Emmett had mentioned something to me awhile back about a new Stick and I am just now reading this post.
Wow!! This new Stick looks simply amazing!! I am so excited about this I can't even believe it!

I'll be trying one of these out as soon as possible!

Kevin

I agree that the current Sticks are worth every penny, especially compared to other instruments out there. But if the goal is really to introduce the rest of the world to this instrument, I think the price of these Railboards would have to be considerably lower. $2500 is a lot of money for the average Joe to drop into not only a new instrument, but a new style of playing that they might not take to at all. If the price drop is minimal, a majority of the buyers will most likely be us present Stick owners who want to have a second instrument, or have a go at the new technology. Hopefully the decrease in labor will make it possible to bring this style of playing more into the mainstream. Mark these at $1200 and you'll pull folks away from the Megatar & Krappy route, and step them into Stick Enterprises, where they're bound to buy more instruments, as well as add-on gear like cases, strings, etc.

Kris

p.s. Emmett, a nice emerald green color would make me very happy =)

On the subject of price, I understand fully that from a marketing perspective it is good to offer a lower price point to attract buyers, however as Stick "owners" we have to remember, we are ALL owners of the original handmade "Emmett" Sticks.
Each and every one of our instruments have passed through his hands personally before it got to ours. For me personally that makes them priceless.

I recently saw a Fender Twin amp from the 1950's that was priced at close to $6000 and I don't know that Leo Fender ever touched it. A gold top Les Paul from my teen years now starts at $5000 and goes up. I understand the argument can be made that there are entry level priced guitars but when I was a teenager there were not.
I basically had a choice between purchasing an instrument from Sears designed for a child or the same instrument that my Rocker heroes were playing in Concerts.

That being said, as pioneers of this instrument the price is part of the growing pains but honestly, a quality handmade bass guitar (Alembic, Fodera, etc) is around $3000 and up.

Remember, you get what you pay for.

Kevin

Second that. Emerald green would look boss.

Kev

The flip side of this is, Emmett won't be around forever, and I think part of this is to help ensure both his legacy, and more importantly, the quality of instrument that Stick Enterprises is so well known for. This seems to me to be part of the "passing of the torch" that will eventually have to take place.

And, with luck, years from now, a vintage stick will be a collectors item similar to a 59 Les Paul.

my retirement is counting on it. j/k

Why only one color? Anyone in for a Zebra Railboard? Or a Leopard? I'd go for a Railboard with big, slightly differently sized, orange dots on a dark purple foundation. Just... wow!

If I understood it correctly, the color is given with the anodizing process (which is an electrolytic bath); you cannot make any motives on it AFAIK...


Daniel.

a titanium nitride coating would be gold. Now how would you like a gold Stick? Titanium nitride coatings can be seen on drill bits that are generally more expensive, because the coating makes them more durable.

I believe Gold Stick was one of James Bond's earlier supervillians, right?
{rimshot}

Thank you! I'll be here all week.
Karma

This is great news, Emmett. Looking forward to hearing the output. My two(+) bits...
1) I second the request for the linear markings (vs. the dots). While a sharpie does a fine job of marking any given inner dotted rail for the 'wheretheheckami?' player's perspective, the linear markings were an improvement that should be kept. Dots are for onlookers, not sidelookers.
2) For the grand model, I don't know how wider spaced strings will fit, but more margin space in the middle and outer edges would be most appreciated. In the center, to minimize cross-talk and unwanted cross hits (i.e. LH playing string 7 undesirably muted by RH played string 6), and on the outside, to minimize the fffwwweet, especially on the melody side.
3) Adding the channel for the GK(s) is essential - allowing for all 12 strings.
It seems like when players ask for 'MIDI', it's an outdated request, because most people are probably using the modeled re-synthesized -audio- via the GK's, than they are triggering MIDI(?). I use a VG-99 on the bass side as well as (another) on the melody, which has worked out as an important complementary tonal approach. I turn off or lower the volume on the lowest two bass strings, but since the pitches overlap mostly with strings 1-6 and 9-12, it's more cohesive to use matching pick-up and processing models (in the same fashion as using the 'analog' pickups). I'm glad you chose the Villex - it's very versatile.
4) I've been thinking about that raised MR too - sounds like a good approach and more guitar-like but I always thought that the high strings would be too thin to attain that tuning. What gauge are the strings (light med heavy?), and if they are light, is it possible to get any looseness? Rigid strings are great for keeping tune, but are a bitch to bend (for me, at least...) without stressing out my elbow tendons. -Brian