“If I had a young musician, I would get them to an Accidentals show. They set the bar for inspiration and their concerts are vaxxed and masked. Three women all playing multiple instruments insanely well, energy off the hook, and a killer drummer holding it down, this is the show to see.” – NPR

Be sure to catch these amazing women who’s compositions and performances tie together the spirit of their journey during the past two years.  Tour Dates.

Captured in April 2021, at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival their poignant and touching tune Might As Well Be Gold brings together beautiful folk harmonies with rolling changes and rhythms.

“We wrote Might As Well Be Gold as a reminder of what we have in the midst of what we have lost… there is so much to be thankful for even in the darkest hour, finding gratitude every day keeps the depression at bay and gives us a sense of hope and purpose. It’s part of our mental health improvement program over Covid. It’s one of those things that we will carry forward as we exit this space and continually adjust to new situations.” – The Accidentals

Check out the reviews from The Accidentals latest release Vessel in Localspins and Northern Express publications.

More on Katie . . .

The post Katie Larson appeared first on NS Design.

Combining beautifully be-bop lines with his melodic lyrical style, composer and bassist Selim has created a poignant and introspective composition with his CR5 RADIUS Bass Guitar. Set in Izmir Turkey, the first video In Quarantine from My Music Box is available here.

More on Selim . . .

The post Selim Gürcan  appeared first on NS Design.

Bassist and vocalist Eyvind Axelson handles the low end with his NS CR5F Omni Bass, combining complex picked passages along with ominous bowing techniques.  Check out Diskord’s newest single The Endless Spiral from the album Degenerations on Transcending Obscurity Records.

This play-through video features Eyvind performing progressive technical passages with amazing bowing and percussive techniques on his NS CR5 Fretted Omni Bass.

“The Endless Spiral is a song about the unfathomable abyss of time that we all travel through. It deals with the seemingly endless, meaningless, cycles of matter, contrasted with our own meager existences. – Metal Injection

more on Eyvind . . 

The post Eyvind Axelson appeared first on NS Design.

NS Design’s WAV Series Violins are fully equipped for studio performance and the plugged in world of amplifiers and sound reinforcement. Versatile, traditional in tone and character but able to range into any sonic landscape. Lightweight with widely adjustable chin and shoulder rests, this electric violin frees you to discover new musical ideas.

Learn what makes the WAV Violin amazing.

Here is what NS Artists are saying:

“Great clean warm sound and it looks super sexy!” —Chihsuan Yang

https://youtu.be/WyJrJq3xtU8?list=PLBAA042B1B8E67A51

18th century Chinese Folk Song “Muolihua” featuring the NS Design WAV5 violin and Erhu. Chihsuan Yang | Arrangement by Stone Damon

“It pairs well with my pedal board, ranging from crunchy guitar distortions to shimmery chorus sounds. Its stunning white finish provides a blank canvas for projection art and stage lighting, taking on a life of its own.” — Annabelle Freedman

“I love the response and the result I can get with different pedals and effects. It is very comfortable to use on stage and I especially love the design.” — Rosario Vásquez

Learn more about the full range of NS Violins

(CR, NXTa & WAV Series)

The post Artist Voices: The WAV Series Electric Violin appeared first on NS Design.

NS Design recently hosted another ConnectLIVE event with NS Design Founder and award winning instrument designer Ned Steinberger in a “Coffee with Ned” Zoom chat. Ned was joined by several fans, friends and NS Artists on the call in a lively and informative discussion. Check it out here!

The post CONNECTLIVE “Coffee with Ned” ZOOM Chat appeared first on NS Design.

Ned Steinberger’s CR Series RADIUS Bass doesn’t just advance the art of headless design, with innovations such as the Fusion neck, the Diradial^TM body, the NS/EMG^TM Integral Pickup System, and the remarkable NS Tuning System, it elevates the bass guitar to an entirely new level of performance and playability.

Learn what makes the CR RADIUS amazing.

“The CR6 has become a new tool for the composing side of my work. I dig it. It has tonal versatility, texture, and a great sonic spectrum. The six strings allows me to play more chord voicings. It has a great sonority, works well with its deeper fullness of tone that my guitar doesn’t get, and it has warmth and clarity like the low register of a keyboard.” — Marcos Varela

Marcos Varela recording with the CR6 RADIUS for Leo P’s new song “Rapid Fire”

“They have the sound that I’ve been looking for. Very different, and very clear tone, and beautiful voice -a distinctive sound that I haven’t had from other basses.” — Bakithi Kumalo

“As an instrument maker and as a musician I chose the CR5 Radius because of its super construction and versatility. I enjoy playing different types of music such as jazz, Turkish folk and modern styles. I am thrilled to hear the different kinds of sounds from the NS Piezo System and the EMG Pickup System on my bass.” — Selim Gürcan

The post Artist Voices: The CR Series RADIUS Bass Guitar appeared first on NS Design.

The post NS Artist Jamaaladeen Tacuma “This Room of Love” Solo Free Jazz Performance at moers Festival appeared first on NS Design.

thinkNS.com/connect

The post CONNECTLIVE Electric Strings Educator Edition with NS Artist Educator Scott Laird appeared first on NS Design.

The post CONNECTLIVE! Cello Edition with NS Artists Greg Byers and Calum Ingram appeared first on NS Design.

We love to see endorsements and partnerships among the NS family of artist with our friends in the music industry! Here’s a recent demo including NS Artist Chance Wilder Onody for the launch of the new Tsunami Cables V-15 preamp.

For more of Onody’s performance with the NS basses, check out “The Music That Was Us” on his NS Artist page linked here. It’s an original composition where he ambitiously performs 100 instrumental parts to create an entire orchestration on bass, (with piano accompaniment).

https://thinkns.com/…/ns-design-artist-chance-wilder…/

https://thinkns.com/instrument/ns-design-electric-upright-bass/ns-design-electric-upright-bass-cr/

The post NS Artist Chance Wilder Onody test drives the CRM Upright with a V-15 appeared first on NS Design.

For Bass Players Only conducted its 700th bass player interview with none other than NS Artist Tony Levin. Congrats to Jon Liebman for many years of wonderful interviews with some of the world’s best bass players! https://forbassplayersonly.com/tony-levin/

In the interview, Levin chats with FBPO’s Jon Liebman in some detail about Levin’s reunion effort with Prog supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment (LTE). Levin, John Petrucci (guitar), Jordan Rudess (keys) and Mike Portnoy (drums), have returned with their third studio album, just released last Friday, LTE3. Safely bubbled during the sessions, the album had been recorded secretly in August, 2020 at the Dream Theater Studio (DTHQ). Levin talks gear including the variety of basses he selected for making the album. Check out what he says about the song “Chris & Kevin’s Amazing Odyssey” and why he chose the NS Upright for that particular song, despite being “an upright and it’s got big strings… and it’s not meant for playing super fast.”

An avid photographer and blogger, Levin had time this past year to organize a selection of his tens of thousands of photos, negatives and transparencies into a ‘coffee table book’, called Images From A Life On the Road, sharing his visual chronicles from a most unique perspective.

It’s not a surprise that it will be a busy year for Levin, with upcoming tour plans including Stick Men, King Crimson and Levin Brothers. Visit Tony Levin’s Website and Road Diary for tour dates and to buy the book!

Levin plays the CRM Upright and CR Cello.

The post Tony Levin For Bass Players Only Interview appeared first on NS Design.

ARKAI features violinist Jonathan Miron on the CR Violin with cellist Philip Sheegog. Check out their passionate musical performance ‘Letters from COVID’ “our reflection on the unprecedented times we’re living through – full of both difficulty and loss as well beauty and hope.”

Violinist Johnathon Miron plays the CR Violin.

www.arkaimusic.com

The post ARKAI’s TED Institute Performance “Letters from COVID” appeared first on NS Design.

Congratulations to NS Artist Brittany Frompovich who is a finalist in two categories in the 2021 Virtual Washington Area Music Awards, also known as “The Wammies.” Bassist and strings educator, Frompovich is nominated for Educator, and Best Blues Artist/Group,  as a part of The Ashleigh Chevalier Band.

The Wammies is a 32-year-old music award show that celebrates DC area artists and musicians, and is sponsored by The MusicianShip, whose work provides free music and educational programming to young people in the community. The event takes place Sunday, March 28 from 6-9:30PM at www.WammiesDC.org and tickets are available and provide full access to a range of interactive features, including Pre-Show, Red Carpet, finalist interviews, performances, Virtual Vendor Expo, networking, and after-party. With a VIP ticket, 50% of the proceeds go to supporting The MusicianShip’s work providing free music education programming.

For more information about Frompovich, her educator programs and the NS basses she plays, please visit her NS Artist page

https://thinkns.com/artists/ns-design-artist-brittany-frompovich/

The post NS Artist Brittany Frompovich Finalist in 2021 Virtual Washington DC Area Music Awards 2021 appeared first on NS Design.

NS Artist Xiaolin, violinist and DJ, recently collaborated with Christie’s Auction House to create a promotional music video to welcome Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Self-Portrait “Warrior” to Hong Kong for the first time. The video features Xiaolin’s music accompaniment on the CR Violin with the painting in the gallery. Painted in the final year of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s life, Self Portrait is a striking self-image of glory, pain and power. It’s a very big day in the art world and in Hong Kong Christie’s is hosting an auction featuring several auctions in a series that unites collectors across different geographies and time zones, featuring important 20th Century artists including Basquiat and Banksy, among others.

In the video Alex Rotter and Evelyn Lin discuss the epic masterpiece ‘Warrior’ by Jean-Michel Basquiat, to be offered in We Are All Warriors: The Basquiat Auction on 23 March, featuring musical performance by Olivia Dawn.’The warrior symbolizes strength,’ says Rotter. ‘The warrior also symbolizes protection. I think the warrior in his case, symbolizes the willingness to fight for your beliefs.’

Discover why this is one of the finest and most powerful works created by the artist in 1982 — the year in which he ‘made the best paintings ever,’ according to the artist himself.

We Are All Warriors: The Basquiat Auction, a single-lot sale of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s landmark work WARRIOR, will be broadcast live from Hong Kong today. https://www.facebook.com/Christies

Xiaolin plays the CR Electric Violin.

The post NS Artist Xiaolin welcomes Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Self-Portrait “Warrior” to Hong Kong appeared first on NS Design.

A concept born of the fun and informative CONNECT2021 Virtual Gathering January event hosted by NS Founder Ned Steinberger, with NS Artist Relations Manager Corey Redonnett, this was the first of its kind CONNECTLIVE event. This hour long chat and performance highlights included additional NS Artist Educators Brittany Frompovich, and Scott Laird, along with friends Matt Laird, Matt Bell of Electric Violin Shop, Mark Gollihur, founder of Gollihur Music, and Barry Moorehouse, founder of The Bass Centre, House Music, and Brian May Guitars.  It was a great hour of music and discussion.

We welcome you to watch this virtual gathering and learn a bit about how the artists use their NS instruments to get the variety of sounds in performance.

The instruments featured in this event were the CR6 RADIUS Bass Guitar and the NXTa Electric Violin, and WAV Electric Violin.

The post CONNECTLIVE March with The Company Stores and Friends appeared first on NS Design.

The Electric Strings Extravaganza from The American String Teachers Association 2021 National Conference is Wednesday, March 3rd from noon to 3PM, EST. with live Q&A and guest appearances from several acclaimed electric violin, viola and cello artists. Are you a music instructor? Make your plan this week to recharge, learn, connect, and make music together at the American String Teachers Association⁠ annual conference.⁠

You are invited to join NS Artist Educator Julie Lyonn Lieberman and friends to enroll early and participate in the The Electric Strings Extravaganza. A special cameo appearance by NS Cello Artist Educator Greg Byers is sure to be inventive and full of the joy and dynamism that he brings to all of his performances!

Byers is an award winning performer, educator and producer. Check out his NS artist page for more information and a selection of video performances.

Register directly https://www.astastrings.org/

The post NS Artist Greg Byers Featured during ASTA’s 2021 Electric Strings Extravaganza appeared first on NS Design.

Are you a music instructor? Make your plan in March to recharge, learn, connect, and make music together at the American String Teachers Association⁠ annual conference.⁠
⁠
The Electric Strings Extravaganza is Wednesday, March 3rd from noon to 3PM, EST, with live Q&A. You are invited to join NS Artist Julie Lyonn Lieberman and friends to enroll. Julie will co-present with Martha Mooke, Joe Deninzon, and Matt Bell.
⁠
Learn about amplification, tone-enhancement options, preamps, amps, special effects, and more. Learn how to use the looper as a tool to teach composition, rhythm, bass lines, and improvisation as well as applications for all of the above in the private studio and/or classroom or orchestra for practice as well as performance. ⁠
⁠
This 2021 ASTA conference promises to be a huge success and enrollment will be high so be sure to register soon!⁠ https://www.astastrings.org/NationalConference ⁠
⁠
Julie Lyonn Lieberman has performed on and presented workshops about Electric Strings over the last four decades throughout the United States as well as abroad to contemporize string education and serve her artistic vision. She has presented for IAJE: International Association for Jazz Education, TODA: Texas Orchestra Directors Association, ASTA: American String Teachers Association, ESTA: European String Teachers Association, as well as state string teacher sessions and school residencies. Check out her website www.julielyonn.com⁠ or https://thinkns.com/artists/ns-design-artist-julie-lyonn-lieberman/

The NS Electric Violins

The NS Electric Viola

The NS Electric Cello

⁠

The post The Electric Strings Extravaganza is at ASTA 2021! appeared first on NS Design.

NS Design recently showcased an online series of informative and entertaining events including special performances, demonstrations, and live roundtable discussions among NS Artists, and NS founder Ned Steinberger, hosted by NS Artist Relations Manager Corey Redonnett. You can see a collection of videos and demonstrations at thinkNS.com/connect.

A message from NS Design founder Ned Steinberger⁠

I would like to express my special thanks to all the wonderful musicians who helped to make our NS Connect 2021 a success. Your knowledge, insight, and creative spirit, so freely shared for everyone’s benefit, was inspirational for me and I’m sure for all who participated in the event. I believe this is the beginning of a new level of connectivity for our growing and vibrant NS family. Thank you for making all this possible. I hope you have a great year! Ned⁠
⁠
Violinists and Violists⁠
Anna Blanton
Eliza James⁠
Ernest Bisong
Dr. Gregory Walker
Ion Zanca
Jason Yang⁠
Jonas Peterson
Jozef Nadj
Julie Lyon Lieberman
Ken Ford⁠
Matt Bell
Luis Montilla
Rebecca Schlappisch-Charles⁠
Rudof Haken
Scott Laird
⁠
Cellists⁠
Brian Webb
Calum Ingram⁠
Daniel Achebes
Greg Byers
Guy Michel⁠
Katie Larson
Kirsten Jones
Maddy Herdeman
Zack Clark⁠
⁠
Bassists⁠
Bakithi Kumalo
Brittany Frompovich  ⁠
Chance Onody  ⁠
Chris Wyse
Daniell Escortell
Derek Menchan
Donald Waugh  ⁠
Jake Moore
James “Hutch” Hutchinson
Lucas Steinberger ⁠
Marcos Varela
Michael Micucci
Nick Cañas
Nick Villalobos
Noor Che’ree
Pepe Hernandez
Yorgis Gioricelaya
Zach Rudulph

The post CONNECT2021 with NS Design – A Virtual Gathering appeared first on NS Design.

In the most recent For Bass Players Only interview, NS Artist Michael Micucci talks about his childhood challenges of being homeless, how buying a bass guitar from a friend on a whim changed his life, apprenticeship with Berkelee’s Bruce Gertz while in Boston, the discipline his band The Company Stores brings to his bass playing abilities, and the promising future work he has ahead with NS Artist Bakithi Kumalo.

Read the full interview on the For Bass Players Only website here.

For more information on the CR Upright Bass that Michael plays visit this link: https://thinkns.com/instrument/ns-design-electric-upright-bass/ns-design-electric-upright-bass-cr/

The post NS Artist Michael Micucci Interview with For Bass Players Only appeared first on NS Design.

In the most recent For Bass Players Only interview, NS Artist Tony Cimirosi talks about his 30 plus years in the New York music scene, his early days in Boston at Berklee and later at the Contemporary School of Music; he describes how he first met NS founder Ned Steinberger, and a bit of the meaning behind the his latest album Change at West 4th Street.  Among other topics, Cimirosi gives advice for anyone who wants to learn to play bass.

Read the full interview on the For Bass Players Only website here.

Check out Tony’s latest album Change at West 4th Street here.

For more information on the CR Upright Bass that Tony plays visit this link: https://thinkns.com/instrument/ns-design-electric-upright-bass/ns-design-electric-upright-bass-cr/

The post NS Artist Tony Cimirosi Interview with For Bass Players Only appeared first on NS Design.

In his recent For Bass Players Only interview, NS Artist Noor Che’ree tells the story of his journey as a musician, how important his family has been on his path as a creative artist, and how his ongoing collaborative project with violinist and producer Jonas Petersen, called Symphonic Planet, has transformed his time in Los Angeles into the work of his dreams, traveling the world to create and search for music in it’s myriad forms.

Che’ree’s journey through music has made many stops around the world with many different genres of artists and organizations. A former US Marine Musician for the 1st Marine Division Band, award winning multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and international touring artist, Noor strives to explore new territories in his eclectic taste of world sounds and cultures, while marrying his jazz influences to the creative process of all music.

Find the full FBPO article here:

https://forbassplayersonly.com/noor-cheree/

Che’ree plays the CR Radius Bass, the NXTa Upright Bass and the NXTa Cello.

https://thinkns.com/artists/ns-design-artist-noor-cheree/

#thinkNS #NSDesign #NedSteinberger #ElectricUpright #upright #nsartist #FBPO #ForBassPlayersOnly

The post NS Artist Noor Che’ree’s Interview with For Bass Players Only appeared first on NS Design.

NS Artist Educator Derek “The Professor” Menchan is a concert cellist, bassist, composer, and college instructor of the humanities, philosophy, and music.

In his recent For Bass Players Only interview with Jon Liebman, Derek describes the ways he performs his musical interests, combining seemingly disparate musical genres in to what he calls mruzick where “all the genres meet and do a dance together… That’s how I express myself.”

Recently finishing the follow up to his debut album ‘The Griot Swings the Classics’, which is due out in September 2020, he is now working on his third album featuring new sounds and is going into a more ‘cosmopolitan direction’, as he describes.

Find the full Menchan’s FBPO article here:

https://forbassplayersonly.com/derek-menchan/

Menchan plays the EU Series bass, NS’s flagship Upright, the CRM and the NXTa. Learn more about “The Professor” and check out his NS Artist page to see a variety of his most recent video work with the EU, CRM and NXTa in quarantine:

https://thinkns.com/artists/ns-design-artist-derek-menchan/

The post NS Artist Derek Menchan’s Interview with For Bass Players Only appeared first on NS Design.

Pushing the boundaries sonically, ergonomically and aesthetically for over 40 years, Ned’s instruments continue to be played and revered by extraordinary players worldwide.

Steinberger: A Story of Creativity and Design is available now from publisher Rowman & Littlefield.

The first instrument Ned ever created, the Spector NS-1 bass guitar in 1977, is still Spector’s best-selling instrument design. With his next instruments, the Steinberger basses and guitars, Ned literally cut the head off the world of guitar and bass and redefined what the electric bass and guitar could be. Steinberger instruments defined a generation of musicians both sonically and visually and were played by the biggest artists of the day, including Sting, Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, and Eddie Van Halen. Never one to slow down, Ned moved from electric guitars and basses to bowed electric instruments. His NS Design instruments once again set the industry standards.

”The first Steinberger bass was a marriage of design innovation and classic sound. The Steinberger and NS Design instruments that followed often surprised us with their innovations but, more than that, they gratified our need to have a distinctive and satisfying sound – they are instruments to help us on our musical journeys. When considering the modern masters of form and function, Ned Steinberger’s name belongs at the head of the list.“

— Tony Levin January 28, 2018

From the foreward to Steinberger: A Story of Creativity and Design

Sources include: Laurie Anderson, Jeff Babicz, Dick Boak, Emmett Chapman, Jim D’Addario, Buck Dharma, Vinny Fodera, David Gage, Hap Kuffner, Bakithi Kumalo, Tony Levin, Steve Miller, Stuart Spector, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Rob Turner, Rob Wasserman, and Andy West

About the Author

Writer and musician, Jim Reilly, studied both jazz guitar and journalism in college and has spent the past 20 years or so combining those two loves. “I see music and writing as different expressions of the same creative impulse,” he says. “Music lives in the moment – writing captures that moment and gives it form and shape.” Currently living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, as a musician, Jim is equally at home on guitar, bass, or Chapman Stick. As a writer, he has done promotional work for other artists and music companies, written for CBC Radio One, and had features published in many music magazines. For more information, please see www.jimreilly.ca.

Visit the Rowman & Littlefield website linked here for more information and to purchase the book.

The book is also available for purchase on Amazon.com linked here.

For International Purchase from Rowman & Littlefield: We are informed that, because of the Coronavirus situation, international deliveries are still experiencing severe delays, so other options may also be helpful for purchase. If you have further questions, you can contact the publisher’s customer service directly at (800) 462-6420, or orders@rowman.com

The post Steinberger: A Story of Creativity and Design by Jim Reilly appeared first on NS Design.

Sign up here

Be sure to check out his fun looping improvisation on his NXT Cello for the Berklee World Strings Department.

More on Eugene . . .

The post Eugen Friesen – Creative Cello Workshop 2020 appeared first on NS Design.

Here is Bakithi’s NS NXTa Upright Bass groove in “Wristband”, a song performed during Paul Simon’s debut at performance at SXSW:

For more information about Bakithi Kumalo, visit his NS Artist Page linked here.

The post NS Artist Bakithi Kumalo’s NAMM Show 2020 Interview with For Bass Players Only appeared first on NS Design.