Greetings from Southern California. I just joined last week. I've never played a Stick, but I'm considering a Stick purchase and I have many questions. My background is primarily as a bass player, and I've been doing it a long, long, long time.

I have some concerns about switching to inverted fifths. I've almost convinced myself that fifths are the way to go, but I'm an old dog with a lot of ingrained habits and teaching me new tricks may be a little challenging. I'd be interested in hearing opinions and advice for new players, and given my background, if it might be worthwhile to try a Stick Bass or NS/Stick in traditional fourths tuning for a while to get used to two-handed technique and to ease the transition before taking the plunge into inverted fifths.

To play on inverted fifths is a pure pleasure if you like to play chords. This concept gives you the opportunity of what we call "spread voicing" or "pastel voicing" when you write Big Band arrangements. If you play a Cm7 it's a wide range of notes...the root, the third but an octave higher (a tenth) and a dominant seven, also an octave higher (a 14th) and all of this on only 2 frets of distance. If you play this chord on piano you'll need your 2 hands. That also means you can play this type of chords with your left hand and still have your right hand to play a melody on top of your chords. It's magic. Whatever your age is, if you take few minutes to analyse these possibilities, you'll see how great it is. I also started late and I'm not a good stick player but it's always amazing for me to discover this instrument. Good luck if you want to buy one and explore new avenues...

I'm a bassist...that hardly plays bass anymore. Just when I need a "true" bass timbre. And fretless. My 2nd Stick is a 12-string DBR and what it allows me is to fully get into the high range of the melody. It's losing a higher 4th above in the melody, but you have the 5ths bass actually higher than the melody side. (check Stick.com 12 string tunings) The 5ths tuning is magic for a bassist. Er, Tony Levin, Nick Beggs, Trey Gunn, etc. My only thing was whether to go 10 string Grand for more spacing, but I can't give up those higher strings. I want sound like Fripp or Hillage from time to time. And the rhythm guitar thingy. Lots to think about from a bassists point of view...or not.

You might need a big 'Stick' to teach an old dog new tricks.

Difficult question. You'd probably be able to play your basslines that you always play if you tuned bass strings in fourths. But you'd be sacrificing a lot of range on your bass side and if you've become a bit tired of playing the same old basslines over and over, this might be your chance.!
I'm a bit of a newbie myself, started all over little over a year ago, and it took me a long time to confidently find the pitches in my left hand. I play some jazz style walking bass in some of our pieces and feeling free in those was what made me consider over and over again to try out the fourths tuning. Anyway, I kept at it and there are, as others have remarked, some advantages to the "standard" tuning. For me, the practice time I invested was worth it but I've heard from some who are very happy with the bass-in-fourths approach.
So, no answer that fits everyone. I'd say try the new tuning until you feel it makes you give up. Before you give up, revert to fourths tuning.

I would highly recommend checking out an NS Stick. The NS Stick is the most wonderful compromise of the dual mono out on a single beam. You get to keep your 4ths tuning and explore the melody side as a compliment to your bass playing.

I am in southern California if ever you want to try out a 10, 12 or NS Stick. Free Hands Academy has a tribute performance for Emmett coming up on Saturday, November 5th if you are in the area of West Hills / Canoga Park. I'll be playing a few tunes on Chapman Stick as well as the NS along with a few other performers. We always welcome StiCkurious players!

This.
Hey Gene StiCKurios sounds like a Crimson ProjeCKect.
AngelsMLB remember Gene and Don Schiff were bassists who played the Stick before the NS.
5ths tuning opens up the low (and high) end to new explorations. 12 strings in DBR gives an intense overlap in note choices while still leaving melodic and chordal possibilities not available in 8 or 10 strings.
DBR you lose a 4th higher in the melody but (for me) fulfills the desire to be rhythm guitar.
(It also goes higher on the 5ths bass side than the 4ths melody side)
If I had unlimited $$$ I would have an NS Stick in addition to my Stick.
But I would have bought an NS Upright first.

I'll have to read up on Crimson ProjeCKt. A lot of low end in that group with Chapman Stick, bass and all.

The key parts of AngelsMLB initial message were that he had some concerns about 5ths tuning, this is the primary which is why I would recommend skipping straight to the NS.

So you know AngelsMLB, you could be in a room with 10 bassists, all with the same tuning - the only difference between them all would be the number of strings on their instruments. If you were in a room with 10 Stickists, I would expect to see at least 4 or possibly 5 different tunings.

AnDroiD has a great points on the DBR. The DBR tuning is fascinating and so clever - I recall when Greg explained it to me - a big bass string in the middle and then 4ths extending down and 5ths extending up. You just can't pluck it the same way you do with a bass or an NS. The NS is a soft landing for bassist and after many years of the Chapman Stick, I am finally coming around to the NS.

I never wanted to be a bassist, but there's a ton of work for those that do.