Transparent would be quite cool.

But I must say I really dig the Wenge headstock on the prototype! Looks good with the blue metal and black block IMO. Makes associations to that rough design you see in the Mad Max movies. I always like those movies more for "the stuff" than for the storyboard

Two of my favorite elements of the design at the tailpiece:



I really like the way it curves up around the tip of the bridge.

And the extra room for the fingers and left thumb at the X-fret position:



Because the damper is spaced further away from the nut it will deaden the strings even more effectively.

Yes Per I agree........the wenge is really nice on there. Maybe that will be an option one day. That extra playing space behind the X fret is a great innovation as well.

Cheers,
Kev

I very well might have found my future instrument in this new generation of Stick. This is incredibly exciting!!

Yes, especially if the price can be kept low. Sooner or later I will need a backup Grand. No word yet on GK MIDI Pickup options for a Railboard?

Looks great, well, I'd pick different colors but it looks like that's an option. So from a technical perspective, looks very well thought through. Would Dual Bass Reciprocal be good on this instrument or better suited to the wood / 36" models?

I really like the concept, the look and the overall aspect of the instrument. Certainly looks futuristic, even more than the stick... but my gut feeling is that this would sound a bit "Metallic".
I am guessing I am wrong here... Do you have an excerpt of a music piece played with this prototype, maybe along with a 10-Grand Stick...?

I have always wondered why SE would not open a license for manufacturing the Stick at lower/entry prices (i.e. manufactured in Asia) to promote/flood the market... maybe this is the answer.

Wish you best success on this innovention, I am sure RailBoard would end up being a wonderfull instrument like the rest of the Stick family.
Cheers,
DS-SB8

Like many of you I have a certain affection for the “warmth” of hardwoods and other natural materials, so I must confess to feeling a bit of skepticism when first reading about these newfangled, sterilized, all metal Sticks. But the more I learn about them, the more I want one! Wider string spacing? New pickups? Greater durability with easier maintenance? Lower cost? They look great too, can’t wait to hear what they sound like. Maybe I’ll be able to afford that new Stick this year after all! Thanks for the good news Emmett.

a couple of thoughts/questions:

Would the lower profile on the fret rails actually be an improvement over the current design? I know in my playing, I can sometimes be over zealous in my playing and REALLY dig in, sometimes effecting intonation ever so slightly. it seems a smaller fret would lessen that possibility.

I've seen some interesting multi-colored anodized products. Is it possible to do that with the hard anodizing process, and if so, would it be an option, presumably at an increased cost?

http://www.yfzcentral.com/forum/13-imag ... izing.html

Hi Randy, If you keep your fingertips up by the frets, this digging in isn't really a problem as far as intonation goes. Another common problem is pushing or pulling the strings side-to-side, instead of attacking them right along the line of the string. Hand motion pretty much fixes this problem.