Steinberger: A Story of Creativity and Design by Jim Reilly

Pushing the boundaries sonically, ergonomically and aesthetically for over 40 years, Ned’s instruments continue to be played and revered by extraordinary players worldwide.
Pushing the boundaries sonically, ergonomically and aesthetically for over 40 years, Ned’s instruments continue to be played and revered by extraordinary players worldwide.
NS Design’s founder and leading innovator of electric stringed instruments, Ned Steinberger, was the Keynote Speaker in the 2nd Annual Maine Luthiers Exhibition and Music Showcase this past November, at the City Hall Auditorium in Hallowell, Maine. Read More »
October 12 – 14, 2018, Hallowell, Maine welcomes you to celebrate the craft of lutherie at the 2nd Annual Maine Luthiers Exhibition and Music Showcase at central Maine’s “New Orleans on the Kennebec” Read More »
A generation of musicians has come of age since NS Design founder Ned Steinberger revolutionized the electric bass in the early 1980s. In this in-depth article, MusicRadar.com’s Jim Reilly explores the history of the original “headless” Steinberger basses and guitars, and traces Ned’s journey from those early instruments to NS Design’s innovative product line of today. Read More »
NS Design’s founder and instrument designer Ned Steinberger was invited as a featured speaker at the Skidompha Library “Chats With Champions” series this past month in co-sponsorship with Sherman’s Bookstore in Damariscotta, Maine. Read More »
by Raul Amador
AS WE WRAP UP THE YEAR OF THE LUTHIER CELEBRATIONS, I THINK IT IS ONLY FITTING TO HEAR FROM NED STEINBERGER!
Ned worked closely with Stuart Spector (Our January cover) in designing the first Spector bass and has been a pioneer in innovative instrument design. The entire line of stringed instruments, including basses, without a headstock are iconic and easily recognized in their unique physical characteristics and playability. Read More »
The NXT Series Goes Active and Stays Green!
With the launch of the new NXTa series, Ned Steinberger and NS Design herald the introduction of battery-free, high performance active electronics for the full family of NXT instruments. These include the violin, viola, cello, Omni bass and double bass. The new capacitor-powered custom circuitry, designed for NS Design by Mi-Si Electronics Design, integrates with the NS Polar Pickup System to provide two distinct signal output modes, bringing the convenience, versatility and performance capability of the NXT to another level. Read More »
Pulleys and levers. Remember them? Yes, those concepts you learned in high school physics are the heart of the NS Design patented tuning system found on all the NS Design headless instruments. In particular, US Patent 6,528,710.
Ned has been perfecting tuning systems for guitars and stringed instruments going all the way back to the beginning, US Patent 4,192,213 for his legendary headless bass. The screw based tuning mechanism was key to the overall function of the instrument. Read More »