scared of the chapman stick?

[uethanian]

are any bassists out there intimidated by the chapman stick? is there any fear of being replaced?

before i played bass, i chanced upon the chapman stick, and i immediately said "that tops both bass and guitar combined!" i thought this until i picked up bass, and then my thinking was really reversed. i put this in the humor section because its really comparing apples and oranges. but whatever. i have my opinion, whats yours?

[Sarbecue Boss]

no fear , I would love one

[Jazz Ad]

I don't fear it, I just can't play one to save my life.
It's not a guitar or bass but a whole new instrument.

[The BurgerMeister]

+1. i'd have to disrupt valuable bass practice time just to learn how to play "mary had a little lamb" on the thing.

[Matt Till]

I'd love a Stick, if I could swing the price range, I'd throw out everything I know about music and relearn on the stick... but I couldn't swing the price.

[The BurgerMeister]

ahhh, but could you swing on a stick?

[anon_6j591b0]

They're expensive,
hard to find,
time consuming and frustrating to learn and
no one is ever gonna let you play the thing on a gig.......
and every time I hear Tony Levin playing it I want another one.
Then I remember I never got to the point I actually could play Mary Had A Little Lamb on either of the two I've had and I'm happy just playing the bass.

[bburk]

Nah, the tone and feel is just different than a guitarist and bassist together.

I'm more afraid of Charlie Hunter, and as far as I know there's only one of him.

[AdlerAugen]

man I want one, but they're so expensive, and would take forever to learn well...so I think I'll be good with my piano major in college....(one type of really expensive instrument is enough for me)

[Bard2dbone]

They're not all THAT expensive. I would probably let mine go for around $800...IF I could ever talk myself into actually selling the damned thing. I have decided it's not really a musical instrument, but in stead and elaborately cruel prank by Emmett Chapman.

I've had mine for something like fifteen years and still can't play it well enough to take it on a gig. The thought processes are just too different.

I keep deciding to sell it...and then start practicin again and each time I actually think "I think I'm getting it now! Maybe I'll finally get good on this thing!" ANd then I don't sell it.

*sighs*

[Bassic83]

You do take Paypal, dontcha Bard?

I was returning from an audition in the SF Valley one night, and took a different way home. I had a serious need to relieve the pressure on my bladder, so I exited off the freeway, and stopped into this place called, of all things, "Dante's Inferno". As I got out of my car, I heard music from inside...tight, sinewy bass lines, a wicked drummer, and what sounded like a guitar, maybe a super-compressed/chorused/reverb Strat, doing these insane comp chords that sounded like a piano major had designed...I went in and used the facilities (first things first!) and came out to investigate the band...except there was none! It was one guy, he had a drum machine (R-8, IIRC) and a Stick. Two different amps, one guitar amp, and a small PA for the drums and bass side. I stuck around for a few minutes, the guy went on break, so I decided to find out what this weird thing was (I hadn't ever seen a Stick before, this was mid-late 80's). Turns out that this guy's name was Emmett.

Yup. THAT Emmett.

[HaVIC5]

Originally Posted by bburk

Nah, the tone and feel is just different than a guitarist and bassist together.

I'm more afraid of Charlie Hunter, and as far as I know there's only one of him.

Fortunately there's only one of him. Freaks of nature aren't very common...and that's a good thing.

I'm actually just scared of the bass patches on keyboards getting better. Keyboards are the real threat.

[JAUQO III-X]

I played a stick for a while in the early 80's and loved it,I regret getting rid of it and often think about getting another one.It is an interesting and very different instrument and it is it's own instrument that will not at all be replacing bass players unless some one specific wants a stick in their band

[SirFunk]

The only thing i'm scared of is the price, Even if you could get one used for $800, $800 is pretty expensive for an instrument soo different you may end up not liking at all.

[All_¥our_Bass]

They are awesome. Period.

[Cannonball]

do they come in fretless??

[JAUQO III-X]

Originally Posted by Cannonball

do they come in fretless??

Yes but at the time I was playing the stick a fretless option was not offered.

[Freaky Fender]

Something I've noticed about the Stick, and synthesizer to the extent. If you tend to play it really well, or play an original composition, you're probably going to have a bad sound. My evidence is this man Don't get me wrong, there's a local artist who uses chapman stick, electronic drums and loopers and does it all fantastically, and there are definitely people who are making great music with it, but I mean usually if you have people who write compositions specifically for it, something just makes the whole thing cheesy, but I guess that could be said for all instruments.

Also, I'm sick of hearing about how musicians are afraid that something is going to come along and "replace" their instrument. Unless it's something radically different and a style of music honestly sounds better WITH it (the electric bass with rock and roll, for instance), your instrument can never truly, ever, be replaced. I think it might just be a cover for closed-minded people to hide behind, although this isn't an attack at the OP. I'm just sick of hearing of people saying that guitar and drum duos will replace regular guitar-bass-drums lineups...

Just my $.02

[Bassic83]

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[the_fonz]

nah man, i don't fear it
but bears scare the hell outta me