Double Bass NS EUB megathread

[jazzmcs]

I agree. I love the spirocores on this bass. I tried the stock which where very articulate but very little thump. Then tried obligatos which were on my old eub. They feel and sound very good to my ears. A growly tone with fair punch but they dont work well with the mags. Then i tried pirastro permanent since i liked the obligatos so much. Btw the obligatos are very easy to bow. The permanents had mote of a thumpy sound and bit brighter but i really missed rhe growl of the obligatos. They also bow really easy. Finally i decided to try spiro mittels expecting them to be to bright but definitely growly. For the first couple days they were fairly bright but not as much as i had expected. This reminds me that i did try ns traditionals as well but they had a very bright top end with a thumpy low end. One may say they sounded scooped. Just not enough mids to cut through a dance rock band as i experienced. Yeah, i also do everything from jazz to pop so i have to take cutting through a fairly loud band into consideration. If i was doing strictly supportable jazz the permanents probably would have been fine. So back to the spiros. They have midrange tone that cuts and growls far better than the other strings. More along the lines of my fav obligatos but punchier. In fact the e and a string are quite remarkable. One thing to note is that the mittels are higher tension than the obligatos and the stock strings but i dont have an issue with it. If you are used to the stock strings it will take a bit to get used to. I simply prefer a beefier string so i can dig in more. The only real negative i found is that like mentioned above the spiros are quite challenging to bow. In conclusion for a growly string and my wide range of styles this is the string for me. If i must bow more in the future ill swap back on the permanents or obligatos. Hope this helps.

 

[Ironwood318]

Got it and LOVE it but really want a 5 string! Stock strings and it's in incredible shape! Very good condition

Boy do I have a FEDEX story!!!!!

Does anyone have a stock type gig bag for sale?? Mine came with a slightly padded nice boom mike case, but it has no separate compartments in it nor a bow pocket.

Just a heads up. Someone just posted a 5 string for sale in the basses for sale forum.

I'd be interested in your 4 string if you decide to sell it.

 

[Francois Blais]

Just a heads up. Someone just posted a 5 string for sale in the basses for sale forum.

That bass sold the same day it was posted.

 

[len13]

I am looking into getting a used NS CR5 and I am wanting to string it E-C.Will I need a new nut?This one has the stock NS strings on it,can I buy a single C string from NS? I played some upright years ago and have been playing mostly fretless electric for years now.I want to be able to add some bowing into the mix and I like the NS bassses I've played.Any advice would be appreciated,thanks.

 

[mtb777]

I've got a little over two months on my CR-4T and I just cant say enough about how much I love playing it ....even over my PentaBuzz! I'm even starting NOT to chase the cats away when I bow!

 

[wateroftyne]

Ha all!

I'm thinking about picking one of these up. Would a CR4M dating from 2002 have any major spec differences to the current model?

Thanks for your help.

 

[GrowlerBox]

Ha all!

I'm thinking about picking one of these up. Would a CR4M dating from 2002 have any major spec differences to the current model?

Thanks for your help.

AFAIK, they're very similar -- one difference is that the "arco/pizz" dial was a switch with no way of blending the effect, which is essentially a change in the piezos' sensitivity to lateral and vertical vibration, respectively.

 

[mtb777]

I am looking into getting a used NS CR5 and I am wanting to string it E-C.Will I need a new nut?This one has the stock NS strings on it,can I buy a single C string from NS? I played some upright years ago and have been playing mostly fretless electric for years now.I want to be able to add some bowing into the mix and I like the NS bassses I've played.Any advice would be appreciated,thanks.

I see single strings on eBay all the time.

 

[wateroftyne]

AFAIK, they're very similar -- one difference is that the "arco/pizz" dial was a switch with no way of blending the effect, which is essentially a change in the piezos' sensitivity to lateral and vertical vibration, respectively.

Thanks, Growlerbox.

Here's a more general question for any NS Design Users who might have experience of the Stagg...

How would a well set-up Stagg, with all the mods to combat noise, etc., and a decent set of strings, compare to one of the piezo-only NS Design instruments? would the extra £££ for the NS be money well spent?

Also, how do the neck profiles compare?

Thanks!

 

[GrowlerBox]

Thanks, Growlerbox.

Here's a more general question for any NS Design Users who might have experience of the Stagg...

How would a well set-up Stagg, with all the mods to combat noise, etc., and a decent set of strings, compare to one of the piezo-only NS Design instruments? would the extra £££ for the NS be money well spent?

Also, how do the neck profiles compare?

Thanks!

I've only played a demo Stagg in a shop, but I found it to be unwieldy and always threatening to turn on its pin, requiring much more pressure with my left hand to hold it in place, even with the "upper bout" frame in place. I like the NS tripod design - in my view (for what it's worth), the EUB is a different instrument from acoustic upright and offers certain ergonomic advantages. Attempts to make it "feel" like a DB are doomed to failure anyway, and I'm all for the NS design approach in this regard. There is also no comparison in terms of build quality.

I also wouldn't forego the magnetic pickups -- they can be dialled right out of the picture if you like, but they open up a whole other realm of tonal possibilities in different contexts and make it a vastly more flexible instrument.

 

[wateroftyne]

Thanks for that!

I'll see what happens... Truth is, the NXT is more within my budget, but I don't want to get into carrying a pre-amp, etc. around. We'll see...

 

[mtb777]

I've got a CR-4T that does not have the Mag Pickups but it DOES have a a knob in lieu of the switch for your Piezo pickup going from Arco to Pizz modes. That is a worthwhile option over the NXT if you cannot afford a model with the mag pickups. There is a lot of tone variation between the switchable points with the piezos just as you have just that much more with the addition of the mags. I find most often I'm set at a quarter turn off of either end of the range for the most part.

 

[wateroftyne]

Hi all

Well... trigger pulled!

I have a ten-year-old CR-4 on the way. It should be here on Tuesday. I was going to hold out for an 'M', but this one was a decent price and I'm not sure how often I'd use the mag pickups.

It's a bit scuffed around the edges, but I'll spend a bit of time tidying it up when I get a chance. The treble pot is also broken off (but still useable) so I'll email NS and see if I can buy a replacement.

It's got Innovation Honeys on it. I'll see how I get on with those before pondering another string change...

We'll see how it goes!

 

[Mayers]

A week ago I bought a NS NXT. So far I really like it and I find the bowed tone to be accurate.

It is a little hard to play but that is because I didn't play upright for 6 years and it is right handed and I play lefty bass but I plan to switch for righty for now on.

Pic soon

 

[wateroftyne]

It's here! Photo below...

I've had a quick play on it, and I'm as disorientated as I thought I would be, not having played EUB for a number of years. I have a lot of work to do!

As mentioned earlier, the treble pot has snapped off - although it's still adjustable, it's a bit fiddly in the heat of the moment. I've emailed NS, and I'm waiting to hear back from them as to whether I can buy a replacement.

Apart from that I have a few questions which relate to setup, which I appreciate is a personal thing, but I'd be grateful for some general advice.

1. There is a slight concave bow in the neck - is that how it should be set up, or should it be straight?

2. At the moment, the string height at the end of the neck is E: 5mm > G: 4mm. The strings are Innovation Honeys (Solid core medium tension chrome tapewound). I'm hoping to go for a more Acoustic DB tone.. should I consider raising the action?

3. The body & fingerboard need a good clean. What should I use? Would Gerlitz guitar honey be OK to use to get the grime off the board?

Thanks for helping a newbie!

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[Francois Blais]

1. There is a slight concave bow in the neck - is that how it should be set up, or should it be straight?

2. At the moment, the string height at the end of the neck is E: 5mm > G: 4mm. The strings are Innovation Honeys (Solid core medium tension chrome tapewound). I'm hoping to go for a more Acoustic DB tone.. should I consider raising the action?

1. Yes, that's how it should be!
The strings need room so they don't buzz on the fingerboard.

2. If you want less fretless mwah and more thump, definitely raise the action!
You can go up to 8 or 9 mm on the E string.
The G can remain there or be raised a bit. (maybe 6 mm)

 

[Bob Gollihur]

The neck should be somewhat concave, especially since you plan on getting a more URB sound. Yes, raise the strings and dig in big time; play it with the side of your finger, not the tip, pull hard like you are unamplified to get that great original/real player sound. Fingerboard should be flatter only for lower action to get fretless bass guitar "mwah".

Boiled linseed oil is good for cleaning boards; shield the strings (loosen and pull to side, cover with plastic wrap or something). Wipe off with clean cloth, and continue to do so until a clean cloth gets no oil residue.

And enjoy the bass!!

 

[Ben Mitchell]

As long as its only very slight, it should be okay, a picture would help of the actual fingerboard, maybe from the side?

String height is not really a factor in tone in EUB's. Its more of the pre and technique. Whatever is most comfortable for you is what you should use.

I'm not fimiliar with the cleaner you said, but for instruments I like to use a small amount of natural cleaner. Nothing with alcohol or acidic qualities. There are a couple I use, but you should be able to find some if you use google.

Sorry if I typed too much. Just trying to help. There are many people that know alot more than me on these subjects.

 

[BassBus]

I would agree on the action. Have it as high as is comfortable for you. I tried having G and E strings about the same height but my fingers didn't like that. Lowered the G side and much better. Use orchestral DB strings which reduce the endless sustain a bit. It still sustains a lot with orchs though.

 

[wateroftyne]

Thanks, all... very useful stuff!

I've raised the bridge to about 8mm on the E and 6mm on the G, and the difference was immediate - big, round open notes.. much more URBy. Time to work on my technique..!

I've cleaned the grime off the board using the guitar honey (alcohol-free!) and it's beautiful now.

A couple more questions if I may:

I'm sure I read somewhere that with the blend set to arco, the pizz tone is much more DB-like.

When I set it to 100% arco, the notes sound like they're extremely compressed, with a short, almost delayed attack. Is that correct? Or is a 50-50 blend more usual for pizz?

Also... on the face of it, are the strings it has on it (Solid core medium tension chrome tapewound) a reasonable starting point for my needs, which is a DB-style tone to accompany folk / country /singer-songwriter styles?

Thanks again!