Big thanks to Premier Guitar for shooting this great video about the CR5 Radius Bass Guitar. A great introduction to the instrument from Ned himself, followed by a demo by Chance Wilder Onody. The sound in this video is great! Thanks for a great profile of this exciting new instrument!
(You can download a brochure on the CR5 Radius Bass Guitar here. Webpage coming soon.)
Ned Steinberger has created a new classic for the bass guitarist. This long-awaited instrument earned praise from virtually every player who tried it at the 2013 NAMM show. The Radius, which weighs just over 8 lbs. and is beautifully balanced, embodies a number of extraordinary design and performance innovations, including the Diradial™ curved body shape, Fusion™ neck, NS Tuning System, NS/EMG Integrated Pickup System, and others. Fretted or fretless, the Radius will be available in Amber Satin, Natural Satin, or Charcoal Satin finish.
US List Price: $3,600.
To find out more about the CR5 Radius Bass Guitar, please download our brochure below. (Web page coming soon!)
NAMM, the international music trade show held in Anaheim, California, brings together manufacturers, dealers, distributors, musicians and other leaders in the music industry. At this year’s NAMM, NS Design hosted a wide variety of musicians, and showcased the entire NS product line of electric double basses, Omni basses, cellos, violas, violins, and accessories.
Bassist Noor Che’ree profiled the US5 Bass Guitar in an interview with luthier Jonathan Kelsey, who builds the instrument to Ned Steinberger’s design.
We were thrilled to host performances at the NS booth by former Juilliard classmates Charles Yang (CR4 Violin) and Michael Thurber (NXT Double Bass). The two play together in the music video project Collective Cadenza (CDZA).
It was also great to hear Chance Wilder Onody’s jaw-dropping performances on the CR4M Double Bass. He played solo and joined young California fiddler Avery Merritt on a blistering rendition of “Blackberry Blossom.”
Madmax Fiddler and Radina Tara Vel—the LA-based techno/electronica duo FATMAGIC—exhibited their custom white-finish CR violin and cello and played a refreshing set of progressive house music. New NS Design endorser Roland Guerin (CR5 Omni Bass) also joined us at the booth and helped demonstrate the new NXT Omni to the media.
Fabulous music like this provided the soundtrack for reunions with many old friends, including Tony Levin, Rob Wasserman, and Mark Egan. They were a welcome presence in the booth and an inspiration to many players and visitors.
It was also great to see many other NS Design artists, including:
(For more photos and videos of the show, be sure to visit our Facebook page and “Like” us for future updates!)
Thanks to everyone who attended for a terrific show! We’re looking forward to seeing some of you again (and many new faces) at the American String Teachers Association Conference in a few weeks. And we’re already excited for NAMM 2014!
We would like to extend a special thanks to the following people and companies for their outstanding support at NAMM: Dave Avenius of Aguilar Amplification, Stu Paterson of Mackie, John Krupa of RCF USA, Inc., Tom Spaulding of D’Addario, and NS Design Resident Artist Ed Howe. Thanks guys!
NS Design is pleased to announce the delivery of the NXT-series Omni Bass. With the familiar 34-inch bass guitar scale, the Omni Bass is designed for the bass guitarist interested in adding the character and expressiveness of an acoustic upright bass, or the NS electric upright, to his performance palette. Available in four- and five-string configurations, with either Satin Black or Sunburst finish, these affordably-priced instruments are produced in the Czech Republic with the same meticulous care as NS Design’s renowned CR Series Omni Bass.
NS Design’s self-powered Polar™ Pickup System, with its pizz/arco selector switch, captures the essence of plucked or bowed playing with stunning richness, control and clarity. The Omni Bass responds to the bow with a natural and expressive voice, combining powerful bass resonance with brilliant harmonics. The strings are easily driven on both fretted and fretless models, making it possible for bassists with little bowing experience to add this beautiful dimension to their music.
The NXT Omni Bass also incorporates NS Design’s innovative JackPot™ potentiometer in its volume and tone controls. The result is a full, rich tone, with more power, detail, and overall intensity. Conventional passive volume and tone controls work by siphoning a portion of the output signal to ground, and continue to hold back a portion of the pickup’s signal even when turned up all the way. The JackPot incorporates a rotary switch that disengages the ground when turned fully clockwise, delivering 100% of the instrument’s signal. For stage or studio, the NXT Omni Bass delivers robust output and full-spectrum tone for the ultimate sound with any system.
The 34″ scale length of the Omni Bass mirrors a standard electric bass, so when tuned in fourths the fingering positions and spacing are identical to the bass guitar. The fingerboard also features the TransRadius™ profile. For a left-hand feel which is familiar to the experienced bass guitarist, the radius at the nut is ten inches. At the end of the fingerboard near the bridge, however, the radius is just 2.5 inches, large enough to maintain good string-to-string articulation with the bow, yet still comfortable for pizzicato (plucked/picked) style. The asymmetrical fingerboard relief facilitates an even “growl” from the higher strings and a clear, powerful lower register.
The solid maple body and neck, together with the graduated ebony fingerboard, deliver a rich, full tone that rings true for every note. The adjustable bridge and truss rod allow for low, fast action, or for higher string settings that encourage the traditional acoustic player to “dig in” with gusto. NS Electric Omni Bass Strings and standard bass guitar strings fit the Omni Bass, adding unlimited set up options for musicians who want to explore and create their own unique sound.
Interchangeable Support Systems
The Boomerang™ Strap System is standard with the NXT Omni Bass. Two articulated arms and a pivoting hub allow full mobility on stage or in studio. The comfortable Boomerang strap fits over the shoulder just like a guitar, but the adjustable arms allow the instrument to be placed in virtually any position in relation to the hands and body. The Boomerang Strap System allows full mobility for either bowing or plucking.
The optional self-standing Tripod stand provides stable fixed support for the instrument. Virtually any angle can be set whether you prefer standing or sitting. A matching black finish provides a sleek compliment to the instrument.
The optional End Pin stand provides a more upright bass feel. It too is easily adjustable so that the instrument remains evenly balanced without support. The End Pin Stand conversion kit attaches to the tripod stand to hold the instrument upright for on-stand performance or when not in use.
NS Design is delighted to announce delivery of the NS Fretted Electric Violin series. Created by the world renowned designer, Ned Steinberger, the fretted models are now available in both the NXT series, which features a self-powered pickup system, and the CR series, with its active electronics. The CR and NXT models are both available in 4- and 5-string configuration.
One of the first things players notice is an amazingly warm, sustained pizz sound, and enhanced sustain overall. As guitarists know, where some damping would normally occur with the string is in contact with the finger, the fret provides a “hard stop.” Violinists are also happy to discover that these instruments respond well to traditional techniques, including a satisfying glissando effect when desired.
As with all NS violins, the new NS Fretted models feature the patented NS Tuning System, noted for its remarkable precision and stability. They also feature the innovative Polar™ pick-up system, which is able to selectively capture the string vibration favored for both bow and pizzicato technique with stunning brilliance and sensitivity.
One feature of all NS violins which fretted players may particularly appreciate is the removable upper bout body segment. Providing easier access to the highest positions of the instrument, this option provides musicians with new technical performance opportunities in the highest registers.
The NXT4 double bass hit the national airwaves last week in the talented hands of Delta Rae’s Grant Emerson. The band covered Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” in a version “so stormy and impassioned,” according to VH1′s Zara Golden, “that the original sounds like a lullaby in comparison.”
NS Design is proud to announce a partnership with composer Julie Lyonn Lieberman on her recently published Bollywood Strings Project, based around an orchestral score composed by Ms. Lieberman for orchestra and electric violin. Written either for Junior or Senior High School level players, the parts can be performed independently, but they also can be interlocked for an exciting festival or all-school performance. Along with the bi-level scores, Julie has created versions of an accompanying performance video, with and without electric violin, and authentic Indian percussion soundtrack which can be included with the performance.
Ms. Lieberman, who used her NXT during the recording of the BSP music tracks, as well as in the making of the performance video, has made special arrangements with NS Design to loan an NXT violin to any school which decides to perform Bollywood Strings. Special pricing will also be available for participating schools interested in retaining the NXT violin after their performance.
Julie Lyonn Lieberman is an eclectic styles specialist, a playing healthy maven, an improvising violinist, singer, composer, educator, recording artist, author, and producer. Formerly on faculty at Juilliard, New York University, The New School For Jazz and Contemporary Music, and William Paterson College Jazz Department, she is an NS Design Endorsing Artist, a D’Addario Elite Clinician, the Artistic Director for Strings Without Boundaries at Lawrence and Central Washington Universities, a composer for Alfred Music and Kendor Music, and a frequent master class clinician for Music Educators and American String Teachers Association’s state conferences.
NS Design is pleased to announce that our high-performance JackPot™ volume control has been awarded U.S. Patent No. 8,253,007. Invented by Ned Steinberger, the JackPot is a combination potentiometer and rotary switch. It allows the player to bypass an instrument’s volume and tone circuitry, delivering a stronger signal, richer sound, and greater overall intensity.
Most players don’t realize that when you rotate a conventional passive volume pot fully clockwise for maximum volume, it still bleeds a portion of the signal to ground. As a result the output level never reaches the full volume the instrument is capable of delivering. The JackPot overcomes this liability. Now players can run full on, with the pickups wired directly to the output jack, yet still have a trusty volume knob to back off instantly when needed.
“If you looking for brighter highs and deeper bass response from your instrument,” says electric instrument designer Ned Steinberger, “then the JackPot should be of interest to you. It’s time to break through the limitations of conventional passive circuitry with this patented new twist on potentiometer and circuit design.
This Fall, performance artist and longtime NS Design endorser Laurie Anderson will debut her new solo show Dirtday! at a series of concerts on the West Coast and in the Southwest. Centered around her playing on the NS Viola, the show explores the issue of fear in American culture. Part of a trilogy that included two previous works, Happiness (2002) and End of the Moon (2004), Dirtday! is a multi-media performance in which Anderson weaves music, soundscapes, and visual imagery with her storytelling.
NS Design is delighted to announce delivery of the NS Fretted Electric Violin series. Created by the world renowned designer, Ned Steinberger, the fretted models are now available in both the 
