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Doctor Hughes writes: > Finally, sticks: > I've been facinated with the Stick for yearsnyears, principally because of > the ability to play guitar+bass ranges together (or get in on that big > piano vibe!). The one thing that concerns me is the tone of tapped notes, > especially in the melody range. I've tried just tapping on my guitar, and > the tone is kinda lifeless and thin (and, I suppose, attack-free). Is it > just me? Is this something that can be improved with technique, or is it > just part of the instrument? Has anyone ever managed to get big jazz tone > out of a Stick or similar touchboard-style instrument? Two-handed tapping on a guitar sounds pretty awful IMFO, even if you are really proficient at it (like Stanley Jordan.) The tone on a Chapman Stick or Warr Guitar is quite different from that (and the tone between those two instruments is quite different.) The single biggest factor is a combination of scale length (they're long) and string tension (they're lower than that of a guitar). Rest assured that touch-style instruments can produce a HUGE amount of really rich, detailed tone. If you're interested, drop me a private e-mail and we can talk about this more. There's also a Stick player/dealer in London named Jim Lampi whom you could contact for more accessible information than I can provide at this distance (i.e., you can't really come over and play my Warr Guitar--I mean, you'd be welcome to, but Jim is a more practical option since there's less of the Atlantic Ocean between you): Jim Lampi Iguana Records 9 Mulberry Way, Barkingside, Essex England IG6 1ET TEL: & FAX: 0181 5514557 JLampi@compuserve.com http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jlampi/ Scott Bullerwell tanelorn@dimensional.com Boulder, Colorado, USA