NBD: Martin Keith "Space Guitar"

[Les Fret]

The NS has a flat fingerboard, like the Stick.

For me, especially when playing at the far end of the neck, the flat radius and the shape of the NS neck caused me pain when playing. I tried various postures for longish amounts of time, but it always came back to that. I loved the NS as an instrument, for it’s range and sound, and with the exception mentioned, its playability. But bad wrists and the neck did not go together well.

So, maybe the U8 has slightly thinner and less wide neck and some radius. I have to try it.

You mean you got pain with tapping at the end of the fingerboard because the strings are further away from the neck higher on the fingerboard? I am trying to understand why a flat radius causes pain.

The U8 or T8 is nice but besides the basic one pickup model they are really expensive.

 

[wyrtti]

I am not sure anymore. But when Jes mentioned the flat fingerboard, something clicked in my head. Just a feeling. Cannot check it out anymore, as the NS has a new, good home.

But anyway, this thread is about that beautiful, sparkly 8-string!

 

[JES]

You've gotten used to the 5ths tuning? I am a bit afraid of that, I have to say, but it does make sense in a way.

well, I never tried a touchstyle instrument with 4ths tuning, and I’ve taken lessons for 3 years (after 4 decades of bass) so getting used to the tuning was part of the whole deal of learning it. That said, lots of people play sticks and Warr guitars tuned in 4ths and they seem perfectly happy.

For me, especially when playing at the far end of the neck, the flat radius and the shape of the NS neck caused me pain when playing. I tried various postures for longish amounts of time, but it always came back to that. I loved the NS as an instrument, for it’s range and sound, and with the exception mentioned, its playability. But bad wrists and the neck did not go together well.

I don’t have your wrists, but I can say that the NS stick hangs in a different position than the Warr or touch guitar. So your hands would be in a different position. Would that solve the problem? I can’t say.

 

[TapyTap]

The clamps come with the tuners from Mera Guitars. There's a typo in my OP but the link works.

Thank you. The clamps look interesting.

You've gotten used to the 5ths tuning? I am a bit afraid of that, I have to say, but it does make sense in a way.

You might find this thread a fun read: The Fifths Tuning Club

 

[JES]

Update. I took it on vacation and have been doing exercises. In the upper range there is a bit of adjusting to do, at least for me because I try not to look at the front of the neck while playing. But the fan also makes some voicing easier up high, which is very fun.

 

[14X28]

Looks absolutely gorgeous!! This is without a doubt the most gorgeous touch style instrument I've ever seen. Is that your body design?

I recently made the switch from a Touch Guitar BACK to an NS/Stick and am much happier. The Touch Guitar suffers from an ergonomics-based design which yields a fretboard that is tilted AWAY from the player when standing. You can't see your fingers, fretboard or strings when standing - only the back of the neck. Also, the action is TOO low on the two lowest strings meaning that all you can do is gently touch the strings. Seems like a great idea, unless you want to dig in and put some energy/aggression into your playing at which point the string buzz becomes intolerable. Either of these 2 ideas are deal-killers for me and inhibit learning and expression. The NS/Stick is genius with retractable damper, allowing open string playing with simultaneous tapping, plus a stereo or mono output. I'm also a big fan of the headless design, for weight purposes. I really feel "with" the instrument as opposed to other instruments where I felt I was only "at" the instrument. Touch Guitars seem over-priced with very limited customization options. Basically you can choose the wood types and a few different pickup designs. Pete Hanewinckle is the Luthier who made Warr Guitars from 1991 until their end in 2021 and now makes his own, amazing touch style guitars. No one (other than Stick Enterprises) has been making these touch style instruments longer than he has. He's making me a 12 string, dual midi, dual piezo, hollow body instrument as we speak. hguitars.com if interested.

 

[Snert]

Beautiful tapper.

Out of curiosity, what's the string spacing at both ends?

 

[JES]

It’s funny to see this pop back up as I just got home from band practice, where I was really enjoying this instrument. Last summer I had Martin swap out the Nordstrand pickups for some Bill Lawrence and they’re just perfect for me.

@Snert String spacing at the bridge is 10.8. Nut is…less?

@14X28 – it’s a variation on Martin Keith’s body design. As for feel, it’s about what feels right for you and your technique. With stick I think of it more like a 2-hands piano style self-accompaniment thing. There the layout and flat radius of the stick makes sense. But I play more like I have 1 extensible hand with 8 fingers, and there a unified set of pickups and radiused fretboard makes sense.

I agree about headless. With this many strings it just makes sense.

I also have to say that learning to play without looking has been fantastic for me as a player and performer. It’s not that I never look but that the side dots are mostly enough. Very occasionally I hit the wrong string but I’ve only been at it for 4 years. I started on NS stick, moved to Touch Guitars T8, found it too heavy for me, and switched to this and a MF touch guitar modelled after the T8 but way lighter.

I do think the Touch Guitars are well built, good sounding, and usually beautiful to look at. I’ve never owned a Warr but played some and also find them very well built (and am indebted to some Warr players for convincing me to try touchstyle). But I’ve never played a lightweight Warr.

 

[Nuage420]

Man... This is so incredible!

 

[Paul Drigues]

That's an absolutely gorgeous instrument... Congrats!
Waiting for some videos of this beauty.
Best regards