Double Bass NS Design WAV4 megathread part II

[Bard2dbone]

Just so long as the new NXT one can also show up in GC's like my WAV did.

They probably will, eventually. And only 250 bass-guitar playing 15 year-olds will have their grimy hands on it before you do! ;-)

One of the really cool things about my WAV is how few people played it at my local GC before me. It doesn't look intimidating to me. But the sales guy said he was thrilled I wanted it when I bought it because nobody had wanted to play it to speak of. He said it had been there about a week before I got it and I was the second person to actually play it. Of course in salesman speak that means probably a month and less than thirty.

 

[jaff]

I bought the WAV 4 bass on sale from Golihur along with the ski case. I took it to NYC for a visit and was able to have some good practices on it. I play in an orchestra so the WAV is mostly for traveling/practice. I'm still learning to play without the familiar reference point of the neck crook however. The case worked great and weighed 35 lbs. with the tripod stand in it. I did stuff a couple of parcel airbags in each end, but don't think it was necessary. Very easy to manage. Next trip, I will definitely put an extra locking pin in it though. All in all, a pretty economical package for my purposes..

 

[321liftoff]

Does anyone have any luck using an electronic clip-on tuner, either on the small bridge or on the pegbox?

 

[ricca]

I have a small clip transducer wired to a tuner.
I put it on the bridge for tuning, it works right.

 

[321liftoff]

My bridge is about 3/4" from the body to the strings. That's the furthest I can move it out using the two screws in the back. Is this normal?

ricca, is your setup similar? What is the width measurement of the clip transducer you are using on the bridge? Does the whole clip fit onto the bridge behind the strings?

 

[ricca]

Hi 321,
my bridge is about 2cm high from the top.
For tuning I use a Rebel tuner clip pickup connected to a Korg tuner.
The transducer has a 2cm diameter so it fit my bridge pretty well.
I use it only when i tune up, don't leave it when I'm playing.

 

[321liftoff]

grazie per le informazioni, ricca!

 

[equill]

So, I've had my WAV for a couple of months, finally found a teacher (there aren't many DB teachers in Sydney) and finally had my first lesson.

Aside: good thing I waited until I'd had a lesson before practising seriously, because the technique I'd adapted from electric bass would have wrecked my forearms. On this note, a thankyou to the forum collective, because it was largely on the basis of what I'd read here that I held off.

Anyways... having learned a bit about how to actually finger notes, I've discovered just how incredibly flimsy the stock tripod is - does that sucker flex, or what? Being based Downunder, I'm not overly keen on buying the better tripod or the end-pin setup on-spec and getting it shipped over here before finding out how much of an improvement it really is.

Conveniently, I'm also a keen photographer, and I just so happen to have a seriously sturdy camera tripod for repro work. For those who know and care, it's a Manfrotto 055 PRO B. As well as being a heavy sod of a thing, its other nifty features are the removable centre column, and the option of setting each of the legs at different angles. Just to be an idiot, I decided to find out whether the WAV's centre-column will fit. It does! And I can set the back leg right out wide, so it's nicely braced.

Now all I have to do is get that fraggin' joint welded, and I'm all sorted.

The teacher was astonished (and envious) enough at me turning up with a bass strapped to the side of my motorbike for the first lesson. I can't wait to see her reaction to this.

 

[Matthijs]

What does your teacher say about playing with a tripod? I found it pretty useless and very different from playing a DB. The endpin made it way easier to use DB technique. One plays a DB with your whole body (at least I do) and that's just not possible with a tripod, I bet even with a heavy Manfrotto As you're new to URB and EUB i'd think it's more difficult to develop a good db technique when you have to do that on an instrument that's fixed in one position.

 

[equill]

Matthijs, I think the teacher was a bit nonplussed by the whole idea, so she wasn't all that critical about the instrument itself. She also has a very adaptable approach, more interested in making sure I use correct with the instrument I have, than in making me use the EUB exactly as I would an URB.

I'm not that fussed about using an acoustic URB, so I've little incentive to approach the EUB on any terms other than those that suit that style of instrument. Having discovered Biarnel's instruments, I've developed a serious case of lust for his Stico model, so it's a pretty safe bet that I'll be upgrading in that direction when the WAV isn't quite enough any more.

On the other hand, it'd be foolish to cut myself off unnecessarily from the option of using an URB, so I expect to take a somewhat measured approach. I'll carry on using the WAV on the heavy tripod for now, concentrating mostly on my left-hand technique, because that's what I have. However, I'll also take up my teacher's offer of using her URB for some lessons, to get a feel for the differences, and will see what makes sense from there.

 

[Biarnel]

hey
..I guess you were talking about me

Feel free to ask everything about my Stìco or the other lightweight bass models

 

[equill]

Biarnel, I was indeed talking about you

I need to save up, so I can't buy either of them yet, but I also like the idea of a 35" fretless Iter, to go along with my RBX774. You don't mention prices on the website, but I did find a mention of EUR1800 from a couple of years back.
I'm planning to visit Italy next year, so I might just have to go through Pisa and visit your shop in person.

 

[Francois Blais]

The Biarnel Stico is beautiful!
Are you distributed in Canada or the US?

 

[Bard2dbone]

What does your teacher say about playing with a tripod? I found it pretty useless and very different from playing a DB. The endpin made it way easier to use DB technique. One plays a DB with your whole body (at least I do) and that's just not possible with a tripod, I bet even with a heavy Manfrotto As you're new to URB and EUB i'd think it's more difficult to develop a good db technique when you have to do that on an instrument that's fixed in one position.

I was curious about that a while back and loosened the screw holding the bass to the tripod so it could flex a little. It didn't help the way I'd hoped it would and I got increasingly more nervous that it might be TOO loose and try to fall. I'll have to try something else.

Really I should just suck it up and get used to it. I haven't played a real DB to speak of since high school. And I graduated in '82. I suspect my total cumulative DB time since then might add up to three hours.

I've had mine just long enough to start thinking again about modding it. The Hipshot tuners will be a no-brainer. But I'd really like to put a superior preamp into that huge body cavity. And I don't have a clue what would be the one to try.

 

[equill]

But I'd really like to put a superior preamp into that huge body cavity. And I don't have a clue what would be the one to try.

I haven't even started looking at this in a serious way, but then I already had a Behringer tube-powered mic preamp lying around, which happens to do a pretty good job. And if that starts annoying me, there's a Sansamp that's been pretty idle since I started neglecting guitar in favour of the bass...

For actual on-body preamps, [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] seem to get some good mentions, as do Fishman. However, the closest I've seen to a consensus is that some people likes one kind, some people likes another and most have pretty strong opinions about it, so I'm simply going to say that I've heard of these being used, and duck any flak that results

For my own instrument, I figure I'll worry about tweaking the finer points of the electro-acoustic aspects of the sound once my fingers are no longer the limiting factor. That oughta put off the issue for a decade or two.

 

[Matthijs]

At a rehearsal this week my endpin stand broke down. There’s now some movement in the connection between the disk connecting to the bass and the joint that controls the backwards tilt of the bass. The result is there’s a free sideways tilt in the bass, wich makes it very difficult to be played. As far as I can tell there’s no good way to repair this. The parts seem to be alluminium, so it can't be welded or anything and I can see no possibility to glue or fix this in any other way

I've contacted the Gollihur's and NS about this. Bob Gollihur told me he didn't now about a possibility for backordering the broken part. I'm waiting on an answer from NS now.

I've always had some problems with the NS stands: I don't understand why they even make them with the possibility of a sideways tilt. When I really dig in I tend to pull at the neck to hard for what the connection is built for. Is there anyone out there who plays a NS bass that's tilted sideways?

 

[Matthijs]

I was curious about that a while back and loosened the screw holding the bass to the tripod so it could flex a little. It didn't help the way I'd hoped it would and I got increasingly more nervous that it might be TOO loose and try to fall. I'll have to try something else.

Well it shouldn't flex on the tripod, what I'm talking about is a similar movement as with a actual DB: the endpin fixes it to the ground and there's some variation in how you angle the instrument toward you, I can't make music while having to stand still.
Anyway, maybe i'm making to much out of this as I'm having some problems of my own (see my previous post). Looks like I'll have to go back to the tripod too.

 

[Matthijs]

On built in pre-amp options: I've considered this, but can't really think of a good way to put in the extra control pot's you'd need.

The mods I made to the electronics work for me now and I'm mostly using an external pre-amp. Otherwise a good buffering pre-amp would probebly be all I need. I had a vision on a perfect tone control for EUB, but that turned out to be virtually impossible.

 

[frede]

I used some sticky backed Velcro to attach my K&K Sound Pure XLR Preamp to the back of my Wav (and now my NXT) with a short jumper cable. It fits perfectly and the knobs line up with the bass's knobs and are easy to adjust.

 

[Biarnel]

I also like the idea of a 35" fretless Iter, to go along with my RBX774. You don't mention prices on the website, but I did find a mention of EUR1800 from a couple of years back.

My Iter starts from EUR1400 for the 4strings "basic" version, or EUR1600 for the 5strings one. Exotic woods, finishes, and other "luxury" options may raise the price.

I'm planning to visit Italy next year, so I might just have to go through Pisa and visit your shop in person.

I don't need to say that Italy and Tuscany are gorgeous places to visit, so.. you're welcome!