Purpleheart 10 String Chapman Stick Copy

[Prostheta]

I do all of my drilling by hand. Mostly out of necessity, but also because I know the limitations and my ability to drill a straight hole. Lots of practice just hammered it into my muscle motor memory. Also, a set of depth stops. Crazy that it's so underpowered. Why do people even produce them if they're not up to the game?

[Mr Natural]

1 hour ago, Prostheta said:

. Why do people even produce them if they're not up to the game?

Father's day gifts. Every single one of my benchtop tools (except my jointer)  is a fathers day gift from my kids. I sold everything I had basically to get a big downpayment on the house I am in right now- and every fathers day I would get a new tool to replace the "real" tools I used to have. these things always go on sale round fathers days cause they are just within peoples budgets to get dear old dad. :-)

[curtisa]

Given the price and lead time of a genuine Chapman stick, I'm surprised you don't see more people building their own versions of it. Great to see another self-built oddity emerging from the depths of the forum.

 

Quote

and Australian Football League is on and I need to go watch it.

You're not an expat Australian, are you? My understanding was that most Americans didn't really 'get' AFL and thought it was a bit silly

[Prostheta]

23 minutes ago, Mr Natural said:

Father's day gifts. Every single one of my benchtop tools (except my jointer)  is a fathers day gift from my kids. I sold everything I had basically to get a big downpayment on the house I am in right now- and every fathers day I would get a new tool to replace the "real" tools I used to have. these things always go on sale round fathers days cause they are just within peoples budgets to get dear old dad.

 

The kids care, and that's what counts.

[Mr Natural]

4 hours ago, curtisa said:

You're not an expat Australian, are you? My understanding was that most Americans didn't really 'get' AFL and thought it was a bit silly

AFL is one of the greatest sports I have ever seen. The first time I saw it I was like- where the hell has this been my whole life. The games come on at like 1am give or take an hour on Saturday morning. I am often up till 4am watching a game. 

In the states- and forgive me anyone who is offending reading this- not my intent- but as kids growing up in the 70s we had a game in grade school called "smear the queer'. They used to sell small size rubber or plastic footballs at grocery stores- and these were highly coveted possessions back in the day- you would bring it to school-meet up before and after school- find a big open space- and throw the ball in the air. Who ever caught it was the queer and ran like hell to avoid the others- who were out to smear (tackle) the queer- you got tackled- you threw the ball up- someone else caught the ball- repeat. Greatest grade 3-6 game ever. Your mom always wanted to know why you had grass stains on your jeans- or why your knees were always ripping. Enter Sears toughskins. (oh Lord (ha ha))- anyway- AFL is the adult version of that game. I couldnt believe my eyes watching these guys literally beating the crap out of each other (elbows, knees, some punches thrown- etc) and I mean- just in disbelief. its like MMA, football, rugby and smear the queer all in one. I often watch the action away from the ball in play as you see huge hits and punches, I love how these guys launch in the air to catch the ball and kick the guy covering them in the head and the same time. Freaking Epic man.  Having played rugby at one point in my life- and still paying the price for it- these dudes have huge balls to play that game as adults. total respect as the body is hugely sacrificed. 

[Mr Natural]

I glued the pickup model layout drawing from the US Patent site to a 1/4" piece of mdf, and then using painters tape and glue attached that mdf to the walnut pickup block. I will hog out material with my drill press so the router has an easier job just cleaning up the edges and bottom.  

 

[Mr Natural]

that little box above that I didnt cut out is the stereo/mono switch- I am not putting that on this. I also cut out a screw point (oops)- so- I will probably glue a small piece of walnut back onto the module- we will see - the module attaches via 2 screws on each longer side of the module. I left meat on the one side but not the other- pays to have a full drawn out plan (with every part of the project) and not "partially winging it as you go" like I am. 

[Prostheta]

I couldn't work without having a detailed plan in front of me. Obviously it's a magnitude easier when you've developed that plan yourself....

[ScottR]

On 5/28/2018 at 9:49 AM, Prostheta said:

I couldn't work without having a detailed plan in front of me.

You'd be lost on one of my builds.....

Scott--smear the queer brings back a ton of memories. We played that every fall night in my neck of woods back in the 70's as well.

SR

[westhemann]

Hey, Nat. I've been mulling over building a version of one of these and I'm thinking about a possible Stick/Megatar hybrid in a sort of blocky V body shape with the center of the "V" being a slightly lopsided roundish void meant to rest comfortably on your thigh in a sitting position so it could be played without that board I see so many people using as a rest. Also, the wider body would allow a more traditional  pickup cavity.

 

Anyway,  I'm wondering if you ran across any of that taller fretwire used on the newer stick models. I have seen the pyramid wire at Stewmac and I'm sure that would work, but obviously the super tall stuff would be better.

Also, While reading through I didn't notice any mention of a nut. Are you going to use a zero fret system with a spacing nut behind it?

 

Any reference links you've found would be awesome.  I can't even find any info on string spacing. I assume it's spaced like a guitar rather than a bass?

 

 

[Mr Natural]

2 hours ago, westhemann said:

Anyway,  I'm wondering if you ran across any of that taller fretwire used on the newer stick models. I have seen the pyramid wire at Stewmac and I'm sure that would work, but obviously the super tall stuff would be better.

(another project gathering dust in the workshop)..

i was just going to use the pyramid wire myself. The original sticks just used jumbo wire. I had a link on my old computer to a source for stainless steel rods and square stock- cant remember who it was- but either way- to match the stuff stick enterprises uses you either have to round on edge of square stock- or put a pyramid edge on a rod if you follow

2 hours ago, westhemann said:

Also, While reading through I didn't notice any mention of a nut. Are you going to use a zero fret system with a spacing nut behind it?

Any reference links you've found would be awesome.  I can't even find any info on string spacing. I assume it's spaced like a guitar rather than a bass?

the stick website has tons of info. (www.stick.com)

instruments>10 string stick.....

string spacing for 10 string stick

SPECIFICATIONS
for 10-String Stick®, all tunings:

Dimensions 45 1/4" (115cm) x 3 1/4" (8.3cm) x 1 3/4" (4.5cm)

Neck thickness 7/8" (2.2cm), scale length 36" (91.5cm)

String spacing .320" (8.13mm), Group spacing .430" (10.92mm)

Average weight Average weight 7.0 lbs (3.17kg)
(weight depends on wood and pickup choice)

that spacing sort of rules  out single string bridges -I will be making mine out of wenge- it took me a while to figure out how to do it and make it work but I think I have it figured out in my mind- just need time which I dont always have to do it. The screw thread size I am using is listed in the thread earlier-

As for the nut- remember there are really no "open" strings per se on a stick. the first fret becomes your open string- but you hammer them on. if you look at pics on the website- there is a dampening device (piece of velcro or something) to prevent open strings from vibrating. This would muffle any attempt at "strumming" an open note. I will be making mine out of a couple of pieces for wenge as well. 

http://www.stick.com/about/innovation/

the link above has details on alot of the different aspects of the stick. Also- look under innovations- there are links to their patents which are quite informative

[westhemann]

Interesting.  I didn't even consider a dampening device, but that makes total sense. I'll have to wrap my head around the first fret that can be hammered being considered as the "open" for tuning. 

Still, I suppose since it's for me I don't need to follow the Chapman string spacing. Theoretically that 9 string hardtail Pros mentioned would be perfectly acceptable  for me.

 

Pickups are another interesting consideration. If I use the 9 string bridge I should have a choice of pickups. I'm unsure what placement would be "best" for such an instrument,  but there's no reason I can't put three pickups in and choose between them. Obviously  I wouldn't need to consider palm muted tone like I do in my metal/rock guitars, but it seems like a hot rails/cool rails/single combo could be nice.

 

I never hear anyone using gain on these things,  but I certainly want the option for a singing, liquid sustain sort of thing for certain stuff I would end up writing and playing. 

[Mr Natural]

hang with it. he goes thru a myriad of effects on this one

i hear ya about alot of the guys that play these not using effects. it does have a pretty sweet clean tone though- that 36" scale really has a nice bell like tone on some of the strings. 

this piece in particular is one of my favorites

 

[westhemann]

Cool. I'm going to start posting my mental wanderings on this subject in the misc. thread so as not to derail your topic.

[westhemann]

Nat, I have been researching and I wanted to share some of what I've come across.

 

I was looking through Stick forums and checking string guages people are using "in the wild", and I came across this one.
Bass side .091 .065 .040 .022 .018
Melody side .026 .018 .012 .009 .008

 

Now, obviously the longer sca le requires longer than normal strings. I was looking at extended scale strings on Amazon and what I've found is that 8 string sets come pretty close to these guages and have a 40" working length normally.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NFEK63Y/?coliid=I2FPMDY8MXY64B&colid=3H4QDL3YO0GNS&psc=0

40" cuts pretty close on a 30" scale so the individual bridges that top load would be needed. If you went up to a bass string for the heaviest one you'd have ball diameter issues.

But the most interesting thing I found is this.

http://www.newtonestrings.com

The word is that they will make strings to your specs. Word is they used to make strings for Chapman and though they aren't allowed to call them Stick strings they do have them available if you contact them. I have not, but I suspect they can produce strings that would allow you to use the individual bridges with perhaps a little filing on the thickest string.

[Andyjr1515]

1 hour ago, westhemann said:

http://www.newtonestrings.com

The word is that they will make strings to your specs. Word is they used to make strings for Chapman and though they aren't allowed to call them Stick strings they do have them available if you contact them. I have not, but I suspect they can produce strings that would allow you to use the individual bridges with perhaps a little filing on the thickest string.

I haven't bought directly from them yet, but most of the players and builders I know have done.

The 6-string bass I've just done on a save job on (incomplete thread recently started) is 6-string at 31.5" and with a slimmed down lead-in past the bridge at the ball end for the low B - the chap I did it for uses Newtone for all his strings and sent me a set to fit to it....

So they have my thumbs up, too

 

[Mr Natural]

@westhemann-I bought these stick strings about 6 years ago(about the time I started this thread()

looks like these are made for Stick by D"Addario- see bottom of package in pic below-

The package does not show the string gauges- and neither does the stick site. and my digital calipers battery is dead or I would measure and tell. maybe next time. 

[westhemann]

Yeah,  they don't want you to know the gauge because $50/ set is a pretty good markup. That's why I was researching on Stick forums. On the forums it was agreed Newtone was the place to go.

Personally,  I'm likely to patch the guages I want together from premade string packs. I'm not much on being heavily charged. 

[westhemann]

I can't find the site I copied the guages from, but here is another.

http://www.tappistry.org/post/string-guage-and-tension-7267661

[Invader Zim]

Update please.