Other body designs for Megatar?

[Nico A.]

Is another design for the Megatar instruments planned or in discussion? I ask this because I mainly read on youtube that these instruments are really good, but many complain about its look (including me). I don't know much about aesthetics but I guess it's the combination of the huge neck and the tiny futuristic body which lead into one another abruptly. Just a guess.

It would be really great if the customer could choose between 2 designs, the original one and an alternative, maybe more conventional (like Warr Guitars offer) or something that supports seated playing due to its form. I don't have any clue about the possibilities of the shop though. The picture of a guitar-like-body-shape with only "frames" (like on the head stock) would be great in my opinion (I only fantasize now).

[Jim_D]

I have no idea if there are any other designs planned, but I will say that tapping on a megatar for me requires such focus and dedication that questions of aesthetics soon disappear.

I haven't played any other types of proper tapping instruments by other makers, but I will say that playing on a dedicated instrument, with a wide neck and lots of strings and an action set up for tapping, is quite a distinct experience from playing guitar, and the only thing to really do is...tap.

Of course I would like my own custom instrument, and dream up colour schemes and electronics variations and so on from time to time, but this is all quite distinct from making music on the instrument. For that you have to get tapping, and once you are "strapped in" (so to speak) the nearly-vertical orientation of the strings is pretty much what it's all about. Articulating the notes, dreaming up melodies and training your hands to move in the way you want them to is the essence of tapping for me. The megatar is pretty functional in that regard - you pick it up, you strap it on, it sits in the right place and you start to tap.

I can play the instrument okay whilst seated with the megstrap, and it has a socket on the back for using with a lap bar or a belt hook. I've never wanted to orient it like a normal guitar or bass - the neck is too wide for me to do that and...it's not a normal guitar or bass - it's a megatar...

[Nico A.]

Don't get me wrong - I didn't want to say I want a tapping instrument in the horizontal position like a guitar. What I meant was a touchstyle instrument with a guitar shape, and the "wings" of that body shape somehow supporting the seated vertical position, like a lap bar would do. I don't know if that is possible though.

[Rammpeth]

IMHO, Megatar would be much more popular with a different look. At least personally for me i didnt take it into consideration precisely for that reason. just my 2 cents

[Jim_D]

Nico, I am sure anything is possible in terms of instrument building, but the lapbar would do what you want without requiring extra wood. Wouldn't all that extra wood be quite unwieldy? Why not draw a picture of what you'd like - I would be interested to see that.

Rammpeth - that's sort of why I wrote such a convoluted reply to Nico's original post. I love beautiful design and have very exacting views on instruments, and before I actually ever tried a real-life tapping instrument I had all sorts of ideas about what would be best and good.

Then as soon as I got my Megatar it all became irrelevant, because I had to learn to tap, and there was nothing else to do...but tap. As soon as I pick up the instrument the method overtakes everything else - the Megatar is the only instrument I own in fact which does that.