Tony Levin
King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, solo artist, session bassist
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"This Bass Changed my Life!"
Doug Wimbish - Session Bassist, Living Color, many, many others
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Virtually identical to its American cousin…the (NS Design CR-4M) boasts impeccable craftsmanship from a country with a reputation for quality upright bass building. The scale length and string spacing are comparable to a typical _ -size upright’s, and the adjustable bridge height and double truss rod made setup changes easy.
This bass plays so well, in fact, that upright players may find it plays too easily. But its effortless playability can become intoxicating: sliding double-stops and wicked vibrato can quickly become habit-forming. Upright players who use the upper-body bout as a reference point may find the bout-less NS disorienting at first, but with practice – and the assistance of the position markers – it shouldn’t take long to get familiar with the neck.
The NS has a smooth, compressed sound with a refined vocal quality and singing sustain. We got the richest sound with the magnetic pickup and piezo bridge pickups equally balanced. For pizzicato, we preferred the bridge pickup in the vertical mode. The lateral mode excelled for bowing, producing good bow growl with full-bodied depth. For live playing, (the CR-4M’s) polished, sophisticated, authoritative voice spoke well through the densest arrangements.
An electric upright’s toughest challenge is a head-to-head showdown with a good acoustic upright. If you’re waiting for an EUB to approach a good upright sound, you’re missing the point: EUBs are best thought of as a species unique to itself – not as a substitute. The CR-4M’s $3200 retail price is in the middle of the EUB price field. Its clean esthetics, excellent playability and great sound put it ahead of the pack."
Ratings (out of 5)
Construction: 4.5
Electronics: 4.5
Playability: 5.0
Sound: 4.5
Value: 4.5
Terry Buddingh
Bass Player Magazine; June 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ned Steinberger has done it again! His 5-string entry into the electric upright market has several technological breakthroughs that should make this instrument an important player in the higher-priced arena.
The body of the bass is made of rock maple laminated with graphite fibers and has a top layer of reddish-brown, highly figured maple. The neck is sleek, smooth, and wide enough to provide ample access to all five strings. It's also curved inward at the back to provide a pocket for your thumb; this shape is distracting at first, but it quickly becomes an asset when you play fast passages. The fingerboard and nut are made of black phenolic.
The tripod stand is solid; in one operating mode; it lets the instrument move with the player - which makes me warm up to the idea of mounting a bass on a tripod. (I imagine you could also pluck this bass horizontally on a strap.) There are both piezo and magnetic pickups; the low-impedance, hum-cancelling EMG magnetics sport individually adjustable coils and neodymium magnets, while the piezo bridge pickup is bipolar and directional, allowing you to accentuate the different vibrations inherent in arco and pizz and select between them. An active EQ and mixer by HAZ Labs provides the final balance and tone adjustments.
The end result, sound-wise, is a bass that has it all: sweet arco, contemporary-jazz pizz, thumping Latin, rocking punch, and a mammoth low B that was more than any amp in my shop could handle - and all of this from an instrument that's guaranteed for life and fits in an airplane's overhead bin. You can hear the NS bass on Tony Levin's solo album, World Diary [Papa Bear].
Bob Macaskey
Bass Player Magazine, December 1996
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The bass arrived in great shape... Took only a short time for me to develop a feel for it. (At least enough to play my gig a few hours later)
The five string basses, I had played in the past seemed to be muddy and had no definition on those lower notes... Not the case here... Such clarity…
Having spoken to a few others who have this instrument as well, I soon discovered that every one has their own sound and feel on it... Everyone agreed that when bowed this bass even surpasses the sound of some upright basses...
I play a lot of arco in my music... I damn near wept with joy as the vibrato from my fingertips translated beautifully... As for the "plucked" sound some said it was closer to a fretless electric bass... I disagree I don't think it's like that of an upright acoustic... I find this bass to have it's own unique sound. (many, many sounds)
I am surprised how organic this instrument feels and sounds... I feel that this is the true instrument for my musical voice... When I was younger I played electric bass... But it never really spoke to me.. . For the past several years I only played acoustic bass… But being the son of Charles Mingus and playing one of his basses, it seemed to put limits on what I could do on that instrument ... I would never be him...but people expect that of me sometimes.
With your bass however, just the sight of it will make people realize I am a Mingus of another kind...
I have enjoyed every moment I spend playing this bass... In fact I have not seen much daylight since it arrived... I just want to keep playing... It has even inspired some new music... So I thank you for the work you have done, and for helping me out with acquiring the bass...
I will cherish it always...
Bright moments,
Eric Mingus
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm loving the hell out of this bass"
Jim Creegan
Barenaked Ladies
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 Most Important Gear Ideas of the Last 10 Years!
Bass Player Magazine
BY SCOTT MALANDRONE
"The idea sounded simple: Pick the 10 most important gear ideas from the last 10 years. After plowing through dozens of issues, I had narrowed down the candidates to a meager 40. Easy task, I thought.
Our criteria? Gear with a unique design that caused a buzz. You know—the "gotta have it" syndrome. Or equipment with a design that improved the sound of the bass. Please keep in mind that this list only covers gear released during the period of 1988 to '98. "
"NS Design Electric Upright Bass
Reviewed December '96
In his roundup of electric uprights, reviewer Bob McCaskey said, "Soundwise
the NS Design Bass has it all: sweet arco, contemporary-jazz pizz, thumping
Latin, rocking punch, and a mammoth low B." The designer is Ned Steinberger,
the man responsible in part for the Spector NS and Steinberger basses. The NS
Design has one of the coolest necks we've seen: The rear of the neck curves
inward to match the radius of the fingerboard, which your fretting-hand thumb
will love. It also has a brilliant electronics package that combines EMG magnetics,
a HAZ Labs active EQ and mixer, and a "bipolar" piezo-equipped bridge
that's switchable for arco and pizz playing."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It's a fine hunk o' wood !!"
Les Claypool
Primus
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I have with the greatest pleasure been using my NS Design Electric Bass both live and in the studio for about 2 years now. It´s very easy to play, sounds great and is extremely well built. The fact that I´ve used it playing everything from jazz, folk, pop/rock to doom-metal (with a bow!!) is enough to turn me into a very happy bassplayer. Don´t ever ask me if it´s for sale! It isn´t! "
Jan Hellman - Sweden ô¿ô
You can reach Jan at: jan@confidentmusic.com
Jan Hellman's WEB-SITE www.confidentmusic.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"After seeing an ad in Bass Player magazine I called your company
And they made arrangements for me to try out your upright. That was 7 months
ago and I have been amazing people here in New Hampshire since. Everyone who
sees this bass is blown away by the quality of the instrument, the beauty and
design (some have remarked that they would like to have one to put in their
living room as a sculpture) and of course the sound. I use it in a 7-piece R&B/swing
band, in a 4 piece jazz group (and) I also do a lot of theater pit work. The
music directors are amazed (and love how it uses less room in the pit) by the
sound. This summer the R&B band did an outdoor concert and the photographer
of a newspaper kept taking pictures of me playing the NS. The next day I was
on the front page! I have received nothing but praise for this instrument. Lifelong
upright players admire the quality of this instrument and, I want to thank you
for designing such a great bass."
James Kent
bassmanjrk@aol.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think it's safe to say that the NS Design US-5 Double Bass is the #!@&$!
finest instrument that I have ever had the opportunity to own & play. I
am
in awe of the craftsmanship that has gone into this instrument. And with
people like Beaver Felton & his crew at Bass Central, there is no doubt
as
to why this instrument is in such high demand. The combination of the
superb quality of the instrument, along with chutzpah of those at BC made
the wait for this instrument all worth while. Fantastic #!@&$! job all the
way around!!! Every morning I get up and before I eat, brush my teeth, or
wipe the sleep out of my eyes, I play it. Then, every evening when I get
home I go straight to it and play it. And each and every time when I get
done I think "HOLY #!@&$!, THAT'S A NICE BASS!"
Vinny Tiernan
Bassist