Hey everyone been a long time fan of this instrument and I'm finally in the spot to buy one. I'm currently over seas and deployed in the Middle East right now but when I get home I'm going to be putting an order in. Now I know it's all preference. But being as this a new undertaking for me any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm right now thinking about 10 or 12 string but I also love the alto ever since I watched jan larenz play it. The options are what get me never playing one only watching videos and loveing what I'm seeing I might add but never having one in my hands is intimidating. Also amp and cab wise???? as a bass player I have three rigs but are they good for the stick on the treble side? Sorry if there's a lot to take in I'm just unsure of where to start with everything. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

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Are you looking to accompany your basses in a mix with a Stick? Do you want to use your Stick with your existing band (if you are in one)?

I will be glad to go as deep as you like regarding gear; please describe your bass rigs.

Been a long time since I played in a band. I was in endorsed by Spector basses many moons ago so I have four and five strings fretted and fretless. Amp and cab wise I have a Madison 8 10' cab and Madison head 800 watt head . An old acoustic 2 12' and an Aguilar 500 tone hammer and an ampeg neo 1 15' 2 10' I can't remember the name of the head but its the 500 watt small neo???? I can't recall right now. As far as playing out yes I would love to start playing out again and hopefully after years of practice I'll feel comfortable enough to take this out.

Are you interested in selling that to set up a new rig which would suit your Stick and your basses, or would you rather I dig into the specs of what you have? I would not normally ask, but that would be a lot of selling stock.

EDIT: Is the Ampeg head the PF-500?

Yes that's the one. The Madison is going to be on its way out when I get home. But I can say for the first time money ain't no thang. I do have to say the pick ups with added bells and whistles I don't think I'll need

You would do well to figure out your Stick configuration first, then work out the rig to support that. Regarding pickups, you should consider whether you want to run both sides of your Stick as a single instrument or as independent signal paths. The more expensive pickups can output a mono signal, whereas you could use an external device to sum wherever you want with any of the pickups.

One of the important things to remember when planning a Stick rig is that the “bass side” reaches well into treble territory. Also, I should probably warn you that I am a mad professor when it comes to gear (People's Exhibit A).

Greg D. You say you're deployed in the Middle East.
As a small gesture, when you get your Stick, please contact me for a complimentary thank you, first Stick lesson.

Steve Adelson

That is quite kind of you, Steve.

Really?!?! that's too kind Steve?!?! Thank you a ton we will be in touch!!!!

Don't know where you live, Greg, but you may find a fellow Stickist within driving range (I'm in central Jersey). Also, being a bassist myself, if I were to do it again, I MIGHT have gone with a ten-string Grand. (wider string spacing). But I have a 12-string and absolutely adore it. Check out Kevin Keith he comes from the bass and is a monster of the funk. I'm growing my right thumbnail because of him. And I wouldn't get rid of any of your bass rigs until you try the Stick out on them. Full-range, full-frequency, flat is what you want. Pick our brains, nothing more fun than talkin' Stick!