Hello!

Long time Stick owner, very infrequent lurker and poster to the forums. I just watched Dune: Part Two, which features roughly 10 seconds of a baliset, the fictional instrument that was played by Patrick Stewart in Dune (1984) and was constructed out of a modified Stick. The new movie’s baliset looks different, but bears strong similarity to the NS Stick. I could not find any confirmation or evidence of this online, so wanted to come here and hear thoughts.

Here is a picture of Josh Brolin holding the instrument in a deleted scene, the image at the bottom is allegedly concept artwork (the body is not shown in the film, so I can’t tell for sure): [url][url] https://www.reddit.com/r/dune/s/jNVVAjPLnj[/url]

Very curious about this, but could totally be wrong. Let me know your insights!

A couple of thoughts.

Don't both images show too many strings for an NS/Stick?

The instrument in the inset image has a very noticeable radius. The instrument used in the film might have a slight radius, or it could just be the lighting?

https://dune.fandom.com/wiki/Baliset



Attached is a close-up look of the instrument
Concept Art created for the book, The Art and Soul of Dune.

I didn't see Dune Part II. On the other side I know a duo from Ottawa and Tom is playing Baliset. I think he's one of the best player. This duo is just great and I love the tone of this Baliset.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx6kvNkSE0s

Agree Alain. A beautiful sound.

I guess that since it originated in a text based work of fiction Baliset is a very "Humpty Dumpty" word?

It looks kinda like there is no body to me. At the section you see at the bottom , it looks like the bridge end since it’s scalloped away at that end ( to allow finger picking ? )


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I always get a kick out of this video.

9 strings !!

hmmm..... maybe I should have gone with the mod I was making to my 8 string Railboard when I briefly converted her briefly to 9 strings, to fill that gap in the center.....

Here's a really dumb question, is the instrument being questioned by Bman324 even a real instrument ???

I ask because I'd love to have one.

I just did a search, and only came up with this: https://www.tommcmahon.ca/baliset/

I believe the word was coined by Frank Herbert.

https://dune.fandom.com/wiki/Baliset

The descripition in the book Dune allows scope for interpretation, hence the variations is what people think it should look like when trying to illustrate it or make a 'real' one.

I guess that Tom McMahon just thought it would be a cool name for his presumably custom built tapper?

Yeah ... don't know. Twenty(ish) years back I recall someone on StickWire lobbying heavily to officially refer to the Stick as a baliset. I have to admit that the very idea of it made me cringe. Strikes me a little as grown adults running around with brooms between their legs telling people they play quidditch.