So, I recently purchased a very lightly used NSD CR4M and if my recollection is correct, this is my 5th NSD - and near 12 of the EUB's that I've owned. Oh, and I do have an acoustic upright too.
My main purpose in having a EUB is to have an upright bass that I will go out with during Colorado winters or that I can play in outdoor settings without fear of large temp swings with my upright. Full sized acoustic uprights and slip-sliding around in the snow don't mix well... Not that anything has ever actually happened to my ply bass, but I'd hate it if something bad did happen. Indoors and nice weather, it's my acoustic. Bad weather or wide temp swings, I take the NSD.
That said, for this CR, I've gone a slightly different route. Previously, I've always used the NS end pin stand to mirror my upright. FWIW, that option worked exceptionally well after I had two new bars made to extend the tummy bout a bit further. I've also used the CR neck heel in the past. That too worked well, but in the heat of summer, the double sided sticky tape allowed the heel to migrate a bit and I had to be really careful when it was hot outside and not be so ham-fisted. I even considered defacing several CR's, but I never had the guts to drill into the neck and "permanently" mount the neck heel.
Mark Gollihur (of Gollihur Music) was so kind to sell/ship me a new neck heel. The problem is/was that it didn't fit so well. I will keep it though and perhaps scrape off the sticky-tape and wrap some sandpaper around the NS neck and lightly sand the heel in order to make it fit. I'll keep that one on the back burner for a bit though.
For now, I've transitioned to primarily sitting (instead of standing) with both my acoustic and my NS. Amazon had some Crosley square 24" stools and I bought two - one for my office where I keep my NS and one for home and the acoustic. FWIW, I tried the 30" stools and it didn't work for me - even though I'm tall (~6'2") it just wasn't that comfortable for longer sessions.
So, I just took the plunge to install a small brass nail into the neck. This is similar to what is installed on the NSD CR4T. To install, I cut the head off of one nail, chucked it in my drill and "drilled" into the neck about 1/8" to 1/4" inch only. Then cut another nail to be ~3/8" long and after putting a drop of super glue on the nail shaft, lightly tapped it into the drilled hole.
Frankly, the "nail" is a terrific solution to the neck heel. It won't move during the summers and won't get inadvertently knocked around. Finally, if you weren't looking for it, you'd not really see it.
Because the NS doesn't really have a body, like an acoustic, the sitting position with the NS really requires the NS stand. I've tried the end pin stand while sitting and it didn't really work as the angles and distances between the bass and the player aren't that suited for sitting.
Anyway, the final report out is that sitting with the NS really does work. The stand's adjustability allows me to mirror the ergonomics of my upright. The brass nail mirrors the neck heel, replacement (Spirocore Stark B tuned to C, Belcanto GD&A - as I tune in Fifths/5ths - so Solo A and F#) strings (and some very light plate reverb) I can get to "almost" my acoustic upright's sound/tone, with a Realist, amplified - and I'm talking REALLY close!
Though many DB players will lament that the NSD doesn't have the physical references or the movability of a true acoustic double bass. It's all true. However, with the endpin stand (if you are standing) along with the neck heel or with the brass nail, those factors are diminished significantly. When sitting, I'd prefer my acoustic to not move at all and it does shift a bit as you play. The inherent flex of the NS tripod does allow the bass to slightly shift a bit as I play, and moves back too. I find that I do need to have my left foot resting on on the tripod leg when I get gorilla, but that's not that often.
So, if you haven't tried sitting with a NSD, give it a shot. If you haven't tried the neck heel, give that a shot too. For a more permanent solution to the neck heel, the nail is an awesome way to go...
John
My main purpose in having a EUB is to have an upright bass that I will go out with during Colorado winters or that I can play in outdoor settings without fear of large temp swings with my upright. Full sized acoustic uprights and slip-sliding around in the snow don't mix well... Not that anything has ever actually happened to my ply bass, but I'd hate it if something bad did happen. Indoors and nice weather, it's my acoustic. Bad weather or wide temp swings, I take the NSD.
That said, for this CR, I've gone a slightly different route. Previously, I've always used the NS end pin stand to mirror my upright. FWIW, that option worked exceptionally well after I had two new bars made to extend the tummy bout a bit further. I've also used the CR neck heel in the past. That too worked well, but in the heat of summer, the double sided sticky tape allowed the heel to migrate a bit and I had to be really careful when it was hot outside and not be so ham-fisted. I even considered defacing several CR's, but I never had the guts to drill into the neck and "permanently" mount the neck heel.
Mark Gollihur (of Gollihur Music) was so kind to sell/ship me a new neck heel. The problem is/was that it didn't fit so well. I will keep it though and perhaps scrape off the sticky-tape and wrap some sandpaper around the NS neck and lightly sand the heel in order to make it fit. I'll keep that one on the back burner for a bit though.
For now, I've transitioned to primarily sitting (instead of standing) with both my acoustic and my NS. Amazon had some Crosley square 24" stools and I bought two - one for my office where I keep my NS and one for home and the acoustic. FWIW, I tried the 30" stools and it didn't work for me - even though I'm tall (~6'2") it just wasn't that comfortable for longer sessions.
So, I just took the plunge to install a small brass nail into the neck. This is similar to what is installed on the NSD CR4T. To install, I cut the head off of one nail, chucked it in my drill and "drilled" into the neck about 1/8" to 1/4" inch only. Then cut another nail to be ~3/8" long and after putting a drop of super glue on the nail shaft, lightly tapped it into the drilled hole.
Frankly, the "nail" is a terrific solution to the neck heel. It won't move during the summers and won't get inadvertently knocked around. Finally, if you weren't looking for it, you'd not really see it.
Because the NS doesn't really have a body, like an acoustic, the sitting position with the NS really requires the NS stand. I've tried the end pin stand while sitting and it didn't really work as the angles and distances between the bass and the player aren't that suited for sitting.
Anyway, the final report out is that sitting with the NS really does work. The stand's adjustability allows me to mirror the ergonomics of my upright. The brass nail mirrors the neck heel, replacement (Spirocore Stark B tuned to C, Belcanto GD&A - as I tune in Fifths/5ths - so Solo A and F#) strings (and some very light plate reverb) I can get to "almost" my acoustic upright's sound/tone, with a Realist, amplified - and I'm talking REALLY close!
Though many DB players will lament that the NSD doesn't have the physical references or the movability of a true acoustic double bass. It's all true. However, with the endpin stand (if you are standing) along with the neck heel or with the brass nail, those factors are diminished significantly. When sitting, I'd prefer my acoustic to not move at all and it does shift a bit as you play. The inherent flex of the NS tripod does allow the bass to slightly shift a bit as I play, and moves back too. I find that I do need to have my left foot resting on on the tripod leg when I get gorilla, but that's not that often.
So, if you haven't tried sitting with a NSD, give it a shot. If you haven't tried the neck heel, give that a shot too. For a more permanent solution to the neck heel, the nail is an awesome way to go...
John
