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 NS/Stick Questions 
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Post NS/Stick Questions
Hi, everyone.

I have some questions about the NS/Stick. (No! I am not interested in getting one. Ever! I swear!)

- How high can string 1 be tuned? I see that the highest note in any of the tunings on stick.com is A, a 5th below high E on a guitar. Is that the reasonable limit?

- How does it play with a finger-picking style? I know it's a hybrid tapping instrument, but I'm an old finger-picking guitar player and I'm very curious about this.

- What does the clean tone of the instrument sound like? Is it more like a Stick or an electric guitar? What tonal variation is possible on the NS alone without effects?

- Does the NS/Stick need custom strings like a Stick?

OK, I'll come clean. I have long been fascinated with baritone guitars. I'm wondering if the NS/Stick could be thought of as the ultimate baritone guitar with an even lower range. I played finger-picked, chord melody, jazz guitar before the Stick and ever since I became aware of 7-string baritone electric guitars I've wanted to try one. Maybe the NS/Stick would be even better?

Thanks,

-Eric

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Tue Nov 19, 2013 7:10 pm
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Post Re: NS/Stick Questions
I would say PM Don Schiff on this. He uses a variety of sounds with the NS. Lots of space - I have long been fascinated with the NS as an outright alternative to the bass.

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Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:49 pm
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Post Re: NS/Stick Questions
I will ping Don. I know he's a nice guy, but I don't want the pros to feel like they get asked too many questions. I was just hoping for more discussion on this.

Thanks,

-Eric

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Fri Nov 22, 2013 2:38 pm
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Post Re: NS/Stick Questions
If you like the baritone guitar I would go with a baritone guitar.

The playing I do is like a Singer/Songwriter (Bass with left hand, chords with right hand and sing). I have been playing bass for over 20 years but I have always wanted to play the chords on top of it and the NS/Stick fits the bill for me perfectly.
As I play I do want the melody side to go a little deeper... maybe another string lower. I always play each side separate (different effects/EQ/Amp models on each side) so it would sound strange for me to start playing the chords/melody on the bass side.

If you envision the NS/Stick as a single instrument (not a double instrument like I do) then it may work well for you.

I hope this info may shed a little insight....

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Fri Nov 22, 2013 5:16 pm
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Post Re: NS/Stick Questions
Sounds like you want one :lol:

It hasn't replaced my Martin acoustic or PRS electric. Guitar lessons from Steve Osburn and finger style from another instructor at his store, as well as more seminars I've attended at Interlochen have influenced me to pick the NS with more of a classical/fingerstyle acoustic approach, than to play it like a bass. Problem is, the wide neck and 34" scale doesn't allow you to fret chords like a guitar. One trick is to capo high up the neck, say at the 12th fret. I've used two Schubbs one on each side of the neck.

I've had at least three classical guitar experts play my NS and each one of them did amazingly well with it.

One other thing that took me a while to get used to was the large gap between the 4th and 5th strings.

I have put "non Stick" bass strings on my NS, the only ones that seemed decent were DR's, I've not tried any guitar strings on it. If I'm not mistaken, the core wires of NS strings are different than guitar&bass strings. DR's from what I understand may be a bit closer in construction to Stick strings. Surprisingly the D'Addario I once put on there sounded pretty bad to me.

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Fri Nov 22, 2013 6:38 pm
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Post Re: NS/Stick Questions
Hi...I can answer a bunch of your questions sir.

I tune my high string to a Bb, but I have found by bending that string down off of the neck (I call this the super bend) and causing the instrument itself to act as a psuedo-fret...I can achieve the high E note that a guitar player can on the 24th fret of their high E string.

I play fingerstyle 85% of the time and bought my NSSTICK to be a bass-shredder instead of a two-hand tapper. It takes a bit to get used to the lighter touch needed on the higher strings, but I am so comfortable with it now that it feels the same as the traditional bass strings and I don't notice a difference when running between the registers.

Here is a demo recording I did of a song called Velvet Shades of Moist. I use no effects at all. There is several layers of the NSSTICk using different registers and styles. All of it is fingerstyle and the only instrument is the NSSTICK except for the drums I programmed. This should give you an idea on the raw sound palletes available.
https://soundcloud.com/drfroth/velvet-shades-of-moist

I would stick to the strings from Stick. I tried subbing one that I broke once and it did not work out very well...I could feel the difference. And I did not like it...

I hope this answers some questions...and by all means you should talk to Don Schiff...he is probably the NSSTICK Godfather without a doubt.

Best of luck,

Dr. Froth

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Sat Nov 23, 2013 8:08 pm
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Post Re: NS/Stick Questions
Really great to hear Skydiver and Froth go off on this as I am fascinated with the NS. Both of you guys sound pretty qualified!

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Sat Nov 23, 2013 9:30 pm
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Post Re: NS/Stick Questions
Eric, you ask all the questions you need anytime. Use my email if you want to contact direct, that goes for anyone, please feel free I'm happy to tell what I know and make up anything that I don't know. See, win, win. I'll always have an answer.

The NS plucks great with a wonderful feel. Very guitar-esk in that regard. You are correct in that it is reminiscent of a Baritone guitar. The highest open string "B or Bb" depending on how you tune your NS is the guitars second open string "B". So you are about a fourth lower. My open 1st string is a Bb so I'm "horn" friendly when I use open strings. I come from a family of Sax players and they frowned at my key of E songs. Bb they liked.

I believe the gauge of string 1 is about an .11. I switched to an .09 for awhile so I could do a string bend it up a minor third without fear of it snapping. The disadvantage is that the thinner gauge will also be quieter when tapped compared to the other strings. However I was using it with heavy compression and lots of distortion SooOooOo ya never heard a difference.

Hope that helps. Enough of us seemed to chime in. Excellent Team Work! GooOOO team NS!
/Don


Mon Dec 09, 2013 12:57 am
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