pantherairsoft Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Hey folks... I REALLY have the upright bug at the mo having had a quick tinker on a friends NXT4 its really opened my eyes to a new world of bass playing... Plus treating it as a new instrument gives me the chance to learn more theory and apply it to somethin new and exciting. I was quite impressed with the NXT, but constantly hear about the CR and CR'M range. Id be looking at getting a 5 so I can slot it straight in with material I currently play, so... Is a CR5M for example really worth £1100 more (over double) of the NXT5? I appreciate it has a higher build quality, plus better electronics, but I thought the NXT was quite well made and how much of a sound difference am I going to hear for that extra 1k? I am also very drawn to this - [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_details.cfm?ID=1201&type=Acoustic%20Bass"]http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_deta...Acoustic%20Bass[/url] I admit I'm mainly drawn due to cosmetic reasons, but also given the basslines current price list it's a bit of a bargain (and about what id pick up a 2nd hand CR5M for, or a substantial saving on a new one) and sound samples on the bassline site sound very similar to the NS Design tone I've heard on YouTube. Thoughts? Shep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Blimey! Where did you see a CR5M at £1100? Is that new or used. Used I could understand. As far as I know the CRs and NXTs are made in the same place, the Czech Republic. They have a very good reputation for building instruments, as I'm sure you'll know. As you have said there is a powerful pre on the CRs, 18v. It also has pan between pizz and arco as well as bridge and mag pickups against a single switch between pizz and arco on the NXT. The stand is also significantly better. So if you said there are maybe extras in the pre amp and stand to the tune of maybe £600 or £700. I fell out with the sound of the stock strings and put on some Belcantos which made such a difference. It will never be a DB but then it doesn't try to be. I don't use the mag pup much but it can be handy to add a bit of body sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I like the mag pickup on my CR5M, but if the NXT was available when I bought mine, I'd expect I'd have gone for one of those instead and I'd probably not miss the mag pickup. Both appear to be all maple with ebony fingerboard and are made by the same people in the Czech Republic. The natural finish on my CR5M shows off a nice bit of flame in the maple. The stand on the NXT is the cheaper camera-style tripod used on the WAVs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 Cheers folks. I havn't seen a CR5M for £1100... I wa asking why it cost £1100 MORE than an NXT5 based on current retail prices. By the sounds of it it's clearly got some bells and whistles, bi I'm not sure I could justify spending double. Any thoughts on the bassline upright I linked to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 That'll teach me to read your post properly. The Universal sounds a bit too BGish to my ear but maybe that's what your after. Don't know if you've looked at the Bassline website. There is a link to a video of the bass at the bottom of the page [url="http://www.bassline-bass.de/en_bassline_basses-universal.html"]here[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 BGish? (Bass Guitar ish I assume?). Well, to my ear that's pretty similar to the NS Designs I played. Maybe a little more sharp definition, but I assume that would be a top end tweak of EQ? Or is my ear just not trained to the sound of upright yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share Posted February 24, 2011 Think I'm sold on the universal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiatcoupe432 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Hi mate, if i would be you il have a look to this one,i had i chance to play and was amazing instrument should try out [url="http://www.biarnel.com/liuteria/sticomk2/sticomkii.html"]http://www.biarnel.com/liuteria/sticomk2/sticomkii.html[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share Posted February 24, 2011 [quote name='fiatcoupe432' post='1140191' date='Feb 24 2011, 05:49 PM']Hi mate, if i would be you il have a look to this one,i had i chance to play and was amazing instrument should try out [url="http://www.biarnel.com/liuteria/sticomk2/sticomkii.html"]http://www.biarnel.com/liuteria/sticomk2/sticomkii.html[/url][/quote] Hi bud, I've had a good look at these already. I'm not a huge fan of the appearance and the price for a 4 string is more than I want to pay by a fair bit. Plus I'm after a 5, which would be a first for the Luthier which rules it out for me. Cheers for the heads up though! Shep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 The Universal is mine! Arrives tomorrow. Very excited! Shep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Well. I went the Bassline and it arrived today. Firstly the bass is lovely... However it's not the bass shown on the Gallery website! It would appear that the one shown was sold long ago and the stock details used for this one which is VERY different. What I have received is either a custom show version or an early model and differs in every way. The body shape is different The advertised one had a magnetic pup and piezo bridge, this has 2 pups and no piezo. The advertised bass is active, this is passive The advertised bass came with a body support, this has strap lock pins instead so it can be worn as a regular bass The advertised instrumen has a beveled fretboard, this one does not. The stock instrument from bassline is 42" (ish) scale, this is 34"!!!! Basically a totally different instrument. It's a pure electric bass placed upright. Oddly though I quite like it. I called the gallery and told Martin the issue who seemed as confused as me. Suggested I give it a play and send it back if it doesn't do the job for me. I've raised the action considerably to allow a more DB style of play and to remove clunk (was set up as a low action fretless). In doing so the string tension is quite nice. By rolling to the neck pup and rolling the top end off the passive EQ I get a nice upright-esque sound if I play over the bottom of the fretboard rather than over the pups. Compared to doing the same with my Roscoe fretless, the tone is much more upright... And it came strung with Steel roundwounds... So I'm thinking that a set of flatwounds may actually work for me and get the tone I'm after. I'm going to ask the gallery to send me an old set or something to help me decide whether I'll keep her. Being short (5'4") I'm starting to see that I may actually struggle a little with a full scale upright anyway and this on the stand is very very comfy. It's well made and the scoope out back with a channel for the thumb is wicked. Whilst I consider my options here are a few rubbish pics from my iPhone... Link to the actual bass I thought I was buying for reference - [url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_details.cfm?ID=1201&type=Acoustic%20Bass"]http://www.thebassgallery.com/product_deta...Acoustic%20Bass[/url] Thoughts/feedback/etc... Shep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 It'll be interesting to hear that popped thru your pedalboard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 [quote name='xgsjx' post='1148996' date='Mar 3 2011, 10:17 PM']It'll be interesting to hear that popped thru your pedalboard! [/quote] That will be happening this weekend (board lives at the studio!)... That's where the magnetic pickups become an advantage a well (better response to many pedals)... Feeling the Roni Size vibe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Funny, Roni Size was what first came to my mind too. Brown Paper Bag to start with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 Quite possibly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_lindsay Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Oooh! That looks great!!! I love the back of the neck - cool!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 Cheers, yeah I'm warming to it quite a lot. It's super comfy on the neck and a good range of tones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherairsoft Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 Better pics for those interested [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=57329&view=findpost&p=1151440"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&sho...t&p=1151440[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biarnel Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 [quote name='fiatcoupe432' post='1140191' date='Feb 24 2011, 06:49 PM']Hi mate, if i would be you il have a look to this one,i had i chance to play and was amazing instrument should try out [url="http://www.biarnel.com/liuteria/sticomk2/sticomkii.html"]http://www.biarnel.com/liuteria/sticomk2/sticomkii.html[/url][/quote] I bet I know which Stìco you tested! By the way, the Stìco is designed to work with five strings, as well. Just a little modification to the headstock is required, and things like that. There are no five strings model shown on the website only because the typical Stìco user is a double bass player.. not very fond of the fifth string, ususally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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