Box Crazy Offer

[Stu Box]

Hi folks,
I'm new to Tappistry and I'm enjoying everyones input.
I'm loving some of the vids and sounds.
I have a few videos playing my guitars posted at:
www.myspace.com/stubox www.youtube.com/stubox

Please tell me if this is totally the wrong thing to do on here.
I just wanted to let people know that I am doing a promo offer on my SRB-640's
which are a 12string 640mm scale length guitar that you may or maynot be aware of. I've been making them since the late 80's and you can check them out at www.boxguitars.com
I'm letting 10 of these beauties go at a crazy price of $695+shipping to the first 10 players that reserve one.
Anyone interested can contact me on box@bme.com.au
Thanks and I look forward to mingling with you good folks.
Cheers
Stu Box

[KrisNH]

For those that don't know him, Stu is a GREAT guy to deal with, and his instruments are incredible. I think this is a great idea Stu, good luck mate.

Kris

[GaryOpenhill]

is that us or aus dollar???

[Stu Box]

US dollars. shipping to the US or Europe from Aus is about $150
Thanks for the great response.

[lwclaypool]

I took advantage of Stu's offer and will be receiving one of his guitars in the next two weeks. I own a Warr Artist 10 and an ADG 8. I also have a Warr Artist 8 on order, slated to arrive in November. The Box guitar fascinates me with it's Strat-length scale and it's two-guitars-on-a-single-neck string configuration. Self-interlocking twin guitar parts is one logical outcome of what the instrument can allow. Running in stereo with one string set driving one amp/effects chain and the other driving a second chain is another possibility. I look forward to getting the guitar and putting it to work.

[jamsire]

This is a deal!!

The best part is the portability!

The guitar is strung with a heavier set of strings, and feels MANLY!

Oooooooh boy what owning a home has done for my "family" growth curtailment!

**sigh**

I LOVE MY HOUSE!

I have to say that regularly when offers like these come around.

[shlumpi]

I took advantage of Stu's offer and will be receiving one of his guitars in the next two weeks. I own a Warr Artist 10 and an ADG 8. I also have a Warr Artist 8 on order, slated to arrive in November. The Box guitar fascinates me with it's Strat-length scale and it's two-guitars-on-a-single-neck string configuration. Self-interlocking twin guitar parts is one logical outcome of what the instrument can allow. Running in stereo with one string set driving one amp/effects chain and the other driving a second chain is another possibility. I look forward to getting the guitar and putting it to work.

Hi everyone,
I´m new here but I´ve fallen in love with tapping, touchstyle... you know what I mean. I just simply love to put as many hands as possible on any given string instrument.
:)

@Loren: Which tuning did you choose? I have a Stick with classical tuning and was thinking about something like a Grand Classical but one octave higher, if that`s possible...

Or 2x BEADG or...?

Ok sorry for the newbie attitude anthe my poor English (born in Italy, raised in Germany, trying to write in English...)

Best Regards from Munich

Massi
PS: This is one of the best forums I´ve ever seen, but I' d still like to see more Jamsire videos....
:cool:

[lwclaypool]

Stu's website says "this instrument can be tuned in any fashion", perhaps drop him a line to see if he can accommodate what you're after.

My Warr Artist 10 is in classic Stick tuning, by ADG is 4ths from D, and my new Artist 8 will be in 4ths from B. I chose two sets of standard guitar for the Box Guitar - 2x EADGBE. I'm imagining using this guitar-scale-length instrument in a very different way than my longer scale length instruments.

All the best,

Loren

[secondfiddle]

The Box guitar is almost the same as a long scale tapper. The big difference I find is the fret realestate get's very small after the 12 fret compared to a long scale. The Box guitar does have a great middle pickup sound unlike any tapper out there. Personally I would play this guitar un-crossed and without the addition of low bass strings.

Fiddle.

[lwclaypool]

There are different models of the Box Guitar. The one I'm buying is the SRB-640. The SR series has a scale length of 640mm or just over 25", about like a Strat. The JC series has a scale length of 34", the same as a Warr Guitar. To see a visual comparison between an SR model and a Stick at 36" scale length, and several Megatars, see Jamsire's photo at http://www.tappistry.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1932.

Here's a direct link to Stu's current models - http://www.bme.com.au/models.htm.

Loren

[Try'n2Tap]

I would love to take Stu up on this offer. But, I think my wife would be very upset. This is one heck of a deal!! I have always wanted to play one of these Box Guitars. All the videos they sound awesome!!

[Tom Drinkwater]

These guys want to go to your party

:) :( :o ;) :p :mad: :confused: :rolleyes: :cool:

[GaryOpenhill]

So how many jumped on this oportunity, and how many did you order jamisre?

[jamsire]

Originally posted by GaryOpenhill
So how many jumped on this oportunity, and how many did you order jamisre?
Thank you Gary for thinking of me!

I only have one Box Guitar. It keeps me more than busy.
In fact, it may be the next video with a tapper that I do.

It really is the next wave in tappers - at the right price too.

When I met Stu at NAMM in 2007, I had seen someone with a dual midi tapper - which was smokin'!

What I am waiting for is a 16 String (8 sets of two strings, like a 12-string) tapper. No one has built a tapper based on a 12-string design.

I await thee.

[GaryOpenhill]

Originally posted by jamsire
Thank you Gary for thinking of me!

I only have one Box Guitar. It keeps me more than busy.
In fact, it may be the next video with a tapper that I do.

It really is the next wave in tappers - at the right price too.

When I met Stu at NAMM in 2007, I had seen someone with a dual midi tapper - which was smokin'!

What I am waiting for is a 16 String (8 sets of two strings, like a 12-string) tapper. No one has built a tapper based on a 12-string design.

I await thee.

I WAS thinking about you. I had nightmares about you buying the rest of the 10 available box guitars!!!!!
But i found there still was some left, so i'm getting one too. Yihaaaa!

[Stu Box]

There are 5 left.

[jamsire]

Originally posted by GaryOpenhill
I WAS thinking about you. I had nightmares about you buying the rest of the 10 available box guitars!!!!!
But i found there still was some left, so i'm getting one too. Yihaaaa!

Ha!!!

I do appear TapReady-to-Buy don't I??

Nah - not so much anymore. I keep thinking a Warr will pass through my hands - but I just don't need one. The Box is a rare treat I will say. What I also like about it is that it is really "approachable" to anyone curious about tapping.

I will eventually do a DiMarzio switch-out on the pickups. The Fast Tracks are absolutely great sounding. That will be it for that instrument - maybe some strap locks. I want to designate it for a genre - like R&B.

So good luck and congrats!

Groove me!

[CraigPriceUK]

I owned one of these fellas a couple of years ago. It was great but i had a little trouble tapping it with my chunky fingers,being a bassist i should have gone for the 34 scale...That would have been sweet! Its a fine instrument though and a bargain at that price.If your even semi thinking about buying one just do it! you wont be dissapointed...

[midivox]

Hi Tappers,
I have a Stu Box 649 in Red Sunburst coming tomorrow. I picked it up from another guitarist I met on ebay, and took it as a trade in down payment on my Bunker Double Neck Touch Guitar. Which I had up for sale on ebay a couple of weeks ago.

I compose and record and perform and teach all styles of fingerstyle guitar. I mix in some Chet Atkins, with stuff I learned from my teacher of many years, Ted Greene plus whatever guitar styles and tunings I am into that month.

Looking forward to gigging, recording and composing with the Stu Box. The Dual Guitar Concept attracts me and has captured my musicial imagination.

HappyTapping
MidiVox

[midivox]

Hi Tappers,
My Stu Box came this morning. Very pretty guitar. Its a dark sunburst, very Halloweenie. I thought I might have problems with the string spacing, but all ok. I do not know if the strings are closer tohether like on guitars with a one and three quarters fingerboard width or just look that way. Will measure later.

The guitar has 2 Master Volums, one ffor each pair of pikups and has 3 three way toggle switches for pickup tone controls. Th tonal color range is excellent, brighter as you play closer to the bridege if you are playing with a pick or fingers. Mellower as you go towards or up on the neck.

The Stu Box surprised me with how amazingly light it is. It is the lightest by far of any electric guitar I have ever played on. The only other super lightweight guitar I haveever owned is the Bunker Double Neck Touch Guitar.

The Stu Box is easy to play on. Much easier than doing tapping on an acoutic steel string guitar.. Aso much easier than dong tapping on a Tele, Strat or Les Paul.

The body and neck appear to be one piece which gives the guitar a really nice balance as you hold it. The two SG type horns below the bridge on the ends of the body, make it easy to hold the guitar even without any kind of uitar strap if you are stillingdown.

Now I am learning to Tap today, I will post in the Playing Thread later today.

The Stu Box 640 has a pair of knobs that select which string you want to tune from 1 to 6 and 6 to 12. I wish the knobs were numbered or different colors but the guitar was in tune right out of the shipping box and case, so its not like the guitar goes out of tune easily. The tuning knobs do have a white dot on each knob

After you select what string you want to tune, you Each String has its own tuning string just like some other healstock liessguitar here. Each string height can be adjusted up or down.

Whether you buy a Stu Box at full retail or on sale you are getting a guitar with years and years of design work befoe it. I am very pleased with the Stu Box 640. I recommend it to anyone looking for a multi stringed Tapping instrument.

For right now, I am using the Stu Box with a Fender FrontMan. The small non reverb model.

The all metal custom guitar stand and the Custom SKB FLight Case on wheels, actually both weight more than the Stu Box Guitar. Kudos to Stu for a great design job and a very musically useful multi stringed Tapper.

Happy Tapping
MidiVox

[lwclaypool]

My SRB-640 arrived today, making the journey from Oz to Wisconsin without issue. In addition to Stu's other talents, he is a master packer, too!

My guitar is a natural finish, pics and particulars at http://budurl.com/35sq. The guitar is exceptionally light, nicely balanced, and very comfortable. The fingerboard is beautiful Wenge. I added a mute pad, shelving liner in this case, as I intend to use the guitar exclusively for tapping. I was surprised, but not disappointed, to find the instrument has a tuning knob for each string; I was expecting the single tuning knob design as pictured on Stu's website, but have no complaints about the more traditional arrangement.

The guitar plays exceptionally well and sounds great. Each set of six strings has two single coil pickups with a volume, tone, and three position pickup selector. I played the guitar clean and distorted on all pickup positions on both sides of the neck. It sounds great!

Conceptually, to me, the standard scale length Box Guitar is quite different from either the 8 or 10 string Warr Guitars and I'll use the instrument accordingly. I'm giving up the bass range on the SRB-640, of course, but the dual guitar configuration is powerful, allowing for incredibly dense chord structures, incredibly wide chord structures, and patterns with sustaining notes across chords that are impossible on a six string guitar in standard tuning. I barely scratched the surface tonight, but am stoked about what I scratched.

[midivox]

Hi Tappers, Loren
My Box has 4 Knobs. Two of the Knobs are 6 position Knobs. I assume they select what string you want to tune, but since I have not had to turn the guitar yet am not sure of their function. They may be six position tone controls, like many guitars had years ago.

Of the 3 Toggle Switches, the last one is a two way, I am not sure what it does. Pickups in or out of phrase?

My other 2 Knobs seem to be both Vol and Tone Controls. If they are both turned down all the way, you get no sound at all. You turn them both up you get full output. One knob is for the lower pair of pickups, one knob for the upper.

As Loren has stated, the extra strings allow you to get beautiful multi note chord voicings impossible on any guitar with less than 12 strings.

Playing chords on the lower 6 strings and then adding just open strings from the upper 6 strings, can add really fat bass pedal tones, or harp guitar like tone colors and effects by stacking the upper set of treble strings on top of the lower six strings.

Its all very impressive. The exceptional lightness of the body gives the tone color bright highs and mids that remind me of playing Cyprus Flamennco guitars, built to bring out the highs and the mids.

If you always wanted to own and play a harp guitar, here is an alternative that is a lot cheaper as far as the wallet is concerned.

Happy Tapping
MidiVox

[midivox]

Hi Tappers
A Clarification on the Knobs on my Box. The previous owner told me it had string selection knobs, but even though they are notched, like found on guitars with 6 way switches, they are tone controls.

So my knobs are just like Lorens. Instead of a string selection knob for tuning. Each string has a little tuning knob like a fine tuner by the bridge.

The two way toggle switch that I thought might be the standard pickups in or out of phrase, is to select Stereo or Mono Output.

Happy Tapping
MidiVox

[Stu Box]

Thank you everyone for your great response.
Just letting you all know there are still a few left.
Cheers
Stu Box

[Stu Box]

Hi folks,
There is one left at the cheap offer. Its a black one.
After this one goes I'd like to get peoples opinions on a realistic price for these buggers.
I'm thinking of just selling direct rather than trhough shops as well so I can keep the price lower.maybe offering them at a starting price for unpainted (beeswaxed) models and then a dearer price for the laquoured ones.
Any thoughts
Cheers
Stu

[jamsire]

Hi folks,
There is one left at the cheap offer. Its a black one.
After this one goes I'd like to get peoples opinions on a realistic price for these buggers.
I'm thinking of just selling direct rather than trhough shops as well so I can keep the price lower.maybe offering them at a starting price for unpainted (beeswaxed) models and then a dearer price for the laquoured ones.
Any thoughts
Cheers
Stu

I think the bridge alone is worth $450 alone. The portability is worth $300.

Start from there.

Awesome friendly tappers.

[secondfiddle]

Stu,
I would like to see some sort of the the JCB-34 in production again. I like the room at the top frets that a long scale offers and have it strung like a guitar, no bass strings. A baritone frankenstien?

Fiddy.

[midivox]

Hi All,
I actually paid more for my used Stu Box than what someone has been currently selling them on ebay for the holidays. They want $995 US for them. Plus 40 bucks shipping.

The rule of thumb is 4 times parts and labor cost to make even a small profit about all the different business expenses. Design, production, marketing, customer service, warranty coverage, taxes, etc.

Gibson puts out a lot of guitars just for rich people. While Fender sells a tons more Squires, going the cheap import route. When selling anything, whatever your market will pay. How many do you have to sell at such and such a price to stay in business.

Many makers offer lots of custom options to make a profit that way. I have one Fender Squire Tele from the Squire Custom Shop in the Far East. Never sold in the USA retail. I can not play the guitar in public anywhere without people wanting to buy it. The finish is pale blue green with a giant glass transparent Rolling Rock beer bottle air brushed on the front of the guitar body.

The most I ever paid for a guitar new was 3300 US for a Bunker Double Neck Touch Guitar, Exotic Birdseye Maple, 1 of only 2 ever made of that model Touch Guitar.

I love my Stu Box. Its a red purple color on the front and a golden pine on the back. I plan to buy another one with a different colored finish to keep in alternative tunings. So I am not going to complain if the price on a new Stu goes down.

Happy Stu Boxes
MidiVox

[Stu Box]

Stu,
I would like to see some sort of the the JCB-34 in production again. I like the room at the top frets that a long scale offers and have it strung like a guitar, no bass strings. A baritone frankenstien?

Fiddy.

Yeah we had a few problems with the JCB's neck staying straight. They will need to have carbon fibre rods in them as well or something to help stabilize the necks.
On the list of things to do though.

[Stu Box]

Here is what I'm thinking for price of a new SRB-640. (while the Aussy dollar is down)
US$695 finished in Beeswax (plus shipping)
US$995 painted (plus shipping)
Includes softcase and lead.
Is this price feasible?,
Its a direct price of course, If I ever did a distribution deal to shops then the price would sit around $1995

[secondfiddle]

I have had my SRB-640 for 3 years now and it still plays like a dream with proper tweaking as in all instruments. Stu you have a great design and its a great tapper to play. Your prices are well worth the guitar, Keep the faith.

Boxer #007

[lwclaypool]

Stu, I think you've got more room to go up with your pricing, you build a great instrument! The concern is that it might be misconstrued as a cheap or entry level instrument, which it most certainly is not. As a comparison, the Chapman 12 String Stick Guitar retails direct for $2200. The least expensive Megatar, which can be strung as a double 6-string like the SRB-640, retails direct for $1190. You have the additional challenge of international shipping to contend with but $695 plus shipping seems well under market. Selling the Beeswax version at $995 seems more inline, counting the up charge for shipping.

I would encourage you to provide the option of a hard-shell case, as well.

All of this under the guise of "one man's opinion".

All the best,

Loren

[midivox]

Hi All, Stu
If I win the Lotto, I would fly Down Under, pick up some more Stu Box Guitars and book a first class return ticket for each guitar to get back home. plus one ticket for myself. You could just about do it, with the price Stu is talking about for the Beeswax ones and still be under what a top of line Bunker or Warr costs.
Happy Stu Box Guitars
MidiVox