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Double Bass NS Design WAV4 megathread part I

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#941
I ordered a WAV 4 months ago - so long ago I don't remember when, but I got an email from Bob & Mark Gollihur last weekend telling me that I was next on the list and that they happened to have received a lone amber, just like I ordered.

As usual, they shipped immediately (paid Monday, had the bass in my house on Wednesday) and everything is always so smooth with their operation.

I waited till Thursday morning to open the box so it could come down to room temperature, and set about putting new strings on (the stock strings are worthless for tone IMHO).

I put on a new Spirocore Mittel E, new Obligato A & D, and an old Evah Pirazzi G that was laying around. The guitar tuners are a drag but there are ways to accomodate the longer DB strings.

By Friday, the strings settled in and tweaking of the bridge height and after truss relief, I was able to get some amazing tone from it considering what it is and how relatively inexpensive it is.

I was hoping to use it to play salsa and blues in louder situations than my DB can stand and it has totally exceeded expectations. Bob Gollihur refers to something called a FEBGOAS (fretless electric bass guitar on a stick) and this is definitely not that. After messing with preamp settings, string height and such, this thing sounds damned close to an amplified DB. The key is amp and preamp combination and the settings chosen.

The tripod stand seems strong and well built.

I'll post mp3s and photos in the next couple days. Over all, I'd say buy one if you can if you need a backup, or just don't want to drag out the big DB to jobs, this is a great alternative. Particularly for louder gigs.
So far, like Pirastro says, "I'm so happy I can't stop playing..."

I'll post more info and impressions... holidays, jobs, and weather permitting.
 
#942
I was about to buy an NS WAV4 this week as a new year's present to myself, but the shop I was going to get it from told me that NS are bringing out a Mk II version of it, so I've decided to wait the 4-8 weeks it's going to take to arrive in the UK. He wasn't able to be specific about improvements to the instrument, but said that the stand has been improved :). If I find out anything more detailed about improvements to the instrument itself, I'll post it here.

I'm very excited about getting this instrument - I've never played before, and I have a slight disability that precludes playing an acoustic DB as I can't lift my right arm out far enough to cope with the body - the WAV4 is perfect, partly because it's so slim, and partly because it's freestanding on its tripod, so I won't have to support it with my dodgy bits while learning to play it. Oh, and it sounds lovely.

As I'm completely new to the world of acoustics/EUBs, any advice on practice amps, preamps etc. would be welcome - I've got a teacher lined up and I'm sure he'll have something to say about all that too.

Cheers...

- padmavyuha
 
#943
Padmavyuha,

I'm new to EUB as well and I was planning on getting a WAV4 as a birthday present to myself :D, but hmm... a Mk II you say? I think I'll wait for that one as well. :)

I'm looking forward to hearing any info you might find out!

Maybe they'll introduce a 5-string version??? *crossing fingers*

5sg.
 
#944
From what I've found out so far, the differences are just that the stand is better, and the fingerboard is rosewood rather than ebony - this latter makes sense because from what I've been reading, they recently had a batch of bad, cracking ebony fingerboards, and it's getting harder and harder to get good ebony nowadays, especially bass-sized stuff.

- padmavyuha
 
#945
Rosewood , really ? Anyone have more information ? Bob maybe
This is the information about the wav on ns web page :

Fingerboard:

Rosewood 43.1 mm (1.7") wide at the nut 89.0 mm (3.5") maximum width.

Is there any significant difference in sound or in quality/longevity ?
 
#946
I just got this from the guys at NS: "the specs on the stand will be improved and the fingerboard will be changed to rosewood to insure greater stability and playability."

I think it's a practical deciion as much as anything - ebony is ecologically unstainable, and it's much more unstable in different climates/humidities unless it's the really good stuff (which is very expensive).

A good rosewood is a very hard wood (there are a number of different species) - it will both look very good and last well on the instrument, I reckon.
 
#947
This is just a bit of an update... I luv my WAV4. It really is a great EUB and well worth the wait. Now that I've had it a year I've figured out a few things:
1. It sounds awesome.
2. It was a bit more difficult to get used to than I originally anticipated.
3. It was MUCH harder to bow than I originally anticipated.
4. It makes playing my electric basses soooo much easier.
5. Sounds really nice through my Mesa/Aguilar/AccuGroove stack.
Don't jump ship. Talk to the NS direct... they're really great people who want to help you and would rather get beat up on shipping times than product quality.
 
#948
One last thing, I'm thinking about raising my strings again so I can really dig in... is the 8 to 10mm range (at the end of the fingerboard) correct for the WAV? I mostly pluck, but I do bow from time to time. Is it possible to raise the string height too high on the WAV?

Thanx
 
#949
Jon R said:
One last thing, I'm thinking about raising my strings again so I can really dig in... is the 8 to 10mm range (at the end of the fingerboard) correct for the WAV? I mostly pluck, but I do bow from time to time. Is it possible to raise the string height too high on the WAV?

Thanx
Click to expand...

Only if it results it an uncomfortable/unplayable condition for your left hand, especially in upper positions. Having more room so you can really get physical and have room to allow for string bloom can be a good thing, depending on style and personal preference.
 
#950
BTW, I don't know how they've "upgraded" the WAV stand, but I finally got tired of constantly having to tighten all the screws on mine and ordered the stand that comes with the more expensive NS basses. (Thanks Bob Gollihur for the quick shipment!)

Wow! The photographs do not do it justice, nor do they really show how much more substantial the more expensive stand is. If you gig a lot with your WAV, you should definitely consider it. I've also gotten the endpin stand, but haven't tried it yet.

Alan
 
#952
I just browsed over to Link Removed

They are listing the WAV 4 as 'In Stock'!
I am not sure if this is actually true since it's Sunday and their customer service line is closed today, but will follow up tomorrow.

I placed an order for one through guitarcenter.com a few weeks ago and have been anxiously waiting ever since. I received an email from them this morning saying I could cancel my order if I wished, so i started looking around at other stores.

Birdland is in MA, so if you live out of state you don't have to pay tax ;) AND shipping is free, PLUS(!) they have a 10%off coupon!!! The coupon code is: birdland10249

This brought the total to: $805.50 :)

I had no choice...even if they are not really stocked yet I saved $90 in tax over guitarcenter.

I'll update tomorrow once I get someone on the phone to verify in-stockedness
 
#953
Suomi,

Will you also let us know if they're the updated version (with the rosewood fretboard)? I'm kind of jonesing for a Wav4 and the Birdland price is pretty nice, but I want to make sure to get the updated one. :)

Appreciate the info!

5sg.
 
#954
I finally laid my hands on a 3/16" hex driver to tweak the truss rod. Try and find something like that in a strictly metric country ...

The WAV had a little forward bow, and strings were choking on the end of the fingerboard, so I had to raise the bridge quite a bit when I got the bass - nearly 2 years ago. As a result, the action was high - but playable.

And now with just a two or three 1/4 turns on the truss rod, it plays a lot easier. (For those who are unfamiliar with the procedure: take all the tension off the strings before adjusting the truss rod.) Plus the nasal D and G strings (OEM) also seem to have mellowed a bit as a result.

If budget allows, I may be getting that end-pin stand and some Tomastik Superflexibles ...
 
#955
Yesterday was my first real test of my new upgraded stand, the endpin stand conversion kit (to enable the stand to hold the endpin stand when not in use) and the new endpin stand itself. I play in the praise band at my church. It all worked great! The WAV is much easier to play on an endpin stand. I enjoyed the freedom and ability to move a little and it presents a much more realistic feel than just having the bass stationary on the stand. When I needed to put the bass aside, the stand with the conversion kit held it firmly.

I wish I had gone this route to begin with!
 
#956
Just got off the phone with Birdland. They have 1 Amberburst left in stock that may already be spoken for (I want black). I'd suggest calling them about that if interested.

They are in the same boat as everyone else on the other styles; waiting about 2 weeks for the shipment. The new arrivals will be Mk II's, so that is dandy :)
 
#957
So...it seems that the Corelli 370F strings are a popular replacement for the OEM WAV strings here. They also seem to be very nicely priced in comparison to other sets of strings.

Are there any other sets people here would recommend that are in that price range?
 
#959
Well, I guess I want a pretty diverse string...I am just getting into the URB arena and would like something that's good for jazz as well as bowing. I've got a lounge jazz group that I'll be focusing on mostly for now, but I'd like to be able to bow at some point as well.
Basically, I want to replace the strings that come with the WAV with 'good', general-use strings.

Thanks :)
 
#960
Well, just about any change over the strings that come with the WAV will be an improvement! (It was my only disappointment with the instrument when I first got mine.) You'll probably get as many different answers as there are strings. Have you played DB before? If there's a string you like on an acoustic DB, you may want to try it on the WAV. That's what I did with the Obligatos and it worked out fine for me. I like the pizz sound and they bow acceptably. But, there are others that would work just as well.
 
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