News

Hi all – I am conducting again this summer in Michigan at Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan.  It has been a great start to the summer and we are looking forward to lots of good times and music this summer.  I had a chance to play my CR Violin for an art exhibit […]

“Carry the Fire”, debut album from North Carolina band Delta Rae, comes out today on Sire Records (Warner Brothers). Delta Rae blends country, rock, and blues with their rich four-part vocal harmonies, creating an energetic new brand of pop. Check out these profiles of the band from Rolling Stone and The Washington Post. Delta Rae […]

If anyone tells you a musician’s life is easy, make them read Zach Fowler’s biography. Zach’s talent and creativity have put him in great demand as a bassist and musical director: that means great success and a lot of work. Zach is bassist and musical director for six-time Grammy-nominated funk band The James Douglas Show, […]

Daring techno-electronica duo FATMAGIC have just released a brand-new single “Hola Rey“.  (Available on iTunes and many other download sites.)  Internationally recognized for their unique brand of dance music and bold musicianship, FATMAGIC is Madmax Fiddler on NS violin and programming, and Radina Tara Vel on NS cello and vocals.  In 2011, NS Design customized […]

Bassist, producer, composer, and arranger Pepe Hernandez stopped by our booth at this winter’s NAMM show, and we were delighted to meet him after his years of great performances with our instruments. We were even more delighted to get a prototype of our forthcoming NS Bass Guitar into his hands. Hearing him bring this new […]

Justin Gray has spent the past six years studying Indian classical music with Guru Shantanu Bhattacharryya in Kolkata, India.  He first traveled to India with an electric bass guitar, as it was impractical to bring a full-sized upright bass.  Discovering the NXT4 double bass gave Justin the opportunity to explore arco (bowed) performance within the […]

Joined by a star-studded cast of musicians–Charles Yang, Eugene Friesen, DaXun Zhang, Jeremy Cohen, Julie Lyonn Lieberman, and many others—NS Design made a big splash at the American String Teachers Association conference last week in Atlanta.  Visitors to the NS booth sampled coming attractions to our product line, including the fretted NXT and CR violins. […]

NS instruments deliver outstanding performance both in the out of the spotlight.  Two NS bassists (both playing the CR5M electric upright bass) have distinguished themselves in great performances under the stage — in the orchestra pit. Anthony Cooperwood, until recently bassist for Cirque du Soleil’s “Dralion” show, sent us this fascinating night-vision video of his […]

We are pleased to welcome composer and cellist Rubin Kodheli as an endorsing artist. Kodheli plays the NS CR5 cello. Displaying a prodigious talent for the cello beginning at age 7, Kodheli pursued his studies in his native Albania, Belgium, Germany, and eventually at the Juilliard School in New York. At Juilliard, he began composing […]

Violinist and NS Design Artist JASON YANG, winner of the 2010 Verizon Audience Choice Award at Kollaboration, (the world’s biggest Asian-American talent competition,) is quickly becoming one of today’s most popular sensations on the electric violin circuit in the U.S. and abroad. With over 28,000 subscribers and over 2.2 million views on his YouTube channel, […]

In addition to the NS Bass Guitar, NS Design introduced prototype fretted versions of the CR violin and the NXT violin at the 2012 NAMM show in January. NS Design is currently accepting orders for four- and five-string models of these instruments. Violinists praised the prototype models’ easy playability, and commented upon the instruments’ pizzicato […]

The 2012 NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) trade show in Anaheim, California, is one of the largest international events in the industry, and it’s a great preview of what each company in the music business is doing for the coming year. This year’s show was a particularly successful and exciting one for NS Design.  […]

When we say NS violin opens new vistas for expression, meet two exciting artists, Charles Yang and Jason Yang (not related) and see what we mean! Charles Yang plays his NS Violin…   About Charles Yang: Described by the Boston Globe as one who plays classical violin with the charisma of a rock star, Juilliard […]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuPMJS-m5Nc Sean O’Bryan Smith (NXT4 double bass) sent us this new video of his jazz group Kazhargan World.  We absolutely love the tone Sean gets with the bass in this recording.  Kazhargan World is a virtual collaboration, created by musicians recording in Russia, Europe, and across the U.S. Through the open gestures of talented artists […]

2011 was a terrific year, and Ned Steinberger and the entire NS Design team want to say thank you, and give a shout out, to all the great artists who inspired us along the way. This includes big thanks to Tony Levin, Les Claypool, Sean O’Bryan Smith, Eric Mingus, Tony Cimorosi, Laurie Anderson, Charles Yang, […]

New York bassist Tony Cimorosi, who has endorsed and supported NS Design for many years, continues to work on a fruitful collaboration with jazz vocalist Saundra Silliman.  Tony recently sent us this video of their performance at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey. Tony’s musical career has taken him literally all over […]

The 2011 IBMA World of Bluegrass was a gathering of the top artists in Bluegrass. Held in Nashville at the end of September, the activities included Fanfest, Trade Show, Artist Showcases, and seminars covering a broad range of topics. NS Design was well represented with a booth full of instruments for the Trade Show and […]

One lucky person will get the choice of a 4- or 5-string NXT violin, cello, or bass when Strings Magazine draws the winner of its NS Design giveaway in January.  The contest just opened when the December issue of Strings hit newsstands.  You have until December 31st to enter, but why wait?! The NXT series […]

We are honored to announce our endorsement by the innovative San Francisco-based CR5 Omni Bass player Gustaf Fjelstrom.  Gustaf is a multi-faceted artist, trained in illustration and graphic design, now spending part of his time providing creative direction for various forms of new media.  Introduced to the accordion as a child, he took up the […]

Madmax Fiddler, one half of the duo FATMAGIC, has recently launched his own website devoted to his performance on the electric violin:  electricfreestyleviolin.com.  You might have heard that max plays a CR5 violin with a unique white finish, custom made for him by NS Design.  Check it out to learn more about the man behind […]

Rising country and pop violin star Taylor Hope (CR4 Violin) has endorsed NS Design, and we are delighted to welcome her to our roster of artists.  Taylor has achieved great success even at this early point in her career, appearing in Nashville and at Carnegie Hall, opening for Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum and others, and […]

John Burgess has just sent us a pair of beautiful videos featuring two of his arrangements for bass and harp—one of them his composition.  Harpist Krysten Keches joins John and his CR5M double bass. “Waltz for Bass and Harp”, John’s original piece:   John’s arrangement of “Infant Eyes” by Wayne Shorter.  We love watching John explore […]

NS Design is pleased to announce its endorsement by the European electronic group FATMAGIC. Our company recently provided the duo with two custom made instruments: a CR5 violin and a CR4 cello, both with a unique white finish. FATMAGIC’s ongoing “Connecting Continents” international tour showcases the duo’s cutting-edge blend of techno and electronica. Radina Tara […]

NS Design is pleased to announce an advancement in the design of the fretless NS Omni Bass, the new TransRadius™ fingerboard. Transradius provides the comfort and ease of a nearly flat radius at the nut—like the most popular fretless bass guitars. Toward the bridge, it transitions to a curvature optimized for either plucked or bowed […]