioned in regard to the NS stick

I have #714 Ironwood stick from 81-82 I'm quite happy with that

cheers
Scott

Now THAT's a totally different conversation!

I think the only person who may be able to answer the question is Don Schiff. His NS is the very 1st with a wood neck and he's also played Graphite neck NS Sticks so he has experienced the difference 1st hand.

No, I can answer that question, I own a wooden neck NS, and I played a graphite recently at the Australian Stick seminar. The graphite has a more responsive low end, but honestly I like the high end on mine a lot better. I believe the neck is actually a similar Wenge material that you find on Warwick Thumb basses; I once had a frettless Thumb, and side by side with the NS it looked identical. From what I remember, there's only about 130 of those around, I'm keeping mine.

Plus, I own a graphite-necked Zon bass and a Graphite Grand Stick, nice have something else made of wood beside my guitar.

Wel I guess Don isn't the ONLY one! Did you play it finger style like a bass? I'm just wondering if the neck material makes as much difference on an NS Stick as it does on a bass guitar.

Yes, not much changed, I have a light touch on the bass anyways, I use a .090-.035" gage on my four string. The NS is about the most adjustable instrument I've ever owned - the individual nut pieces are a really nice feature. I still play it, in fact I find fingerstyle easier with a capo, I often use two Schubbs on both sides of the neck.

You are right about how graphite vs wood is on the NS, pretty similar to what you see on a bass. I tune it BEADGBEA like a guitar, I did that more for reasons of how the strings sounded to me more than keeping it similar to a guitar. If Emmett built a full fretless NS, I would definitely go with graphite as to me the best fretless basses I've played were all graphite. I really like that wood on the NS, besides how the "melody" side sounds, so I'm pretty happy with what I've got.

If I'm not mistaken, Gary Jibilian kept one of his wooden NS's also.