NS Stick

This is a very cool instrument developed by Ned Steinberger (Steinberger Guitars) and Emmett Chapman (the Chapman Stick) that gives you the best of both worlds. You can play it as a two-handed tapping instrument with the damper engaged or you can fret and strum like a guitar or bass.

Stick Enterprises, Inc.
6011 Woodlake Ave
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
(818) 884-2001
www.stick.com

The Tube Bass

What we have here is an electric upright bass made from a laminated wooden tube. It was hard to hear at the show (it's hard to hear anything at NAMM) but the lightweight body is supposed to give you very good tone.

Tubular Instrument Co.
(718) 876-7870
www.gettubular.com

FreeNote Guitars

What you see here is a guitar the can be played in just intonation. G&L makes the guitars and FreeNote does the fretwork. It would take some time to retrain yourself to use this system but the tonal possibilities are pretty wild.

FreeNote Music
(212) 580-0602
www.microtones.com

The Strumstick

Here's a guitar for people who don't play guitar. It's got three strings and only the frets that work in the key of G. It's sort of like a blues harmonica, you can't play a wrong note. It was designed by the guy who did the Martin Backpacker guitar.

McNally Instruments
Box 387
Hibernia NJ 07842
(800) 397-6563
www.strumstick.com

Sitarla

This is a cross between a guitar and a sitar. It's got scalloped frets and an extra wide neck so that you can really bend the high string. It has a single coil pickup as well as a piezo. That's Moony himself holding the Sitarla.

LONG Musical Instruments Co.
10 Silver Eagle Road
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
(310) 373-2594
ong.iulnet.co.jp