There are lots of good options...

MR is a good call, it has lots of support from other players, it is well represented in the materials and it transitions readily to 12 strings. You get good range and some extra hand space. It’s near to Classic by one whole tone (2 frets) so adaptation of melody pieces is straightforward.

But once you’ve made your choice, you’ll dig into the tuning and make it your own. That’s part of the joy of this instrument.

For strings, why not medium? Good balance of tone and lightness. Here’s the page about string weights:

http://stick.com/shop/accessories/strings/

Thanks for that link. Still learning my way around the site. Pretty sure I specified "medium" on my order.

I like all of the comments on this thread. I am just beginning, so I played around with a few different tunings (mirrored 4ths, Classic, and Matched Reciprocal) to see what felt comfortable and what I felt sounded best. I settled on Matched Reciprocal because I like how the bass side sounds, and how comfortable the various chord shapes are for me to play.

As a new player, I did not want to complicate my learning. I chose the tuning based on how comfortable it is for me to play, and how much I like the sound of my chosen tuning. I have no "religion" about MR tuning, but I believe it is the best choice for me at this stage of learning. Whatever tuning you choose should help you achieve the sound and playability you are looking for. No, I do not have much experience, but this is my thought process in deciding which tuning is best for me. I hope this helps.

Thanks, Paul - appreciate your thoughts!

Hi SteveS,
I think I am one of the only true non-musicians here as far as a learned approach goes, but I've been a musician of sorts since the early 1980s, mainly experimental music/compositions but, my question to you regarding tunings would be what are your intentions with the instrument ??

I'm using Classic Tunings on both my vintage Ironwoods, but my NS Stick is in what I think is called Guitar Intervals - that's the one I would used if I was in a more rock type situation.... because that's the only tuning I sort of have a clue with as far as what's going on.

My SB-8 is in a very exciting tuning from a rhythmic standpoint - like two electric bass guitars, one in 5ths and one in 4ths... and that one is loads and loads of fun to play - but my RB-8 which is under construction will be in a custom 5ths tuning with a 3rd thrown in at the top and that will become my main instruement.

My Megatar Toneweaver was in Major 3rds from top to bottom, now I don't know what it's in, but something very close to that.

My other Megatar is in Classic Grand Stick tuning

My Warr Phalanx 12 is in a completely open tuning as it is set up like a Blaster Beam for now, but that instrument is curious as it's the only Phalanx that I'm aware of where the heavy strings all run down the center - but since it's like playing a table................

So, to best answer your question - and forgive me if this has already been answered, I would ask what your intentions are with the instrument then go from there [my thing is geared more towards soundtrack/atmospheric/world/ambient type music these days]

This is a great community - the best - everyone here is super helpful, and of course there's always me for inspiration to those who just want to make a bunch of noise either because that's all they can do, or want to do

Good Luck, and Welcome !!

Sounds like what I was asked by a couple of protective fathers back in the day - "Just what are your intentions, young man?"

Thanks - I appreciate your thoughts! I'm such a philistine, George - I can't say I have any intentions at all. To make music. And I'm not fussy much as to what kind. Classical. Jazz. Progressive Rock. Techno. Anything within my reach (which far exceeds my grasp, I can tell you!!) though I'm not much into country, bluegrass or show tunes. Not real big on ambient stuff though I have a bit of Brian Eno & Sigur Ros (is that "ambient"?) in my music collection.

This week I've been working on a) the drum part to accompany Nina Simone's version of "I Put A Spell On You", b) James Jamerson's beautiful bass line in "Your Precious Love" by Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell, and c) I've just gotten the sheet music to Moby's "One Of These Mornings" because I want to do an analysis of it.

I want to record the bass track to "I Put A Spell On You", but there is an instrumental break with a sax solo that swims with the beat, and the drum track is very faint, so as a bassist it's hard to keep in time through that section. I'm trying to lay down a clearer drum track to follow when recording. A click track doesn't help because the band is all over the place with the tempo (as they should be when working with someone like Ms. Simone!!)

I have to say that despite only picking up a bass for the first time a few years ago (I've been playing guitar for about 30 years) I really love playing bass. I've learned that I can memorize much better than I can improvise, and the repetitive patterns and variations-on-a-theme, plus the strong rhythmic element in bass guitar (to say nothing of the really cool harmonies!) are really compelling.

That Moby tune I mention above I think is stepping between dorian and aeolian/natural minor, and I want to see if I've heard that right. It also sounds like a fairly simple piece that might be arranged for Stick, especially with a little looping (which is something I've never managed to do much with as a guitarist).

I started taking drum lessons just over a year ago, and that has opened up a whole new world (and taught me perhaps why I have trouble with improvisation - I'm not thinking rhythmically!)

And then there is the stuff I want to do. There are some classical pieces I'd like to study (Bach's Air on the "G" string is a favorite), and of course, there is the progressive rock stuff that I'd love to learn. I have in my library a video of a guy doing an amazing rendition of King Crimson's "Starless" on a stick, and man, would I ever love to set learning that as a goal!

In any case, I already have my Railboard on order, and decided to go with matched reciprocal tuning. It just seems to be "comfortable" when I'm sitting here just looking at how chords and arpeggios are constructed on The Stick.

SteveS, this all sounds good and it looks like you have answered your own question as well

Bass is a fun instrument, also drums... I've recently gotten hooked on a Bajinn tuned in a C scale, maybe C major ?? but I really like primitave folk instruments as well, like Kalimba, Lyre's, real good table top hammer dulcimers - the real big ones.... zythers... it's all good !!!

But the Stick truly is the one instrument that does it all.

Cheers....

I haven't been able to find any app for Android or iPad called Neck Diagram.

I did find Fretboard Pro for the iPad/iPhone that includes 3 stick variants and multiple tunings, along with many other obscure instruments.

Glad you found something similar. Neck Diagrams apparently only has versions for Windows and MacOS.

https://www.neckdiagrams.com/download

Thanks for asking this question Steve. It provides answers to most of the 'before buying, never having touched a Stick', string related questions I have.


Ooo. Interesting. You wouldn't believe the number of times I've rules lines in a pad of quadrille paper I have! On second thoughts, maybe you would believe & that's why you looked out 'Neck Diagrams'?


That's my analysis too. I use P4 (all fourths) tuning on guitar already & have a good mental image of the fretboard pattern (a moveable pattern of scale degrees rather that a fixed one with note names), so I hope that's going to be helpful. I was deligheted when I worked out that the 5th's on the bass side actually give exactly the same pattern, it's just that the string to string differences are in the opposite direction, so a triad pattern I'm used to is still a triad, but is now in an inversion. It wil be an interesting 'culture shock' to hear that, but hopefully I'll get to accommodate it before too long?

I'm still left with the gauge choice for a beginner. I'm sure it's a personal thing to a large extent (i.e. 'for which beginner, & what to they want to do?'). I have read http://stick.com/shop/accessories/strings/, and I did a search (of the many many 'hits' for light & gauge, I found the topics What a Difference a set of strings made ... & string gauges...discuss while I drink in the corner most useful) but am still wavering between light & medium.

There is also the interesting concept of the 'Raised 4th' if I were to opt for a 12 string. I imagine that it could be experimented with by winding the tone up a notch on string 12, but I'm guessing that a proper set uses a different string?