NS-WAV Retrofit - Active Preamp Upgrade for NS Design WAV Basses

Extreme Makeover, EUB Edition!

So, you've got a "WAV" Electric Upright Bass from NS Design, and the instrument is a solid performer... but it doesn't have the same "bells and whistles" as the higher-cost models, like the NXTa and CR basses.

One of the most meaningful features it lacks is a true active preamp. The WAV bass is 100% passive, so it provides little control over tone... and it doesn't provide the resistance buffering for the ultra-high impedance pickups. This means you either need an outboard buffering preamp (why?), or you've gotta use a bass amplifier designed specifically for high impedance inputs (many/most aren't) - at least, you have to do that if you want the bass to sound its best. 

But now, one of the "OGs" of onboard active electronics for bass (EMG) has come out with a DIY, DROP-IN retrofit kit - it totally overhauls the controls on your WAV bass, turning it into a true active preamp. Buffering the pickups at an amazing 20 megohms, it passes the clear, uncolored sound of the pickups directly to any typical bass amp without the corruption that can commonly come from mismatched impedance. It also replaces the simple passive high frequency roll-off control with a proper active low-pass filter, which allows you to taper off the clacky high frequencies without gutting the all-important low end.

Oh, you want more? Well, lucky you! There's more. The EMG preamp setup replaces the basic toggle switch for arco/pizz with an active blending control - providing precise mixing adjustment between the two pickup orientation timbres and opening up a world of new tonal options. It's a killer upgraded feature, and it's built right in.

To provide the maximum headroom and sonic clarity, the active preamp system runs on 18 volts; that means 9v batteries. But you don't have to jury-rig some way of stuffing those batteries under the control plate somewhere. Rather, this package includes a replacement back plate for your bass. It incorporates easy-swap battery boxes that hold a pair of 9v cells, making battery changes a snap. It also means that the output jack (also on that plate) is mostly pre-wired*, making installation easier.

*Depending on when your specific instrument was made, there may be some soldering of the pickup inputs involved. If your existing pickup(s) have a 4 pin connector on them, no soldering is required! If they do not have a connector and are, instead, hard-wired, you will have to do a little bit of wire trimming/stripping and soldering - but tools and instructions are included either way.

EMG even includes specialized tools you'll need to do the job - a special thin wrench and hex-nut wrench for the jack and pot installation, as well as a connector and shrink tubing (for those who need it.)

But the best part? There's hardly any modification - you don't need to rout a new control cavity, you don't need to run any complicated wiring... EMG has made it as simple as possible to easily bring new life to your bass without having to hack it all up and make a bunch of sawdust. This kit will arguably make the electronics in your WAV even more flexible than even the setup that comes in the NXTa, and it'll run on common alkaline batteries (which you might prefer if the whole NXTa flash-recharge thing isn't your thing.)

The all-new EMG NS-WAV Retro Fit System will transform your WAV bass, giving you the tonal control and balanced tone that you've always wanted. This drop-in system will bring in wall-shaking lows and a variety of new timbres that were impossible to achieve before.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• MODEL: EMG NS-WAV
• Input impedance (internal):  20M Ohm
• Noise:  -126dB
• LPF Sweep: 500-3700Hz
• Output Impedance (at jack):  500 Ohm
• Current Requirement @18V: 2.8mA

NOTES:

This retrofit kit is designed for use with the NS Design FULL SIZE WAV bass. It does not work with the OmniBass.

The back plate is only drilled for four string holes, not five - so it may work electronically with a 5-string WAV, but you may not be able to use a full set of regular upright strings. I am reaching out to EMG to find out if a five-string version of the plate may become available.

This may also be a viable upgrade for the older, passive models of the NXT (before they came out with the flash-rechargeable "active" NXTa version of the instrument). We have yet to test this theory, but we believe that it uses the same backplate - and the pickups are generally equivalent. More on that to come!