NS Design Pre-owned CR5 Omni Bass - Amber (pre-owned)

Preowned NS Design CR5 Omni Bass - Amber

This isn’t your everyday fretless bass. The NS Design CR5 Omni Bass sits in a category of its own – part electric upright, part fretless 5-string, fully its own animal. And this particular one comes to us in near-mint condition with the complete working kit: padded gigbag, Boomerang strap system, CR tripod stand, and a bow. That’s the full setup ready to go, both pizzicato and arco.

Designed by Ned Steinberger

NS Design was founded by Ned Steinberger – the same designer behind the iconic headless Steinberger basses that John Entwistle and Tony Levin made famous in the ’80s. His CR Series instruments are built in the Czech Republic, where the level of fit and finish is genuinely impressive. The Omni Bass concept is simple but radical: take the 34″ scale and fingering of a bass guitar, and graft on the bowing capability and tonal character of an upright. No learning curve for bass players. No compromise on the upright sound.

Body & woods

The body and neck are solid European rock maple, topped with a flame maple face in the traditional amber stain. Maple is the right wood for this job – it’s bright, articulate, and has the kind of clarity that lets the piezo system breathe without getting muddy. There’s a transparency to maple that suits an instrument designed to do double duty as both upright and electric. You hear the note, the attack, and the decay distinctly. The flame top adds visual character to what’s otherwise a very purposeful design.

Neck & fingerboard

The fingerboard is Richlite composite – a dense, stable material that NS uses across the later CR production runs. It feels close to ebony under the fingers and stands up better to humidity changes, which matters for a fretless instrument that sees stage and studio. The TransRadius profile is the clever bit: a 9.25″ radius at the nut (familiar to bass guitarists) gradually transitioning to a 2″ radius at the bridge for proper string-to-string articulation when bowing. Cascading dot markers run along the board for intonation reference, and the asymmetric relief makes the upper register surprisingly accessible.

Electronics & the Polar pickup system

Electronics-wise, this is where the Omni Bass earns its keep. The Polar piezo pickup system is genuinely unique – it can sense either vertical or lateral string vibration, controlled by the Polar mode switch. Vertical mode gives you that sustained, even, plucked electric bass response. Lateral mode optimizes for the bow and adds percussive attack when you pluck. Combined with EMG magnetic pickups for classic electric tones and an 18-volt active preamp with bass and treble EQ plus a piezo/magnetic blend, you’ve got a serious tonal palette right at your fingertips. From woody upright thump to articulate fretless growl, it’s all in there.

Sound & feel – who this bass is for

What really stands out about the Omni Bass is how accessible it feels. If you’re a bass player curious about upright but daunted by the size, scale, and learning curve, this bridges the gap in a way nothing else does. The acoustic upright character is closer than you’d expect – you get that hollow, woody fundamental and the singing arco voice, just with slightly less body resonance than a fully acoustic double bass. The trade-off is fair: you give up a little of the boom, you gain portability, consistency, and a familiar 34″ scale. We think this is the perfect instrument for the doubling bassist, the jazz player who needs upright tones at small-format gigs, the studio cat who wants both worlds without owning two instruments, or anyone who’s always been curious about exploring arco playing without the commitment of a full-size double bass. With the tripod, bow, and Boomerang strap all included, you’re set up for both vertical playing and electric-bass-style horizontal positioning out of the box.

Condition

Near-mint condition throughout. The instrument plays and sounds exactly as it should. Ready to gig.