4ths/5ths tuned Megatar on eBay

[rjgoos]

I notice that there is a 4ths/5ths tuned Megatar up for auction on eBay, that currently is at a reasonable price:

370026243594

Is this unit from your new "neck through" production line, Traktor?

[traktor]

Hi, Jay,

Yes, this is a brand-new MaxTapper with full warranty (nice to have on an EBay purchase!), and it has all the current MaxTapper features, including neck-through construction and our new enhanced finish process.

The MaxTapper is made of premium dark wood (African Mahogany and Wenge fretboard), and it's our top-of-the-line standard instrument with parallel frets.

Although this instrument has the tuning commonly used on Stick(tm) instruments, the MaxTapper has a number of features not generally available on Stick instruments, including fourteen mother-of-pearl fretdots, tone controls on the instrument, the Buzz Feiten Intonation System so your playing sounds more in tune, Graph Tech StringSaver nut and saddles for greater tuning stability, world-famous Bartolini pickups, tilt-back headstock and through-body string anchoring for long sustain, our patented MegStrap that's very easy to use, and dual truss rods for precise control on both sides of the fretboard. (And costs less than Stick instruments!)

This particular instrument also has white edge-dots installed so you can see your playing position from the rear of the instrument. (Promotes better and healthier playing posture.)

I've not put any instruments with tuning like on the Chapman Stick for quite some time, and so I've put this one up on an auction, as an experiment, to test the response.

-- Traktor

[traktor]

Well, that was interesting. The MaxTapper drew very active bidding, and so I've got another new Megatar up as a 7-day auction -- started yesterday and ends Tuesday 3/18 --

This time it's an extremely affordable Eclipse, brand new and in perfect condition.

Like the MaxTapper listed recently, this TrueTapper Eclipse is set up with the 'Inverted-Fifths' bass strings as are commonly used on Chapman Stick instruments(tm).

Includes our usual full years warranty, guarantee of satisfaction, tone controls, Buzz Feiten intonation to sound more 'in tune' than normal guitars and basses, dual truss rods, tilt-back head and through-body string anchoring for enhanced sustain, two books, MegStrap, output cable, etc, etc, etc.

The Eclipse uses the custom 'FlatTop' dual rail pickups, and they sound great.

Oh, yes, has bonus black edge dots installed.

Hope it finds a happy tappy home!

[rjgoos]

Originally posted by traktor


The Eclipse uses the custom 'FlatTop' dual rail pickups, and they sound great.




How would you compare the sound of these new pickups to the twin rails that you used before on this model?

[traktor]

Originally posted by rjgoos
How would you compare the sound of these new pickups to the twin rails that you used before on this model? Hi, Jay,


The *tone* of the pickups is the same.

Dual Rail design humbuckers produce a clear and powerful tone. It's a useful pickup tone because you can take it pretty much anywhere you wish. If you need clarity and sparkle, it's got plenty of highs. But if you want to grunge it up, you can, using your EQ and effects chain.


The *even volume* across the strings is what's better.

Most tapping instruments that I've seen have a flat fretboard.

However, normal dual rail pickups are built assuming that the fretboard will be radiussed with a curve, like a strat or les paul.

So if you use a pickup with rounded rails, underneath strings which are essentially in a straight line, it's difficult to get the volume equal across the strings.


For example, if you have the two ends at the same distance from the smallest and the biggest string, then the bowed-up middle of the rail is going to be way too close to the strings in the middle, and they'll be too loud relative to the smallest and the largest string at the edges.

Your best bet would be to raise the rails on the edge beneath the smallest string, so the smallest string and the strings in the middle are a similar distance from the rails.

Unfortunately, due to the curvature of the ordinary rails, this means that the end beneath the biggest string will be rather far away from the biggest string, and thus too low in volume.


Here is a close up photo of a typical, standard Dual Rails pickup, and you can see the curvature built into the rails --

http://www.megatar.com/ebay/inst/dualrails/1-DualRails-Radiussed-Halfshot-400.jpg

(If you want to see a huge photo, click here (http://www.megatar.com/ebay/inst/dualrails/1-DualRails-Radiussed-Halfshot-BIG.jpg).)

You can see the curvature of the rails. There's no way these rails can line up with the strings on a flat-fretboard tapping instrument.


Now here is a close up photo of the custom 'Flat-Top' dual rail pickups that we use on the TrueTapper Eclipse --

http://www.megatar.com/ebay/inst/dualrails/2-DualRails-FlatTop-Halfshot-400.jpg

(And if you want to see a huge photo, then click here (http://www.megatar.com/ebay/inst/dualrails/2-DualRails-FlatTop-Halfshot--BIG.jpg).)

So ... it's not a tone difference ... it's an even-volume difference.

-- Traktor


PS: If you're interested in picking up an Eclipse at a discount price, take a look at this auction item. and you might note that the auction ends tomorrow Tuesday 3/18.

:)

[traktor]

The Eclipse on EBay Auction has *lots* of watchers, so I'd guess that several Tappistry.Org folks are following it.

Just a reminder that the Eclipse on Auction will end at 6:42:42 Pacific Time today (9:42:42 Eastern Time).

[traktor]

Just a reminder that the relisted TrueTapper Eclipse auction will be ending Tuesday evening.

It's a honey of an instrument, and bidding might be a good idea ...

If you have questions, or you want shipping calculations made, now is a good time.


-- Traktor

PS: The Eclipse on Auction has the bass strings tuned in the Inverted-Fifths that is popular on Stick instruments, but if you want one built with Bass-Bottom tuning, we can build a new one and ship it in 3-4 weeks.

Though with immediate shipping, the Eclipse can go out immediately, and also currently on our EBay Megatar Store (http://stores.ebay.com/megatarstore/), if you like, you can get a brand-new TrueTapper Storm, a Maxtapper, or a ToneWeaver, all with full warranty, all BassBottom tuning, all ready-to-ship and ready-to-play.