Double Bass NS EUB megathread

[depalm]

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Whaddya think? Outside length is 55" leaving 1.5" at each end of an NS bass to clear the Inside length.

Nice hard case. I bought a custom flight case to travel with mine some years ago. But I hardly use it now.

 

[StevieDee]

Hi I've just bought a 2nd hand NS Design CR4T. It's yet to be delivered but it seems in excellent condition apart from a problem with the blend, which I posted about on another thread here. I've spoken to the people at NS Design and they were very helpful. The bass uses the older HAZ circuitry, is there any significant difference between the older and newer models and when did NS introduce their new circuits?

 

[Whippet]

Has anyone tried the NS EU6? I am thinking of picking up a EUB 6 string and this one seems like a good choice.

I have rather short fingers and was wondering how the concave neck feel.

Also, some people have mentioned USA version. I can not find the site for the USA made basses, although once in a while someone will mention this. Where is this site?

Thank you for all information in advance.

 

[Mark Gollihur]

Has anyone tried the NS EU6? I am thinking of picking up a EUB 6 string and this one seems like a good choice.

I have rather short fingers and was wondering how the concave neck feel.

Also, some people have mentioned USA version. I can not find the site for the USA made basses, although once in a while someone will mention this. Where is this site?

It's one of the few 6-string options that I'm aware of. I've played a 5-string EU, and the concave neck is two things, IMHO:

1. very comfortable to play
2. absolutely nothing like a "real" upright bass

The six string spacing is almost certain to be rather tight, and the bass will be close to impossible to bow, I'd bet. Don't know if that is a consideration.

NS Design's site is at www.thinkNS.com - you should be able to contact them about US custom versions through their contact page.

 

[Whippet]

It's one of the few 6-string options that I'm aware of. I've played a 5-string EU, and the concave neck is two things, IMHO:

1. very comfortable to play
2. absolutely nothing like a "real" upright bass

The six string spacing is almost certain to be rather tight, and the bass will be close to impossible to bow, I'd bet. Don't know if that is a consideration.

NS Design's site is at www.thinkNS.com - you should be able to contact them about US custom versions through their contact page.

Thank you very much for the information. I am not considering bowing at all so I guess I can cross that out. But the rather tight spacing is very enticing for me. Also the description of the neck you gave me makes me very curious! especially when some people have told me that a double bass neck is always fat, ugly and cumbersome if you come from an electric bass. I am sure it is nothing like my slim necks on the electric bass but at the same time, NS designs have always been ergonomic so I am sure it is excellent.

Anyway, I will contact them at their site for information on the USA model.

Once again, Thank you very much for the information.

 

[Holdsg]

traditional DB necks are big and beefy, top to bottom.
Kay (and Englehardt that replaced them) DB necks are on the slimmer side, which helped me at first in my transition to the DB from BG.
I think that's largely due to the fact that they were geared towards students, younger players.
The NS neck profile (for CR, CRM, NXT, don't know about Omni) is closer, if not the same as a traditional DB neck, and is not slim like a Kay/Englehardt.

 

[ArtechnikA]

The NS neck profile (for CR, CRM, NXT, don't know about Omni) is closer, if not the same as a traditional DB neck, and is not slim like a Kay/Englehardt.

The EU Series, however, is a completely different kettle of fish.
I'm very intrigued by the EU-6...

 

[Whippet]

The EU Series, however, is a completely different kettle of fish.
I'm very intrigued by the EU-6...

A six string EUB. It is so amazing. Quite frankly after buying the FBass AC6, I just can't fathom getting any fretless without the high C. It just sounds so good, the tone is addictive!!

 

[ArtechnikA]

A six string EUB. It is so amazing. Quite frankly after buying the FBass AC6, I just can't fathom getting any fretless without the high C. It just sounds so good, the tone is addictive!!

I know - I have a fretless Roscoe 6. My NXT-5 will have to hold my EUB cravings for a while. I can live without a high-C, but not a low-B.

Pretty sure Mark's arco observation is spot-on, but 6-string players are (or better be...) pretty good at muting adjacent strings. Probably be a good incentive to perfect double-stops... I don't play much arco anyway.

 

[coyoteboy]

With a bit of concentration and taute bowhair, the EU6 can be successfully bowed. Lower than typical DB string height helps, and the C really sings under the bow, but sometimes gets lost with pizz. Rolling in a bit of mag pups can help with this. Granted Im no arco maestro.

 

[depalm]

Pirastro Flexocors installed on my CR4M and…Wow! This is a really nice set.
The G string is specially good.
I had a set of Thomastic Weich, which I really liked but Flexocors… way better for my taste.
Thank you Francois Blais, for the tip.

 

[Francois Blais]

Thanks!

 

[kamakiriad7]

Bumping an old thread here. For any of you UB traditionalists, have you ever attached anything to the neck to resemble the neck/body joint? I'd love to affix something there for my thumb so I know where D/Eb might be.

 

[Holdsg]

there was a stick-on thumb-rest kinda thing, that you can mount to the back of the neck. I don't recall who made it, but I've seen NS's with it on. I bet there are others that still follow this thread that can help more. or maybe send an email to NS Designs, they surely know if there is a solution for that.

 

[Mark Gollihur]

there was a stick-on thumb-rest kinda thing, that you can mount to the back of the neck. I don't recall who made it, but I've seen NS's with it on. I bet there are others that still follow this thread that can help more. or maybe send an email to NS Designs, they surely know if there is a solution for that.

NS Design makes it. It can sometimes be problematic, though, as it's designed to fit (and match) the CR-grade 4-string basses, and it doesn't always fit cleanly on the WAVs and NXTs, and doesn't match, color-wise.

 

[Holdsg]

Mark knows stuff

 

[Michael F Clef]

I would like to learn arco on my NS Designs NXT5 (low B). Are the strings "closer together" on a 5 string than on the 4 string? I am having a really hard time bowing one string at a time.

 

[monkeyland]

I would like to learn arco on my NS Designs NXT5 (low B). Are the strings "closer together" on a 5 string than on the 4 string? I am having a really hard time bowing one string at a time.

There’s less room along the radius available which means it’s easier to crash into the next string even if they are spaced the same.

 

[Mark Gollihur]

There’s less room along the radius available which means it’s easier to crash into the next string even if they are spaced the same.

+1

And yes, they are slightly closer together, too, I believe. But the radius thing is the most important factor. The curvature of the fingerboard is relatively unchanged, and adding the extra string reduces the angles between each pair of strings by a noticeable percentage.

 

[coyoteboy]

Not to diminish anyone’s concerns over geometry, but I too was concerned about having enough bow angle clearance on my CR6 Cello, but after a bit of practice, and keeping bow hair tension on the higher side, that concern has largely gone away.