The CR Series NS Viola completes the NS Design family of electric concert stringed instruments. With a remarkable tonal range due to its innovative NS Polar™ pickup system, the NS Viola is able to selectively capture the string vibration favored for both bow and pizzicato technique with stunning brilliance and sensitivity. Now the violist can shed the constraints of the acoustic instrument, and enjoy full, rich, powerful sound from an instrument that is very comfortable to play.
Crafted in the Czech Republic, The NS Viola is constructed of solid maple, with an sumptuous 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 maple bout on the treble side bout provides standard left hand position reference and is readily removed for unrestricted neck access. The solid ebony fingerboard is hand graduated for consistent string articulation.
For customers who desire something even more special, all CR Series instruments are also available to special order in a choice of gorgeous exotic wood tops or a striking Slate Grey flame maple finish.
Accurate, stable tuners are the key to in-tune performance. The patented self-clamping tuning mechanism automatically grips the string ever more tightly as tension is applied, and the 40:1 micrometer fine tuning is smooth and precise. This "set-it and forget-it" tuning is light-years ahead of the friction tuners found on traditional instruments.
Advanced NS Polar™ piezo technology, based around a self-powered, bridge-mounted electro-mechanical transducer, eliminates the need for heavy on-board batteries and circuitry. Although technically a passive pickup, it has a higher output than many active systems, providing unsurpassed dynamic range, clarity, and sheer power.
The directional pickup responds selectively to either lateral string vibration (for dynamic bowing), or vertical vibration (for remarkably even and sustained plucked/pizzicato sound, like a mandolin). A switch allows the player to choose the desired response. The resulting sound retains the essential timbres of a fine acoustic violin, but can be easily and endlessly modified — via on-board controls or post-processing — to suit any sonic palette.
A dual mode, on-board, EMG 9 volt active preamp allows the player to choose between two very distinct tonal qualities. The first delivers the full frequency response of modern low impedance electronics, for a rich, full-blown "electric" sound, while the second mode is balanced to produce the frequency response of a 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 & treble EQ, all located within easy reach of the right hand so adjustments can be made with the instrument in playing position.
All controls are located within easy reach of the right hand so adjustments can be made with the instrument in playing position.
Volume control / Individual treble & bass EQ / 3-way switch for the Polar Pickup (selects VERTICAL string vibration, for sustained pizzicato, LATERAL string vibration, arco full frequency for electric bowed sounds, and LATERAL string vibration for arco "acoustic" timbre).
Developed in partnership with Ned Steinberger and manufactured in the USA specifically for NS electric instruments, these strings are designed to enhance the expressive range of tone for even the most discerning players. Groundbreaking stranded steel core core technology pioneered by D'Addario provides optimum playability and produces a clear, warm tone with fast, flexible, and sensitive bow response.
All NS Violas come equipped as standard with the NS Custom Shoulder Rest which features a malleable, foam-padded aluminum base which can bend and mold to the surface to the chest and shoulder and is designed to be physically formed by the player to fit the body perfectly for maximum playing comfort. In conjunction with the ergonomically contoured ebony chinrest, a wide range of height and angle adjustments can be made while the instrument is in playing position.
For enhanced versatility, NS Viola models also accept the Adjustable Chin Rest which offers a wider range of positions for individual fit, style and comfort, providing entirely new levels of ergonomic support, or the revolutionary NS Balanced Shoulder Rest which replaces both chin and shoulder rests and effectively "floats" the instrument in the desired playing position.
All NS Violins and Violas are supplied complete with a Cordura® covered, form-fitting custom hardshell case with handle and shoulder strap, separate compartments for shoulder rest and accessories, a bow compartment, and an exterior zipper pouch (Loaded weight: approx. 3.2kg / 7lb).
A custom flight case is also available to special order.
Download the CR Viola User Manual
All NS Design electric concert instruments are equipped with the dual-mode Polar™ Pickup System, a remarkable innovation that allows players to select the direction of response to control attack, sustain, and bow response characteristics. The result is an exciting new dimension in string instrument performance, featuring a rich full sound, powerful dynamics, enhanced bow sensitivity, sustained pizzicato and extended versatility.
As a player, you may not think about the direction your strings are vibrating, or even be aware that string vibrations on a musical instrument are polarized in relation to the fingerboard and the motion of the plectrum and bow. Yet direction is one of the most significant factors influencing the tone and response of a stringed instrument — In fact, instruments from the violin family differ from the lute or guitar in large part due to the effects of string polarization.
The bow drives the string back and forth in the direction of the bow, while at the same time suppressing the up and down vibration. You can see this effect with the naked eye by watching the broad excursion of the lowest strings when bowed. From the front, you can see a wide lateral pattern of string vibration, but looking from the side you can see almost no pattern at all. Instruments in the violin family have a tall bridge which, in combination with an asymmetric support structure of bass bar and sound post, efficiently translates the sideways motion of the bowed string into sound.
The Polar Pickup responds with a high degree of lateral sensitivity and vertical rejection that is specifically tailored to mirror the polarity of the bowed string. The result is a remarkably dynamic, rich tone that responds effortlessly to the bow.
The system also takes this concept one step further, being able to switch from lateral to vertical sensitivity, which is ideal for pizzicato. Unlike the violin, a flat top guitar or lute responds in the vertical direction, minimising the plucked attack and storing energy for longer sustain. In the vertical mode the attack is controlled for a sustained, singing pizzicato response. The lateral mode has the opposite effect, and the plucked response is extraordinarily percussive, like a traditional bowed instrument, only more so. This dual capacity allows the player to control attack and decay, adding limitless new expressive potential to the violin family.
On EU and CR Series instruments, active bass and treble EQ controls combine with the Polar Pickup to provide tremendous tonal range. Additional magnetic pickups, switching and associated pre-amp circuitry vary from model to model.
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