Gene I should start a DBR post.
Thought you WANTED to be a bassist. (haha. I WANTED to be a bassist, yet wound up cooking for a living)
My first Stick was/is an Ironwood circa '85.
When I got serious (sober) again I had $$$ to order what I wanted from Stick Ent. Bamboo 12 string DBR PASV4 black linear inlays black tuners. Had a Stick that played high enough. (My reasoning)
Thing is, in Real Life, questions come in to play.
Let me say I never wanted the Stick to be a bass guitar. It was an instrument with a unique bass timbre than had the skinny strings I could never manage on a guitar.
With Emmett's great designs I was able to test every tuning on my Stick. Aside from the 3D bridge, I think the Flaps are The Most Incredible Nut (other than pistachios) Ever Developed.
I always came back to DBR. I have joked a 13-string Stick would be my Dream Stick. Then the Melody would go as high, and low, as I want.
7+5 configuration didn't even work because I can't live without the 12th string. (5th usually, but tune down to a 4th whenever)
So it is DBR. I drop the bass side a half step. The fret markers align. In string relationship, it's Classic tuning with the melody an octave down.
We all have are reasons, and Emmett gave me an instrument that is only as limited as my imagination. And chops. (non-existent)
But I "play" almost every day!

Greetings AngelsMLB.

More angels in Los Angel-ese.

Hey, you might eventually get a second stick, so why not start on NS or Stick Bass..?!

NS can sound huge but the SB8 seems to me, more stripped back as an instrument but also full of possibility.
What sound are you motivated by?

Thanks for all of the replies.



Well, a good overall tone that would support gigging in a bass player's role would be useful - jazz (electric), 70's and 80's rock, pop, and funk. That said, tones I'm drawn to: Tony Levin's work with Peter Gabriel (I Have the Touch, Shock the Monkey, etc.), Fender Jazz bass tone, sometimes with just a little grit (Jaco Pastorius for sure, but I have fretless basses for that, and Marcus Miller), Steve Rodby's (Pat Metheny Group) workman-like double bass tone, Victor Wooten's finger-style tone. As for the latter, the guy's an amazing two-handed tapper on a traditional bass, but it always sounds sterile to me. I'm much more drawn to his fingerstyle that drives the band. I don't like slapping all that much but having the ability to get a slap tone (big bottom with bright high-end bite) is essential to have in the arsenal. Oh, and single-coil pickup sound with a little treble bite (Rickenbacker a la Chris Squire) would be nice - not essential as I don't get a call for a lot of that, but it would be a nice-to-have.

For melody side I don't plan on doing much at first other than accompaniment. It will take me years to become proficient with the right -hand. Some funky double stops or chords. Probably something ethereal to add to a piece - think Steve Hackett. Also, always loved the sound of a 12-string guitar. Arpeggios, lots of arpeggios.

While I'm thinking about it, what are the tonal differences between a Railboard and a wood Stick?

Without me ranting away all the comments to your original post are all correct and I totally agree with them ALL. You might want to read all the comments a few times and let it sink in a bit. I’m a lefty bass player.