Well, I'm completely new to the instrument, so I'm not sure if "comfortable" is a term I can say "yes" to. I do find it more ergonomic to play crossed, but I've had to uncross the strings because of the neck size. My right hand does fine, but I find my left hand to be much less dexterous due to having to support the neck and play at the same time.

Hi Damon,

Just for reference, the 10-string Stick is 3 1/4" wide for the whole instrument, and the neck thickness from the top of the frets to the back of the board is about 7/8".

Support the neck? The instrument should stay in the playing position by itself. When playing uncrossed you might have to angle the instrument a little bit more.
How are you wearing the instrument? The standard Megatar strap tends to keep the instrument vertical (IMHO). Maybe you should try a slider strap they are very comfortable and if the straps locks are well balanced you can put the instrument in wide angle range and it will stay in place.

Cheers, Daniel.

Maybe "support the neck" is a misleading term. The instrument stays in playing position, but if I'm trying to play a legato line with my left hand, it feels like my thumb is anchored there.

My Grand 10 is 3 6/10" wide, or 92mm. My hand-span is approx 8 1/4" and I don't have any problems with a crossed tuning. A 12-string would be around the same width.

Cheers,

EG

If your hand is "anchored" I would first look at your technique and not the instrument unless the Megatar neck has glue on the back .
Try to get an online lesson with Greg; he advocates for hand / arm movement and not finger movement. The ergonomics of the Megatar are different from a Stick but Greg should be able to help you, he's an experienced teacher and has a very good trained eye for ergonimics / posture.

Cheers, Daniel.

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm not sure I feel like I would be able to give really useful advice to someone who wants to play "uncrossed," especially in the position his instrument sits, away from the body. I've never used that as my main method of playing, only as a novelty approach sometimes.

I guess I'd be willing to try, but no guarantees...

This thread, and others like it, are an inevitable consequence of TT's promotional tactics, which focus on selling "features" while ignoring the real substantive design differences. The instruments aren't equivalents, and it's nice to get real information about the physical differences between the instruments, and how they impact the player's experience.

Thanks to Damon for his candid comments.

You're welcome.

When I first bought it, I was pretty convinced that it would only be slightly different, but the larger and tapered neck really changes the approach to the instrument. I think if someone were to approach it with uncrossed playing in mind, then the Megatar is a good fit. But I've found crossed playing to be more ergonomic for myself.

As far as the original topic. I've decided to get a Stick, and I'm thinking I want a 10-string with rail frets (not as set on the pickups, probably PASV4 if I end up buying new). Still weighing the pros and cons of new vs used.

Somewhat related question: I see colored instruments in the gallery, but it's not really mentioned on the site. Are colors an available option? Does anyone have any info on that offhand?

Hi Damon,

The colors are all penetrating dyes on the light bamboo. They are relatively new, and they haven't been integrated into the bamboo page yet. But that will happen soon. What color are you interested in?

When I was watching the Chapdoc trailer, I saw the blue one Emmett had, and was instantly wowed (blue is also my favorite color).