NS Design's CR Series 5 string fretted violin will bring an entirely new vocabulary to your composing, improvising and performing. Designed by Ned Steinberger, the CR5 has a vast tonal range due to its innovative Polar„¢ pickup system, which is able to capture string vibration favored for both bow and pizzicato technique. The violinist who prefers the elegant tone of a fine acoustic will not be disappointed, and for those who wish to explore new sonic territory, the sky is the limit. The intonation is steady and reliable across all strings and all the way up the fretboard.

The solid-body NS Violin incorporates the familiar performance features of an acoustic instrument, including a removable body segment to provide the left-hand reference position of a traditional instrument. Even the quality of the wood itself invokes the experience of playing a fine acoustic instrument. Traditional string spacing and scale length facilitate the transition from the acoustic instrument to the world of the electric violin with the CR5. Direct amplification and recording capabilities allow the violinist to experience the vast range of electronic and amplified performance opportunities, yet continue to savor the essence and timeless magic of the violin.

Materials
The NS 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. Again, every design element is oriented toward making the transition from an acoustic instrument to the CR5 and then back to an acoustic instrument as intuitive and natural an experience as possible. The CR5 embraces all of the electric violin's unique attributes while taking care to retain essential elements of the instrument all players learn on.

Support
The CR Violin comes equipped with the Custom Shoulder Rest which can be formed by the player to fit the body perfectly. The violin can also attach to NS Design's revolutionary Balanced Shoulder Rest which secures it effortlessly in optimal playing position.

Pickup
The NS Violin features the Polar bridge-mounted piezo pickup system. The Polar pickups can sense either vertical or lateral string vibration. Set in the vertical mode, plucked notes are remarkably even and sustained. In the lateral mode, the pickup has unparalleled sensitivity in the direction of the bow, with more attack when plucked. Attack and decay can be effectively controlled with the Polar pickup system.

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.