Dingwall Owners Club

[ThisYouCanTrust]

Yes

Namely ?

 

[bebass]

I wonder if coated/ SS strings would help in such an environment.

Yes. I have never fallen in love with coated strings and don't care for them. For about 30 years or so I would not play ANYTHING but Rotosound for that round wound Rotosound sound haha. On my parallel fret basses I now like the Pure Blues. They seem to last longer plus easier on my fingers. I love the Dingwall strings as to me they sound every bit as good as the Pure Blues.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I would say I generally prefer the sound of stainless steel, but prefer the feel of nickel, so I am mostly running nickels these days.

 

[Bad_tattoo]

Sometimes people ask me about boiling strings (never do this), and don't use isopropyl or rubbing alcohol (generally they have water content), stick with hardware store denatured or mentholated alcohol that has virtually no water content.

Oh! I've always boiled my bass strings with a bit of dish soap, usually gives me the same as your method; 4-5 changes before they can't be revived. Why do you reckon it's no good?

 

[pbass6811]

I fall somewhere between @BurningSkies and @groovaholic, I can go about 4 weeks before I can't stand the lack of zing. I gig 3 nights/week and I practice on the same basses. I'd love to change strings every week, but with multiple Dingwalls, I just can't spend that kinda dough. I've been going back and forth between the Dingwall strings and the Paysons. I dig them both so it usually boils down to which one's can I get immediately. Once my new basses show up, I'll put in bulk orders.

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Namely ?

Certain forum rules restrict me from stating. I can only provide general information as a commercial user.

 

[BurningSkies]

Oh! I've always boiled my bass strings with a bit of dish soap, usually gives me the same as your method; 4-5 changes before they can't be revived. Why do you reckon it's no good?

Because water. You're getting it deep in the wrappings and even when you pull 'em out hot and the water seems to evaporate out, its deep in at the steel core where it causes corrosion that you can't see. Alcohol doesn't oxidize or corrode and it indeed evaporates out.

 

[bebass]

I would say I generally prefer the sound of stainless steel, but prefer the feel of nickel, so I am mostly running nickels these days.

Same. I also do Chinese neurological bodywork and the stainless are worse on the fingers and mess with my sensitivity. The nickels do sound good.

 

[BurningSkies]

Ya, I didn't think the C4 had been around very long. No regrets? Seems to be priced pretty reasonable, considering the power and flexibility. I'm guessing it's not hard to find patches that are great starting points, since it's so easy to share them, but figured there'd be a ton of tweaking to get them just right. I was also concerned that tapping in a tempo for an existing patch on the fly wouldn't be possible.

It's nice but I'm also a fusspot for tone and I'm finding that the interface, while inviting...I wish had an 'advanced' option. I'd like more control in a bunch of areas. I keep designing sounds then going back and re-designing and redesigning...

 

[Bad_tattoo]

Because water. You're getting it deep in the wrappings and even when you pull 'em out hot and the water seems to evaporate out, its deep in at the steel core where it causes corrosion that you can't see. Alcohol doesn't oxidize or corrode and it indeed evaporates out.

Well of course that makes sense, though I do wipe them off immediately after I take 'em out of the pot. Your method does sound better in theory, so I think I will give it a try! Those Dingwall strings do run a bit more than the usual warwick red labels I use, after all.

 

[bebass]

Because water. You're getting it deep in the wrappings and even when you pull 'em out hot and the water seems to evaporate out, its deep in at the steel core where it causes corrosion that you can't see. Alcohol doesn't oxidize or corrode and it indeed evaporates out.

Yeah, I used to boil the strings but now it just doesn't seem worth it. We pay big bucks for our basses and with strings as inexpensive as they are, to me it isn't worth boiling or using alcohol. Since they last me a good while, I just change them. In your situation doing multiple gigs all the time I can see where the alcohol cleaning would be worth it.

 

[BurningSkies]

Well of course that makes sense, though I do wipe them off immediately after I take 'em out of the pot. Your method does sound better in theory, so I think I will give it a try! Those Dingwall strings do run a bit more than the usual warwick red labels I use, after all.

You can also reuse alcohol for a very long time. I use it for more than a year before refilling. I get a good quality 'tupperware' container, coil the strings and use a few twist ties and make sure they're fully covered. Leave strings in it until you need to make switch.

 

[johnsonabq]

Because water. You're getting it deep in the wrappings and even when you pull 'em out hot and the water seems to evaporate out, its deep in at the steel core where it causes corrosion that you can't see. Alcohol doesn't oxidize or corrode and it indeed evaporates out.

I boiled my strings all the time when I was touring (a long time ago). I put a fresh set on every night, but I do believe that boiling eventually makes the string core brittle and I would usually break one string a week (mostly the A string). I guess it was the eventual corrosion that caused the breakage. Though I would think SS string would be less susceptible to that.

Denatured alcohol sounds like a better method.

 

[BurningSkies]

Yeah, I used to boil the strings but now it just doesn't seem worth it. We pay big bucks for our basses and with strings as inexpensive as they are, to me it isn't worth boiling or using alcohol. Since they last me a good while, I just change them. In your situation doing multiple gigs all the time I can see where the alcohol cleaning would be worth it.

Depends. If I change strings at a rate of every 5 shows (or less) and I play 100 shows a year...that's 20 sets, which seems wasteful. Also, at that rate at retail (to pick a sort-of average) 35$ a set that's 700$ a year in strings. I have a pedal board to feed I can't be spending 700$ all willy nilly on new strings every few weeks.

 

[Wyvern]

I wonder if stainless steel appliance cleaner would work, smells like citrus... maybe even electronics cleaner- it dissolves oils, cleans oxidation and leaves no residue- just don't use it around fire!

My strings last forever, I wash my hands all the time, and I just don't sweat.

 

[BurningSkies]

I boiled my strings all the time when I was touring (a long time ago). I put a fresh set on every night, but I do believe that boiling eventually makes the string core brittle and I would usually break one string a week (mostly the A string). I guess it was the eventual corrosion that caused the breakage. Though I would think SS string would be less susceptible to that.

Denatured alcohol sounds like a better method.

These are the ones I took off last night. I’ve played 3 shows on ‘em but they’ll be good as new for another round or two.

 

[BurningSkies]

I wonder if stainless steel appliance cleaner would work, smells like citrus... maybe even electronics cleaner- it dissolves oils, cleans oxidation and leaves no residue- just don't use it around fire!

My strings last forever, I wash my hands all the time, and I just don't sweat.

I would think most spray stuff would be a pain to work with, and I wonder if you're just getting to the outside. that's the thing, you want to get to the stuff that's in the wrappings not just on the outside. Most of that stuff gets cleaned off by wiping your strings with a cloth.

 

[Wyvern]

I would think most spray stuff would be a pain to work with, and I wonder if you're just getting to the outside. that's the thing, you want to get to the stuff that's in the wrappings not just on the outside. Most of that stuff gets cleaned off by wiping your strings with a cloth.

The stuff will seep into the smallest cracks. Obviously it would would be the last resort to trying to save a set.

 

[husky123]

Denatured alcohol works really well for me. I’ve had some sitting in this PVC contraption that I made for about 3 years. I usually change the alcohol about every 3 years so I’m due. The strings can hang from the hooks in the cap straight so I don’t have to coil. Works like a champ for me and I can usually get (3-4)24 hour soaks before it’s time for another set.

 

[IvanBassist]

Since posting trackingpics from FedEx is a thing now.....
View attachment 3563587

It is the 4p6t switch from stewmac since I coudn't find anything here in Germany/EU. Looking forward to some soldering fun if customs in Frankfurt won't hold this package for like 3 weeks

I’m also waiting for a package stuck in Frankfurt haha