Interior Dual Bass Reciprocal™ on an SB8 is THE way to go for the bassist who wants to use the Stick® in a purely bass-only role. What you lose in the high end is more than made up in the versatility of the low end, especially when amplifying and processing the two sides differently.
Background: since 1996, I've owned and played several different Sticks - two different 10-string models, a Grand Stick, and an NS/Stick. All these came with varying degrees of perceived success (as perceived by me, the most important judge). For the first nine years of my Stick playing life, I had yet to come to the realization that I was never going to be a solo player on this instrument, and that my interest in the instrument pretty much starts and ends with using it to fill parts of a bassist's role. I was originally drawn to the instrument by listening to, and studying, the great Tony Levin and his work with King Crimson (et al.) on the Stick. I absolutely LOVE the two-handed bass work he's done, and continues to do, on The Stick.
Fast forward to 2006 when the opportunity arose to trade my NS/Stick straight up with a gentleman who was interested in the greater versatility throughout the sonic spectrum provided by the NS/Stick (as well as the ability to change between bass and Stick with one flip of a switch and the disengagement of a damper). For the past year or two of owning an NS/Stick, all I was doing with it was attempting to create the two-handed bass lines that were in my head, with little success. I found myself longing again for the Stick itself - the way it's tuned with the low strings in the middle, the physical position of the instrument, the unique sound of strings tapping against fretboard on a Stick (does not sound the same on other instruments).
Around a week after I agreed to the trade, the SB8 in question, having been out on the road for the better part of 3 years, was sent into SE so that Emmett could retrofit, fix, re-setup, etc. During that time, I went to the SE web site to look around as I do fairly often, and discovered the article on the new DBR tuning. I was trying to finalize the tuning I wanted on the SB8 and the DBR tuning was never specifically mentioned for the "Interior" variety on the SB8, but I knew it'd work. I asked Emmett to set the SB8 up in Interior DBR, he did so, and I got the instrument a week or so later.
I was prepared to have a "mean bass" (so coined by Emmett when I asked if he'd set the SB8 in DBR), but I wasn't prepared for how great the tuning is. A Stick on one side, a 5-string bass on the other, each sharing the low B string which is very important to me. Much of the music I come up with makes significant use (some might say ABuse) of that lowest string. I was coming up with great, funky, double stop based two handed bass lines almost immediately.
When the sides can be processed separately, though, the real beauty comes to light. I run strings 5-8 through my Bass POD, and strings 1-4 through my NightBASS 2000. Everything changed when I started doing this, and the possibilities which seemed endless even in mono became even more so. If I have a line where I'm playing the double stops on 5-8, I've got 5ths processed one way, in whatever texture I have the POD set to. If I want a different texture for the same line - both harmonically and sound-wise - I can play the same double stops on 1-4, only in 4ths, and a completely different patch on the NightBASS. The same riff can be changed dramatically by simply playing the double stops in the right hand on a different side of the instrument, while still retaining whatever drive and groove have been locked into with the drum line.
From an entirely personal standpoint, the 8-string instrument is a lot better for me. Eight strings on the same size fretboard as the 10-string Stick means greater spacing between the strings, and easier access for my fingers that are unfortunately affected by MS. This certainly isn't a concern for most people, but for those of us whose hands aren't as dextrous as they might be, this is a great alternative.
In short, any bassist who wants to use the Stick in a purely bass role will LOVE the SB8 with internal DBR.
Thanks! :)
-sw
Tuning chart for the Interior DBR tuning
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