Dingwall Owners Club

[IvanBassist]

No, just the normal SS ones. I've used the MM's on other basses, and that might be a good idea.

I run a Line 6 HX stomp and G4 ears...I could probably fix the whole thing with a cab model, but its a lot more fun to experiment with strings! Any suggestions?

I like nickel super bright on my SJ and have been using them for 2 years.

The MM’s are also pretty cool, but they feel a lot rougher than regular SS super brights.

That being said, i just ordered a set of d’addario XL nickel to test on the same bass. I can report back after i install them

 

[wvbass]

I like nickel super bright on my SJ and have been using them for 2 years.

The MM’s are also pretty cool, but they feel a lot rougher than regular SS super brights.

That being said, i just ordered a set of d’addario XL nickel to test on the same bass. I can report back after i install them

Do you see any QC issues with Dunlop strings? I've been running into "irregular" windings on a recurring basis. I can't really tell how it affects the sound, but I don't like what I'm seeing.

 

[spiritbass]

Do you see any QC issues with Dunlop strings? I've been running into "irregular" windings on a recurring basis. I can't really tell how it affects the sound, but I don't like what I'm seeing.
View attachment 3519566

Interesting. I've never seen this on any string that I've used.

 

[spiritbass]

No, just the normal SS ones. I've used the MM's on other basses, and that might be a good idea.

I run a Line 6 HX stomp and G4 ears...I could probably fix the whole thing with a cab model, but its a lot more fun to experiment with strings! Any suggestions?

I've been running DR Pure Blues on my four-string Supers and Dingwall nickels on my SJ5 and NG-2.

 

[wvbass]

Interesting. I've never seen this on any string that I've used.

I guess at $15 a set, the rules change a little. This is probably the third set of Super Bright strings I've seen recently with a defect. The tone is incredible, but the QC is not.

I'm seeking a replacement that sounds similar, but I'm not sure yet what that is. I'm using D'Addario tapered SS strings on my Thumb and I like those strings on that bass, so I may see what they have to offer in a four.

 

[wvbass]

I've been running DR Pure Blues on my four-string Supers and Dingwall nickels on my SJ5 and NG-2.

I like DR strings, but I've never tried those. I may give them a shot. Thanks!

 

[spiritbass]

Played a gig last night at this historic old theater in my hometown. Funds are being raised to bring it back to it's former glory. It originally opened back in 1920. Such a great sounding room and great experience! The custodian showed us the basement area that once housed a pool hall and barber shop. If rooms could talk....

View attachment 3519109 View attachment 3519110

The Fox is such a cool place. The only show I ever attended there was Alvin Lee. That man can play some blues!!!

 

[Wyvern]

Iv'e had pretty bad luck with D'addario strings on my other basses, I got one really nice set of NY Nickles, bought 3 more sets for my regular scale basses, one developed a dead B string and another set has crap wraps and weird harmonics on all notes.

I am SUPER careful when stringing, so it's not on my part.

 

[jakka1]

The Fox is such a cool place. The only show I ever attended there was Alvin Lee. That man can play some blues!!!

I know we are in neighboring states, but still a bit far away. I’m guessing it was a different FOX theater since it was a chain? Cool nonetheless!!

 

[singlemalt]

For my Super P I’m really liking the DR Pure Blues in the .040, VW set. Right now, I’ve got GHS Boomers .030 on it. I’m on a super light gauge exploration. The boomers are darker sounding than the Pure Blues, but the super flex feel is worth it. Awesome for slap.

I always have a set of TI jazz flats for the Super P, and if the mood strikes, I put them on for a month or two. Then back to rounds. I soak the rounds in my tube of denatured alcohol between uses. The flats just go back on the shelf, no soaking for TI’s. You wouldn’t want any of the funk to wash off.

The Pure Blue .040 also work on the AB-1 four string. The E just makes the nut. I’ve also run TI flats on AB-1’s, check with a Jason at Fret Nation for a set up of individual TI’s to make a set for the long scales.

I liked the Payson reduced core for the AB-1’s

Infeld superalloys are nice for the longscale.

The Super series can take just about anything, but be careful on the length of the B string. I’ve used DR Hellborgs, nickel lowriders, sunbeams, and D’ADdarrio XLs. Settled on the Pure Blues.

FWIW, all my string picks are nickel or alloy, I don’t get along with stainless strings.

I’ve got Rotosound funkmasters and Ken Smith Slapmasters next up on my Fret Nation order list. Even though the funkmasters are stainless, I’ll give em a shot for the light gauge.

Set up an account with Fret Nation for the TB vip treatment, discounts and reward points. Jason knows the ins and outs of strings for Dingwalls, plus he’s a Dingwall dealer.

 

[spiritbass]

I know we are in neighboring states, but still a bit far away. I’m guessing it was a different FOX theater since it was a chain? Cool nonetheless!!

I was referring to the Fox Theater in Kansas City.

 

[jakka1]

I was referring to the Fox Theater in Kansas City.

Yeah... different Fox. This one is in Pittsburg, KS

 

[rmichael]

Hey, all! I have a Dingwall Prima Artist 5 String and a Dingwall Z3 5 String. Photos of the Prima can be seen below! Glad to be a part of the club!

 

[johnsonabq]

Full body shot...

 

[husky123]

Well, after a tour stint with @MDBass, this beauty is back home. It somehow sounds better, must be those Matt vibes that sunk into the wood.

 

[johnsonabq]

Well, after a tour stint with @MDBass, this beauty is back home. It somehow sounds better, must be those Matt vibes that sunk into the wood.

View attachment 3519706 View attachment 3519707

Sweet, let me know if you need to move it again.

 

[Wyvern]

Does Dingwall do a pore fill on the wenge or do they leave it natural?

I really like how a thin finish feels on wenge.

 

[IvanBassist]

I guess at $15 a set, the rules change a little. This is probably the third set of Super Bright strings I've seen recently with a defect. The tone is incredible, but the QC is not.

I'm seeking a replacement that sounds similar, but I'm not sure yet what that is. I'm using D'Addario tapered SS strings on my Thumb and I like those strings on that bass, so I may see what they have to offer in a four.

Wow. Super brights cost around 25 euro here in Germany haha.

I also want to give Dingwall nickel a try. So far I’ve only used SS ones.

 

[Selta]

Took the prima and the Z to rehearsal tonight. After getting over the fact that I had well north of $15k in Dingwalls strapped to my back, I setup. We rehearse in a recording studio, so, I just use whatever amp happens to be in the room that day -- I don't even take my Axe-Fx II or AX8. It was some SWR amp and cab. I'm not familiar either with either to know which head or cab, and the markings we well worn off to get a model name/number from it. Oh well. Set every EQ knob pointing North (and hope that's reasonably "flat"), dial up the gain and master, and started playing.

First time through the set list, picked up the Z. The new shiny. I quickly realized... I have no idea what the 4-way rotary does, since I didn't bother to look before leaving. No biggie... a few turns back and forth on it and, well, it doesn't matter which pickup is hot, just what tone I'm hearing. I couldn't find a bad setting. Kept the amp set "flat" and did all adjusting on the fly from the glock and S/P toggles.

Second time through, put the Z down and pick up the Prima. This is home. I've been playing this bass for a year and a half for everything, so I didn't need to fiddle or "figure out" anything, so, it had a bit of an advantage because of that. Again, not a single bad tone at all.

After the 2nd run through, had some time to just noodle. Flipped back and forth between the two in quick succession. I ended up making this kind of Venn Diagram in my head. There's this middle area where both basses have surprisingly similar tones, but, then there are these other worlds that are far apart, and each does its own thing. For this, I'm super happy -- it means I can pick either one up and get to that center, if needed. But, I'm already starting to build slight preferences between the two.

At the end of rehearsal, I found myself still emotionally leaning towards the Prima as my "main" and "go to". I find myself liking it's overall tone a bit more than the Z, for this project. It may have been "new bass syndrome", but, I found my playing on the first run with the Z, better than the run with the Prima.

All in all though, just, wow. These basses are incredible. I look forward to spending more time with the Z to really give it a work over and start getting more comfortable and familiar with it.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Gig report on the La Bella tapewounds from Fret Nation...

Silent stage, ABZ-5 into Turbo Tuner into Diamond BCP-1 compressor, Radial JDI. Amateur sound person at the other end of the snake, Presonus 32AI digital board.

Results were what I hoped for, and very similar to what I heard at home through my MB Fusion and AudioKinesis TC112:

Definitely not the best strings for Metal. Not suitable if you're going for bright, guitarlike solo tones on a piccolo or 6-string bass either. But nowhere near as limiting as conventional flats.

Played fingerstyle, the initial note attack has just a hint of an exaggerated point on the front of the note. The effect is very slight, and only audible during sound check. In the mix, it just comes through as a nice, punchy note. Definitely punchier than regular flats, or either variety of Dingwall rounds.

The pickup switch is more useable. Bridge and Bridge-Neck parallel still sounded satisfyingly zingy/growly- all that was missing was unwanted finger squeaks and fret noise. Cranking the one-knob tone control on my compressor took it well into pissed-off punk rock territory. There was a bigger difference between Bridge-Neck and Neck, which took on a satisfyingly fat "P-tone" quality. Both in series was the same as with rounds, but more so.

The passive tone control on the ABZ is still useful. The tapes have less zing and squeak than nickel rounds in the higher frequencies, but they still have enough snap to get it into the Jazz Bass territory. Rolling the tone control back progressively pushed it toward Motown, yet there was always a satisfying amount of growl and detail. Mids for days.

The tapes were more touch sensitive than I expected. Pedal notes on the B string have a lot of authority, sustaining well, and getting close to keyboard bass tones when I pluck between the neck pickup and the end of the fingerboard. Moving back toward the bridge gets it to growl and burp nicely without touching the controls, and there are plenty of variations between those extremes.

I can dig in a lot harder with these, than I could with rounds without getting into unwanted fret noise.

One of the best parts, was getting thick, syrupy tones when I played upper-register fills. Very sweet and soulful, without being distracting. It reminded me of my '64 Precision back in college.