# Strumstick



## distressed_romeo (Feb 26, 2008)

After all the talk on these boards about instruments with 8+ single-course strings, how about this; three strings, tuned GDG, with a diatonic fretting arrangement...

McNally Strumstick home page

Looks like it would actually be fun...


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## Desecrated (Feb 26, 2008)

A little bit fun.


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## Trespass (Feb 26, 2008)

Thats... interesting...

Honestly, it feels like something for old folks, 60+ to do.


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## Durero (Feb 26, 2008)

It does look fun. It'd make a great introduction to guitar for kids, or anyone for that matter.


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## Michael (Feb 26, 2008)

It sounds pretty cool.


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## Desecrated (Feb 26, 2008)

Trespass said:


> Thats... interesting...
> 
> Honestly, it feels like something for old folks, 60+ to do.



All folk instrument are used by old people, that's what makes them so fun to use by us younger one.


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## Desecrated (Feb 26, 2008)

I kinda want one with 4 strings with a DIM scale.


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## Kotex (Feb 26, 2008)

That's pretty damn cool and interesting.


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## Trespass (Feb 27, 2008)

Desecrated said:


> I kinda want one with 4 strings with a DIM scale.



That would be awesome, I'm terrible at writing diminishedly (is that a word?), beyond running up and down scales.

And would have a distinct drone sound, I can't think of any other kind of drone instrument that has a diminished chord as its drone.


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## MF_Kitten (Feb 27, 2008)

i like the basic idea of different fret spaces to make scales and stuff, that´d be interesting on an 8 string acoustic (4 sets of doubled strings, the two lower ones in octaves, the two higher ones in unison), tuned to some open tuning, like CGCG, and then with frets that make up scales... maybe even movable frets, like on a sitar, but with click-slots, so you could change between major and minor scales (and maybe even color-code the slot, red for major, blue for minor), and then you could mix up combos of major and minor slot positions with the frets, to make up scales...

anyone wanna do this?


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## Trespass (Mar 1, 2008)

^ is awesome.


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## WillingWell (Mar 2, 2008)

I has one =D

They are fun to mess around with and are actually quite cool sounding.


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## stubhead (Mar 2, 2008)

> "Most instruments are made for experts... the Strum Stick is made for beginners"



I always though _guitars_ were made for beginners - nuns and schoolteachers play guitars, republicans and _drummers_ play guitars... want something hard, try a concert harp or a pedal steel or a bassoon or even a fiddle. People with no _arms_ can play guitar....


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## ElRay (Apr 14, 2008)

I just checked these out as a possible travel guitar for my "trip". They do have chromatic models (4-string and long-scale 3-string) and "long-scale" (I have no idea how long) 3-string models.

I'd be tempted to tune the 3-string in either (you guessed it) Major 3rds (good right-hand finger picking work-out), or a root-third-fifth set-up. The four string is really begging to be tuned in either all fifths, or a fifth-fifth-Minor 3rd (mini-NST) fashion. String gauge & tension might need a re-think, because they actually use banjo strings.

Ray


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