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Double Bass NS Design NXT Megathread

#961
frankie5string said:
It looks like the main purpose of the active upgrade is to change the impedance of the circuit. The rechargeable design may be nifty but I bet they abandon it in favour of a regular battery midway through the release.
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This is, I'm told, exactly the point of it - to improve compatibility with a wide variety of bass amps with their varying input impedance levels. It will not add an active EQ or any other features.

The preamp circuit isn't new (to the world), it's an existing product that is being put in, so I don't think they'll change to a battery system midstream - it's been tested and works well in other applications already.

The new NXTa basses will street for $100 more than the current models, if my memory serves.
 
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#963
monkeyland said:
Ok I have a question. How many of you play gigs with your NS basses and how often. Also are you mostly using the stock case or do you use something like the Lightweight travel case that Gollihur sells?
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And I'll start the answers.

I have an NXT double bass that I've had for a couple of months now, maybe 10 weeks. I'm gigging with it 3-5 times a week and carrying it in the NS gig bag. I find the bag to be largely sufficient but as I've already started to develop a ding at the top and the bottom of the bass I find myself wishing for something better that still has the convenience of a gig bag. I'd personally love to see something on the level of the Mono or Gruv Gear cases but I realize that this is an extreme niche market and it would probably be tough to get them to make something without being able to prove interest.

I really love the instrument, especially now that I've added the Fishman Platinum Pro preamp pedal.
 
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#965
Since bags already exist for the bass (the one that comes with the NXT, and the upgraded but similar one that they make for the CR grade basses), I can't see enough of a market for me to create another one, with all the spec'ing, prototyping, etc. I imagine that there is probably, if you don't like the NS options, some sort of rifle case, or other sporting goods gear that might work well. I know that one customer is using a Pelican hard case meant for rifles (he just had to custom cut the inner foam) quite happily, but that's probably more than you need for local gigging.
 
#966
That's lucky. Mine broke in 2013. It stripped while I was tightening it before the show. So I contact them and they told me to buy the better stand... which I did, through Gollihur. I had to duct-tape it for the next few shows I played because I didn't have enough cash on hand to buy the better stand.

I thought it was a wee bit curt of them to simply say "Buy this..." instead of offering to repair it, but by then I was out of warranty anyway. So my stand lasted about 2 years. Although I think at that time I had only put about 24 hours of "playing time" on it, so there you go.

tfer said:
So, while tearing down a couple weeks ago, the height adjustment thumbscrew on my NXT stripped out completely.

Emailed NS Designs, and they immediately shipped me a new one - no charge.

Customer service at its finest.
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#967
There's a couple of observations about the included NXT gig bag:

Once I had the CR tripod upgrade, the weight of that tripod pulled and skewed the bag's internal padding around while I was carrying it. My NXT gig bag became very tattered and now has taped-up holes after being carried through some very snowy and slushy winters and the edging began to fray.

Apologies, Mark, but I don't see any reference to the CR gig-bag or NXT gig-bag on your site (and pardon me if I'm not permitted to ask here). Do you stock them?

If I were to purchase a new gig-bag for it, I'd probably also get that roto-molded case you've got online.

Funny anecdote: When I purchased the tripod stand from Gollihur, they sent me a "BASS" sticker. I set it aside and went on to play some shows. I was at a subway station waiting on the platform when a guy approached me and began asking me my opinion on gun control and the Canadian gun registry project. He thought I had a rifle kit. That night after the show I got home, found the "BASS" sticker and stuck it on the bag. :woot: Now the unwashed masses just think I've got a fishing rod and kit in there! :roflmao:


Mark Gollihur said:
Since bags already exist for the bass (the one that comes with the NXT, and the upgraded but similar one that they make for the CR grade basses), I can't see enough of a market for me to create another one, with all the spec'ing, prototyping, etc. I imagine that there is probably, if you don't like the NS options, some sort of rifle case, or other sporting goods gear that might work well. I know that one customer is using a Pelican hard case meant for rifles (he just had to custom cut the inner foam) quite happily, but that's probably more than you need for local gigging.
Click to expand...
 
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#969
frankie5string said:
That's lucky. Mine broke in 2013. It stripped while I was tightening it before the show. So I contact them and they told me to buy the better stand... which I did, through Gollihur. I had to duct-tape it for the next few shows I played because I didn't have enough cash on hand to buy the better stand.

I thought it was a wee bit curt of them to simply say "Buy this..." instead of offering to repair it, but by then I was out of warranty anyway. So my stand lasted about 2 years. Although I think at that time I had only put about 24 hours of "playing time" on it, so there you go.
Click to expand...
When I contacted them, I was fully expecting to pay for the screw - my NXT is 3 years old now, and well past the warranty date. My question was basically "where do I send the money?" They simply asked for my shipping address, and said "thanks for using our product, there'll be no charge".
 
#971
tfer said:
I look forward to seeing it listed.

The NXT gigbag is barely adequate, and offers no real protection for the instrument inside.
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Agreed. I would really be interested in how much better the CR bag is. I would really love something thats on the level of the current premium gig bags that are available for electric bass. And not something pressed into service that is designed for other purposes.
 
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#972
monkeyland said:
Agreed. I would really be interested in how much better the CR bag is. I would really love something thats on the level of the current premium gig bags that are available for electric bass. And not something pressed into service that is designed for other purposes.
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The CR bag has a better foam density, stronger hardware, and better outer fabric -- with the same basic design.

And it's now on the site - and that's all can say about it, because you asked about it I can answer, but I don't want to run afoul of the rules.
 
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#973
monkeyland said:
Ok I have a question. How many of you play gigs with your NS basses and how often. Also are you mostly using the stock case or do you use something like the Lightweight travel case that Gollihur sells?
Click to expand...

I use mine several times a week on a steady jazz gig with a quintet, with a Zoom A3 preamp set for piezo and upright bass modeling into the effects return of an Acoustic Image Contra - classic strings and endpin.

I use the stock bag, since I'm usually just going from the parking lot to the club, and have found I can actually leave the endpin attached to the bass inside the bag (with a piece of foam cushion, just in case).
 
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#975
Artie Langston said:
Has anyone ever tried installing a Hipshot bass extender (the one designed for bass guitars, not the one for uprights) on a NXT? It would be nice to have a low D or C on a 4 string for ballads.
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Don't see why it wouldn't work, but I don't think you're going to get down to C. The only issue I can see is possible interference between the tuning keys as the shaft rotates to detune the string. The operating lever is on the pointy (down) side of the tuner, so there's plenty of room for that.

I bought two for my EBG, in the hopes of being able to do some Manring-inspired modulations, but the headstock isn't wide enough to mount two; I wound up using just one.

The HipShot guys are very knowledgable, responsive, and easy to work with
 
#976
ArtechnikA said:
Don't see why it wouldn't work, but I don't think you're going to get down to C. The only issue I can see is possible interference between the tuning keys as the shaft rotates to detune the string. The operating lever is on the pointy (down) side of the tuner, so there's plenty of room for that.
Click to expand...

I had a recent conversation with someone about this - I believe that what he did was install the hipshot in the A-string position, and then switch where he wound the strings onto the pegs, using the normal E-string tuner for the A string and vice-versa. Could be wrong though, it's a little fuzzy in my memory.


ArtechnikA said:
The HipShot guys are very knowledgable, responsive, and easy to work with
Click to expand...
This is absolutely true. They totally helped me out with some customized tuners for my 12-string electric bass, and were awesome about it.
 
#977
Regarding the NXT case and it's lack of protection: Ever since I got the NXT, I have used two towels inside the case. One towel is used behind the neck/body for added protection and a beach towel is rolled "long ways" and placed over the length of the finger board and bridge. This has done well for some years now. FWIW, the beach towel has Elvis on it!
 
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#979
Rebo213 said:
Hi, I have got a couple questions regarding the NXT 4 and 5 strings: I have seen the fingerboard in the 5 is wider, its also thicker front-to-back? It has the same string spacing at bridge as the 4 stringer? Thank you!
Click to expand...

It's wider, but not 25% wider. So the strings are closer together than on the 4-banger. If it's thicker, front to back, it's not significantly so (and I don't think it is.)
 
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#980
I'm still not exactly sure what to do in terms of setup for the NXT, mine currently has a slight bit of neck relief set (which seems to work well, if I make the fingerboard perfectly straight then the strings on the treble side start to buzz).
Treble side is 4.5mm off the fingerboard at the end, bass side is 8mm (seems like a fairly standard upright bass setup?)
And I don't have the bridge "centered" in the slot, I have it all the way at the bass side. That way the middle string is actually in the middle if you look at it frontally. Is that correct or should I keep it centered? It obvously doesn't work like a normal upright bass bridge so I'm not sure.

Especially neck relief and the bridge are confusing to me, I'm glad for any help on that matter.
 

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