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 music for theater and dance collaborations, and went on to pursue a career as a composer. His music has appeared in the feature film Precious; in the documentary Third Wave, about the 2004 Tsunami; and in the award-winning dance film Becoming. On television, his music has also featured in the HBO series True Blood.

In addition to his solo performances, Kodheli leads the New York-based avant-rock band Blues In Space.  A reviewer said Kodheli’s performance with the band “transcends the mold of the classically trained string player, showing off a smirkingly vast knowledge of metal licks and an ability to transpose guitar voicings to the cello”.

VIDEO: Rubin Kodheli performs his composition “Jungle” on the NS CR5 cello, with the Ossia Chamber Players.

Read more on Kodheli’s website.

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 performance, noting that the frets gave significantly more sustain to plucked notes. We expect these instruments to become available in mid-2012.  Be sure to join our mailing list and “like” our Facebook page to get the latest news!

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.  We brought several prototype instruments to the show and were heartened by the enthusiastic response they received from players and the press.

Making its debut at the show was a prototype of the new NS Bass Guitar—designed by Ned Steinberger and built by luthier Jonathan Kelsey. We brought two 5-string versions to the show for player feedback—one fretted, the other fretless. Enthusiasm for the instrument soon spread to the public and the press. Premier Guitar Magazine honored the bass as an “Editor’s Pick” of the show, and Bass Gear Magazine designated it “Best of Show”.

Several excellent video interviews were generated at the show. NoTreble.com published this overview of the instrument and a video interview with Ned Steinberger. Here are a couple other great videos showcasing the instrument.

Custom editions of the NS Bass Guitar, hand-built in Maine by luthier Jon Kelsey, will be available late Spring of 2012. Standard production models, which will be made in the Czech Republic, are expected in Fall of 2012. Details will be announced as these come closer to actual production.

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.

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 from around the globe Kazhargan World is born. With a love for unity and the furthering of jazz, a unique combination of musical talents took on the distinct challenge of creating world class jazz while never being able to interact in the same room. For generations this concept seemed futile but in truth it was only waiting for the right people to accept the challenge. From Russia to Germany to across the United States of America the artists laid out their hearts and their souls for music that was bigger than them and all about heart and sounds and jazz. As the residents of Kazhargan World we invite you in and we hope you enjoy.

—Sean O’Bryan Smith

We’re also looking forward to seeing Sean and another of his jazz groups, Polcat, at the NAMM trade show in Anaheim, CA, at the end of next week.

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, Adam Baldych, John Burgess, Jenn Adams, Jason Yang, Anthony Cooperwood, Jeremy Arrowood, Morwenna Lasko, Matt Osborne, Marc Langis, FATMAGIC, Dr. Gregory Walker, Teresa Jenkins-Russ, Scott Laird, Gary Kuo, Jeff Byrd, Rob Wasserman, Reed Jones, Taylor Hope—among many other exciting and phenomenal players. Check our artist roster to learn more about the wide range of representative artists who make music on our instruments.

Special thanks to those artists who sent us or posted videos of their performances on NS instruments this year. You guys blew our socks off, and we can’t resist sharing a few of these again!

Adam Baldych

John Burgess

Charles Yang

Gustaf Fjelstrom

FATMAGIC

Jason Yang

New NXT Models

Performances like these, and feedback from you, are what inspire us to develop new instruments. This year, we introduced two new models to the NS Design NXT series, which is priced for the working pro and brings the expressive possibilities of electric strings to more musicians than ever before.

The NXT Cello

Since we introduced the NXT cello almost a year ago, cellists around the world have been discovering the potential of the electric cello. Hand crafted in the Czech Republic from maple and ebony, the NXT Cello features NS Design’s patented Polar™ pickup system and JackPot™ circuitry, and delivers a rich, full tone and an extremely comfortable and versatile stage or studio playing experience.

The NXT Violin

This great new instrument follows in the footsteps of the NXT bass and cello, offering world-class quality to the violinist who is serious about amplified or studio performance. Featuring NS Design’s Polar™ pickup system and JackPot™ circuitry, the NXT delivers exquisite tone and—as one of the lightest production electric violins in its class—exceptional comfort. It’s the ideal instrument for the working professional and committed amateur alike.

Stay connected in 2012!

This coming year, keep up with exciting news about our instruments and the musicians who play them! Use the links above to follow us on Facebook and be sure to check out our YouTube channel for great performance on some of the coolest electric instruments available today.

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 world—his group, Tony Cimorosi NY International, completed a tour of Russia and Siberia, sponsored by the U.S. State Departement and the Exxon Mobil corporation.  With a master’s degree in composition from SUNY’s Purchase College, Tony is equally in demand as a music educator and has served on the faculty at Purchase College, Iona College, and Rampano College.

Be sure to check out his website to learn more about his recent work!

NS Design’s artist relations manager Corey Redonett recently interviewed Tony about his career and his experiences with NS Design’s instruments.  We’ll be posting that in a couple weeks—stay tuned!

Randy Barnes (Josh Williams Band), Wayne Taylor (Blue Highway), and Sav Sankaran (Dixie Bee-Liners).

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 the Fanfest. Mike and Janet Kropp, who head up the NS Sales team, were on hand. The NS booth was on fire with activity—several NS endorsers visited and jammed at the booth. Many other great players and fans jammed the booth to get a peak and demo of the instruments. The NS booth was a definite destination coordinate for the top bluegrass musicians and bands.

NS Design now boasts a roster of the best bass players in Bluegrass: Randy Barnes (Josh Williams Band) spent much time in the booth demoing, jamming, and greeting fellow artists and fans. Randy has really become our NS Design ambassador to the Bluegrass scene!

Daniel Stewart on stage with the Larry Stephenson Band

Other bluegrass bass-endorser luminaries spending time at the booth: Kyle Perkins (JD Crowe and The New South), Jeremy Arrowood (Daryll Webb Band), Sav Sankaran (Dixie Bee-Liners), Daniel Stewart (Larry Stephenson Band),  Blake Bowen (Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper), and Reed Jones, (Audie Blaylock and Redline).

We had Wayne Taylor of Blue Highway and Edgar Loudermilk of Third Tyme Out come by to visit and sample our basses. Don Rigsby (Don Rigsby & Midnight Call) visited with us and will soon have his new WAV-5 Violin. Don brought his bass player Matt Osborne along and we signed him up to endorse the NXT bass.

Other visitors to the booth included Gary Rea from the Stringbenders and Ben Kaufman from the Yonder Mountain String Band. Crystal Shipley of the Dixie Bee-Liners dropped by to play the WAV Violins.

Jody King of Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time also stopped by for a photo op.

Laurence Knight and his CR4M double bass.

Tiller’s Folly from White Rock, BC, Canada gave an impromptu concert between the NS booth and the International Folk Alliance Booth.  Laurence Knight was playing his CR4M Bass!   Brian Smith of Leadership Management, who manages Tiller’s Folly, also represents Mountain Heart. Mountain Heart’s Jimmy Van Cleve plays a CR5 Violin and Jason Moore uses an OmniBass on stage.

Mike Kropp, NS Design Director of Sales, is a well known banjo player in his own right. He performed and recorded with Northern Lights for several years. He has played and recorded with Vassar Clements, Peter Rowan, Jonathan Edwards, and Don McLean. Two of bluegrass banjo’s brightest stars, Terry Baucom –“The Duke of Drive”, and Mike Munford (Frank Solivan Band) dropped by to pick a few with Mike at the booth. Terry’s wife Cindy is the proud owner and endorser for the NS NXT Bass. Cindy is well known to bluegrass audiences via her long standing, award winning, syndicated radio show called Knee-Deep in Bluegrass.

Rick Starkey, super flatpicker and Martin Guitar clinician jammed with Mike and several artists at the booth.

“Bear” Acker, Executive Director of ASIA (The Assoc. of Stringed Instrument Artisans) Visited with Mike. NS Design’s Founder and President, Ned Steinberger, was the keynote speaker at the recent ASIA conference.

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 debuted with the NXT bass in 2009, followed by the NXT cello and violin this year.  The instruments’ legendary quality and stellar performance has made them instant hits among new and experienced players alike.

To enter the contest, visit the signup page at www.allthingsstrings.com/NS-Design-Giveaway and click on the button that says “Enter the Giveaway”.  Good luck!

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 bass in high school and never looked back.

Gustaf’s intense explorations of the Omni Bass’s abilities—through subtle arco and pizzicato playing, looping, and post-processing—demonstrate the instrument’s vast potential and reveal his own intense creativity.  Check out this clip of his solo performance:

We’re delighted that Gustaf has chosen to play one of our instruments, and we’re looking forward to his future work. To learn more about his many creative endeavors, visit his website, and consider ordering or downloading a copy of his album, “Metamesmeric”.

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 the mask!