D
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Double Bass NS Design NXT Megathread
- Thread starter dbassnut
- Start date
- Sep 9, 2007
- 5,309
- 4,977
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Eventide, GHS Strings, G&L Guitars, NS Design, Tsunami Cables
I've not found that a problem on my CR-5M. It took a little getting used to (bowing a 5 vs a 4), but nothing that I considered difficult.
I love mine! I have two now (a black and a red one), and use them fairly regularly.
Nah, never put the Traditionals on. I've used Spirocores, GHS Crossovers and currently have a set of Innovation Polychromes on it. I like the Polys the most out of the three, as they're the most arco-friendly. But, they're missing the snap or forward attack that the Spiros and Crossovers had. I'm gonna swap them out for the Honey Jazz set probably in a couple days and see how those work; for me, I think they'll do the trick.
Not only the 5 vs 4 issue, but I haven't bowed regularly since college so I'm relearning how to do it in general
Just bought the NXTa and I want to replace the tuners with Schallers. Does anyone know the exact model that comes on the CR5M? I think it is the Schaller M4 but they don't seem to even have them on Schaller's site.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Mark Gollihur recommends these Hipshots for the NXT's, I installed them a few years back and have been very happy with them.
Mark Gollihur recommends these Hipshots for the NXT's, I installed them a few years back and have been very happy with them.
- Jul 20, 2005
- 881
- 76
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Samuel Shen Basses, NS Design, D'Addario Strings
I put the Hipshots on my NXT5 right after I bought it (almost 10 years ago). I put on D'Addario NXT Traditionals, and the stock B tuner couldn't hold it. So... I purchased the Hipshots, installed them in a few minutes, restrung, tuned up, and never looked back. They were EXACTLY what I needed. They have worked flawlessly ever since, and I play it regularly, fly with it, travel with it, etc. (doesn't sit in the corner of my studio). They STAY IN TUNE. Haven't had to do anything to them or the bass. Highly recommend!
With the talk of replacing tuners, this is worth re-posting (and because it's pretty brilliant): @ebrown also added a Hipshot Detuner to his NXT. It's on my to-do list!
5sg.
5sg.
- Jul 19, 2000
- 2,014
- 2,224
- Disclosures
- Owner/President, Gollihur Music LLC
They just need to be 3/8" post small geared tuners. The Schallers that go on my special edition are the same ones that they are/were putting on the CR model basses, but those might be changing (to Hipshots, ironically) because Schaller is discontinuing the ones they've been using.
- Jul 19, 2000
- 2,014
- 2,224
- Disclosures
- Owner/President, Gollihur Music LLC
FYI: before you buy one, you need the TREBLE SIDE model to work on the NXT bass
20660BT HE6Y ULTRALITE BASS XTENDER - 3/8 - Y KEY – BLACK TREBLE side
- Jul 19, 2000
- 2,014
- 2,224
- Disclosures
- Owner/President, Gollihur Music LLC
No problem. I worked it out with a customer a while back, we figured it out, and I've special-ordered them for 3-4 customers so far. Figured there was no need for you to reinvent the wheel. ;-)
D
Has anybody any experience with mixing the NS strings with full length double bass strings?
My hands are itching to experiment with new strings (I was a string addict on my dB. I'm afraid I'm starting to show symptoms for EUB), but because the holidays are coming I don't have a lot of cash to pay around with full sets. I do however have some strings laying around in the drawer that could be interesting.
My hands are itching to experiment with new strings (I was a string addict on my dB. I'm afraid I'm starting to show symptoms for EUB), but because the holidays are coming I don't have a lot of cash to pay around with full sets. I do however have some strings laying around in the drawer that could be interesting.
NS Strings are d’Addarios Helicore. On acoustic upright basses, i have always disliked them. But on my NSD, i considered they were part of the sound... until i tried some Corelli strings on my NSD. The quality gap is huge, personnally, i would not mix them ! But give it a try
- Jul 19, 2000
- 2,014
- 2,224
- Disclosures
- Owner/President, Gollihur Music LLC
If you're going for a more "real" sound, trying some of the strings in your spares drawer is certainly worth a try. But strings react differently on the NXT than they do on a "real" upright bass, hence the reply from @crocau, above. And I agree that the varied timbre of different strings will be much more apparent on the NXT, so "mixing" them might not be a good long-term solution.
Here's my philosophy on the subject of strings: The best any EUB could hope to achieve would be to sound like a double bass with a pickup on it. Since the NS Design basses are tightly constructed and are solid-body instruments, their habits lean towards a more electric sounding bass... more sustain, more string detail, that sort of thing.
The OEM/stock strings (NS Electric "Contemporary" - which are NOT Helicore strings, they are manufactured more like ultra-long scale bass guitar flatwounds) don't help; they're fairly un-upright-like in my opinion. In my experience, using strings which pull it towards a more URB-oriented sound (quick decay, short sustain, a more blunt attack to notes, almost a gut-string-like vibe) will effectively counter-balance the electric nature of the bass.
Two strings which I have personally tried and found success with are the Pirastro Obligatos and the D'Addario NS Electric "Traditional" Strings. Both have a darker, less defined tone which sounds great on my personal NS Design Bass, and both strings fit its bass-guitar-sized tuning machines. I have the Traditional strings on my personal bass and like them quite a bit; I've also strung up several customer's basses with the Obligatos.
For what it's worth, the NS Electric Traditional strings are made by shortening the afterlength of D'Addario Helicore Orchestra strings. Those are the ones that @crocau may have been speaking of. If you have a set of Helicore Orchestras (or even Hybrids) lying around, they are a great choice; to string them up, you simply wrap the strings around the bottom of the bass and up the back to the "keyholes" for the ball ends. This is also how you can string up most any other 3/4 size upright bass string set.
That's my personal take - obviously, strings and tone are very subjective, but I hope my comments provide a little insight to help you along.
Finally, Invalid Link Removed; he posted it on another thread, and it features him bowing the bass equipped with D'Addario Helicore Orchestra strings (I believe he's also using a reverb pedal set subtly to imitate the resonant body of the bass).
D
Thanks for the wisdom @Mark Gollihur !
I'm playing a lot with Arco and pedals right now, so I'm not trying to emulate a real db. I'm just not really happy with the response under the bow of the NS Traditionals, and feel the need to experiment
I'm playing a lot with Arco and pedals right now, so I'm not trying to emulate a real db. I'm just not really happy with the response under the bow of the NS Traditionals, and feel the need to experiment
D
So, that experiment ended in failure.
I had an Obligato and Superflexible E laying around. The superflex broke in the tuner and for the life of me I couldn't get the Obligato to fit in the tuner. Also, I have no trust in the tuners.
Time to get some Hipshots (hooray for US made... Here in Europe that makes them double so expensive
)
I had an Obligato and Superflexible E laying around. The superflex broke in the tuner and for the life of me I couldn't get the Obligato to fit in the tuner. Also, I have no trust in the tuners.
Time to get some Hipshots (hooray for US made... Here in Europe that makes them double so expensive
)
Any idea whether NS Design will update the NXTa line at NAMM next week? They’re like 10 years old, and I’d hate to pull the trigger on one only to find they are outdated (and/or cheaper) in 10 days...
They just updated it a couple of years ago which is when it got the “a” added. It seems you are safe but then again who knows
