Colour: Poplar BurlColour: Quilted MapleColour: Zebrawood 

NS Design CR5 LE Radius Fretless

UK Price:  £3,095.00 Inc. 20% VAT
Worldwide Price: £2,579.17


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Meticulously crafted in the Czech Republic, the NS Design CR Series Radius Bass — available in 4, 5 and 6 string configurations with fretted/fretless options — embodies the breadth of experience, insight and design brilliance which only Ned Steinberger can bring to the creation of a new classic. His approach to the Radius, as with every new instrument, was to re-explore each facet of a bass guitar, leading to innovations such as the Fusion neck, the Diradial body design, the NS tuning system and NS/EMG pickup system.

"A perfectly well balanced instrument that is meticulously put together... Ned Steinberger and NS Design continue to pusH the design envelope " — Cia Gould,  Bass Gear Magazine

However, what makes this instrument most remarkable is its seamless integration of feature, form and function. The sensuous lines of the Radius are balanced and refreshing, which is exactly how it feels to hold and to play it.

Most of all, the Radius is, by design, amongst the most sonically dynamic, versatile and exciting basses available today.

NS Fusion Neck

The Radius Bass features a bolt-on one-piece maple neck with an embedded continuous carbon fibre core and adjustable truss rod. This combination has the natural feel of wood, but the core provides enhanced sustain and definition to each note. The fingerboard is ebony, with a 35" scale and familiar 15" radius.

Heavy conventional tuning machines are replaced by an aluminium head plate with ball-end string mounting slots, custom produced for NS Design by Hipshot with the tuning system integrated into the body.

NS Diradial™ Body

The Radius' maple body features a pronounced convex back radius which provides enhanced contact and stability against the torso, giving the instrument a slight angle towards the player and making the fretboard easy to see. The front of the instrument is more tightly curved which, in combination with the general wedge shape of the body, shifts it into more comfortable orientation with the right hand whilst the configuration of the body cutaway provides easy access to the highest frets. 

The instrument as a whole is perfectly balanced, with zero neck dive, giving the left hand unprecedented freedom. Combined, the shape, balance and light weight make this an exceptionally comfortable instrument to play.

NS Patented Tuning System (US Patent #6,528,710)

Based on a design originally created for the NS Violin, the Radius has a self-clamping, precision tuning machine, built into the body. This fast, simple system accepts any standard single-ball end, full-scale bass guitar string. No tools are needed — simply rotate the knurled knob to change a string or tune the instrument.

NS/EMG™ Integral Pickup System

NS Design and EMG have collaborated to create this integrated piezo and magnetic pickup system. It features an 18 volt onboard preamp, which provides extraordinary dynamic headroom. The active electronics are combined with the NS bridge-mounted Polar™ pickup system, the marriage of which puts an exceptionally broad, musically rich spectrum of tone at the player's fingertips.

Controls

The controls on the Radius Bass give the player full ability to shape and mix the magnetic and piezo output: Master Volume, active Treble cut/boost, active Bass cut/boost, rotary magnetic/piezo pickup blend, 3-position magnetic pickup selector switch, and 3-position piezo EQ switch.

Bridge & Saddle

Custom crafted for NS Design by Hipshot, the aluminium one-piece bridge and saddle assembly provide full height and angle adjustment, allowing the player to precisely tailor the action and tweak the intonation.

NS Gig Bag

The Radius bass guitar includes a padded gig bag with a handle, adjustable backpack straps and a large front zipper pocket with room for cables and gear. The loaded gig bag will fit in the overhead compartment of most commercial aircraft.

Body Maple NS Diradial™ body
MODEL OPTIONS 4 string / 5 string / 6 String, with fretted or fretless fingerboards
STANDARD WOODS / FINISHES Flamed maple facing with a choice of Amber Satin, Charcoal Satin or Natural Satin polymer top coats
CUSTOM WOODS Poplar burl, quilted maple or zebrawood exotic tops available to special order
Neck Headless, bolt-on, one-piece maple NS Fusion neck with embedded carbon fibre core & adjustable truss-rod
Fingerboard 24 fret ebony with traditional dot markers / Fretless models feature NS style cascading dot markers
Bridge Pickup NS Polar™ bridge-mounted piezo pickup system
Magnetic Pickups 2 x EMG™ Radius custom pickups
Electronics 18 volt NS/EMG™ on-board active preamp
Controls Master volume / Treble cut & boost / Bass cut & boost / Rotary pickup blend / 3 position magnetic pickup selector switch / 3 position piezo EQ switch
Tuning System NS patented self-clamping precision tuning mechanism built into the body
Overall Length CR4 105.4cm (41.5") — CR5 107.3cm (42.25") — CR6 105.4cm (41,5")
Body Length 53.3cm (20.8")
Neck Scale CR4 34" — CR5 35" — CR6 34"
Neck Radius 15"
NECK Width AT NUT CR4 40.6mm (1.6") — CR5 47mm (1.85") — CR6 52.3mm (2.06")
NECK WIDTH AT 12TH FRET CR4 55.6mm (2.19") — CR5 64.5mm (2.54") — CR6 73.9mm (2.91")
Bridge Spacing CR4 19mm — CR5 18mm — CR6 17mm
Weight CR4 3.9kg (8.6lb) — CR5 4.3kg (9.5lb) — CR6 4.3kg (9.3lb)
Strings D'Addario™ EXL170 nickel round wound regular light gauge .045 .065 .080 .100
GIG BAG INCLUDED Custom design NS padded gig-bag with handle, adjustable backpack straps and large front zipper pocket
Country OF Origin Czech Republic

Premier Guitar

Radius Bass • Steve Cook • September 2013
"A blend of elegant form and practical purpose, with an array of dizzyingly meticulous details... Ridiculously well-made & engineered, it resembles a work of art."

 

Bass Gear Magazine

CR5 Radius Bass • Cia Gould • December 2013
"A really cool looking bass with great lines that mixes classic with more futuristic styling... A perfectly well balanced instrument that is meticulously put together." 

 

Guitar & Bass Magazine

CR5 Radius Bass • Gareth Morgan • April 2014
"NS took plenty of time putting the CR5 together and not a single millisecond has been wasted... it is a wonderful instrument that manages to look cooler than a headless bass has any right to."

 

Bass Musician Magazine

CR5 Radius Bass • Todd Urban • May 2014
"The Radius bass stands out as an instrument that not only offers innovation in terms of ergonomics, but also provides sonic advancements that take tone to a new level."

 

Harmony Central

CR5 Radius Bass • John McVarish • May 2014
"Pure elegance... looked and sounded fantastic... low B rings true & long with excellent definition... tuning is super precise... can happily play all night in comfort and style."

 

Bass Player Magazine

CR5 Radius Bass • Ed Friedland • June 2014
"Once again, NS Design brings something new to the table with the ultra-cool Radius. The build quality is excellent, the design is forward-leaning yet traditionally rooted, and it’s a pleasure to play."

 

Guitar & Bass Magazine

CR5 Radius Bass • Gear Of The Year • December 2014
"Still head of the class" In G&B's annual round-up of the year's best new instruments, the game changing NS CR5 Radius Bass saw off some stiff competition to be crowned winner in the BASS OVER £1,000 category.

 

Music Players

CR5 Radius Bass • Scott Kahn & Joseph Dubbiosi • April 2015
"Nothing short of gorgeous... the Radius has outstanding playability with sumptuous comfort... an exceptional instrument with boutique build quality, pristine tone and modern appointments."

 

Bass Musician Magazine

CR5 Radius Bass • Killian Duarte • April 2016
"With a sleek ergonomic design and innovative piezo/magnetic pickups, the Radius provides the comforts of a headless bass with a much needed upgrade in electronic flexibility."
VIDEO REVIEW

 

Music Players

WAV4 Radius Bass • Kel Pilshaw • September 2016
"With such great workmanship throughout, effortless playability, pioneering features, and a great sound, you would be hard pressed to find a comparable instrument at this price."

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