NS Design CR electric violin, 4, 5, or 6-string, standard or fretted options

One of the most innovative electric violin designs, the NS Design CR violin looks like it’s from the future (and maybe it is!), yet with its comfortable ergonomic design it feels like home to traditional acoustic players. Its innovative Polar pickup system and incredibly advanced onboard preamp and tone controls allow you to tailor the sound and playing experience to suit anything from classical bowed tone to a clear, sustaining pizzicato, to a smooth electric violin sound that is modern and ideally suited for signal processing. Anyway you want to go, the CR can get you there!

Overview

The NS Design CR violin looks wildly different from any acoustic violin you’ve ever held, yet retains a good acoustic’s familiar feel and tone. In fact, feeling and sounding like a good acoustic violin is just the beginning of what the NS Design CR violin can do!

This model is fretted, providing reliable intonation for high volume performers as well as opening the fingerboard up to finger patterns and difficult four note chord shapes. NS Designs frets are designed to be fingered just behind the fret, like a guitar or mandolin.

The instrument features a powerful preamp that can cut or boost both bass and treble separately. There is also a volume control and a three-position toggle switch that tailors the frequency response of NS Design’s proprietary Polar Pickup system to an acoustic tone, and electric tone, or optimizes the signal for sustained, guitar-like pizzicato.

If that level of control weren’t enough, designer and ergonomic genius Ned Steinberger has included a removable upper bout position indicator as well as the most comfortable and adjustable contoured shoulder rest you’ll probably ever play. The shoulder rest system allows you to adjust the height of the violin, the playing position from open to closed, and instrument tilt for more vertical or horizontal bowing angle.

The NS Design CR violin operates on an included 9 volt battery and comes strung with D’Addario Helicore strings.

The price includes the full Electric Violin Shop setup & play test, and a custom NS Design case. All NS Design CR series instruments come with a 5-year limited warranty from the date of purchase.

Options

4 or 5-string: Going for a more traditional playing experience? Stick with the CR4. If, on the other hand, you want to extend your range by a 5th go for the CR5! You’ll be able to play lower root notes in more keys, cover viola parts (or even cello parts by adding an octave effect), and just have more fun overall.

Standard or Fretted: The standard option hand-graded ebony fingerboard will feel totally at home to traditional and classical players.

The fretted fingerboard option is great for players who like the visual and tactile aid for finger positioning and/or for musicians in loud bands where frets are helpful for intonation. The fretboard also allows you to explore chord shapes and fingering patterns in a similar fashion to guitar playing–great for expanding your improvisational repertoire!

Features

SOLID MAPLE BODY AND NECK: The CR Violin is crafted of solid maple, with an elegant flame maple face. This lightweight solid-body design transfers the full spectrum of sound to the pickup without feedback, and is very stable even with changes in temperature and humidity. The ergonomic shoulder and chin rest provide comfortable, stable support, and a removable treble side bout is included for left hand position reference. The solid ebony fingerboard is hand graduated for consistent string articulation.

PERFORMANCE SUPPORT SYSTEMS: The CR Violin comes equipped with the Custom Shoulder Rest which can be formed by the player to fit the body perfectly. The ergonomically contoured ebony chin rest is designed to work in tandem with the Custom Shoulder Rest for control, comfort and security. The Adjustable Chin Rest is optional, offering a range of positions for individual fit, style and comfort, providing entirely new levels of ergonomic support. As an option, the violin can also attach to NS Design’s revolutionary Balanced Shoulder Rest which secures it effortlessly in optimal playing position.

BRIDGE PICKUP: The Polar directional piezo pickup system responds selectively to either vertical vibration (for the sustained plucked sound, like a mandolin), or lateral vibration (for dynamic bowing, and a percussive plucked sound).

ACTIVE ELECTRONICS: The dual mode preamp allows the player to choose between two very distinct tone qualities. The first mode delivers the full frequency response of modern low impedance electronics, for a rich, full-blown “electric violin” sound. The second is balanced to produce the frequency response of the traditional violin, for a more “acoustic” sound. A three-way toggle switch allows the player to select the desired pickup and electronics options. Additional controls include volume and individual bass EQ & treble EQ controls.

PRECISION TUNING HARDWARE: With the NS Design patented tuning system, remarkably precise and stable tuning is accomplished entirely behind the bridge, in the manner similar to the fine tuners of an acoustic instrument. With the elimination of the traditional scroll and pegs, weight is shifted in towards the body of the player for optimum comfort. Although specially formulated NS Electric Violin Strings from D’Addario™ are recommended, any standard solid or stranded core violin string will fit the NS Violin. NS Design does not recommend nylon (Perlon) core or gut core strings.

Technical Specs

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