What fun reading! For me the first time was in february 2010 as my Grand arrived by UPS. The idea to start playing the Stick came to me in 2009 when I was playing at a jazz club here in Sweden, sharing the night with piano player Harald Svensson. Harald played "solo piano" and he did all the stuff I had been dreaming about for years; totally improvised parts, songs spliced together into on-the-fly medleys, extensive rubato playing... the list goes on. I had four decades of guitar playing and some tenor sax too with different bands but I was living with a growing frustration of not being able to play freely on-the-fly-orchestrating solo concerts on any of my current instruments. That night, on the jazz club, I played alto flute and EWI and using my self designed live looping system to make up chords and clusters to orchestrate complex parts. But since I looped most parts of my playing all overdubs had to follow the original tempo - rubato was a no-no with that rig. So when enjoying Harald's set I thought for myself that I really should get to the point now and find me a two-handed multitasking instrument that would work for me in that sense. Now only money was the issue. In the early autumn of 2009 I did a handful of clinics for Apple and it turned out it took the company months to pay me and when they finally paid me in late november I received all the money at once (and that was after I had been living literally "with no money" for months, so it was by then all disposable). I had been eying the Eigenharp but decided to go with the STick so I ordered a Grand to be delivered nine months later. Not that I liked "the Stick sound" very much, but I was hoping I should be able to find a way to make it sound more to my taste. Luckily a cancellation came up and I was offered to buy that instrument on a much shorter plan, so I got it in february. At the time I was the EWI-ist in a band and had to practise the Grand at spare time. And then I found out I had to take an advanced belly surgery in the summer to get cured from cancer and during several months of healing I wasn't able to play the Grand at all, due to the vibrations it resonated into my belly. But by early 2011 I picked up the Stick again and found it so exciting that I burned my tax return on ordering a SG-12. Thought I had to try them all hands-on before deciding which one to go with. It took a year to free the brain for multitasking and in 2012 I kind of started to get the hang of it. Now the SG-12 is my premier instrument. Maybe I'll sell the Grand for a backup SG-12, depends on how the economy turns out... not ready for that decision yet. I also need to try out RMR strings with the Grand to see if it suits me better.

I started in May 2012 after seeing what Per did with his stick
I think I started looking for a tapping instrument at the end of 2011 - went through all the phases: not enough money, which are the alternatives (self made, Krappy, Megatar, used Stick, used Warr).

Then I decided that it had to be the Stick and I started to look an used one at the beginning of last year.
The availability was scarce then, me being in Europe. The shipping and taxes would have almost doubled the starting price.

Luckily found one in the UK through the classifieds here, I think it was at the end of March.

Now I can *almost* play one learned song and lots and lots of my own ostinato stuff.

Oh, nice! A Necrobump! I'll add my story, too, since this is a cool thread.

Around 2003 I had been reading SE's website and saw some of the QuickTime videos on the webpage with Greg doing Watchtower and doing distorted solos over clean bass lines. I Was sold. I bought a used one in 2004-ish, just in time to practice while the power was out in between all the hurricanes. I didn't have enough time/wherewithal to devote to practicing stick vs. trying to play guitar in a band at the time. So I Sold the stick. Got another one in 2010, cause the experience stuck with me (Heh). Financial reasons caused me to sell it. Got another used stick in 2011, and hung on to it for a while and tried a lot of tunings with it. (I had otherwise transitioned from a guitarist to a bassist -- tried DBR, tuning the melody side down one octave, etc). In 2012 I ordered a grand stick from SE and I've been playing consistently since (with the exception of a few month vacation -- I sold my grand and ended up with a rail board).

I'm in a band with some open minded, prog influenced musicians, so when they heard about me getting another stick, they encouraged me to use it in as many songs of ours as I can.

Roundabout the time I was approaching 40 and, never having played an instrument other than Cornet in 5th grade (Tonette's not withstanding), I took a trip over to my BFF-RIP's place and demo'd a Stick. Shortly thereafter I purchased Teak Grand #834 (tuned half baritone) from NJ Guitar and Bass Center (rudely referred to in the then popular Stick Internet forum as "that place in New Jersey") and was happier than the proverbial pig in shit. Since then a Rosewood Grand, Oak 10 string (2nd BF-RIP, never liked the 10 strings), Rosewood SB-7 #1012 and Dual Midi Bamboo Grand #6020 have passed thru my life. Should've hung onto the SB-7, amazing instrument. Bamboo6020 was the Stick of my dreams but I had to let it go due to the economic pressures of a recently redefined employment situation !! When re-employment occurs and my savings replenished.........

There is an ocean of time between the first time I've seen a stick and the time I got mine. When I saw it the first time it was on a television show and it was mid '70s...don't remember what show it was. Then in 2007 I've seen about 3 or 4 feet in front of me Steve Adelson who was playing it like crazy...nice walking bass, free solos, etc...I had time to talk with him, asking him a lot of details. Even though Montréal is my city, I was here on vacation because I was living in Dom. Republic and when I went back to my new country I was thinking about buying one. Finally I did this move in December 2009 and got mine in October 2010. A friend of mine brought it to me in DR because I wanted my toy to be delivered in Canada.

The thoughest part for me was to find the best way I should explore it and I think I finally found this path. I love to play chords and nice progressions with my left hand while I can feel free to improvise with the right one, mixing all of this whith some bass lines in between. It takes time but it's coming...

I had been aware of The Stick since about '96. I saw Tony Levin playing one and John Myung playing one right about the same time. I had seen The Blue Man Group a few years earlier. It was not until '96 that I began to want one. Fast forward to May 2010. I was able to be in a position to buy one. When it arrived in Sept 2010 and I pulled it out of the box was the first time I had touched one. A fantastic Rosewood 10-String. I have been taking lessons since and now have a Railboard on order.

Here's my story. I am copy/pasting it from the article on my web page.
Sorry it is so long.
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In the early 80's I was hearing a new bass sound (played by Tony Levin) on recordings by Peter Gabriel and also by King Crimson. At the time I was working as a studio bass player in Chicago playing radio/TV commercials and other recording projects. Wanting to have a full arsenal of bass gear to meet any call, I decided to look in to this "bass" instrument that I was listening to called The Chapman Stick.

I had seen pictures of the Stick, but none of them were so clear that I could make out what the instrument was all about. I was puzzled that it had so many strings just to play the same bass notes that I could play with only the 4 strings of my bass. Still I was intrigued by the sound.

In June of 1984 I went to the NAMM show in Chicago with a friend. There I decided to look in to this instrument called The Stick. As I approached the Stick booth I heard a whole bunch of music. As I got closer I saw that one man, Emmett Chapman, was making all of that music by himself on one instrument ... The Stick. I was shocked. This was much more than a bass instrument. This was much more than I could have ever expected. This thing was like a piano on a fretboard ... the possibilities ... endless!

After Emmett performed I was getting a closer look at the instruments and I was invited to try one. Yuta Chapman helped by showing me how to hold the instrument. It sure felt strange. I wanted to tilt the neck down and pluck with my right hand (old habits die hard). I was none the worse for wear after trying it and the seed had been planted ... buy me ... take me home with you ... hey you, come back ...

All the rest of the day and night I was contemplating buying a Stick. My friend was very encouraging. He had more faith that I could learn to play it than I did. I thought that I could justify the expense as an additional "bass instrument" as I could at least learn the bass part of it and if I was lucky I could maybe learn how to play the whole thing.

The next day my friend and I returned to the NAMM show and I bought Brazilian ironwood Stick #1362.

From 1984 to about 1987 I practice/played the Stick with varying levels of intensity/commitment. I had opportunity to use it in band and recording situations, but in looking back I wish I had worked harder at it.

I 1988 I got more serious about the Stick. This led me to justify the purchase of a new Stick in February of 1989, polycarbonate #2590. My ironwood Stick was sold.

By this time I had gotten out of the professional music business (so to speak) as I now had a regular day job. Not having to hustle for music jobs and not having to keep up with the latest bass stuff allowed me to concentrate fully on the Stick. I started calling myself a Stick player. This subtle title change actually helped me. I started insisting on playing the Stick when friends called to "jam". This made such a difference. Instead of wondering what instrument to play and trying to justify my decisions, I just brought the Stick because "I am a Stick player".

In February 1995 the Grand call came to me (the Grand Stick that is). I purchased padouk Grand #940 with a 7/5 standard tuning (heavy gauge strings) and traded in my polycarb. About a year later, I changed to 6/6 standard tuning but still with heavy gauge strings.

In July of 1997 I decided I needed a backup instrument and gee ... wouldn't a 10 string Stick with standard gauge strings/standard tuning fit the bill nicely. So I purchased a used (1991) Oak Stick #093 (adjustable truss rod but no fully adjustable bridge). This is a nice contrast/complement to my Grand Stick especially with the difference in string gauges.

In June of 98 I sent my padouk Grand to Emmett to get a GK-2A pickup installed. One thing lead to another and I traded in my Grand and became the proud owner of a laminated padouk Grand with GK-2A, #1502.

In retrospect I realize that my first exposure to the Stick was much earlier than what I've mentioned here. I didn't recall this until after I had purchased my first Stick. Sometime around 1973 or so I was a teenager playing in a band. We were serious, "we were going to make it, maybe even be the next Beatles". We had a practice at the drummers house. His "little" brother had this instrument that he just bought and wanted to show us. We didn't have time because we had an important band practice and anyway, he was just a kid. Well that instrument was a Chapman Stick. Maybe if I would have taken the time to check it out, I may have picked up the Stick sooner. Who knows ... we were all just kids.

Some of you may remember Petary791. He was an excited teenager when we all first met him. He's a young adult now and no longer plays the Stick. I chatted with him on FB today and told him this old thread of his had been revived and some new players were adding their stories. I told him we were looking forward to the day when he got a Stick and came back. He just might some day.

Keep the stories coming! I'm loving them.

-Eric

Seeing Tony Levin play "Sartori in Tangier" on his Stick got me interested. I didn't actually play one until December 1990 when my wife graciously gave me a 10-String Tarara (No. 188) as a gift. Been playing ever since. Hope to be playing a Railboard soon.

It seems to be the legacy of virtually all the stick players, see and hear the stick for the first time and just have to get one, no money to do so, scrape up the cash, order stick and the rest is history.

I'm no exception to this rule. I ran across the Stick for the first time while at Tom Lee Music in Hong Kong looking for some music. It was an instructional video and had never seen the Chapman Stick before and wondered what it was.

About a year later I was down home and the thought occurred to me to look up the Chapman Stick on YouTube as YouTube is blocked in CN. Lets just say I was impressed . Called my wife to come and watch Bob Culbertson and Greg Howard play the Stick. She put on the headphones and , she wanted a Stick!

So here I am scraping the cash to get our first Stick. As they say; anything worth having is worth waiting for.

Cheers,

Ron