A new instrument

[b0b]

Somewhere between a steel guitar and a Chapman stick, it's called a Kelstone:

http://www.kelstone.be/

The double neck version is pretty confusing, as the scales go in opposite directions.

[Earnest Bovine]

The double neck version is pretty confusing, as the scales go in opposite directions.

Yeah; maybe he figured that since our hands our mirrors images of each other, each hand's guitar should be a mirror image of the other hand's guitar. In a way that would make a passage "feel" exactly the same for each hand, while appearing backwards.
The tuning looks (sounds) like all fourths all the way, like the 5 treble strings on the Chapman stick. Chapman's 5 bass strings are tuned in 5ths (for extended range) with the low strings toward the center.

Still, this looks very very much like a Chapman Stick, except that Chapman has refined and developed his instrument for about 40 years now and there are obvious differences such as scale length, playing position, open string damper, etc.

I'm no expert but I think the all-fourths tuning is not best.
Advantage of all fourths is that if you learn something in one position, you can play (or transpose) it immediately in another position.
Disadvantage of all fourths is that is something is difficult or impossible to play in one position, it will be difficult or impossible anywhere else as well. If you tune one interval to a major third instead of a fourth, some hard things become easy. Consequently, ergo, accordingly, thus, and therefore did evolve the standard guitar tuning.

[Roger Miller]

Looks like something I would like to try. Pretty interesting to say the least. Chapman stick is a item for me to try sometime.

[Mike Neer]

I'd love to spend a month with that instrument.

[David Mason]

I actually had the money together to buy a Warr guitar at one time, a Stick variant, and I didn't because I was too busy at the time to mess with anything new. Kick, kick, kick, the sound of me kicking myself. You don't always stay busy.... buy me one of these and I'll tell you what I think. The price isn't bad at all, considering.

[Bill Hatcher]

variation of Chapman for sure....jammed with him one night a long time ago...amazing musician and creation.


i tell you what i saw with the kelstone thing....the front neck of a multi neck non pedal or even pedal steel!! that would be so cool...
anyone else see this in their imagination????

love the video with the girl!!!!

[David Griffin]

Wherever he is.. Thumbs Carlisle is smiling! How much is this in US$? Did anyone else see the offer to use one free if you composed & videoed a song? Wonder if that applies to us Yanks?

[Roger Miller]

OMG David, Thumb's would tear one of those up wouldn't he? Him and Jeff Healey and Stanley Jordan would be a gas to watch play that.

[Richard Sevigny]

David,

It's ~$1200 US.

I like the variety of sounds he's getting with it.

Earnest,

I checked some of the musical stuff he's got on his website. The 4ths tuning may make it difficult to play certain jazzy chords, but with a bit of practice one could probably find their way around the neck. Lap steel players who play more than one tuning would probably fin their way around this neck in no time

[Bill McCloskey]

This is about the coolest thing I've seen in a while. I wish more music styles were represented on the site, there was a sort of uniformity to the sound. But very cool

[Andy Sandoval]

Pretty cool soundin instrument for sure.

[AJ Azure]

see trey gunn (of king crimson fame) on warr guitar to experience the ultimate in extended range touch style

This is most developed of touch instruments. leaves the stick in the dust!

http://www.warrguitars.com/phalanx_series/


trey:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DiLpG-O6As

PS Jeff Healey just played with the guitar on his lap but regular style not touch.

[AJ Azure]

I actually had the money together to buy a Warr guitar at one time, a Stick variant, and I didn't because I was too busy at the time to mess with anything new. Kick, kick, kick, the sound of me kicking myself. You don't always stay busy.... buy me one of these and I'll tell you what I think. The price isn't bad at all, considering.

$3k and up for a 12 or 14 string not counting extras like MIDI.

They certainly have a niche market

[Kevin Hatton]

Niche as in "I don't think so". Whooooooooosh! Ahhhhhhhhhh!

[David Mason]

One thing that did sort of put me off of Stick-like instruments in general is that they seem to promote a certain style of playing - endless alternating patterns & loops with NO RESTS or pauses, or any use of space... I know it's not the instrument's fault really, but I guess that a large percentage of these guys sit at home alone a lot , and even when they are playing an actual song they just can't resist tapping away to fill all the spaces.

[Graeme Jaye]

One thing that did sort of put me off of Stick-like instruments in general is that they seem to promote a certain style of playing....

Could not the same be said for E9 psg?

It seems to me it's more a case of what the individual player makes of it.

[HowardR]

Could not the same be said for E9 psg?

It seems to me it's more a case of what the individual player makes of it.

No more calls folks......we have a winner.....

[Ray Riley]

I will not be taking this instrument up as the steel is not completely accomplished yet. I don't believe there is enough time, for me anyway! Ray

[Russ Wever]

b0b,
Ya might be interested
to also know about this
instrument.

click
and
click

~Russ

[Ron Castle]

I guess this is a very old thread- but I became interested in this instrument after seeing on youtube

The Kelstone costs 1000euros plus shipping so I got
Kevin Seibold of http://www.krappyguitars.com/touchstyle.html to make me a kind of knock off
for less than half

This is a great instrument and since you use two hands it really doesnt have any chordal limitations even tho its all in 4ths. Complex jazz chords can be played quite easily, with really fine voice movement. It doesnt take long to get the hang of the layout at all and I have not found any particular chord voicing to be too difficult when you have two hands to use

Kevin is a chapman stick player and builder You can see the 9string flat tapper here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLpROCMIkLE
(not a great example but one could imagine more)

I've been talking to him about building a fretless
which opens up more problems but it enhances the sliding capabilities, which are already formidable.

Also you can play it on your lap/knees like a lap steel.

[Chris Gabriel]

Cool! I love it...

[Bill McCloskey]

I guess musical instrument design can't be trademarked.

[Ron Castle]

I think you can only have a patent for specific mechanism or unique construction method, not for a general idea. There were many lesser know 'touch style' instruments before Chapman's and many since.
There have been horizontal tapping instruments before Kelstone

[Bill McCloskey]

"There have been horizontal tapping instruments before Kelstone"

Right, but you clearly targeted the Kelstone to be knocked off.

Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about that one way or another. On the one hand, I feel bad for the manufacturer who spent to the money to bring this product to market. Why would anyone create a "new" instrument if the money they spent in R&D, marketing, setting up sales partnerships, and building customer awareness is lost when someone just creates a knock off.

Isn't that what we complain about with china?

I guess it isn't illegal, but personally, the instrument isn't that expensive. I'd probably buy from the originator.

I guess it is my years in software development. They idea of someone reverse engineering a product I developed is kind of maddening.

[b0b]

You can get a "design patent" that keeps people from stealing the appearance of your instrument. It's fairly easy to get a design patent. I think that's the mechanism that kept people from cloning Strats and Les Pauls for many years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_patent

If I were an instrument designer, I'd get a design patent for every new feature I thought of.