[rollcat]

+1 for multi-scale. While on the topic: I have thrown some hard-earned cash at a multi-scale guitar a couple years ago (a Strandberg), and it both sounds great (well also thanks to craftsmanship), and is much more comfortable to play in the higher positions: the way the frets are fanned, the left hand's wrist remains in a more natural position. It'd be difficult to switch back.

I've worked on my own instruments many many years ago (with a little help from a professional luthier). I'd say if you're designing a new instrument, multi-scale should be a consideration; even if it's just a plain old boring guitar, your biggest constraint is the choice of a bridge.

[chris_st]

I love my multi-scale bass (the poetically named Ibanez EHB1265MS :-). Possibly the weirdest thing about playing a multi scale instrument is that my eyes just... adjust the frets to look like they're normal, vertical frets when I'm playing. And, it really took less than half an hour of playing to get used to it.

Glad to hear Strandbergs are nice... I'm sorely tempted by one.

[gtani]

Agreed, I have a few, a couple 8 strings with 2" fan are my sweet spot, tho I've never tried the Charlie Hunter designs w/wider fans (from Novax, Traugott, hybrid-guitars.com). Ideally i would get another custom with wider string spacing for 3 bass strings tuned in 4ths, but that's probably a pipe dream.

This tapping instrument seems very nice but certainly not bizarre, if you want bizarre, look under a d10 pedal steel. If i were to buy a tapping guitar, I would also look at Markus Reuters, touchguitars.com.