Emmett Chapman, creator of the Chapman Stick, has introduced the Railboard – a radically redesigned take on his original Stick. The electro-acoustic instrument takes advantage of new technologies to minimize complexity and cost.
This 10-string tapping instrument has an integrated fret and beam structure, machined from a single piece of aluminum and then hard-anodized. The Railboard hardware supports any tuning, and easy truss adjustment allows fast and low tapping action.
The Railboard costs $1,650 for the instrument, cables and adjustment tools. The case is extra and price depends on hard case or soft carrying bag.
For details, see the Stick site.
Beautiful. Makes me wish I was a string player! I had a friend who played the Stick and it took him in different directions all the time. He especially enjoyed EQing and reverbing it so that he sounded eerily like a piano. That’s a boutique price, but its right in line with a pro instrument you’re going to play for 10 years or more. My first workstation was $2600 and its worked well for 25 years. There’s the curve for top-end quality. A precision-cast aluminum body… “My God, its full of stars!”
I thought this would be priced even higher, $1700 is not that much compared to high-end guitars.
An update of a truly amazing instrument.
$1600 is an absolute steal for a handbuilt heirloom quality instrument. I paid that much for a padauk Stick 15 years ago — still looks and plays like the day it arrived — and this should be even more durable. SE just keep right on innovating…
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It’s such a versatile instrument. In the hands of those that have mastered it, it’s magic!