NS Design CR4 Radius Review

NS Bass

This bass is an incredible player besides being a fine piece of Western European craftsmanship. After playing neck heavy basses this NS feels so comfortable. The electrical components on board are first class and this guitar has a very wide tonal range. I gave this instrument four and a half stars instead of five due to the difficulty I've had installing flat wound strings.… read more The clamping/tuning system is very sensitive to flat wounds and I've destroyed a few strings in the installation process.

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NS CR4

Bought this bass for ElectricKennyLand LLC's recording studio in the Poconos. We make top notch records with it and bass players gravitate towards it as sessions get underway. The tone is in a league of its own…perfect…in the mix!

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Fine craftmanship

I have been playing the NS Design CR4 Radius bass for about a year. I continue to be blown away by the quality of this instrument. Imagine holding a fine Cello or Violin which NS makes too. The feel and balance are perfect. The range of tone offered by the EMG magnetic and Piezo pickups is impressive. I can easily play jazz, blues, country, or rock. CONS: This bass would not… read more be the best instrument for slap style. It just don't have the pop of a Fender bass. As one reviewer commented, the tuning system does not work well with flat-round strings. The outer material is stripped off. I went through a couple sets before calling NS directly. NS recommends using the specially designed NS Bass Electric Strings by D'Addario (NS710). These are wonderful strings and are smooth enough to avoid finger squeaking. They can sound like a fretless or double bass with lovely harmonics. The strings are pricey ($109), but well worth it. Bottom line, this may be the last bass you'll ever buy.

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Great Tone

I was given a CR4 for my birthday. Amazing tone and versatility and plays like a dream, can't put it down.Mix 1/8 to 1/4 piezo with either EMG-X or both, luscious through my Eden Navigator.

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Ned got it right!

Congratulations to NS Design on the Radius Bass. The design is thoughtful and the execution is flawless. It is a joy to play and the balance in your hands is wonderful. Let me not fail to mention Sweetwater Sound and yet another enjoyable buying experience!

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Good except for tuners

It's beautiful to play, look at, and listen to...a really fine instrument. One problem: I was having a terrible time trying to put a set of EB cobalt flats on my new NS Radius fretless bass, just couldn't get them to tighten down, and it was also very difficult to get the tuners to reveal the holes the strings were supposed to go through...so I sent the guitar back to Sweetwater.… read more They tried another set of flats and had the same problem: "...we were unable to successfully install flatwound strings on your instrument. We tried several different techniques but found that the saddle bites into the string and they repeatedly unravel. We have this restrung with roundwound strings and it's functionally perfectly fine." (Sweetwater has been great in helping, by the way, really first rate).It seems incredible to me that a company so into bass instruments as Steinberger would put out a premium instrument like this that can't handle flatwound bass strings. And if it truly can't, it seems like it'd be a courtesy to document it. I can go ahead and use rounds, not that big of a deal, but...well, just kinda strange to me. Others enountering this problem on their Radius?I was really surprised by Steinberger's e-mail response, when I alerted them of the situation, which I did very gently and politely. It was just sort of a shoulder shrug reply...essentially, "dunno, maybe the tuners are faulty," and no offer to do anything about it. I expected more from a company that puts out such classy products.But thanks again to Sweetwater, who handled things with their usual excellence.

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Look no more !

The NS Design CR4 is one finest basses you will find today! From its materials to it excellent workmanship is second to none. My bass arrived perfectly set up to play. It's tonal versatility is amazing. Using some small adjustments in tonal control and pickup settings, the CR4 gives me freedom To play jazz to rock all in one guitar. This also allows me to only have to carry one… read more guitar from the studio to the stage. The smoothness to the neck and action make this bass one of the most playable instruments to come along in years. My only drawback is the soft case it comes in. I hope in the future a hard shell will become available. I highly recommend this bass guitar! If given the opportunity to play one , you will have a very hard time putting it down. I have collected more than two dozen bass guitars over three and a half decades of playing. This is my latest addition to my collection. A definite must have

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Awesome Versatility

I bought this bass after viewing a couple of videos and drove to Sweetwater to play it before I made the purchase. I took it home and immediately threw some CDs in and began playing. My wife came into the room and just watched for a minute. She said I couldn't tell if you were playing or not. The sound and blend were that good with this bass. I played Toto, Styx, and a few other… read more CDs and was able to get my tone close or on the money. Every note was clear. The next night my band played out and not only did they comment on the sound people I didn't even know made notice of how well the bass sounded. It made the band sound better having a clean driving bass sound pushing the bottom. The only thing I would want more is a clear gloss finish. The satin is nice looking but I personally like shine. I love this bass!

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