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Dingwall Owners Club

#21,781
I'm kind of really thinking hard about stringing my SP5 EADGC and my ABZ6 F#BEADG. But I really don't want to widen the nut on the ABZ and I'm concerned that the strings would buzz at the nut on my SP. Since I've not had a high C 5 string or low F# before, I'm wondering if any of you fine Dingwall owners have done similar experiments.

The SP doesn't require any mods to make this new tuning happen, but the ABZ would need very minor nut filing to accommodate the bigger strings, which I know can be reversed with some super glue mixed with baking soda and super glue.

What size is best for the low F#? I see Payson's F# is .170; is anyone here using that one? I'll never give my money to Kalium ever again, so don't recommend them. I'm trying to see what Newtone here in the UK can make, but their webstore doesn't say if they can make a string that big.

Ugh, I really hate string talk. The longer I spend writing this post, the more I just want to say eff this idea, buy my usual Dingwall nickels, and be done with it. If only Sheldon and Co. offered a low F# sets and a Super-scale high C set in their nickels and steels. Maybe someday?
 
#21,783
Waltsdog said:
Might be worth looking at something like the digitech drop? Not sure how good the tracking is for bass but it could be an option to get those lower tunings without messing around with special strings.
Click to expand...

The Digitech Drop works, for the most part. It really depends on how much of a stickler you are about digital artifacts. From my usage, I find the Drop pedal is acceptable for a half step down, usable for a whole step down, and useless any further than that. I play, mostly, 5-string basses B-G. I’m probably going to put mine back on my board, since we are now only doing a couple of tunes that I need to tune down a whole step for.

I’d never record with a Drop pedal, but it’s close enough for government work to use it live, as long as you don’t try to go lower than a whole step...
 
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#21,784
xnewyorka said:
G

Very cool - great setup! Isn't that Sonic Research ST-300 Mini the best tuner you have ever used? I love mine. I can't understand why they are not a lot more popular.
Click to expand...
Many folks may be like me and prefer mini tuners that have batteries. If I used a pedalboard it wouldn't make any difference, but I don't and a battery based tuner is a must for me.
 
#21,785
bebass said:
Many folks may be like me and prefer mini tuners that have batteries. If I used a pedalboard it wouldn't make any difference, but I don't and a battery based tuner is a must for me.
Click to expand...
Yep, understood. They make different models, ST300, and ST300 Mini. I believe they are functionally identical, and the price is identical, the only difference between them being that one takes a battery and one does not because it is mini sized.
Not sure if you have seen any demos, but the speed at which they respond is amazing. You could use it to keep yourself in tune playing fretless, it is that good.
 
#21,788
xnewyorka said:
Yep, understood. They make different models, ST300, and ST300 Mini. I believe they are functionally identical, and the price is identical, the only difference between them being that one takes a battery and one does not because it is mini sized.
Not sure if you have seen any demos, but the speed at which they respond is amazing. You could use it to keep yourself in tune playing fretless, it is that good.
Click to expand...
I have a better normal-sized tuner, but i find I leave it and grab my mini-size battery operated tuner 90% of the time.
 
#21,789
J Posega said:
I'm kind of really thinking hard about stringing my SP5 EADGC and my ABZ6 F#BEADG. But I really don't want to widen the nut on the ABZ and I'm concerned that the strings would buzz at the nut on my SP. Since I've not had a high C 5 string or low F# before, I'm wondering if any of you fine Dingwall owners have done similar experiments.

The SP doesn't require any mods to make this new tuning happen, but the ABZ would need very minor nut filing to accommodate the bigger strings, which I know can be reversed with some super glue mixed with baking soda and super glue.

What size is best for the low F#? I see Payson's F# is .170; is anyone here using that one? I'll never give my money to Kalium ever again, so don't recommend them. I'm trying to see what Newtone here in the UK can make, but their webstore doesn't say if they can make a string that big.

Ugh, I really hate string talk. The longer I spend writing this post, the more I just want to say eff this idea, buy my usual Dingwall nickels, and be done with it. If only Sheldon and Co. offered a low F# sets and a Super-scale high C set in their nickels and steels. Maybe someday?
Click to expand...
I was on the prototpye Payson .170, and use the production version now. It's a fine string - it's gone through a couple of iterations, but I feel the latest ones a very solid. I use it on an Afterburner 1 and am quite happy with the feel and tonality of it.
I wish I could continue recommending Kalium. It seems that they treat their friends and artists well... but there's a lot of normal, every-day buyers out there complaining about delivery, service, product etc. I still have no personally had an issue with them, but, I fall more in the former category than the latter (I've known Skip for years).
 
#21,791
I had no real issues going E-C on the Super PJ 5. A tiny open string rattle on the G in the former D slot, but I just slid a small piece of heat shrink tubing over the string, positioned it in the nut slot, and let the tension hold it. The heat shrink just happened to be handy. I didn’t actually heat it.

BSO.com sells single C’s for $4-5. I used DR Pure Blues VW set with a .030, or TI flats 344 with a .030.

Some intonation adjustment, and it set up really nice and low.
 
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#21,795
J Posega said:
I'm kind of really thinking hard about stringing my SP5 EADGC and my ABZ6 F#BEADG. But I really don't want to widen the nut on the ABZ and I'm concerned that the strings would buzz at the nut on my SP. Since I've not had a high C 5 string or low F# before, I'm wondering if any of you fine Dingwall owners have done similar experiments.

The SP doesn't require any mods to make this new tuning happen, but the ABZ would need very minor nut filing to accommodate the bigger strings, which I know can be reversed with some super glue mixed with baking soda and super glue.

What size is best for the low F#? I see Payson's F# is .170; is anyone here using that one? I'll never give my money to Kalium ever again, so don't recommend them. I'm trying to see what Newtone here in the UK can make, but their webstore doesn't say if they can make a string that big.

Ugh, I really hate string talk. The longer I spend writing this post, the more I just want to say eff this idea, buy my usual Dingwall nickels, and be done with it. If only Sheldon and Co. offered a low F# sets and a Super-scale high C set in their nickels and steels. Maybe someday?
Click to expand...

I had a MM Bongo 6 that I had F#-G installed on, nut filed. Didn’t work on that bass so I put the B-C strings back on with no noticeable buzz that I remember.
 
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#21,798
Hill
The_Owl said:
Thanks.

So, for those of you who have gone from a Super series to an NG, is it worth taking the leap?
Click to expand...
I do notice a lot more clarity on the 37 inch B-string if that is what you are referring to, meaning that the notes are more precise and well-defined and piano-like. And if you think a 35 or 37 inch B-string sounds good, you should hear a 50.5 inch B-string. It is completely piano-like! :-)
15278128206143905169716476090035.jpg
 
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#21,799
QUOTE="xnewyorka, post: 21393373, member: 75345"]Hill

I do notice a lot more clarity on the 37 inch B-string if that is what you are referring to, meaning that the notes are more precise and well-defined and piano-like. And if you think a 35 or 37 inch B-string sounds good, you should hear a 50.5 inch B-string. It is completely piano-like! :-)
View attachment 3034971[/QUOTE] No getting away from physics.
 

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