RIP Emmett Chapman - creator of the Chapman stick

axisus

Very sad to hear. I haven't played my Chapman stick for about a decade, but I was an early poster of stick playing on Youtube (15 years ago, and a pretty mediocre effort!). I rang Emmett from the UK to buy some strings, and he said that he's seen my video and enjoyed it, and he sent me a gift of a DVD of various stick players. RIP Emmett and thanks for giving the World a unique instrument.

https://guitar.com/news/gear-news/emmett-chapman-musician-inventor-chapman-stick-dies-85/

Philtre

RIP. I used to own two Chapman Sticks. Great loss.

TheBigDipper

Agreed. I bought a Stick in 2012 and spent three years failing to learn to play it before I gave up. I just couldn't get my synchronised guitarists hands to work independently like a drummer or pianist. A unique instrument with a unique voice. What a gift to the world and everyone who knew him only seems to say nice things. 

Philly_Q

Sad news (although I must admit on first glance I read "RIP Emmett" as "Rik Emmett", which would have caused me more consternation).

I don't know much about the Stick although I have seen Nick Beggs playing one, and others on film of course.  @axisus I'm sure you're being too modest, being able to play that thing at all is impressive.

Funkfingers

TheBigDipper said:

… failing to learn to play it … I just couldn't get my synchronised guitarists hands to work independently …

Ditto.

Inspired by Tony Levin, I bought the MIDI-enabled The Grid version. Like Levin, I have been mostly playing either bass register parts or melody things. 

The latter invariably sounds better when triggering a Roland VG99 via the GK pickup. In more recent times, devices such as the Electro-Harmonix "9" series pedals would yield similar results for far less money.

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Presumably, Stick Enterprises will continue with Emmett's workshop team carrying out the work.

Kebabkid

Jim Lampi, the guy who used to play outside Rose Morris, Denmark St on Saturday's was a good exponent of it and used The Grid.
Great instrument and supposedly would be the ideal string instrument for pianists if they switched over.
RIP Emmett

ICBM

Philly_Q said:

I don't know much about the Stick although I have seen Nick Beggs playing one, and others on film of course.  @axisus I'm sure you're being too modest, being able to play that thing at all is impressive.

I saw Nick Beggs using his only a few months ago, at the 80s-revival 'Let's Rock' festival, playing with Howard Jones. (They played Too Shy as well as Howard's hits!) The Stick sounded great, even if it's a little bit '80s sounding' and perhaps doesn't translate as well to different styles of music.

RIP Emmett

sev112

Kebabkid said:

Jim Lampi, the guy who used to play outside Rose Morris, Denmark St on Saturday's was a good exponent of it and used The Grid.
Great instrument and supposedly would be the ideal string instrument for pianists if they switched over.
RIP Emmett

Used to see Jim L at a wine bar in Covent Garden in the early mid 80s. I was fascinated by it and what he could do with it 
I didn’t like wine though, or its price

Teetonetal

ICBM said:

Philly_Q said:

I don't know much about the Stick although I have seen Nick Beggs playing one, and others on film of course.  @axisus I'm sure you're being too modest, being able to play that thing at all is impressive.

I saw Nick Beggs using his only a few months ago, at the 80s-revival 'Let's Rock' festival, playing with Howard Jones. (They played Too Shy as well as Howard's hits!) The Stick sounded great, even if it's a little bit '80s sounding' and perhaps doesn't translate as well to different styles of music.

RIP Emmett

Beggs has used it alot with Stephen Wilson on tour and record. It's an amazing instrument and Beggs really has mastered it.

Kebabkid

Sadly, Jim Lampi has just passed away after an illness - RIP Jim

stufisher

For anyone (like me) who knows nowt about Chapman Sticks, here's a concise and informative intro:

TheBigDipper

Kebabkid said:

Sadly, Jim Lampi has just passed away after an illness - RIP Jim

When I started trying to learn to play a Stick (2012), I went to a weekend event run by Ian Rogerson in Hounslow where Jim Lampi and Pascal Glanville both went out of their way (as did Ian) to make me feel welcome and offer advice to a new stickist. 

Jim was a lovely, lovely person who could really play that thing.

digitalkettle

TheBigDipper said:

Kebabkid said:

Sadly, Jim Lampi has just passed away after an illness - RIP Jim

When I started trying to learn to play a Stick (2012), I went to a weekend event run by Ian Rogerson in Hounslow where Jim Lampi and Pascal Glanville both went out of their way (as did Ian) to make me feel welcome and offer advice to a new stickist. 

Jim was a lovely, lovely person who could really play that thing.

I was at one of those back in 2007. Jim, Pascal, Nick Beggs, and Greg Howard (who we lost in 2023) were there.

RIP Jim...there's some magic in this performance:

boogieman

Tony Levin is the stick player I know best, so much of King Crimson’s mid era work wouldn’t be the same without the sound of it. 

RIP Emmett. 

https://youtu.be/18ehShFXRb0?feature=shared