Dingwall Owners Club

[husky123]

Nice! What are the pickups?

They’ll be FDVs.

 

[husky123]

Question: the Combustion works on 2 9V batteries, and I've always learned that the battery's drained as soon as there's a cable in the output. Is that also the case when I switch the bass to passive? Would save a LOT of batteries

Even if you switch to passive from active mode, you’ll still be putting a drain on the batteries unfortunately.

 

[johnsonabq]

They’ll be FDVs.

Nice. Thanks Lee.

 

[husky123]

Nice. Thanks Lee.

Also, some of the first wave D Bird’s (like mine) didn’t have “FDV” embossed on the pickup cover but they’re indeed FDVs. I was assured of this tonally and confirmed by the wizard himself.

 

[BassAgent]

Even if you switch to passive from active mode, you’ll still be putting a drain on the batteries unfortunately.

Ah darn. Well, fortunately I just ordered 10 9V batteries.

The new body for my Combustion is supposed to arrive tomorrow. Can't wait!

 

[BuffaloBob4343]

FWIW my Canadian D-Bird is passive. My understanding was that they are all passive.
I guess I'm willing to let it go if somebody out there just has to have a purple D-Bird with a wenge neck.
View attachment 3190134

Dude! You are just killing me with these basses you are offering!

 

[husky123]

Ah darn. Well, fortunately I just ordered 10 9V batteries.

The new body for my Combustion is supposed to arrive tomorrow. Can't wait!

The battery life you’ll get, even at 18V, is ridiculously long. I usually swap out when the clocks change just because of the reminder but I’ve easily gone a year even with basses I play quite often.

 

[Jeff Roller]

Maybe I have too many Dingwalls (nahh)....

I write the date on the batteries in black sharpie and change them out annually whether they need it or not. Only DW preamp that ever failed (in the field) was prior to this practice of annual change out.

YMMV etc.

 

[johnsonabq]

The battery life you’ll get, even at 18V, is ridiculously long. I usually swap out when the clocks change just because of the reminder but I’ve easily gone a year even with basses I play quite often.

Change batteries when the clocks change. Hmmm.... I'm gonna remember that.

 

[xnewyorka]

Nice! What are the pickups?

Factory standard FDV's.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

That's why it is so important to have a passive switch; so you're not stranded if the battery goes dead. Plus, passive is useful as well.

 

[BurningSkies]

The battery life you’ll get, even at 18V, is ridiculously long. I usually swap out when the clocks change just because of the reminder but I’ve easily gone a year even with basses I play quite often.

Maybe I have too many Dingwalls (nahh)....

I write the date on the batteries in black sharpie and change them out annually whether they need it or not. Only DW preamp that ever failed (in the field) was prior to this practice of annual change out.

YMMV etc.

Yeah, no matter what do it twice a year. If time-change days work, that's cool...I used to do New Years and 4th of July. Nowadays I'm doing it quarterly on my main player just to be sure. Also, if you're not doing it already, buying 10-pc cases of duracell pro-cells on Amazon is the cheapest way to go. I buy multiple boxes for the IEM systems we use...

...although my recent trick is to list 10 9V Duracell batteries on our hospitality rider. Might as well get someone else to buy them. I also mark them with a sharpie with the date so I can pull off the cover for a quick date check.

 

[Lowendtech]

I usually just measure my batteries with a voltmeter from time to time, and change them when they drop to less than 8.5 v, (at that point they have lost more than 1 v as they start out at just over 9.5 v).
They still function at that voltage but battery performance is already degrading.
Accidentally leaving an active bass plugged in for +\- 24 hours makes a noticeable dent in the battery voltage.
I (try) always to unplug an active bass if I’m not going to pick it up again for 15 min or more. Batteries last me at least a year on most of my basses this way.

 

[Selta]

All this battery talk, I should post my LiIon recharging system that I prototyped, but haven't yet installed into my Dingwall.

A typical 9V battery has ~500mAh of capacity. They system I designed uses a LiIon battery that has 1,000mAh capacity. It's "only" a 3.7v battery, so I step-up to 18v output. Then, I have two possible charging options for the battery - USB or wall wart. The last part I haven't yet quite settled on a design is an indicator. I want an LED for charge status (blinking = charging, solid = done charging) and also some way to indicate "low battery" (i.e. cutoff voltage of ~6v would be ideal for this, I believe).

The 1000mAh capacity would normally be much longer than typical 9v battery, but I lose a decent chunk due to running through a step-up. On the bench with a spare EMG 3 band pre plugged in and all knobs dimed I got over 200 hours on it, which was perfectly acceptable for me. If I needed, I could get a 2,000 mAh battery that isn't much larger, but I don't feel the desire for that.

If anyone else is interested in tackling it, here's the battery:
Invalid Link Removed

Here is the charger I'm currently using (though I have a couple of others I want to test with as well):
SparkFun Adjustable LiPo Charger - PRT-14380 - SparkFun Electronics

Here's the 3.7v -> 18v step-up:
Invalid Link Removed

As it's just sitting on a breadboard right now, it's not much to look at. The idea that I have is to make room in the battery compartment to lay the battery flat on the bottom, then mount the charger to the back of the cover with two holes (one for USB, one for barrel jack).

Edit to add: if I actually get around to finishing this and more folks want them, I could be convinced to make it a system to drop in to current dingwalls that have the magnetic battery compartment.

 

[Lowendtech]

So, I’ve been sitting on this for a few days, and have to post some DW love.
I bought this off a local gent (thanks a ton Jason, yer an awesome dude) and am freaking ecstatic about this fantastic bass. I can’t say enough good things about it. It’s just about perfect for me.
It instantly became my #1 bass.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my Z3, but as a 4 banger at heart, this is it.

Now excuse me, I gotta go make some more noise.

 

[AB Nate]

So, I’ve been sitting on this for a few days, and have to post some DW love.
I bought this off a local gent (thanks a ton Jason, yer an awesome dude) and am freaking ecstatic about this fantastic bass. I can’t say enough good things about it. It’s just about perfect for me.
It instantly became my #1 bass.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my Z3, but as a 4 banger at heart, this is it.
View attachment 3190434
Now excuse me, I gotta go make some more noise.

I usually don’t lust after 4 strings or Ps but that one pretty much nails it. Congrats on one of the finest looking in its class.

In the top five nicest 4 string dings ever

 

[xnewyorka]

Dude! You are just killing me with these basses you are offering!

Thanks Rob. Why not go for the gusto and add this wonderful passive ABZ6 to your collection?

 

[BuffaloBob4343]

Thanks Rob. Why not go for the gusto and add this wonderful passive ABZ6 to your collection?
View attachment 3190545

Oh how I would love to!! But cash is a bit tight.

 

[AB Nate]

Thanks Rob. Why not go for the gusto and add this wonderful passive ABZ6 to your collection?
View attachment 3190545

I really would like this......
you are like the ultimate pusher

 

[BuffaloBob4343]

I really would like this......
you are like the ultimate pusher

Yup. He may have succeeded Ken as the number 1 DAS instigator. Ken’s like the little devil on your shoulder subtly instigating a purchase, but John is the guy with the long coat on the corner sayin’ “psssst - check THIS out kid.”