I recently took delivery of a rosewood Ten String Grand™ Stick, outfitted with an ACTV-2 pickup. I was in Los Angeles, recording a new CD with Cynic at Broken Wave Music and was fortunate to have the instrument delivered there. Every time I get a new Stick, my reaction is the same: "Wow." After playing the instrument for so many years, you'd think I would get used to it, but each time I see a new Stick there's an initial moment of wonder and awe.

The Same, But Different

After discussing with Emmett the kind of things I was looking for, he suggested a Ten String Grand. The idea suited me because despite having played a Grand for many years, I have never completely utilized the full range of the instrument. I liked having those extra strings, but it was more than I've ever really needed. Truth be told however, part of me felt uneasy about it, but I would soon discover it was an unfounded fear.

The string spacing is a little wider than the Grand, and I can say that there was no difficulty at all in making the switch. The extra space allows for a more rhythmic style of playing without the concern of setting other strings in motion; it feels very comfortable.

The EMG pickups were new to me as well. Their tone is bright and clear, and sound somewhat scooped in the midrange. This permits a very "wide" kind of sound, and for my own needs, the perfect starting place for sculpting a tone for each particular song and/or texture.

The one bit of customizing I requested had to do with the frets. For the most part, and especially for the bass register, I like the feel of the Fret Rails. But I find sometimes that when soloing in the higher registers (perhaps due to the manner in which I play) my fingers occasionally "grab" in-between the frets. Looking for a compromise between Rails and Rods, Emmett slightly filed the Rails for me. One of the added benefits is, with such low action, the bass strings growl a bit more across the larger surface area of the frets.

With the recording now finished, it is apparent that this will be my main Stick. While I was at first hesitant to go with 10 strings instead of 12, I'm not only very happy I did but I wish I had made the switch much sooner.

Sean Malone

for more about the Ten String Grand see: Ten String Grand