Finally got an NS Stick and wired together a practice rig
Long timer lurker here, and watcher of all of Don's and Skydiver's and others videos over the last few years.
After coveting an NS Stick for more than a decade simply because I thought it was an instrument inspired by pure genius, I finally got one. But for me waiting was a good thing. Like that old saying that the it's the journey, not the destination.
I've been tinkering with guitar and mandolin for decades, but never took lessons on anything until a drummer friend suggested I take up bass. Even though I was 50 at the time, I thought what the hell, and found a teacher. I fell in love with the bass and have been playing for 10 years now. For a few years we played covers of War, Santana, Herbie Hancock, and Stevie Wonder, but I found out I don't have the commitment to play crumby bar gigs starting at 10 PM. I don't even like being in bars!
Then I got a 6-string guitar a few years ago and took lessons with that for a couple years. Love again! And no pick for me. Fingerstyle only, just like my bass guitar. Well, time to combine the two.
I monitored Stickest, Craigslist, and eBay for months after I had decided to get an NS, and I finally found one on eBay that I liked. I learned on Stickest that I probably wanted one of a relatively newer vintage (newer fret type). The guy said this one was made in 2016. It's very dark maroon. Almost black. Maroon happens to be my favorite color. Was the color of my dad's 57 Chevy dirt track race car in the 1960s. Meant to be maybe?
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Like anyone, I have bad habits. My worst habit on bass guitar is that I practice with no amp so I play with a heavy touch so I can hear it (Fender Precision). Heavy works great when I get to play an upright, but I'm told by players much better than me, I'm doing myself a disservice.
I promised myself I was not going to do that with the NS, but after practicing with no amplification for few weeks now, I decided to see what I could wire together for a practice rig.
It was easier than I thought. I bought the right components first try, but one thing that was messing me up was that my NS stereo/mono switch is backwards from pdf manual. Up is stereo, down is mono on mine. I got stuck on that for an embarrassingly long period of time before I just started experimenting. So dumb.
So here is my setup:
- Hosa Stereo Breakout cable (1/4 TRS to two 1/4 mono TSF) - model YYP-117
- Two Vox Amplug 2 personal headphone amps (models - Clean (treble) and Bass (bass))
- Two 3.5mm male/male cables
- Hart Just Mixer S three channel stereo mix with 3.5mm inputs and headphone output
- Headphones
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I hope to contribute what I learn as a beginner to the community. I picked a hard first song, for me at least, Low Rider. Bass part by itself is easy, melody by itself is easy. Putting them together for me is turning out to be stupid hard. I don't have split brain yet. But that's the idea, I suppose!
Stay safe, everyone!
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