• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Official Bolin NS Design info & registry

#21
Great find neonrich! That is a beautiful bass, thanks for posting

#---- -5string, fretted, violin brown, 1 soapbar & piezo -previously warwickhunt
#0060 -5string, fretted, violin brown, 1 soapbar -ebay
#0075 -5string, fretted, violin brown, 1 soapbar & piezo -peterkidd
#0077 -5string, fretted, violin brown, 1 soapbar & piezo -David @ SteinbergerWorld (claims its the bass that was reviewed in the Bass Player article, cool!)
#0088 -5string, fretless, brown(or red)- 1 soapbar & piezo - Thomas @ alt.guitar.bass
#0097 -5string, fretted, black, 1 soapbar & piezo -graham1945
#0119 -4string, fretted, blue, 2 soapbar & piezo -neonrich
#0121 -4string, fretted, violin brown, piezo -ebay
#0123 -4string, fretted, black, piezo - j5eugene
#0124 -4string, fretted, amber, 2 soapbars -warwickhunt
#0131 -5string, frettless, violin brown, 2 soapbars & piezo -lictor4
#0141 -4string, fretted, green, 2 soapbar & piezo -warwickhunt
 
#23
Glad to see this thread. I'm Jim Frost, the original distributor for these basses. I wanted to let everyone know I just listed a 5 string on ebay. The auction ends May 26. In the coming days, I will spend some time updating the history of these instruments with some fun details such as the first one was built by John Bolin and Ned Steinberger in Steve Miller's garage. I only have two more basses I'm willing to part with, so if anyone is interested, just let me know. I somehow managed to sell my last 4 string, so I'm willing to trade a 5 string for a 4 if anyone is interested.
 
#24
Great to hear from you Jim! I can't wait to find out more about the history and get some inside knowledge on these basses.

Thats a killer deal on ebay people! Check it out
 
As an eBay Associate, TalkBass may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
#26
I wish I had keep better records of serial numbers, but here is what I know. The first Bolin NS guitar and bass were built in Steve Miller’s garage. Steve had asked Ned if he had any new designs. Ned mentioned he had some designs but didn’t have time to develop them. Steve brought Ned together with luthier John Bolin. Steve already had several Bolin guitars, and there are some pretty good players who consider John to be the best electric guitar builder including Billy Gibbons and Keith Richards in addition to Steve.

The original prototypes and the early instruments did not have the angle bolt system of the later models. Many of the early guitars were made of basswood. There were only a couple of basses made during this time period. You may catch a picture one of the old models as Steve Miller and Lou Reed played them. My guess is that less than twenty of these early guitars were built. I don’t believe many of them had serial numbers.

The guitar and bass underwent tweaking adjustments by both Ned and John. A new prototype bass was introduced at the 2001 NAMM show. Bass Player Magazine went crazy for the bass and mentioned it prominently in there review of the NAMM show. The included a picture, but the color had been changed dramatically. The bass is violin orange and the magazine printed it as amber.

To indicate the reset in the model, John gave this guitar serial #50. Far less than 50 were every made before then, the number 50 would really be somewhere in the teens or twenties in terms of the number made.

In May of 2001, I was looking to have John build me a custom bass, and he brought out #50. As soon as I started playing it, my jaw dropped, and I told him that I would buy it. As I continued playing it, I said I would buy every one of them he could make. I didn’t know anything about the bass business, but I new this was an incredible bass. I have yet to find a bass with a greater dynamic range of tones.

Bolin only had rights to build the basses in America. Ned maintained the overseas rights, and I wish he would get them in production. An overseas model would retail around $1000, and at that price range, I think it would take off. The American ones made by Bolin are a far more handmade, and as a result, they cost a lot to build.

I became the distributor for the Bolin NS line, and after we made some minor tweaks, we debuted the instruments at the January 2002 NAMM. Bass Player also ran a review that month. The high price point (starting at $2800) and the slow, post 9/11 market made it tough to compete.

I don’t think we ever reached serial number 200. Not all of the basses were sold through me, and John has built a few after I got out of the business.. Most of the numbers in the 50’s went to Japan. I’m not sure, but I think the lowest serial number I sold was #60. Those mostly had an EMG preamp missing from the #50 prototype. We also switched to Fishman piezo pickups as an option. We also added on Spertzle locking tuners.

While the bass is a great instrument, it was a tough one to build, and John prefers making unique, custom guitars to manufacturing. If you own one, hang on to it, as it is indeed rare. I’m glad to see so many others here that recognize this incredible instrument for what it is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Simon Day
#28
I had one with a stripped truss rod , It took John Bolin almost 2 years to repair it, he's not a real nice guy, arrogant , i'd call him every 4 -6 months and he's name drop who he was building for at the moment which was why he hadn't gotten around to my bass ,clearly I was a no one so I was at the end of the line. Inspite of the bass being a really nice instrument I would never own anything he built ever again based on his attitude and the fact that since he is/was no longer producing these , he could have cared less about repairing it, let alone in a timely fashion , his son wound up doing the job of replacing the fretboard and truss rod rather than just building a new neck for it which i had wanted , it was a 5 string fretless that buzzed when I got it back. I took of the neck and found a shim under the neck , something I wouldn't expect on an instrument of this caliber ,when I called him on it he put his son on the phone who explained that a shim was a common repair for this problem .....on a 3k designer instrument ? ... I dont think so ........
 
#31
awilkie84 said:
I'm surprised they can use the NS-5 name, with Spector having had the NS-5 since the 80s...
Click to expand...
:confused: NS 'is' Ned Steinberger (whether Spector or Bolin; the same guy who was instrumental in both) so he'd have precedence over any claim I'd have thought and wouldn't be suing himself. :)

However, I guess using a couple of initials in an instrument designation wouldn't be enforceable as any for of copyright unlike Stratocaster or Precision etc.
 
#32
Just picked up this one - 4 string fretless with piezo and 1 mag. A and E string piezos were crackly, so my temp fix is a wire going across all the string saddles...Anybody know a fix for this and also if other magnetic pickups can work with this preamp?
ImageUploadedByTalkBass1393353953.847029.jpg
ImageUploadedByTalkBass1393353971.472993.jpg
 
#35
Thanks for both of the tips. I tried messing with the ground beneath the bridge to no avail and my saddles aren't too low. Hmmm?

By the way, any favorite strings for these? Mine has La Bella white tapes on it and is missing some growl.
 
#37
Hey everybody -

Just happened to bump into this thread completely at random, but since there were postings in just the past few days, I thought I'd chime in.

I'm the owner of #0077, mentioned above. This is the very bass that was reviewed in Bass Player, Feb 2002 and was also on the cover of Bass Player Present Bass Gear 2002 (it's not in the magazine though). There's a very distinctive "z" shaped figure in the top, around where the pickup selector would be a on Les Paul, so its definitely the Bass Player bass.

I can't remember the exact year, but I purchased this directly from John Bolin at the NAMM show where he featured these prominently in his booth. It had come back from being circulated for reviews less than a month before the January show. My brother knows John and owned some of his guitars which helped make this deal possible (Jim Frost, I can't remember if John had promised this one to you before he sold it to me).

I'm a big classic Steinberger fan, and really wanted to get one of these. It is a wonderful instrument and John's craftsmanship is really extraordinary. As has been mentioned, the Fishman bass bridge is really excellent.

I remember meeting Jim Frost at one of the Vintage Guitar Shows in Northern California, perhaps a year later, and he was a very fine fellow.

David Fung
 
  • Like
Reactions: Simon Day
#39
It's been a while so here's the updated list
#???? -4string, fretless, amber?, 1 soapbar & piezo -sonicyogi
#???? -5string, fretted, violin brown, 1 soapbar & piezo -previously warwickhunt
#0060 -5string, fretted, violin brown, 1 soapbar -ebay
#0075 -5string, fretted, violin brown, 1 soapbar & piezo -peterkidd
#0077 -5string, fretted, violin brown, 1 soapbar & piezo -dfung (the bass that was reviewed in the Bass Player article, cool!)
#0088 -5string, fretless, brown(or red)- 1 soapbar & piezo - Thomas @ alt.guitar.bass
#0097 -5string, fretted, black, 1 soapbar & piezo -graham1945
#0101 -5 string, fretted, blue, 1 soapbar & piezo -Abacobob
#0119 -4string, fretted, blue, 2 soapbar & piezo -neonrich
#0121 -4string, fretted, violin brown, piezo -ebay
#0123 -4string, fretted, black, piezo - j5eugene
#0124 -4string, fretted, amber, 2 soapbars -warwickhunt
#0131 -5string, fretless, violin brown, 2 soapbars & piezo -lictor4
#0141 -4string,fretted, green, 2 soapbar & piezo -warwickhunt
 
#40
Hey guys. A lurker here looking for a Bolin NS5. Loved the thread, props to Lictor for the record keeping and of course to Jim Frost for providing some awesome history. Anyway, would love a 5 string version of this bass. If any of you are looking to get rid of yours, please do not hesitate to message me! thanks

Brandon
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back