Soliloquy Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Not really a bass I know, but I've been intrigued by these for years, since seeing someone playing one in a bar in Califonronia years ago. Anyone had any experience of playing one ?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geilerbass Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 I know of at least one Stick player on here - I think his forum name is Stickman, funnily enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E_MaN Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 My old bass teacher had a chapman stick. I never asked for a go though, if you listen to some of the pieces on youtube it sounds fantastic but you have to be soooo good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_In_Yer_Face Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Saw a guy at Canary Wharf underground station busking with one a few weeks back and it wasn't Tony Levin or Nick Beggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastair Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 It also looks geeky as hell Still sound cool though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 I bought one about twenty years ago.... I was motivated but still found it a really hard instrument to master : the different tuning (in fifths on the one hand), the combination of the two hands working seperately, two amps for each signal.. I played it for a year but found out that if you want to play it really well that you have to sacrifice a lot of time which you normally use to play bass..I sold it. If you want to be a good stick-player you should make it your main instrument...Sure you can play like Tony Levin which is great but then you' re not using the full potential of the instrument since he mainly uses the bass-side... I also think that it might be an easier start for a keyboardplayer or a guitarplayer who have the advantage of working with chords or two hands working individually... I found myself playing mainly on the bass side of the stick which was nice (totally different tuning though) until I thought to myself that I could do the tapping on my normal basses too without the difficulty of the stick. Sure, the sound of a Stick is great and sounds punchy and percussive but the question remains if this is so big an advantage that you have to sacrifice your bass for that... And on top of all : do you have a band or the music to fit a Stick in ? I tried it again two years ago and bought another Stick and sold it again after six months, too much for me and I'd rather play bass than a Stick... Think well before you buy one because it is really difficult imho and it might end a lot quicker in a corner than you would think and that would be a waste of money... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geilerbass Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 [quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='280306' date='Sep 9 2008, 12:49 PM']Saw a guy at Canary Wharf underground station busking with one a few weeks back and it wasn't Tony Levin or Nick Beggs [/quote] I've seen that guy twice! Once in Waterloo station and once at Tottenham Court Road. I actually gave him some change, so impressed was I that someone was busking on a stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nig Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Hi I got an sb8 in july and am gonna try to get down to the bass bash with it later this month, they are an interesting instrument, mine is tuned in 4ths from low b to ...er...b flat, they are a tapping instrument but unlike the 10 and 12 sticks there is room for a bit of finger picking, thes are great and beautiful instruments to play, but to master you need a piano players head as both hands play the instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnt Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 [quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='280306' date='Sep 9 2008, 12:49 PM']Saw a guy at Canary Wharf underground station busking with one a few weeks back and it wasn't Tony Levin or Nick Beggs [/quote] It wasn't [url="http://www.johnmartyn.com/?location=/web/Lampi"]Jim Lampi[/url], was it? He used to play on the doorstep of Rose Morris in Denmark St, and has a few albums out. He hasn't done much busking for years, though, since he's been backing John Martyn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alun Posted September 10, 2008 Share Posted September 10, 2008 [quote name='bnt' post='280733' date='Sep 9 2008, 10:06 PM']It wasn't [url="http://www.johnmartyn.com/?location=/web/Lampi"]Jim Lampi[/url], was it? He used to play on the doorstep of Rose Morris in Denmark St, and has a few albums out. He hasn't done much busking for years, though, since he's been backing John Martyn.[/quote] I supported him a few months ago - great player I've always fancied a go on a Stick but it hasn't happened yet.One day! Cheers Alun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 [quote name='bnt' post='280733' date='Sep 9 2008, 10:06 PM']It wasn't [url="http://www.johnmartyn.com/?location=/web/Lampi"]Jim Lampi[/url], was it? He used to play on the doorstep of Rose Morris in Denmark St, and has a few albums out. He hasn't done much busking for years, though, since he's been backing John Martyn.[/quote] The only time I ever saw a stick being played live was on the doorstep of Rose Morris. Been to a couple of Peter Gabriel concerts, but don't remember Tony Levin ever playing a stick at them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 In 1999, I went to Normandy to watch the eclipse. Was camping just outside a small town. Went into the town on the evening after the eclipse, and there was a jazz trio playing in the street, drums, keyboards, and Chapman stick. Not something I expected to see being played on the street in a small French town, I must admit. A couple of years later, I shared a flat with [url="http://freespace.virgin.net/myron.edwards/music.htm"]Myron Edwards[/url], who's the UK's [url="http://www.megatar.com/"]Megatar[/url] distributor. Never did get round to asking him for lessons though. What he was able to do on it was impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Is there much you can do on as Stick that you can't do on an extended range bass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annoying Twit Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 What's this about the megatar being good news for musicians who find making music hard to learn? [url="http://www.megatar.com/"]http://www.megatar.com/[/url] [quote]Good News for Musicians! You just Want to Play Music? But ... it’s too hard to learn? Then here’s some Good News ... Making Music just Got Easier.[/quote] Somehow I am doubtful about a stick-like instrument being easy to learn. As for comments about playing on stick versus extended range bass, I found this today. And this is just a regular looking bass. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9a4ThBNacY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9a4ThBNacY[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnt Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 (edited) [quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='282091' date='Sep 11 2008, 07:23 PM']Is there much you can do on as Stick that you can't do on an extended range bass?[/quote] The two aren't really comparable, since the Stick is designed from the ground up for two-handed playing: split in two halves, extremely low action. I know there are some insane ERBs out there, so I'm not going to say anything about range, but the Stick does have plenty. I know there are bassists (Tony Levin etc.) who have taken it up and concentrated on the bass side , but it also appeals to melodic players, who might otherwise be playing piano - another instrument where the two hands are treated separately. That's the "standard" Stick - but there's also an 8-string bass model. Then there's this thing, which works as a "normal" ERB too, playable in the usual way: the [url="http://stick.com/instruments/ns"]NS Stick[/url]. I want one, but I've learned to resist GAS. Edited September 11, 2008 by bnt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alun Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 [quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='282091' date='Sep 11 2008, 07:23 PM']Is there much you can do on as Stick that you can't do on an extended range bass?[/quote] The biggest advantage I can see is the tuning. The lowest string is in the centre of the neck with the bass side tuned in 5ths towards the outer edge and the treble side in 4ths. As a result, your hands move away from one another and there is much less risk of collision than on a regular bass or guitar. Cheers Alun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nig Posted September 15, 2008 Share Posted September 15, 2008 Im about 2 months into playing mine and its great, you can use a standard sb8 as a touch or tap bass but the extended range allows for chord or melody playing, the biggest problem is the 8 strings are in 4th's from the low b all the way across the neck which is very wide for small hands, but 10 and 12 string sticks and reworked 8 string sticks are in interior reciprocal tuning where the bass strings are in the centre going out in 4th's and the melody strings in 5th's going the other way from the centre allowing greater ease, check out rob martino on you tube he plays some great prog and rock classics on his. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Woodcock Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 [quote name='geilerbass' post='280294' date='Sep 9 2008, 12:40 PM']I know of at least one Stick player on here - I think his forum name is Stickman, funnily enough.[/quote] Yep, I play a 10-string. Despite the forum name I've tended to have an on/off relationship with it over the years with time restraints meaning it take second place to my bass playing. It's always the tone that grabs me though. Although he's changed from Stick to ERB this guy is inspiring me a lot at the moment: [url="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=265314514"]05Ric[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nig Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 [quote name='Stickman' post='288355' date='Sep 21 2008, 02:57 AM']Yep, I play a 10-string. Despite the forum name I've tended to have an on/off relationship with it over the years with time restraints meaning it take second place to my bass playing. It's always the tone that grabs me though. Although he's changed from Stick to ERB this guy is inspiring me a lot at the moment: [url="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=265314514"]05Ric[/url][/quote] Hi Stickman, Rick is a mate of mine, we worked together for 2 years and he left to do his own extended bass stuff, found gavin harrison on myspace and has done a great album called 'drop' check him out. he plays a crimson guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Woodcock Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 [quote name='nig' post='288520' date='Sep 21 2008, 02:12 PM']Hi Stickman, Rick is a mate of mine, we worked together for 2 years and he left to do his own extended bass stuff, found gavin harrison on myspace and has done a great album called 'drop' check him out. he plays a crimson guitar.[/quote] Cool! Drop is certainly a great album. I like what I've heard of Rick's drumming too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solofunkyjazz Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 I've heard that the tuning causes problems, the bass strings are tuned in 5ths and the other strings in 4ths, I think, it may be the other way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDarkReaver Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 Could you not change the tuning if you wanted to though? Much like any other string instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnt Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 Well, as I mentioned earlier, there are other instruments in the Stick family that would better suit players like me, who want a more bass-like setup. With 10 or 12 strings, totally changing the setup would not be trivial, though some have done it. This guy, for example, has moved the bass to the bottom, but it's still in 5ths, according his Stick [url="http://www.tapguitar-stickmusic.de/Projects/Stickmusic/stick_main_e.htm"]page[/url]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Woodcock Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Some fresh live action from me last night at Progpower in Holland: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe32t3O16IQ"]here[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 You rock- Cynic are the dog's bollocks. Was that a one off show or are you doing more gigs with them? I'm looking forward to seeing them support Opeth next month if I can get a ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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