Download image

5 string version of the popular NXT model by NS Design. Handmade in the Czech Republic

Ned Steinberger is one of those names who really doesn’t need introduction when it comes to musical instrument design. He’s been actively leading the way in terms of new concepts in this business since the mid 70’s in the last century.

Through the last 5 decades he has developed a lot of new concepts that we consider standard today. For instance he was responsible for the developing of the first ever Spector bass back in 1977, the Spector NS bass, made along with Stuart Spector. He created his own company Steinberger Instruments and developed some radical ideas such as the use of carbon fiber for musical instruments and headless designs to reduce neck diving and improving tuning stability. He has teamed with Emmet Chapman to develop the NS Stick and created the successful “The Realist” upright bass. Ned sold his Steinberger Instruments company back in 1986 and in 1990 he created NS Design with a very specific goal: create 21st century bowed electric instruments with a unique approach,

In Ned’s own words,  “Bowed electric instruments have been made since the mid-thirties. Unfortunately, most of these instruments are the victims of the misplaced idea that an electric instrument should sound exactly like its acoustic predecessor. I want to take it a step further, I want to see what these instruments can do when they are set free.” This radical new approach has made that many musicians looking for their own voice on the instrument have chosen NS Design instruments as part of their tools. Of course they can also be used as standard electric bowed instruments for silent practice and ease of amplification, but that’s only part of the story.

NS Design are based in Nobleboro, Maine (USA). Most instruments are actually made at the NBE factory in the Czech Republic. This small factory combines old school lutherie with state of the art methods for building musical instruments and have a long experience doing so. We really thing that some of the finest instruments made in Europe are currently coming out of this factory. It’s there that CR and NXT series of instruments are made. The cost effective WAV instruments are now made in India and this is a big improvement over previous models made in China. What’s more, all the instruments bearing the NS Design brand are carefully inspected and set up at the NBE facilities in the Czech Republic. This means that all the instruments that leave the factory are absolutely perfect regardless of where they have been made.

——————

This is the NS Design NXT5 model. It is made in the Czech Republic and it represents the middle range just below the top of the line CR Series and the more affordable WAV Series.  It is a 3/4 Electric Upright bass and has the following specs: - Unlike all other EUB’s, there’s no neck joint here. Instead, it is a continuos neck that starts at the headstock and extends right until after the bridge. This adds a lot of sustain  and this is one of the biggest differences with an acoustic or most other electric uprights. - This design allows for unrestricted access to the upper zone of the fingerboard.  Of course you can also use standard thumb technique (capodastro) or just keep the thumb behind the neck like as if you were playing an electric bass.  - Patented Polar pickup system that senses the vibration of the strings both in horizontal and vertical modes. This is essential to get a good pizzicato and arco sound. - Position dots on the ebony fingerboard make tuning and shifts much easier. -In this case it's been strung with real double bass strings and these sound much fuller and upright like than the stock strings. Tuning is EADGC but this could be changed to BEADG with the right strings - Another improvement is that the stock tuners have been replaced by Hipshot Ultralite tuners (more precise and lighter too). 

- The included tripod stand allows the bass to stand on its own rather than having to use your left hand and leg as supports. You can even set the bass almost horizontal on its stand and play it like a standard bass guitar. Possibilities are endless. 

- Of course the electronics are very well thought. This is an all passive instrument but the signal is strong and completely noise free. Controls are Volume, Tone and Mode switch: Pizz mode is great for a solid all round sound with a nice sustain to it, and Arco for the best bowed sound in the market. 

If you have never played double bass, this is a good chance to start on a top quality instrument that will simply put things easier for you, but don’t thing about this bass just as a substitute or alternative to an acoustic bass. That’s just part of the story. The real treat comes when you start to do things you wouldn’t normally be able to do on an acoustic bass due to the instrument’s sheer limitations when it comes to amplifying it. 

The instrument comes with a low action but we can set it up to match your playing style and needs. Not only is the bridge height adjustable but there’s a truss rod in the neck so you can set it up for your favorite neck curvature. Cool. This allows every player to set the bass up to their needs in a few minutes. 

It comes with a padded gigbag that will hold the bass and the tripod

PLEASE NOTE: This is a used instrument. Only a few hours of real use. There's only a superficial dent on the body but this does not affect the instrument in anyway. The improved Hipshot tuners and real double bass strings more than compensate for this.