Double Bass NS Design NXT Megathread

[adam.beauchene]

Anyone have a good picture of the electronics inside the NXTa bass? I have an older NXT without the active electronics but it has the "JackPot." I'm not a fan of the passive controls, the JackPot pretty much has no signal loss at full volume, but I want more volume control without having to step over to my amp and have the full signal across the whole volume range the active electronics will give. I ordered an upgrade kit directly from NS Designs and would like to have a visual reference with the schematic to help me fully understand what the schematic is representing. I'm sure I understand it well enough, as I used to work in a guitar shop building/repairing guitars but I want to just see what it should look like it. Thanks to anyone who provides the image(s) I am asking for. If not, I'll get it figured out one way or another.

Here you go, good luck with the upgrade!

 

[fivestringgecko]

And here's some guts shots for you. Hope they help!

5sg.

 

[cacio]

I just bought an used Nxt,and I wanna set it up for slap
Is it possible to rise up the g string height to 10 mm?
It seems that at 7 mm the screw on the back is becoming too hard

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Did you rise both sides by the same amount? If not that‘s why it gets hard to turn. Rise the other side too.

 

[J R Knots]

I just bought an used Nxt,and I wanna set it up for slap
Is it possible to rise up the g string height to 10 mm?
It seems that at 7 mm the screw on the back is becoming too hard

I’m sure your doing this …but make sure and de tune it so the tension is not the issue.

 

[cacio]

After loosing all the string…7,5 mm
Not bad, but not so confortable to slap

 

[dbassnut]

After loosing all the string…7,5 mm
Not bad, but not so confortable to slap

Please share a video on how you slap your NXT. Very interested to see how its done.

 

[Low-end Fred]

My NXT 5a is a blast to play but... B string isn't quite working for me. Has anyone had a 5 string conversion to a 4 string? Looks like bridge and nut replacement would do it.

 

[Hendricks97]

My NXT 5a is a blast to play but... B string isn't quite working for me. Has anyone had a 5 string conversion to a 4 string? Looks like bridge and nut replacement would do it.

What’s the problem with the B? I love mine

 

[DoubleMIDI]

You can use a high C instead. But it took me a year to change from a 4-string to a 5-string with a high C without sometimes grabbing the wrong string.
And I’m still not at home on my (seldom played) 6-string BG.

 

[Low-end Fred]

My B has no pizz volume compared to my E. It sounds like a different instrument, not just a different string. Arco is OK, just a little quieter than the other strings. I'm on my 4th set of strings, maybe Spiro is the answer.

 

[J R Knots]

My B has no pizz volume compared to my E. It sounds like a different instrument, not just a different string. Arco is OK, just a little quieter than the other strings. I'm on my 4th set of strings, maybe Spiro is the answer.

Mine is like that too. The B string, acrossed the finger board is definitely quieter.

I really can’t say wether it was always that way but I don’t think so.

it seems like it changed when I raised the action quite a bit.

I do play mine quite a bit in a duo situation and I use the B string very little.

I think DoubleMIDI@ might have the best solution… adding the high C.

I have thought about doing this but I am reluctant to change mine too much because I can play without thinking about it.

I do have several EB’s with high C’s and have find some significant advantages to their set ups.

If I was buying a new NXT, I would probably just get a NXT 4.

 

[Hendricks97]

My B has no pizz volume compared to my E. It sounds like a different instrument, not just a different string. Arco is OK, just a little quieter than the other strings. I'm on my 4th set of strings, maybe Spiro is the answer.

That so sounds more like a piezo issue. If that’s the case, a string change won’t fix it

 

[frankie5string]

My B has no pizz volume compared to my E. It sounds like a different instrument, not just a different string. Arco is OK, just a little quieter than the other strings. I'm on my 4th set of strings, maybe Spiro is the answer.

I'd loosen your strings and make sure the B-String side of the saddle assembly isn't "topped out" with the action screws on the back. If it's lifted slightly above the piezo element, it may not be making good contact.

 

[Low-end Fred]

I'd loosen your strings and make sure the B-String side of the saddle assembly isn't "topped out" with the action screws on the back. If it's lifted slightly above the piezo element, it may not be making good contact.

Bravo! Worked like magic, brought the bridge down and lifted to a lower string height and B volume came back to life. I had topped out.

 

[frankie5string]

Bravo! Worked like magic, brought the bridge down and lifted to a lower string height and B volume came back to life. I had topped out.

Great to hear it's ok now! Enjoy the bass!

 

[Cyoder]

Thanks to those who gave me schematics and images to help upgrade my NXT bass. Due to an unforseen event that happened this year that deeply affected me and my family, I ended up having a bass luthier do the upgrade. I'm quite happy with it and if anyone is wondering if they should do it, do it. Now instead of sounding like a double bass being played through an amp with a cheap pick up, it also can sound like a deep and rich double bass when bowed or plucked. You can also get that electric fretless bass guitar growl, too. It's like 4 basses in one. And if you are planning to run it through something like a distortion pedal, get the active upgrade. The super capacitor charging is also genius and very convenient.

 

[MichaelPatrick]

This thread was very helpful. I just took the dive into EUB and ordered a NS NXT in satin black. Was in an Americana band for several years and things were disrupted by COVID. I started jamming with the singer, who plays acoustic, and his wife is on accordion and mandolin. I brought an electric bass, but the situation just felt like an upright would be a better mix. I had a WAV many years ago and loved it, but went heavy into the electric bass side of things. Looks like we'll be playing as a folk/country/bluegrass trio. I'm excited.

 

[Sid Fang]

Thanks to those who gave me schematics and images to help upgrade my NXT bass. Due to an unforseen event that happened this year that deeply affected me and my family, I ended up having a bass luthier do the upgrade. I'm quite happy with it and if anyone is wondering if they should do it, do it. Now instead of sounding like a double bass being played through an amp with a cheap pick up, it also can sound like a deep and rich double bass when bowed or plucked. You can also get that electric fretless bass guitar growl, too. It's like 4 basses in one. And if you are planning to run it through something like a distortion pedal, get the active upgrade. The super capacitor charging is also genius and very convenient.

I also bought an NXT, before the active variant came out, so the only active NS EUB at the time was the "CR" model, and it was much cheaper to buy a Fishman Platinum external pre-amp plus the NXT than to get the CR. My thinking was that the Fishman, having no constraints on size and power to fit in the bass, could do the job at least as well. And I get very nice tone, very Eberhard Weber when I play pizzicato with the polarity in the arco position, works well with heavy effects, etc. Has anyone been able to do an A/B compare of the active NXT versus the original and an outboard pre?

 

[paulhenry]

I'm trying out a used NXTa from a friend, with an eye towards buying it.

I wanted to ask advice from long-time NS players, preferably those who come to an EUB from a double bass. The biggest problem for me is the lack of landmarks on this basically "all-neck" instrument. Thumb position is not the problem, but I generally play in the nut-heel area by using the usual landmarks for DB players. So my intonation suffers. What have you done to make that adjustment?

Thanks.