New Kid On The Block With My CR5M...I Think!

powermans · #1 08-04-2005, 04:11 AM

Ok, after many years of thinking about Joining the Stick Set, I finally walked through the back door this afternoon with a brand new CR5M I think?( Wife's out the front gardening and I want to protect my Personal Stick and Two Veg!) The reason I am a little uncertain is that there is absolutely nothing on the instrument to state that this is a CR5M.... NS on the head stock and that's it! I just got off the NS Web site and panicked a little as I noted that they have just released a CR Bass Cello (In my mind it looked exactly the same as the one I just brought home)and I made a quick dash to the music room to check the scale length to make sure that it was NOT 34inch.... OK it's 41.73 inches. Anyway, I clearly claim that I'm NEW to the Stick World and would appreciate any tips from other NS users ( Bruce Linfield and Company).

I note that I have the two lots of pick ups ie:- the bigger round one (EMG I presume) and the little one above and below(The Magnetic ) 10 in all. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Also I don't mind the sound of the strings....the standard ones sold with the bass, I didn't think they would sound that good.
I'm used to Obligatos on the full size and these on the NS are like playing Guitar again... Any suggestions on Strings for JAZZ???

Finally,at this point I've plugged it straight into the Coda R and with everything flat sounds REALLLLL Nice! I figure it can only get better as I play with it more.

Last think, I went looking for the 2X 9v batteries and when I unscrewed the little toggle at the bottom of the bass the batteries would not come all the way out, so to change them I took the four screws out of the back which straight away released the bridge.... as the grub screws were pushing the bridge to the correct height when lid was closed.... Do you guys let your strings down when you take the back off??? I refitted the back and adjusted the grub screws back and the bridge height appears OK... Just wondering!
Anyway, can't wait to use it on a gig!

Bruce Lindfield · #2 08-04-2005, 06:15 AM

I have an NS CR5 with no magnetic pickups at all - I prefer the piezo only sound. On Francois' suggestion I use Pirastro Flexocor Orchs for Jazz and they sound pretty good to me and I had lots of compliments on the sound last week, at Jazz Summerschool!

I am in a bit of a transition phase now, as I just bought a new real DB and I am finding the NS bass, more of a hinderance in developing real DB technique...

So my problem is that I really like the DB experience and sound, but it's so much easier on the NS - last week I could cope easily with anything anybody threw at me, in terms of challenging bass lines - using the NS bass. But this week I am getting depressed that I can't do any of that on real DB...

I suppose my tip would be to try to play everything with real DB technique - pull through the strings with the side of your fingers - don't be tempted to play it like a BG for speed etc. - as this will just make it sound more like BG than DB.

allthumbs · #3 08-07-2005, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by powermans

I note that I have the two lots of pick ups ie:- the bigger round one (EMG I presume) and the little one above and below(The Magnetic ) 10 in all. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Hmm... if it's the same as my CR4M then the little "pickups" aren't pickups at all, but are where the allen screws that enable you to adjust the height of the EMGs are housed. So in fact you have six pick ups, the five EMGs and the piezo in the bridge which you can mix between using the appropriate knob.

allthumbs · #4 08-07-2005, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

So my problem is that I really like the DB experience and sound, but it's so much easier on the NS - last week I could cope easily with anything anybody threw at me, in terms of challenging bass lines - using the NS bass. But this week I am getting depressed that I can't do any of that on real DB...

I too switch between NS and DB and sympathise with your plight. The reason it's easier on the NS is of course the lower action and slightly shorter scale length, so it's possible to get around it pretty handily without having to particularly work on your physical technique (which is doubtless why BG players getting into DB like it so much). To get anything like the same facility on the DB means spending time on fingering, strength, intonation etc which you don't develop so much on the NS. I bet in six months time you'll be flying round that DB like nobody's business. I think you almost have to treat them like seperate instruments, technique-wise.

powermans · #5 08-08-2005, 12:13 AM

Thanks "ALLTHUMBS"Yes I realised after I posted the original thread that these second smaller knobs in front and behind the pickup were adjusment screws.... Still I didn't know that there is a second piezo in the bridge...Thanks. I would have expected a little more info from NS on the features of these instruments... I note that some models dont have that little adjustment screw above and below the pick-up??? So I can assume that I have a CR5 model not a CR5M! Thanks for the help and I'll track back through some older threads to get further info on this innstrument.

PhatBasstard · #6 08-08-2005, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by powermans

Thanks "ALLTHUMBS"Yes I realised after I posted the original thread that these second smaller knobs in front and behind the pickup were adjusment screws.... Still I didn't know that there is a second piezo in the bridge...Thanks. I would have expected a little more info from NS on the features of these instruments... I note that some models dont have that little adjustment screw above and below the pick-up??? So I can assume that I have a CR5 model not a CR5M! Thanks for the help and I'll track back through some older threads to get further info on this innstrument.

You indeed have the NS CR5M (The "M" is for the magnetic pickups). You also have two piezo setups on your bridge (that's what the little toggle is for). One set is for pizzicato playing, the other for arco.

powermans · #7 08-09-2005, 12:26 AM

I'm getting MORE confused by the minute.
Thanks Phat for the correction, is their a N/S info site on the CR5M or somewhere that I can go into and see exactly what's on this now ( CR5M) not (CR5)and where everything is located on the instrument. It's appearing bigger than Ben Hur!
Many thanks again Phat!

Bruce Lindfield · #8 08-09-2005, 01:37 AM

I have a CR5 and it has piezos only - so there are no pickups visible at all on the front! I think this makes it look neater and more like a sculpture...

People often wonder aloud to me, about where the sound comes from ...

The page you want is :

http://www.nedsteinberger.com/instru...ss-instruc.htm

powermans · #9 08-09-2005, 06:33 AM

Thanks Bruce for the link, I'll print the lot out and have a good read....
Thanks Guys All Round!

PhatBasstard · #10 08-09-2005, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

I have a CR5 and it has piezos only - so there are no pickups visible at all on the front! I think this makes it look neater and more like a sculpture...

When I got my CR4M I quickly realized I didn't like the sound of the magnetic pickups and never used them. I ended up wishing I had the CR4 instead because I too thought it looked better without them. Plus it normally would be cheaper, but since I got a great deal on the CR4M ($1900 new, shipped w/stand and bag) I guess that might be mute.

abaguer · #11 08-09-2005, 10:59 PM

So my problem is that I really like the DB experience and sound, but it's so much easier on the NS - last week I could cope easily with anything anybody threw at me, in terms of challenging bass lines - using the NS bass. But this week I am getting depressed that I can't do any of that on real DB...

I've always felt EUB was easier to play than DB. Last couple of years I've had to travel and double quite a bit and EUB is definitely a godsend in these instances where stage size, portability, airline travel, and stage volume are an issue. But the DB is the standard by which I keep my technique and sound "honest". Practice more on DB, that's the only solution and you'll be doing fine in a while. Very important also, record yourself.

PhatBasstard · #12 08-11-2005, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abaguer

So my problem is that I really like the DB experience and sound, but it's so much easier on the NS - last week I could cope easily with anything anybody threw at me, in terms of challenging bass lines - using the NS bass. But this week I am getting depressed that I can't do any of that on real DB...

I've always felt EUB was easier to play than DB. Last couple of years I've had to travel and double quite a bit and EUB is definitely a godsend in these instances where stage size, portability, airline travel, and stage volume are an issue. But the DB is the standard by which I keep my technique and sound "honest". Practice more on DB, that's the only solution and you'll be doing fine in a while. Very important also, record yourself.

While it is true you can drop the action on the NS to bass guitar levels (due to the adjustable bridge and a truss rod) making things physically a lot easier, I found the sound to be a lot more DB like when I raised the action closer to DB level. With the action low it sounded much more like a big fretless BG. After I raised the action, even other bassists who sat in on it (and were owners of other brands of EUBs) remarked at how much closer it sounded to a DB than the EUBs they were playing.