Designed and built to deliver great sound, excellent playability and long, dependable service, the WAV Series Violin, available with 4 or 5 strings, provides an excellent affordable option for serious professionals or students and is the perfect introduction for any player interested in exploring the world of amplified or electronic performance.
At the heart of every NS electric violin is the unique Polar™ Pickup System which integrates sensor and bridge geometry to translate every nuance to the amplifier and speaker system. The unusually powerful piezo crystals do not require on-board power, for maintenance-free performance without the hassle of batteries.
The NS WAV Violin's rock maple bridge is easily adjustable for the playing style and action height you prefer — high and powerful like a traditional violin, low and fast like an electric guitar, or anywhere in between. The ebony fingerboard is graduated for each string to optimize the tone and playability of every note. The neck is smooth and fast, with traditional thumb reference points for the scroll and heel and a removable bout provides accurate position reference for players accustomed to using the traditional body shape for reference.
The fully carved interior of the WAV Violin keeps weight to the minimum, with body mounted tuners bringing the center of gravity back over the shoulder where it belongs for exceptional comfort and balance. The shoulder rest is contoured and padded to provide stable support, and is fully adjustable accommodate differences in playing styles and body types.
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.
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 Violins 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 Violin 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 WAV Violin 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.
Electric violins are a new area for me. After some research, I felt an NS would be best due to its size, design, easy stringing, tuning stability, and overall build/sound quality.Barry at TAC was extremely helpful in answering my questions.I can say that I am very pleased indeed with the violin. Although a 'passive' instrument, it plugs straight into the microphone socket on my keyboard & the amplified sound is great, as is the tone control. I am able to obtain tones which range from traditional classic to folk.The only downside is the shoulder rest... getting it into a comfortable position is fairly straightforward. However, whatever I do, the rest persists in moving when I'm playing.Anyone at TAC got any ideas about how to put this right? If it wasn't for that, I would have given this a 5 star review as the violin itself certainly deserves it.
Response:
Regarding Richard's question about the WAV Custom Shoulder Rest, here is a direct response from NS Design..."We greatly appreciate this review! Regarding the shoulder rest issue submitted by the player, I have the following information and, if it is sufficiently clear, will be supplementing our instruction manual with it to benefit other players who may have a similar experience.If the two clamps associated with the shoulder rest assembly are not properly adjusted, slippage of the support arm or shoulder rest base can be expected. When a user is experiencing difficulty, the first thing to check is whether the two members of the clamp touch each other at one end or the other. If they do, loosen the clamp and adjust the set screw (the one at the end opposite the thumb screw) so that, when tightened, the two halves are parallel. Once that has been checked or adjusted, another easy step is to apply a coating of powdered rosin to the support rod where it contacts the clamp. Then tighten the thumb screw firmly.This photo shows the proper orientation of the two clamp members - the arrow points to the set screw used to adjust the position. This screw can be turned by hand, but it can also be adjusted using a hex key. Always loosen the thumb screw before adjusting the set screw."Gary ByersManaging Director / NS Design
Many thanks to Barry for his useful, interesting & friendly advice. Much appreciated by a fellow music lover!
