In an effort to recall the events correctly, this is written in chronological order:

1. The Railboard sat very solidly, well-balanced with a weighty feel, in a lap rest Greg provided (which I recall looked quite similar to what Dave posted recently).
2. That sense of balance and weight allowed my muscles to relax*, notably along my back and shoulders.
3. The thinness of the Railboard's "deck" gave me more freedom in how I addressed it. Whereas my finger length did not necessitate said thinness, my wrist and hand muscles* dictated subtle changes which I was much more free to make.
4. The Railboard's "keel" made all the difference in how I held the Stick and how my fingers moved:
   
   • Greg's method of hand movement was all but impossible for me on a wooden Stick because I did not have a solid pivot point—critical to my muscles allowing the necessary movement*, particularly with regard to my left hand.
   • My left thumb preferred to be in the curve of the keel, its energy focused by the keel's sidewall, whilst my right thumb liked to ride along the outer edge of the keel. This allowed my left fingers to move as instructed and my right fingers to drive into the string with a well-defined arch, like playing a finger drum with volume. I suspect that I will relax the arch as the string locations solidify in my muscle memory.
5. The smooth machining of the Railboard felt much better to me as my thumbs glided along the back.
6. The string spacing allowed me to focus more on making a good sound than avoiding other strings. An experienced Stickist, or for that matter an able-bodied person*, might have to work far less than I do just to make a good movement.

As I wrote rather cheesily in my order form: "The Railboard felt so solid and freeing, it was like shaking hands with the Statue of Liberty." Yes, I have been playing Civilization V recently.


*I am a spastic.

Im stoked for you Rob......You've been waiting a long time. Congrats!

cheers,
kev

Thanks mate, I look forward to seeing you on Free Hands Friday (or Skype, for that matter).

Late to the game here, but congratulations, Rob! Time to break out the calendar and start crossing days off and staring at the hotshots gallery (if you haven't been already)

Cambria emailed 41 minutes ago to request my deposit. The total she quoted did not reflect my change to a soft case, so I replied with a correction. I will call tomorrow to pay the deposit.

As my friend Ryan at RNA Music (deep in the heart of Texas) would say: SO EXCITED!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyCY2qpt0Tg[/youtube]

Congrats on the order Rob!

congrats [emoji2][emoji6]
My order confirmation came two months after yours. I fear that I have to wait longer, although Cambria told me on phone that they have the railboards anodized [emoji17]

i think when you get it us East Coasters should throw you a party celebrating your tenacity and resilience. welcome to World of Stick!

Now the REAL wait begins!!!

SWEET!!!! We will have to compare notes!