Ns Design NXT4 Omni Bass

Made in Czech Republic below features available on the website NSDesign:

LENGTH: 113 cm (44 ")

WIDTH: 15 cm (5.7 ")

THICKNESS: 10 cm (4 ")

WEIGHT: 3.2 kg (7 lbs.)

SCALE LENGTH: 86 cm (34 ")

STRINGS: 4-string E, A, D, G; 5-string B, E, A, D, G or E, A, D, G, C. The Omni Bass can be tuned in fifths aussi, for fingerings That are more natural for the cellist seeking enhanced bass range: C, GD, A (low to high in 5ths) for 4-string, or C, G, D, A, E for 5-string.

BODY / NECK: Solid, straight grain maple, with maple face (Black model) or flame maple face (Sunburst model) on body.

FINGERBOARD: Hand-graduated. Intonation referenced with cascading dot markers & side dots.

TRUSS ROD: Single Action, accessible at nut.

TUNING HARDWARE: 12:1 ratio, fully encased worm gear tuners, black finish.

POLAR PICKUP: The Polar ™ directional piezo pickup system Selectively Responds to lateral string vibration, for bowing and for the percussive plucked response of a traditional acoustic instrument, or to vertical string vibration, for remarkable odd and sustained plucked sound more like a guitar. A switch Allows the player to choose the Desired response.

ELECTRONICS & CONTROLS: Passive Circuit with high impedance output, no batteries required. Volume control and Tone control (treble roll off).

Supplied with NXT Gig Bag and Strap Boomerang.

My instrument is a version ... Amber-sunburst standard EADG tuning.

UTILIZATION

Let's be frank, I bought this instrument because I was impressed by the visible demo on YouTube. The sound is top notch. Now to summarize the overall ergonomics of the bass, once the bindings are adjusted to your body, the instrument is played without problem. It's confusing at first, because the key very curved, gives the impression of playing a cello shoulder. But after all, I wanted a bass without the clutter ...

However, the "Boomerang Strap" and stings (optional) both suffer the same and, in the long, annoying problem. You put some time to adjust to all this mechanical hold the instrument comfortably. It is quite tricky. You play, OK, all right ... Once completed, you store the bass in its case, pretty cheap also passed. And then you have to disrupt everything, otherwise it does not fit, that's how. You can not let the thing settled once and for all. It's annoying ... hence the 6/10.

SOUNDS

I played on a Godin A4 Fretless for 10 years, and then I finally heard the sound I was looking for so long. At that price ... there is no equivalent. Even B10 TAKAMINE does not sound like that. It really close to the bass sound. Note well that despite the tune of 34 'and the piezo sensor, it is not at all in Guitar-Bass-Electro-Acoustics.

However, there is, in my opinion, two things must be true.
1 / keep-string NS Design Daddario of origin, even if they are very expensive. Having tried other bass strings (nylon or daddario chrome), I confirm that contribute greatly to his bass.
2 / passive electronics is so very sensitive to the input impedance of your bass amp. You are likely to end up with a sound uncorrectable lame duck. It should, in my opinion, absolutely connect the bass on a preamp designed for acoustic instruments (Fishman, etc..).

OVERALL OPINION

1230 € NXT version, bought in Allemangne ​​is a true bass, pocket unbeatable quality / price ratio, unmatched in the market. This instrument is perfect, if you ignore its few flaws "design" (!), It is perfect for the electric bassist wanting a true acoustic sound, quickly, with minimal adaptation effort. Now, "it's very good joke" as they say, it does not replace a bass ...