NS WAV question

[mcarlucci]

Hello bassists,
 
I'm considering the purchase of a Ned Steinberger NS Design WAV 4 string electric double bass. This one...
 http://www.nedsteinberger.com/instruments/popup_tr.html  
 
http://www.nedsteinberger.com/instruments/closerlook.php
 
Simple question...Can anyone tell me; how close is the sound to an actual acoustic? Will I be able to produce the same quality growl? And, how is the action...easy?
 
Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[811952]

My brother has one and likes it a lot.  It sounds like an acoustic with a fishman pickup, as far as I can tell.  Action is good, although he had to shim the bridge I think.  It's a pretty nice instrument to play.  Wish they made the WAV in a 5 string..
 
John

[adriaan]

You can set the action pretty low. There are two main sounds available from the polarity switch, one (switch down) is mostly like a fretless bass guitar, the other (switch up) is quite like an acoustic upright - so much so that you probably won't like it at first.
 
If you want a bit of the oomph and air around the note of an upright, only the up position of the switch gives you that. The downside to this setting is that the sustain of the plucked string dies off soon, since the polarity of the string movement is perpendicular to the sensitivity of the pickup.
 
The standard strings need to be replaced - they sound useful on the fretless setting, but horrible on the upright setting.
 
Check out the very informative NS Design WAV4 megathread on TalkBass.

[flaxattack]

i have a 5 string ns design cr5m. it sound a lot like the real thing. the action is changeable, the controls allow for a great variation in sound.

[hankster]

I've been using a CR4 for a few years now, in a variety of settings.  I am very happy with the sound - many of the same characteristics as an acoustic.  The only difference is that the notes don't warm up the way an acoustic does as the wood vibrates, and that is more obvious in a setting like a trio or quartet.  For larger ensembles, and certainly for a big band setting, it is truly great.  And certainly very passable as an acoustic substitute in the smaller groups.
 
I blend the two pickups, and that seems to give me the sound I want, and of course I use Thomastik acoustic bass strings, not the strings that come stock on the instrument or electric bass strings.
 
If you do get one, watch out when you play in the high register.  If you keep your thumb behind the neck as you go up above the octave, you will get a repetitive strain injury.  On an acoustic, you are forced into thumb position by the bout of the bass - not so on the NS, and a painful injury can result if you don't consciously move into thumb position just as you would on an acoustic.
 
Rick

[adriaan]

The difference in electronics between the WAV model (passive) and the CR models (active) is pretty important. I haven't A/B'ed them, but people have added (an) external or built-in pre-amp(s) to the WAV with good results.
 
Even before adding a pre-amp, proper DB strings (like Thomastik) are known to make a big difference.
 
I'm still planning on doing both - first the strings, then the pre-amp(s).

[spliffy]

I do not think you can compare the WAV to th CR models.
I have heard good things about the sound of the WAV as it uses peizos (spelling?). I also read that it is best to change the strings to acoustic strings to get a better sound(add another $100).
I want to get one, but there are delays in production. I think because the current batch have a problem with the finger board splitting at the bottom.... so if I were you, I would try play one and get a feel of it and then wait for the new line to get produced (hopefully the problems will be resolved by then). But going back to your original question, I know that the CR4M sounds very very good and very close to an acoustic upright.