I am using a 10 string chapman stick with 5 bass and 5 guitar (melody) strings. The instrument output is stereo, left for guitar, right for bass, so it's possible to process them independently! That's why as a stick player you need effects and amplification for both guitar and bass instruments....
Like many stick players, I use direct input boxes and preamps to process my sound and use a regular amp or AUX input of a guitar/bass amp because passing the signal into a guitar amp only actually limit the sound capability.
So enough chatting, here's my setup:
- Instrument
- 10 string chapman stick with integrated roland GK2A pickup (midi output)
- Lag roxanne floyd electric guitar
- Takamine electro acoustic guitar
- Yamaha Clavinova piano
- Amp
- Roland microcube: regular input for guitar and AUX for bass trough my BDI21 bass driver
- Marshall VS65R: I own it since 9 years, for heavy guitar work...
- FX
- Behringer BDI21 bass preamp & DI box: process my stick bass output and feeds my Roland microcube in the AUX input
- Digitech RP7: I own it since 7 years now, rich american guitar sound with an integrated 12AX7 lamp!
- Roland GR30: incredible guitar synthetizer, crazy sound powered from my stick builtin GK2A midi pickup
- Brand new Guitar Rig 2: this native instrument software is an incredible guitar effect unit that can process 2 guitar sounds which is exactly what a chapman stick player needs! I just bought it and I am experiencing replacing all my effects with this plus a laptop, way less cables and way more capabilities but that comes with a higher complexity and learning curve... so far I am impressed though. I bought it with the hardware USB2 sound card and pedal board which allows live playing and a real good old guitar wahwah and stomp box command style :)