I have TIJFs on my 4 string wav, did not have any trouble getting them on there
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NS Designs Radius thread
- Thread starter Tim de Martino
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- cr5 headless ns designs radius
I would LOVE to do that right now but I’m isolating! So for the moment I’m only playing it acoustically.
Tone wise yes I do blend them. I’ll do the piezo with the high cut switch open or in the middle, blended evenly with both EMG’s. At its preamp I’ll often cut a little low end and maybe slightly boost the highs. I mean a LITTLE though, like just nudge each knob out of the center detent. Through an amp this is the crazy tone I was referring to. It’s so powerful and clear.
A big part of the tone I love is the BB strings too. They also LOOK awesome lol. I tried it with Rotos and didn’t like it nearly as much. Which was kind of surprising, I usually go for a bright Chris Squier ish tone. Distortion too (I play metal). But clean tones with the CR5 have so much character that I usually go totally clean. In studio settings, occasionally I’ve felt that compression/tape kind of effects get in the way and if my performance can get away with it I’ll mix the bass with no processing at all, even though I usually love that stuff.
My other two basses are a very bright 73 P bass and a 4003. That this bass is so different than the other two is definitely a plus for me. Actually I didn’t love the CR5 at first, it had to grow on me but when it finally clicked, it did so big time. My wife knew the first time she heard it though haha!
So I think the deal with unwinding or slipping strings is like this. There are actually two versions of the NS tailpiece. The newer one is updated so that this kind of thing doesn’t happen. Apparently I had the old style. When a pricey set of strings refused to tune up and we’re ruined I contacted NS and they made it all better. So if you’re having this trouble with flats or black beauties, etc, contact them and I think they might be able to help you out.
I installed a very used set of Jf-344's on my CR4, the D string's silk wrap and part of the winding came off. I found a small cable stop at the local hardware store and was able to clamp it to the core of the string....problem solved.
Just ran across this thread - I bought a CR5 Radius last summer and it's been my go-to ever since. Haven't even replaced the stock strings yet, the tone is that good and flexible. It's half the weight of my last (Ibanez BTB685SC) without compromising any power, and the extra bite of the piezo is incredible!
I've got it running through a Grace Design Felix instrument preamp to a JBL Eon One line-array PA cabinet, and my bands tell me it's the cleanest, clearest tone they could ask for. Paired with the NS Design NXT5a EUB, it's a solid matched solution for a wide variety of genres and applications.
The only problem I've had so far is with the case. Within six months, the front-carry handle (not the one over the zipper) completely unraveled the weave (not the seam), so I can't use it to leverage getting it into or out of a car trunk or gear-pile anymore. Also, the woven straps of the backpack side have crumpled in the plastic slots and started catching/sliding unpredictably while walking. Unfortunately, I've had similar issues with my NXT5a EUB case (which NSD assures me was accidentally shipped with a CR-series case) - the side-handle weave shredded within a year and the main back-strap shredded within two.
I know RockBag / Warwick makes good cases, and I'm really kind of disappointed with these early-appearance issues. It'd be one thing if these were just the included-cases and there were more on the market that'd fit, but there aren't, this is the best there is.
On the whole, the instrument itself - love the CR5 Radius. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking at headlesses, or at basses in general in that price point.
I've got it running through a Grace Design Felix instrument preamp to a JBL Eon One line-array PA cabinet, and my bands tell me it's the cleanest, clearest tone they could ask for. Paired with the NS Design NXT5a EUB, it's a solid matched solution for a wide variety of genres and applications.
The only problem I've had so far is with the case. Within six months, the front-carry handle (not the one over the zipper) completely unraveled the weave (not the seam), so I can't use it to leverage getting it into or out of a car trunk or gear-pile anymore. Also, the woven straps of the backpack side have crumpled in the plastic slots and started catching/sliding unpredictably while walking. Unfortunately, I've had similar issues with my NXT5a EUB case (which NSD assures me was accidentally shipped with a CR-series case) - the side-handle weave shredded within a year and the main back-strap shredded within two.
I know RockBag / Warwick makes good cases, and I'm really kind of disappointed with these early-appearance issues. It'd be one thing if these were just the included-cases and there were more on the market that'd fit, but there aren't, this is the best there is.
On the whole, the instrument itself - love the CR5 Radius. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking at headlesses, or at basses in general in that price point.
I picked up a CR4 Radius in the past couple of months and I’m still working on bonding with it. Feels great, plays great but the EMGs sound a little bland to my ear. I’m finding once you start working the piezo into the overall sound, it really comes alive. I just need to get my head around the whole tonal package this bass has to offer.
I’m not much of a fan of gig bags so I did some homework and found the Gator GC-Elec-XL is a fantastic fit for the CR4 (the CR5 with the 35” scale are 3/4” longer than the CR4 and are just a tad too big for this case). I did have to modify the case slightly and remove some foam to fit the upper bout. He cas is snug like it was made for the CR4. Here’s a pic:
I’m not much of a fan of gig bags so I did some homework and found the Gator GC-Elec-XL is a fantastic fit for the CR4 (the CR5 with the 35” scale are 3/4” longer than the CR4 and are just a tad too big for this case). I did have to modify the case slightly and remove some foam to fit the upper bout. He cas is snug like it was made for the CR4. Here’s a pic:
My NS Design WAV4 Radius (metallic crimson) is now up for sale in the classifieds:
For Sale - NS Design WAV4 Radius (metallic crimson)
For Sale - NS Design WAV4 Radius (metallic crimson)
I traded a CR5 radius charcoal May this year. I like it very much for its versality and different sounds from the magnetic and piezo pickups. The EQ is quite flexible, however I would love an additional mid band. I would also rather like a blend pot for the magnetic pickups, like the blend between magnetic and piezo. The 3-position piezo high band EQ tames the aggressive highs of the piezo and makes it much better usable than many other designs.
The 35" scale has a nice impact on the sound and seems much better playable than some 34" scales. I don't feel any difference to my other 34" longscale basses (mainly Stingrays). However the neck geometry seems thicker than I am used from my Stingrays, rather like a 5Str. P-Bass.
On of the appealing items of the CR5 was the innovative tuning system. In the instruction videos Ned was demonstarting the quick and easy string change procedure. However, it doesn't seem to work that easy for me. 1st I ruined a fresh set of strings to find out, that the levers and screws had to be turned fully counter clock wise to properly install a new set of strings. It also doesn't seem to accept all kinds of strings. The clampining mechanism sometimes seem to damage the strings in a way that it cuts of the windings, which then cause the string to slip out of the clamping and makes it unusable. I guess the clamping system needs some improvement.
Of course, I know the rules. No pic no bass:
The 35" scale has a nice impact on the sound and seems much better playable than some 34" scales. I don't feel any difference to my other 34" longscale basses (mainly Stingrays). However the neck geometry seems thicker than I am used from my Stingrays, rather like a 5Str. P-Bass.
On of the appealing items of the CR5 was the innovative tuning system. In the instruction videos Ned was demonstarting the quick and easy string change procedure. However, it doesn't seem to work that easy for me. 1st I ruined a fresh set of strings to find out, that the levers and screws had to be turned fully counter clock wise to properly install a new set of strings. It also doesn't seem to accept all kinds of strings. The clampining mechanism sometimes seem to damage the strings in a way that it cuts of the windings, which then cause the string to slip out of the clamping and makes it unusable. I guess the clamping system needs some improvement.
Of course, I know the rules. No pic no bass:
@rawrOOO what is the serial # on your bass? I wonder whether I might have an early version.
Nice! I reckon charcoal is the classiest colour for these things.
Was it a used bass? it may have the earlier tuners mentioned a couple posts ago. I will try NS and see if I can get a solution too.
I've got a very early CR5 (one of the first ones available in Germany, directly from NBE). It was used for the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], and it doesn't have a serial number:
My (later)
CR4 does have a serial there:
Just to complete the story. I contacted NS technical support by email and got feedback within a few days. The bridge design has been improved later on and my CR5 still had the old design. I was directed to their czech manufacturing site who sent a complete replacement bridge free of charge. It took less than 20mins to replace the old bridge. Everything is working fine now. Great support !
I have a WAV 5 and a CR5, and through a cheap practice amp, using just the neck pickup, they sound pretty much the same. The WAV has a volume control for both the magnetic and the piezo pickup as well as a tone control for each pickup, and is able to get some sounds that the CR5 doesn't get.
OMG, when did they become so expensive??!! I just looked online and my jaw hit the floor.
I don't remember what I paid the last time I bought a pack of them, which would be at least 15 years ago, but they weren't anywhere near that much money. That's a lot of inflation.
Lucky for me, I ended up not liking them that much. I wonder if I still have a spare set around here...
