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Double Bass NS Design NXT Megathread

#1,581
DanielW said:
I have a bow for my NXT electric upright, but I can’t get any good sounds out of it. Do I need special strings to make it work with the bow? The ones on it now are the standard flats that came with the bass.

I know about the switch that needs to be set to arco mode.
Click to expand...
the strings that come with the bass are not ideal for acro. The D'Addario NS Traditionals are better suited for the bow, or orchestral strings like the Belcanto. As for the bass itself, it is advised to raise the action of the strings. The NS basses are delivered with very low action.
 
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#1,582
Deleted member 132197 said:
the strings that come with the bass are not ideal for acro. The D'Addario NS Traditionals are better suited for the bow, or orchestral strings like the Belcanto. As for the bass itself, it is advised to raise the action of the strings. The NS basses are delivered with very low action.
Click to expand...

I see. And would the NS Traditionals work well for pizzicato and ”normal” (jazz) playing? Which is what I use it for most of the time.
 
#1,583
DanielW said:
I see. And would the NS Traditionals work well for pizzicato and ”normal” (jazz) playing? Which is what I use it for most of the time.
Click to expand...
IMO, yes. Way better than the factory strings.
Be aware, if you have a 5, you will need to very slightly enlarge the hole in the tailstock and use a larger backing washer. I did a thread on that... And it's suggested (recommended IMO) to upgrade (at least) the B tuner to a HipSHot.
None of that should be necessary with a 4...
 
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#1,584
Didn't the next already have hipshots?

But yeah, if not, it's advised to change them. I just changed the tuners from my WAV4 and there's a huge difference in quality. The hipshots are way sturdier and keep better in tune.
 
#1,585
ArtechnikA said:
IMO, yes. Way better than the factory strings.
Be aware, if you have a 5, you will need to very slightly enlarge the hole in the tailstock and use a larger backing washer. I did a thread on that... And it's suggested (recommended IMO) to upgrade (at least) the B tuner to a HipSHot.
None of that should be necessary with a 4...
Click to expand...

I have a four. It’s probably high time to change strings anyway, I’ll try to find these Traditionals.

Many thanks for the advice.
 
#1,589
Deleted member 132197 said:
Didn't the next already have hipshots?

But yeah, if not, it's advised to change them. I just changed the tuners from my WAV4 and there's a huge difference in quality. The hipshots are way sturdier and keep better in tune.
Click to expand...

The NXT has the same tuners as the WAV basses; basic quality, Asian-made tuners. Adequate, but the Hipshots (or similar) are a very worthwhile upgrade, as they improve tuning stability, are more robust and less likely to fail, and are easier to string (the hole in the center of the post is larger and more easily accommodates thicker string cores). It is an upgrade that no one I've ever talked to has regretted or had any second thoughts about.
 
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#1,590
Mark Gollihur said:
The NXT has the same tuners as the WAV basses; basic quality, Asian-made tuners. Adequate, but the Hipshots (or similar) are a very worthwhile upgrade, as they improve tuning stability, are more robust and less likely to fail, and are easier to string (the hole in the center of the post is larger and more easily accommodates thicker string cores). It is an upgrade that no one I've ever talked to has regretted or had any second thoughts about.
Click to expand...

Are they available in Europe? Ordering from the US tends to be quite expensive.
 
#1,594
DanielW said:
Are they available in Europe? Ordering from the US tends to be quite expensive.
Click to expand...

If you end up not ordering from my shop (which I understand, considering the costs of shipping overseas) send me a private message here, or an email (from our site), and I'll send you a copy of the instructions for installation that I wrote up, no charge. It will make it a lot easier on you, especially if you're a little nervous about it (it's not hard!)
 
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#1,599
DanielW said:
I have a bow for my NXT electric upright, but I can’t get any good sounds out of it. Do I need special strings to make it work with the bow? The ones on it now are the standard flats that came with the bass.

I know about the switch that needs to be set to arco mode.
Click to expand...
I found when I first got a bow, that it took a few sessions to build up a good rosin covering on the hairs, and this was added to by the hardness of the new block of rosin. A tip that was given to me was to make some criss-cross scratches on the surface of the rosin. Don't know if that helped, but I eventually got good bow grip.
 
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#1,600
So, how does everybody that's using the end pin instead of the tripod store their basses?

Right now I'm just laying it on the floor with a pillow under the headstock, but I'm looking at easier alternatives that don't cost as much as the CRT stand + adapter or the other stand Gollihur suggests.
 

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