Congratulations on the NXT5. I play an NXT5. It's a lovely instrument.
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Double Bass NS Design NXT Megathread
- Thread starter dbassnut
- Start date
High C strings are thin (specially the steel core ones, often don’t fit well tensionwise to the standard set, are only available for some sets.
Written music is often harder to play with a high C (but sometimes easier).
A preamp alone won’t get you the Eberhard Weber sound. You need several effects like chorus, flanger/phaser and reverb. And a looper (freezes feedback delay line) for some stuff.
But for a passive piezo pickup the HPFpre is good as the first processor in your chain.
Have a look here:
Eberhard Weber Effects
I won’t prefer a NS or similar instrument on a tripod as the body contact is lost. That might be more obvious with bowing. But each to his own …
If you don’t know Miles Mosley you might want to hear and see some stuff from him. Different, but might interest you.
Written music is often harder to play with a high C (but sometimes easier).
A preamp alone won’t get you the Eberhard Weber sound. You need several effects like chorus, flanger/phaser and reverb. And a looper (freezes feedback delay line) for some stuff.
But for a passive piezo pickup the HPFpre is good as the first processor in your chain.
Have a look here:
Eberhard Weber Effects
I won’t prefer a NS or similar instrument on a tripod as the body contact is lost. That might be more obvious with bowing. But each to his own …
If you don’t know Miles Mosley you might want to hear and see some stuff from him. Different, but might interest you.
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I’ve had similar experiences from high-C in bass guitar string sets. I still have the stock D’addario Contemporary strings so I know I can easily get that C string and it appears to actually be relatively low tension. I am prepared to probably have to dampen it significantly to bring down its harmonics closer to the worn-in strings already on the bass (though if anyone in this thread has a spare used C string they’d sell me it might require less work!). I don’t sight-read music, so that won’t be an issue.
Use with effects won't be an issue, and was part of my attraction to the NS basses to begin with. I am particularly excited to try the NXT-5 through my Eventide H90 which has many beautiful reverb, delay, and modulation algorithms! I already had the Fishman Para Acoustic preamp for use with acoustic guitars, but am not so convinced it is the best complement for the NXT so I will assemble a pedalboard with a bunch of options in the next few weeks and see what I can get as far as basic tone and "space".
I was worried a bit about the body feedback issue too, as my main fretless BG is a chambered body Godin A4 Ultra bass and its significant body feedback is a big part of what has inspired me to work on my fretless playing and intonation for the last few years (to the point of actually playing that bass regularly in a live band, which is something I never would have considered previously due to my questionable intonation on my previous solid-body fretless instruments). So far I have been using the NXT on the tripod stand and resting the neck on my shoulder which gives me a fair amount of feedback due to the resonance of the large neck (this may well be "improper" DB technique, I am totally new to this- but seems to work decently). My NXT did come with the endpin attachment as well, though at the moment that isn't really convenient to use so I haven't tried it yet. In any case, due to the extended scale length (more forgiving for intonation than the 34" bass guitar) I'm so far pretty surprised at how decent my intonation sounds in just a few days.
Bow playing will probably be a long way off for me as I am a complete beginner there- my NXT did come with a bow and rosin though!
I will check out Mike Mosley for sure! I am definitely interested in soaking up as much inspiration as I can to feel what the instrument is capable of and where it can take me (at the moment I am probably trying too hard to play with the speed and notes of a bass guitar, which is neither practical nor all that useful!)
Welcome Sunbeast,
The NXT5 is definitely a fun instrument.
I was drawn to it like you because of influences like E Weber… I really don’t use many effects like he did but I love his music.
Like you I lean towards instruments with the high C more than the low B but mine is set up with the b-e-a-d-g. On my regular basses I have three set up with the high c.
I think you are approaching the instrument correctly by looking at it as an EUB and not trying to just emulate a DB.
I am sure your in for some fun times and hopefully you can fill us in on how are progressing in your search to find the sounds you are imagining.
Good luck.
The bow will help you with intonation, even if you only use it for practicing.
But it needs time to get the feel for the right amount of rosin (that can get too hard after half a year or a year), bow weight and speed.
I think you should also get a set of the traditional NS strings, specially for bowing. They are darker and easier to bow.
For the endpin you also need to use the body support. I hope you got that too.
Have fun trying a bunch of effects. The Eventide is a great unit. But don’t forget to practice the basics on the instrument as experimenting with effects can be very time consuming.
But it needs time to get the feel for the right amount of rosin (that can get too hard after half a year or a year), bow weight and speed.
I think you should also get a set of the traditional NS strings, specially for bowing. They are darker and easier to bow.
For the endpin you also need to use the body support. I hope you got that too.
Have fun trying a bunch of effects. The Eventide is a great unit. But don’t forget to practice the basics on the instrument as experimenting with effects can be very time consuming.
- Jul 19, 2000
- 2,014
- 2,224
- Disclosures
- Owner/President, Gollihur Music LLC
1 megohm of input impedance is usually "sufficient" for a piezo pickup on a bass, but many players seem to prefer higher (5 meg, 10 meg) - but it's often dependent on the pickup being used, the ears and goals of the player, etc. If it sounds good to you, though, it is good.
There are LOTS of preamps, with various features, quality levels, price points, and tonal colors, so it depends on the features you want and need - and then there's a fair bit of subjective opinion involved. Despite being a guy who sells gear for a living, I'm a fan of KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid), though, so if it sounds good directly into the amp -- unless you're missing crucial features (like a DI, or specific EQ needs) -- I'd probably save the money and roll with what you've got.
I have a brief article on coaxing more of a "real upright" timbre out of the NS Design basses, you might want to check that out here: Making an NS Design Electric Upright Bass Sound More Like an Authentic Upright Bass
Installing mag pickups on the NS would be rather major surgery requiring significant skill with the woodworking tools, and I don't know that the tones would be all that useful if you're going for a more "authentic" upright sound. Since feedback is almost non-existent on these solid-body basses, there's very little benefit to the difficult process of adding magnetics to the bass, IMHO - unless you're going for a more punchy, modern, e-bass sort of tone. If you can find some video demos of an NS Design CR-M model (which has active magnetics that can be blended with or soloed) you'll get an idea of what they'd sound like. Also, mags will limit the strings you can effectively use - Pirastro Obligatos, for instance, sound very authentic on these basses, but have a synthetic core that won't register on magnetic pickups.
Hope that helps.
I'm definitely not concerned with trying to coax a traditional upright tone from the NXT5, my main inspiration for grabbing this is more Eberhard Weber who to me sounds decidedly electric! My favorite tones on my current main fretless EB are a mix of piezo and magnetic pickups, which definitely opens up a lot of room for tweakability- the design of the NXT with the after length makes its piezo more expressive than in most electric bass guitars, but I still am curious about magnetics. After a bit more experimentation I think I actually prefer running straight into my amp vs into the Fishman ParaEQ- the Fishman has a stronger low-end and a lot of tweakability, but the base tone without the pre run straight into my amp just sounds about perfect for me already!
I'm already thinking that an NS Omni bass might really be more up my alley. I'm loving the tone and general feel of the big boy, but as a newbie to the upright world coming with a fair amount of fluency on a 34" scale I'm realizing that learning the fingerings and feel for the extended scale is likely going to be a longer time investment than I had bargained for (at least for the complexity I am aiming for), and I'm also attracted to the idea of the Boomerang strap system for live use (I know it will attach to the full-length NXT as well, but the stretch for the lower register seems like it could be quite uncomfortable with the extended scale). I'll probably keep an eye out for a used NXT-5 Omni Bass while I spend more time on the full-length version.
If anyone on here has a 5-string Omni and thinks they might prefer an NXT-5 send me a message!
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Hi everybody, total newbie here... Bought a Fender Jazz Bass to learn on two months ago. Really wanted to learn the Double Bass but couldn't do the size etc. Last week purchased a NS NXTa to replace the Fender. Seems to be a great compromise between the two. Have a Rumble 800 amp. I am trying to emulate the double bass sound as best as I can. Any tips re amp settings etc? Would adding a Fender 15" cab be a good step? Remember, I am a complete noob! Read somewhere that a Zoom A3 pedal would be a great start?
- Jul 19, 2000
- 2,014
- 2,224
- Disclosures
- Owner/President, Gollihur Music LLC
Here's our FAQ/Knowledge Base article on making an NS bass sound more like an "authentic" upright. Hope it helps!
Making an NS Design Electric Upright Bass Sound More Like an Authentic Upright Bass
Making an NS Design Electric Upright Bass Sound More Like an Authentic Upright Bass
gollihurmusic.com
A DB has a lot less bass frequencies radiated than what typically comes out of an EBG amp.
My experience with a Rumble 40 was that the neutral position for bass is not neutral but too much bass, so I dialed it back completely for a Stagg EDB (Bass boost on the Stagg also dialed back completely).
It should sound warm, but not too much, so dial the bass back and slowly give more if you think that there is a complete hole at the bottom. When it gets warm leave it there or just give a tiny bit more.
In a band you might need to give it a bit more, but rather in the mids than the bass.
My experience with a Rumble 40 was that the neutral position for bass is not neutral but too much bass, so I dialed it back completely for a Stagg EDB (Bass boost on the Stagg also dialed back completely).
It should sound warm, but not too much, so dial the bass back and slowly give more if you think that there is a complete hole at the bottom. When it gets warm leave it there or just give a tiny bit more.
In a band you might need to give it a bit more, but rather in the mids than the bass.
EDIT: Apologies for the brain dump... Here's a TL;DR:
1) upright lessons, play that NXT like an upright not an electric
2) switch to the NS Traditionals strings
3) be careful with bass frequencies and you don't need another cab
4) The Zoom A3 seems more for acoustic guitar
5) Try an impulse response or a delay (audio samples linked below)
Bonus tip: Upgrade the stand!
------------------------------------------------------------------
1) @Mark Gollihur's knowledge base makes a couple good points, the first being that it's important to play the NXT like an upright. Something to think about would be investing in upright bass lessons... Upright is a very different beast than electric bass. I played electric bass for 20 years before getting my NXTa, and still took upright bass lessons. Worth the investment!
2) The other really good point Mark made in his link is the NS Traditionals strings... I bought the Golluhur edition NXTa after playing a couple normal NXTs and the strings made a significant, very pleasant difference.
3) @DoubleMIDI makes a good point about taking it easy with the bass frequencies. Adding another cab (and particularly a 15") would most likely overwhelm the low end. That Rumble 800 will be plenty. When I'm not going direct with my NXTa, my amp setup is a single 1x12 cab, and even that feels overwhelming sometimes.
4) The Zoom A3 you mentioned seems like it's targeted at acoustic guitars. It couldn't hurt to try it of course, you may end up liking it! Just not sure how good it would be for an EUB.
5) A different option to consider is looking into Impulse Responses (IRs). Check pairing 3Sigma's Upright Bass impulse responses with something like a TC Electronic Impulse or Mooer Radar. I don't care for IRs with electric bass, but have had very pleasing results with the upright IRs on my NXT. Positive comments from both fellow band members and sound engineers.
If IRs aren't your cup of tea, you could also try adding a smidge of delay, and I'm talking a tiny amount. I had good results with a Simple Delay in my HX Stomp with 15ms delay, 15% feedback and a 35% mix. I posted a dropbox link in this post earlier in this thread, if you care to check out some audio comparisons of my explorations.
Bonus Tip:
Look into upgrading the tripod stand that comes with the NXT to the metal CR stand. It's spendy, but it's MUCH more robust than the NXT stand. My NXT stand lasted only a few gigs before one of the bolts stripped, and I had to use an emergency packaging tape fix to keep my NXT at playing height. The CR stand is like high end drum cymbal stands.
5sg.
1) upright lessons, play that NXT like an upright not an electric
2) switch to the NS Traditionals strings
3) be careful with bass frequencies and you don't need another cab
4) The Zoom A3 seems more for acoustic guitar
5) Try an impulse response or a delay (audio samples linked below)
Bonus tip: Upgrade the stand!
------------------------------------------------------------------
1) @Mark Gollihur's knowledge base makes a couple good points, the first being that it's important to play the NXT like an upright. Something to think about would be investing in upright bass lessons... Upright is a very different beast than electric bass. I played electric bass for 20 years before getting my NXTa, and still took upright bass lessons. Worth the investment!
2) The other really good point Mark made in his link is the NS Traditionals strings... I bought the Golluhur edition NXTa after playing a couple normal NXTs and the strings made a significant, very pleasant difference.
3) @DoubleMIDI makes a good point about taking it easy with the bass frequencies. Adding another cab (and particularly a 15") would most likely overwhelm the low end. That Rumble 800 will be plenty. When I'm not going direct with my NXTa, my amp setup is a single 1x12 cab, and even that feels overwhelming sometimes.
4) The Zoom A3 you mentioned seems like it's targeted at acoustic guitars. It couldn't hurt to try it of course, you may end up liking it! Just not sure how good it would be for an EUB.
5) A different option to consider is looking into Impulse Responses (IRs). Check pairing 3Sigma's Upright Bass impulse responses with something like a TC Electronic Impulse or Mooer Radar. I don't care for IRs with electric bass, but have had very pleasing results with the upright IRs on my NXT. Positive comments from both fellow band members and sound engineers.
If IRs aren't your cup of tea, you could also try adding a smidge of delay, and I'm talking a tiny amount. I had good results with a Simple Delay in my HX Stomp with 15ms delay, 15% feedback and a 35% mix. I posted a dropbox link in this post earlier in this thread, if you care to check out some audio comparisons of my explorations.
Bonus Tip:
Look into upgrading the tripod stand that comes with the NXT to the metal CR stand. It's spendy, but it's MUCH more robust than the NXT stand. My NXT stand lasted only a few gigs before one of the bolts stripped, and I had to use an emergency packaging tape fix to keep my NXT at playing height. The CR stand is like high end drum cymbal stands.
5sg.
Thanks for the advice everybody! Took my first in person lesson today. (Have been doing the Beginner to Badass course on line). I am going to look into the strings mentioned. Found a used Zoom A3 so it's on the way. Will report how it does. Looked at different mutes. Ended up having a piece of dense foam weatherstripping that placed sideways up next to the bridge really made a difference! Still have a nice "ring" on the G string but in general introduced more of a thump kinda sound. My teacher was equally OK with it. Thinking I will be selling my Fender bass as I am really enjoying this new instrument.
Both upright and slab are fun in their own ways.
I encourage you to keep the Fender if finances allow it.
Here is a correction to the article about repairing drum stands. The M8-1.25 x M10-1.5 insert is now held in by loctite high or medium strength adhesive. The reason the locking nut idea was abandoned is that the insert is only 0.010" thick at its web. The lock nut may break off the insert. This will not be a problem with an M8-1.25 x M12-1.5 insert, if there is room for it. This larger insert is strong enough for a locking nut. I went back and re-did a few drum stands for my buddies...
Best, Chris Berry
I’m flying with my NS NXT today (PHX-RNO, American Airlines). Sportube snowboard carrier, pool noodles top, bottom and at each corner.
Pray for me!
Pray for me!
I’m flying with my NS NXT today (PHX-RNO, American Airlines). Sportube snowboard carrier, pool noodles top, bottom and at each corner.
Pray for me!
View attachment 7255754
Update: Success! Bass survived the flight to Reno, two sets of bluegrass at the festival, and the flight back to Phoenix. Pool noodles for the win.
NS (D’Addario) Traditionals which are short D‘Addario Orchestrals in NS EUB size or any other lower tension orchestral string.
- Jul 19, 2000
- 2,014
- 2,224
- Disclosures
- Owner/President, Gollihur Music LLC
Pirastro Obligatos are another very good option for warm, natural pizz - and they bow great. They are available with a high C. You can install them onto an NXTa (or WAV, or CR) full-size EUB by pulling the ball ends from the bottom holes up the back and seating them into the optional key slots on the back panel.
Note - if you're getting an OMNI-BASS, which is the short scale version of the NXTa (with a 34" scale) none of the strings that have been mentioned in response to your question will work. Be sure you're getting the FULL SIZE EUB, which has a 41.5" scale.
