Double Bass NBD with a twist- NS Design NXTa 5-string electric upright...

[steve_rolfeca]

In 2017, I purchased a used first-gen NXT 4-string, and started learning how to set up and play electric upright.

Along the way, I took some lessons, fixed a problem with the stand, dressed the fingerboard, bought an Eastman CF bow and replacement tuners, got into arco a bit, and learned about using an HPF to control tone and subsonics with the passive piezo.

I loved the experience, and got to gig it out a number of times. Unfortunately, the exercise was cut short when I had to sell the bass to cover expenses after being laid low by a bout of sciatica.

Here's my original thread:
NBD- NS Design NXT electric upright bass

I'm in much better shape these days, and have thought on and off about getting another electric upright. Unfortunately, they're hard to find around here, and the combination of a soft Canadian dollar and post-COVID pricing has been a problem.

Happily, last week I came across a great deal on a used 5-string WAV a couple of hours away. I drove to Michigan to pick it up on Friday.

Despite a weird exchange with a cranky border guard on the way back into Canada, it was still a pretty successful trip.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

I only checked the bass out briefly before deciding to take it home, but it sounded great and there were no problems with subsonics into a small Genzler rig, even without an external preamp or HPF.

I know that the WAV is the discount model, and I was surprised to find that it seemed to look and feel a lot more upscale than expected. It's been a few years, but I would have said that it was better than my old NXT.

That's where the twist came up...

After I got it home and started doing some research on it, I couldn't make sense of the way it was equipped:

• My first clue was that the seller had it listed as a WAV5C Active, and I couldn't seem to find any matches to that model designator on NS Design's website, Golihur, or anywhere else.
• The next one, was that I found a small charger with a TRS plug in the gig bag.
• Last but not least, was when I saw the made in Czech Republic sticker under the tail end, and the stamped serial number.

Sure enough, this ain't no WAV- it's a relatively late-model satin black NXTa with the battery-free capacitor-powered preamp and Richlite fingerboard!

EDIT: The growl is even all the way across the fingerboard, and the action is very low. Combine that with the standard Chinesium sealed tuners, and it seems to be the standard NSD version, not one of the ones that Golihur upgrades with the Traditional strings, Schaller tuners, and a setup that gives a more authentic upright sound.

The bag shows some transportation wear and there are a couple of minor dings in the finish, but overall, it's an excellent example. The stand is sturdy, and doesn't have any of the play that my old one had.

Best of all, I hadn't been aware that I originally tested it in passive mode. After reading that the preamp is engaged by pulling up on the tone knob, I gave it a 1 minute charge, and got to hear the preamp engaged.

The tone is absoutely huge, and this has to be the best affordable bass purchase I've ever made.

 

[Hummergeist]

That’s a great result. I play and love the NXT5A.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

That’s a great result. I play and love the NXT5A.

Seeing as you're an NXT5A owner, you may be able to answer this question:

Am I correct in thinking that these are the stock NSD Contemporary strings, made by D'Addario?

 

[Hummergeist]

Well I have the NS-branded traditionals on mine, and those are the same colours I see here, if that helps.

 

[Hummergeist]

Well I have the NS-branded traditionals on mine, and those are the same colours I see here, if that helps.

Updating my last one. I should have known www.gollihurmusic.com would have the info! "How can you tell the difference between the two sets? Here's how: the difference (aside from string diameter - the Contemporary strings are a light gauge) is in the ball end - the Contemporary strings have a smaller, electric-bass-style ball end with a hole in the middle, while the Traditionals have the same ball end used on Helicore upright bass string sets, which is a solid cylinder (no hole)."

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Updating my last one. I should have known www.gollihurmusic.com would have the info! "How can you tell the difference between the two sets? Here's how: the difference (aside from string diameter - the Contemporary strings are a light gauge) is in the ball end - the Contemporary strings have a smaller, electric-bass-style ball end with a hole in the middle, while the Traditionals have the same ball end used on Helicore upright bass string sets, which is a solid cylinder (no hole)."

Bingo!

That seals it, then. Thank you!

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Can't get over how easy this one is to play.

It's been at least 3 years since I last touched any kind of upright, or even a fretless slab, yet I'm already finding pitches pretty effortlessly.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

I'm thinking it might be the factory NSD Contemporary strings and the perfectly-dressed fretboard. The action is low enough that it takes very little pressure to produce a clean note.

IIRC, my NXT4 came with Traditionals, I swapped them for GHS Crossovers fairly early on, and the action was set a lot higher.

 

[Hummergeist]

I'm thinking it might be the factory NSD Contemporary strings and the perfectly-dressed fretboard. The action is low enough that it takes very little pressure to produce a clean note.

IIRC, my NXT4 came with Traditionals, I swapped them for GHS Crossovers fairly early on, and the action was set a lot higher.

I spent some time messing around with string height, and settled in keeping it low because it’s so beautiful to play, and I didn’t feel it affected the tone.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

I'm a colossal noob when it comes to everything upright.

I'm not that hot on fretless slabs making extremely compressed, buzzy sounds. I kept the action high on my 4-string NXT because I wanted lots of punch, and didn't want it to sound like a typical electric fretless.

3 years later, I'm starting to realize that punch simply isn't an issue with this string length, and that the growl is buried deep in the middle of the note with these things, not layered up on top.

I'm sure that upright purists wouldn't be thrilled with the noises I'm making, but I love it as-is. I don't think I'm going to be making any changes in the foreseeable future.

Job one for the next while, is going to be figuring out my signal chain for live and home use.

Once that's sorted out, I'll have to dig out the rosin and my bow.

 

[Hummergeist]

I'm a colossal noob when it comes to everything upright.

I'm not that hot on fretless slabs making extremely compressed, buzzy sounds. I kept the action high on my 4-string NXT because I wanted lots of punch, and didn't want it to sound like a typical electric fretless.

3 years later, I'm starting to realize that punch simply isn't an issue with this string length, and that the growl is buried deep in the middle of the note with these things, not layered up on top.

I'm sure that upright purists wouldn't be thrilled with the noises I'm making, but I love it as-is. I don't think I'm going to be making any changes in the foreseeable future.

Job one for the next while, is going to be figuring out my signal chain for live and home use.

Once that's sorted out, I'll have to dig out the rosin and my bow.

The signal chain is another rabbit hole entirely! Just enjoy the journey.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

The signal chain is another rabbit hole entirely! Just enjoy the journey.

It's funny- I have a little Guild Jumbo Junior acoustic bass that I originally bought as a couch bass, but have been playing out extensively.

It has a nice warm, vocal tone, but I've been wondering how it would sound with an electronics upgrade. I bought a K&K Pure Bass bridgeplate pickup for it that I haven't gotten around to installing. I had been thinking that a Red-Eye preamp might be a good match for the passive K&K, and course it could also be a good option for the NXTa.

Money is an issue though, and I just bought a new upright. So I'm going to hold fire for now and just mess around with my existing stuff:

• FDeck v3 HPF Preamp
• Original Diamond BCP-1 bass compressor
• Barber Linden preamp
• Various amps, effects, IR's and routing options in the HX Stomp
• Radial JDI
• G-K MB200 and MBFusion 500 heads
• AudioKinesis TC112 AF cab
• Headrush FRFR108

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Well, damn.

It’s been a couple of weeks, and I’ve no idea what the NXT sounds like through any of my effects or preamps. It sounds so good plugged straight in, that I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.

To top it off, we’ve gone from drought conditions to heavy rain, and I haven’t had to touch the tuners again. Tuning stability is at least as good as my Dingwall. So tuner upgrades aren’t very high on my list either!

 

[Hummergeist]

I tried so many things in front of mine, and like you I find it doesn’t need the help, mostly. I don’t use a compressor, even. I keep tinkering, though.