a lot more intimidating than Stick.

I have to agree with Glenn. Personally I’ve found it – by far – one of the easiest instrument I’ve ever learned to play. As with any instrument it takes a lot of practice to become competent with it. But most instruments (as Glenn points out) have a technique to playing that can present a difficult barrier for the beginner. Not so with the Stick IME. Watch a few of Greg’s videos on technique and you’re making pretty decent musical noises. This is very encouraging to a noob.

Piano and bass share this quality IMO. Guitar, drums, brass & reed instruments, fretless bowed instruments all require considerable effort and practice just to accurately form notes.

I'm sure I'll find out and let you guys know; as soon as I get a set of strings on my new (to me) Poly 10-string!LOL

That all makes perfect sense to me, however 'intimidating' in this statement isn't about the experience of people who have got as far as holding an instument, or even as far as doing some study and finding out what those who have instruments think & feel, it's about perception before experience.

i.e. The potential for the instrument to appear intimidating is in the mind of the naive beholder.

For a lot of people it 'looks' complicated - lots of strings that produce different notes when touched in different places by one of two hands.

Whether or not that is considered 'intimidating' is a matter of perception. Those who consider it so might well think just the same of a piano, harp, violin, clarinet. 'Ranking' the relative intimidation of each instrument would be just guesswork.

Essentially, those who have got so far as to be posting on this forum are probably those least qualified to answer the question. LOL!

And David swoops in with the correct analysis!

I recall finding it intimidating until I learned more about the tuning, and said “I can do this.” But that was coming from years of experience with a fretted stringed instrument. The average person doesn’t have that frame of reference.