Who is here? What are we playing??

[rjgoos]

I would be curious to know more about the people here, who are participating (or lurking) on tappistry.org.


What touch/tap instrument(s) do you use?

What tuning(s) do you use?

Crossed/Uncrossed?

Unfortunately, I find very little information like this on the profiles of the subscribers of tappistry.org, so maybe every once in a while we need a thread like this.

Thanks,

R. Jay Goos


As for me:
10-string Stick, classic stick tuning (bass inverted 5ths, melody 4ths), crossed hand technique.

...but I am considering getting an instrument with an uncrossed tuning due to wrist pain...Perhaps that is why I am starting this thread, I am curious to know what other people are doing...

[HippieGeorge72]

I am a two handed player (Tapper) but I play on traditional (if you can call it that) Basses. I play on 4, 5 and 6-string as well as do some work on 6-string guitars, but I usually play normal on guitar. I have played a grand stick at the music messe in franfurt, but felt that it was too much toy for me, however I am looking at getting an 8-string bass stick in the future...

[Ixilblix]

I play a 10 string Chapman Stick #4858 padauk, pasv-4 with standard tuning (crossed). I'm using a Prime KB15 keyboard amp for practice and I have a Roland KC 500 Keyboard amp for when im ready to play out. Ive only had my Stick for 5 days and from the moment I first put it on I knew I had made the right choice.

Here is my other current gear that I use.

Keyboards:
Alesis A6 Andromeda
Alesis QS7
Roland JP 8000

Amplification:
Roland KC 500 amp

Microphone:
EV 357

Guitars:
Guild F 50 (1971 lefthand model)
Trinity College Bouzouki (custom tuning)
Epiphone Mandolin (strung for lefthand)

I have a Korg N5 that I use as a controller for home studio practice, a piano and various percussion instruments that I play.
(By no means am I giving any of these instruments up.)

Here are some influences of mine.

Keyboards - Kansas, ELP, Yes
Voice - Kansas, Rush, Fates Warning
Stick/Warr - Greg Howard, Trey Gunn
Guitar - Al DiMeloa, Fates Warning
Drums/Perc. - Bob Muller, Fates Warning

I highly recommend the following 2 cd's to anyone who is interested in listening to, or playing, a touchstyle instrument.

Trey Gunn Band - Joy of Molybdenum
Greg Howard - Stick Figures

Those two cd's have forever changed my outlook on music. Both gentlemen are indeed two of the finest players you will ever hear or meet (and they're nice guys too).

I'll post gigs when I have some =P

[Aryokal]

I´m trying to learn two handed tapping with my Ibanez S-classic guitar with normal tuning. I´d sold my mother for a little taste of Stick or Mobius Megatar. Yep, i´m poor student from Finland, so it´s just a dream to get myself a Stick, no money, no fun!

Well, it´s cool to keep the dream up, maybe some day... :)

[Tiptannick]

Hello Aryokal !

Do you know Rockola (http://www.tappistry.org/forum/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=8) ?

He live in Espoo, Finland

Perhaps he could help you too find a tap guitar ?

Don't be afraid to ask him, he's a great guy !

[rockola]

Don't be afraid to ask him, he's a great guy !

Well, who am I to disagree... merci à vous! :D

Unfortunately, even I am not able to come up with a cheap tap guitar, in Finland or elsewhere. But, as I have always said when this question comes up, these instruments hold their value quite well, so think of it as an investment...

Anyway, to Aryokal and others in the greater Helsinki area, don't forget to come to Espoon kulttuurikeskus on Saturday 31.1. to see and hear a genuine bona fide Warr guitar played by someone who knows what to do with one: Centrozoon in Finland (http://www.tappistry.org/forum/calendar.php?s=&action=getinfo&eventid=67)

[lemur821]

I'm hardly experienced, but I'm doing some tapping on my standard guitar, and on my fretless bass. It works better on the bass than I thought it would. It's difficult but possible to play in tune. The small number of strings presents some compositional challenges.

[Thornmoon]

Sorry to get here late!!

I'm primarily a bassist but have just taken the leap into tapping..

I have an ADG 10 string (standard tuning: bass inverted 5ths, melody 4ths)

Wish I could have picked up that Warr Phalanx that was on Ebay a few weeks back!! :(

My traditional (if you can call it that) bass gear is exclusively Conklin 7 and 8 string basses..

I'm but a babe with the ADG.. I joke that I'll probably end up liking it so much I'll sell off all my basses for a full blown Warr!!

Some of my influences:

Trey Gunn (Didn't see that one coming, did you? ;) )
Sean Malone
Tony Levin
Geddy Lee
Mick Karn

Fave Bands:

King Crimson
Peter Gabriel
Symphony X
Cynic
Spiral Architect
Zero Hour
Fates Warning..

Currently learning: Bare bones basics on my ADG... Egyptian Danza by Al Dimeola..

[SkinnyDevil]

Instrument(s), tuning(s), and crossed/uncrossed?

Normal 6-string guitars - 2 electrics (heavily modified Arias), a Martin acoustic (I specifically use the Fishman blender so I can pick up body hits & such), and a classical that I'm trying to do more touch-style with.

My tapping techniques tend to differ (sometimes radically) depending on whether I'm using dirty or clean setting, or acoustic vs electric, though I try to cross-pollinate as much as possible.

My tuning is almost exclusively standard, with occassional jaunts into drop-D, DADGAD, and a few other well-used tunings.

I have no idea what crossed/uncrossed means. Perhaps you can expound?

Influences? Everything. I love music, so it's hard NOT to be influenced (hahaha!!!). My background, though, is in deep southern blues and heavy rock. I have a particular love of modern percussion music (Mark Ford, Terry Bozzio, etc.), also.

[rockola]

Originally posted by SkinnyDevil
I have no idea what crossed/uncrossed means. Perhaps you can expound?

On a two-region instrument, you can either have the hands cross the fretboard, or not.

In the "standard" tuning, the hands cross the fretboard so that the bass strings are on the right side of the fretboard (when viewing from behind) and are played with the left hand, whereas the melody strings on the left side are played with the right hand.

In an uncrossed tuning, the left hand plays bass strings on the left side, the right hand plays melody strings on the right side, and so the hands are free to move the full length of the fretboard without colliding.

[SkinnyDevil]

Now I'm forced to ask: What is a 2 region instrument. I'm perusing the articles, but haven't found the answer, yet (though I suspect I will right AFTER I post this - hahaha!).

So the crossed/uncrossed terminology doesn't apply to a 6-string guitar in standard tuning, for example?

[rockola]

Originally posted by SkinnyDevil
Now I'm forced to ask: What is a 2 region instrument.
A two-region instrument has 2 groups of strings, usually (but not always) divided into the "bass" side and the "melody" side. The traditional tap guitar tuning is melody in 4ths, bass in 5ths, with the thickest strings of both sides in the middle of the fretboard, and bass on the right side (viewed from behind the instrument).

So the crossed/uncrossed terminology doesn't apply to a 6-string guitar in standard tuning, for example?
Correct.

[Manny Tau]

It's been awhile, thought I'd spend some time over here also!

Chapman Stick, 10-string, Padauk, standard tuning (crossed).
Stereo signal goes thru a Rane SP 13 preamp, SE-70 (melody side), VF-1 and SansAmp Bass Driver DI (bass side), then outputted thru a SWR Workingman's 15.

Also have a 5-string bass, and thinking about picking up a NS/Stick.....

http://www.stickist.com/stickistimages/rigs/mtafter.jpg

[rjgoos]

Hey Manny,

Great set up!! Is this for solo work, or do you play in a band? Also, what style do you play?


RJ Goos

[hpcrazy]

Hi I'm playing a GODIN LGX with Seymour Ducan Pickup's and for live-Playing I am using only a Fender-Blues Junior Amp with some Reverb and a bit Delay.

As you can see on my Video (http://www.hpcrazy.com/hpcrazy/guitarsoloprojectvideo.htm)

For Recording I sometimes use a Yamaha FS1R Synth + a Eventide 3000 SX Ultraharmonizer. Therefore listen to Ave Maier or Claim up on http://www.hpcrazy.com/hpcrazy/guitarsoloprojectmp3.htm

Greetings

HP

[rjgoos]

Two-handed tappers of regular guitars always have my respect. You really do have to think things through. It's a lot easier on a Stick, or any two-region board...so much more real estate to play with.

RJ Goos

[hpcrazy]

Two-handed tappers of regular guitars always have my respect. You really do have to think things through. It's a lot easier on a Stick, or any two-region board...so much more real estate to play with.

Yes in fact it is really not easy on a regular guitar. Beside guitar I am professional pianist too . The difference between tapping on the guitar and playing piano is very big.

And playing on the high positions on the high stings is really a hard thing to be precise. Because there you have to hit the sting hard and you have to be loose at the same time. I guess on a stick it is not that hard.

Greetings

HP

[Shakey Slim]

Who are we and what do we play?

My name is Dan, and I'm from the east side of the Pacific Northwest, USA. Been here awhile, but I seldom post. I won a set of the music books from Tractor's giveaway last year, and here's my weapon of choice:

Warr Trey Gunn Prototype (one of the original "Giants"). Strung 5/7 and tuned to crossed 4th's. Can't say I'm as fluent on it as some of the others I've heard here, but I'm working on it.

http://img29.photobucket.com/albums/v87/shakey_slim/warr2.jpg

[MatthewL329]

damn, that is beeee-yootiful!!! I just play the six string electric right now... I'm psyched for the day when I can get my hands on one of those heavy duty touchstyle instruments like that ;) six string is so much fun, though. it's definitely a tangle of fingers, but that's the challenge. I think I'll go play right now...

m

[t.drinn]

Better late than never, I hope. I'm playing an ADG 8 string, all mahogany w/wenge 'board, in Crafty tuning from a low A.

I've been playing bass for about 20 years (about the last ten of those predominately on the 6 string) and, surprisingly enough, I've found myself taking to this new tuning quite well. Honestly, I've only been playing a dedicated tap instrument for about a month now, but I absolutely can not believe the progress I've made so far.

I play through a Boss GT-6 multi-effects unit (the one for guitar) and a Boomerang, usually plugged straight into my Korg D1200 or a PA. Though most of my playing is geared toward home recording with a drummer friend of mine, I find that this setup gives me a ton of flexibility in a live situation. The drummer uses a Roland V-kit and we've found that our setups allow us the freedom to go out and prove that , yes, just two people together can overplay to an annoying degree, LOL!

Sold my Strat, sold my bass, so there's no turning back now. From what I've seen so far, I can't imagine a better community of musicians to be a part of.

Peace...

[Jersey Ray]

...always a pleasure to see one of the originals, brings back memories of when I first tried out a Warr in April 1995 at Frank J.'s place. I think there is something about that tri-pickup arrangement that gives an excellent bass tone, which is a little different from the Warrs being made today..

Anyway, as for myself, I have a Warr 11 string, but lately I have been playing my ADG-8 and ADG-10 almost exclusively. The ADG-10 mahogany wood is especially great here in the humid north east US. After 5 years of heavy play, it's amazing how the backside of the neck has taken on a burnished finish that is so fast-playing.

I have played them all (really, I have) and nothing plays faster and smoother in my hands than my mahogany ADG-10. The Warr has a fatter sound, but it stays in the studio, the ADG is my on-stage tapping machine gun!

Jersey Ray

[Spaghetti]

well, I play on a lefty 7-string custom made Manne (www.manne.com), but since I seriously approached touch-style last week I don't know if that counts :D
I'm planning to buy a touch-style instrument in the (near) future, but the choice is hard and I HATE the idea of having to add 30% of the base price (shipping+customs) just because I live in Europe...

[CurbowPete]

I'm playing Curbow 5 string fretted and fretless basses and I'm hoping to get a 12 string uncrossed Warr by the end of summer.

-Pete

[GuitarEC]

Well, hmmmmm.... Let me see here....

I started off as a wee little tot playing my mom's Sears-Special electronic organ (dual tier). My parents were very surprised that I was able to pick up so much by ear.

When we moved to the Atlanta area (and still my current home) I enrolled into the 7th grade strings orchestra program playing upright bass. Started in the middle of the year playing with the 6th graders - by the end of the year, I was asked to play with the 8th graders.

To help practice without lugging around the middle school's bass, my parents bought me a Lotus P-Bass copy and a guitar amp. From there I started to transfer my classical bass training onto bass guitar.

All this time, I was still playing on my mom's electronic organ, and subsequently my parents bought me my first keyboard (a little Yamaha). I continued to learn more and more by ear on the keys.

Eventually, I started to gather an interest in guitar (by this time, my parents told me to get a job and pay for it myself - which I did). My first was a Memphis Strat copy (pawn shop special for $60). It was enough for me to really start learning guitar on.

I have since built and tore down several home studio environments and have purchased and sold many instruments. Currently I have:

Peavey Wolfgang Archtop w/ locking tremelo - Standard Tuning
Epiphone Les Paul - Standard Tuning
'82 Gibson Explorer w/ Kahlor Bridge - tuned down 1 step
Epiphone Les Paul 7 String - Standard Tuning w/ low B
ESP LTD H-207 7 String - Standard Tuning w/ low B
Fender Acoustic - Standard Tuning

For recording, I use either my Line 6 Pod, or my Pod XT, runnning direct into the board.

My live rig (currently) is an old Peavey TubeFex preamp (I love this pre - it has both tube and solid state preamp stages - that you can run simultaniously) feeding an ADA B200 stereo power amp. This is then run to a Peavey MS412 stereo guitar cabinet.

I'm now looking into touch style instruments. I'm seriously considering a Megatar. If I get it, I'm thinking I would run it through both a Line 6 Pod XT Live for Guitar and a Pod XT Live for Bass - feed the outputs straight into either a PA for live shows or a mixing board for recording.

After a lot of thought, I figure I ill go with the Megatar's Bass-bottom tuning and play uncrossed. I've been playing guitar so much for so long, I think it would be far easier to train my right hand to play the bass line, and let my left hand keep on playing melody.

Just my 2 cents worth - and I must agree wth an earlier post - I don't think I could possibly find a more supportive and encouraging group of musicians to associate with.

Eric "GuitarEC" - Touch Instrument Padawan Learner

[rockola]

Originally posted by GuitarEC
After a lot of thought, I figure I ill go with the Megatar's Bass-bottom tuning and play uncrossed. I've been playing guitar so much for so long, I think it would be far easier to train my right hand to play the bass line, and let my left hand keep on playing melody.

I'm afraid it's not that simple. If you think about where on the fretboard you would play in each case, you'll probably find that it would require quite contorted wrist/arm positions to do what you plan to do. (I'm sure there are people who do it, just as there are people who enjoy getting their skin pierced.)

What "uncrossed" helps in (and we really need a better word for it, as it implies that "crossed" is the normal way - it's not, even though it's certainly more common) is that your hands won't ever run into each other when they move up and down the neck.