NS Design was founded in 1990 by famed instrument designer Ned Steinberger to develop electric string instruments. The primary focus is on bowed instruments - the violin, viola, cello and double bass. Ned explains, "Bowed electric instruments have been made since the mid-thirties. Unfortunately, most of these instruments are the victims of the misplaced idea that an electric instrument should sound exactly like its acoustic predecessor. I want to take it a step further ? I want to see what these instruments can do when they are set free."
NS instruments are currently being "set free" by artists such as Laurie Anderson, Les Claypool, David Darling, Tony Levin, Rob Wasserman, and many others.