As a future beginner, these same questions bother me as well. I was able to put my hands on a 12 string last fall, and to me, the strings seemed uncomfortably close together. My fingers don't qualify as short and stubby - I'm about 6'4" with proportionate hands.

So I've been dreaming of a 10 string grand.

However, I like the sound of the Stickup best, of the choices available, and that's not available for the 10 string grand (why is that?).

So now I'm back in a quandary. Stickup for THE sound with tight spacing, or wider spacing with not exactly the sound I want?

Does the 'regular' 10 string have the same string spacing as the 12 (just on a different width neck)?

Making the wisest choice is so difficult with out access to the instruments, and I'm not financially able to just order another one if the first one doesn't pan out.

Heavy sigh...

If the river don't rise and the ostrich herd don't stampede, I'll be placing my order in a few months. In the meantime, I'll continue to scan this forum and pray for wisdom.

The spacing of the regular 10-string is slightly more than that of the 12-string.

10-string Grand - 0.35"
10-string - 0.32"
12-string - 0.30"

Specs are on the individual instrument pages at http://www.stick.com

Thanks for the replies, I hope I wasn't too rude hijacking this thread,
but it fit the questions that I wanted to ask as well.

dcben's question response nailed it for me as well, I'm 6 foot one inch with
"proportionate" hands as well. The spacings cited will help me to decide
which model might do it for me. The 12 is alluring, but the 10 might feel
better. It's frustrating because it's a crap shoot not having either a 10 or
12 here (or anywhere).

Anyone have a guess as to why a 10 string grand can't have a stickup?

Is there a stickup that can only go on a regular 10 and another stickup built only for the 12?

The pickup poles on a Stickup must be directly under the strings (not an issue with the bar pickups of the PASV-4 and ACTV-2), I suppose that Stickups with the proper string distance for a 10 string Grand haven't been made yet (possibly not cost effective to manufacture if a lot of people don't order 10 string Grands?)

Hi folks. Greetings from Interlochen.

Sorry to take so long to respond to this thread's recent questions:

Regarding the 12-string Grand spacing. Since early 2007, I think, It's actually a little wider than previously, with a little more room between the string groups. I have a bamboo Grand with the wider spacing and even though it's a small change it feels like a lot more room compared to my previous Grand.

Rob is right about the Stickups. Since the housing is made from a special material that has to be molded, the cost of a mold just for the Ten-String Grand would be pretty expensive.

The standard 10-string also has a little more space between the strings than the 12-string Grand does. Maybe, if you are really into the sound of the Stickup that's what you should consider.

Just remember that the farther apart strings are, the harder it is to play double-stops, which are a huge component of chords in both hands.

Thanks Glenn and Rob. Because of you (and the rest of this great Stick community) I'm going to be able to make a more informed decision on that momentous day.

Blessings to all,
Dale (aka dcben)

Dale, I'm 6'5", with proportional hands. I play a 10-string comfortably, the string spacing seems fine. I've never laid hands on a 12, so I can't compare, but I'm not sure I'd want the strings much closer together. For me I'm really happy with a 10-string, and from all that I've read here, the same things are possible as on a 12, you just have to learn to move more vertically with your hands up and down the board. Plus I just like the slimmer profile, I doubt I'll ever move to a 12. The only other instrument I'm aching for is an Alto.

Kris

The 10-string is a sleek tool for music-making. Some of the visual patterns of the tuning are easier to see with fewer visual reference points, and easier to feel with fewer tactile reference points. Also, the narrower fretboard may a little easier to get your hands around.

[myspacevideo]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=55955269[/myspacevideo]

I think the key to success with 10 strings is finding the melody tuning that suits you best. For me it was Baritone Melody: http://www.stick.com/instruments/tunings/10/bm/

edited to remove "doh!" moment

I was able to find an 18 month old 12 String from a student of Steve Adelson, and I will be getting it sometime in September! Perhaps this is not the appropriate place, but does anyone happen to have a Brazilian Tarara Stick? I haven't seen any pictures except on the SE website and I would definitely like to see a few pictures of them. Thanks!