Dingwall Owners Club

[Waltsdog]

Hmm, ok. Sounds like I should probably reach out to Dingwall.

The previous owner did some work to the nut for heavy gauge strings too which I'll probably look to undo, so there'll be a new nut there probably as well.

Was there a Combustion 3X upgrade kit? (like the NG2 to NG3 kits)

The 3x upgrade is the same for NGs and Combustions, they are identical basses with cosmetic differences (body wood, preamp, colours, that's all).

 

[Waltsdog]

Are they a direct replacement for the stock bridge?

On the Combustion/NG line yes, I would assume they would likely fit the AB's too but everything else would be a no.

 

[Selta]

Well, I just noticed that D-Roc Customs are available in 5 string versions. Hopefully D-Roc Standards follow suit soon as well

 

[Wyvern]

That's the only reason why I decided to go another route for that shape, No 5 string standard.

 

[singlemalt]

Nice deal on a Dbird standard in the classifieds.

 

[Salciniclas]

Tomorrow I will solder in the 6-way-switch (B/BM/M/BN/BMN/N). Wish me luck guys

 

[IvanBassist]

That's the only reason why I decided to go another route for that shape, No 5 string standard.

The 5 string standard will come early 2020 according to Sheldon when i interviewed him

 

[Wyvern]

Tomorrow I will solder in the 6-way-switch (B/BM/M/BN/BMN/N). Wish me luck guys

Tinning and flux is your friend!

 

[Salciniclas]

Yeah I don't worry about the soldering part at all since my brother will do it and he solders for a living, poopie like SMDs under a microscope and poopie....

EDIT: funny that sh**t turns into poopie

 

[Wyvern]

Yeah I don't worry about the soldering part at all since my brother will do it and he solders for a living, poopie like SMDs under a microscope and poopie....

EDIT: funny that sh**t turns into poopie

Scheisse

I love to solder, I'm a machine/auto tech and technology enthusiast- however, at the moment I loathe it because my station is on the fritz and it took an hour to solder up some 12G onto "deans" connectors.

 

[ThisYouCanTrust]

Poopie sounds good

Anyway, changed the strings on my ABHS (from dw nickels to dw ss) and started setting up the bass.
I always found the action way too high on the low notes, and it buzzed from the 12th fret and higher, so it was time.

Gave half a turn clockwise to the truss rod and it's already much better, I'll resume tomorrow hoping it will have settled but it's already much closer to something sensible.
The action at the bridge side looks rather high (I don't know how much threading those screws have really, but they are already quite protruding from above the bridge), yet it's all buzzy.
I'll get to this tomorrow, but if anybody has a good idea in the meantime I'm all ears.

Also the nut and the intonation are perfect so I won't be touching those, but bridge and pickups need adjustment.
And I don't think it was setup this way at the shop, so I assume someone messed with it at bassdirect before it was sold to me ?
I don't know, but strange in any case ..

 

[Bassheart365]

Tomorrow I will solder in the 6-way-switch (B/BM/M/BN/BMN/N). Wish me luck guys

Brave man

 

[Wyvern]

Poopie sounds good

Anyway, changed the strings on my ABHS (from dw nickels to dw ss) and started setting up the bass.
I always found the action way too high on the low notes, and it buzzed from the 12th fret and higher, so it was time.

Gave half a turn clockwise to the truss rod and it's already much better, I'll resume tomorrow hoping it will have settled but it's already much closer to something sensible.
The action at the bridge side looks rather high (I don't know how much threading those screws have really, but they are already quite protruding from above the bridge), yet it's all buzzy.
I'll get to this tomorrow, but if anybody has a good idea in the meantime I'm all ears.

Also the nut and the intonation are perfect so I won't be touching those, but bridge and pickups need adjustment.
And I don't think it was setup this way at the shop, so I assume someone messed with it at bassdirect before it was sold to me ?
I don't know, but strange in any case ..

I've had one bass that was a PITA to dial in- buzz buzz buzz, in the end I had TOO much relief. The trick is for me is making sure you tap test your relief (set it so it's double distance at 12th than tap testing by the nut) and let it settle before you go ahead with the action. I got good results setting action at the 12th fret at 2.4mm.

Also I'ts worth noting when I set up a bass I lower the pups way low to take them out of the equation as they can cause buzz if too close. Once I know everything is set, I bring the pups back to the correct height.

 

[singlemalt]

I run my necks pretty darn close to flat, but I have a light touch. The action is very low, and I run very light strings. .030’s boomers on the Super P and .040 Pure Blues on the AB-1.

I’ve never had a Dingwall that needed a shim. I have had to get shorter saddle screws to get the action down to where I wanted it. Usually, this was because I had non tapered strings at the ball ends. TI jazz flats come to mind.

These screws are easy to find at a well stocked hardware.

 

[Green Knight]

Hi gang, I just bought a wonderful Super J5 on the TB Classifieds and love everything about it--the feel, the look, the tone--except, oddly enough, the B string. I know that at 35" it won't have the same clarity as the 37" B strings on other Dingwall models, but I'm finding it very fuzzy and boomy. It helps to roll off the bass entirely, but this compromises the tone of the other strings. I'm wondering if lowering the pickups might help. On the other hand, this IS my first fiver, so maybe this is just par for the course. Any suggestions?

 

[Lowendtech]

Hi gang, I just bought a wonderful Super J5 on the TB Classifieds and love everything about it--the feel, the look, the tone--except, oddly enough, the B string. I know that at 35" it won't have the same clarity as the 37" B strings on other Dingwall models, but I'm finding it very fuzzy and boomy. It helps to roll off the bass entirely, but this compromises the tone of the other strings. I'm wondering if lowering the pickups might help. On the other hand, this IS my first fiver, so maybe this is just par for the course. Any suggestions?

I can fix it. Send it to me and I will see to it.

 

[ThisYouCanTrust]

I've had one bass that was a PITA to dial in- buzz buzz buzz, in the end I had TOO much relief. The trick is for me is making sure you tap test your relief (set it so it's double distance at 12th than tap testing by the nut) and let it settle before you go ahead with the action. I got good results setting action at the 12th fret at 2.4mm.

Also I'ts worth noting when I set up a bass I lower the pups way low to take them out of the equation as they can cause buzz if too close. Once I know everything is set, I bring the pups back to the correct height.

I'm not saying it's a PITA, it's just a setup
I'm just surprised because usually with high-end instruments you get them with already low action and a good setup out of the box.

How do you tap test for bridge height ?
For the nut in dw's videos it says capo on first and fourth frets then tap at 2nd fret.
Where do you capo and tap for the bridge ?
Also I did not lower my pickups before doing this.

I run my necks pretty darn close to flat, but I have a light touch. The action is very low, and I run very light strings. .030’s boomers on the Super P and .040 Pure Blues on the AB-1.

I’ve never had a Dingwall that needed a shim. I have had to get shorter saddle screws to get the action down to where I wanted it. Usually, this was because I had non tapered strings at the ball ends. TI jazz flats come to mind.

These screws are easy to find at a well stocked hardware.

A shim which would go where, under the bridge ?

To give an idea, I measured the square block the screws go into at 10/11mm height.
On the A string there is 4mm of threading visible between that block and the base of the screw head, which seems like a lot, doesn't it ?
Yet it buzzes.

 

[Wyvern]

I'm not saying it's a PITA, it's just a setup
I'm just surprised because usually with high-end instruments you get them with already low action and a good setup out of the box.

How do you tap test for bridge height ?
For the nut in dw's videos it says capo on first and fourth frets then tap at 2nd fret.
Where do you capo and tap for the bridge ?
Also I did not lower my pickups before doing this.



A shim which would go where, under the bridge ?

To give an idea, I measured the square block the screws go into at 10/11mm height.
On the A string there is 4mm of threading visible between that block and the base of the screw head, which seems like a lot, doesn't it ?
Yet it buzzes.

It was an LTD F-415 which has the nicest fretwork I have ever seen, but need the nut cut out of the box (which I had done by someone)
For nut gap, I gently fret the third fret and tap on the first, you should hear a tick tick, but hardly see any movement, no tick tick means it's too low and if it takes a lot of pressure to get it to tick (or you see an obvious gap) it's too tall. Make sure to check all strings- I HIGHLY doubt you need nut adjustment unless you are using whacky guage strings.
The relief tap test, use a capo on the first fret and then fret the last fret and tap on the 12th fret you want a good "tick tick" with just a tiny bit of movement, the gap looks like a business card thickness.

My Combustion was pretty good, needed a tiny bit of relief and action up a little to suit my style (I pluck somewhat hard)

The When checking relief and nut height- pretend the bridge doesn't exist because you eliminate it's adjustment by fretting.
For bridge action I use the depth guage on a digital caliper, set the pluger on the fret, and where the bottom of the string is sitting level it up with the shaft of the bottom of the caliper.
What I do is adjust the caliper to the desired height, lock it and then adjust the bridge to match. Some adjust at the last fret, I adjust at the 12'th fret- once they are all even adjust it to taste- making sure you tune up after any adjustment.

Oh, my EAD string bridges have a LOT of thread showing, and just a little bit on B and G. with the mono bridges, make sure the bridge piece is even (not tilted side to side), I've noticed when popping, the D and G bridge will shift around if they are not level.

 

[AB Nate]

Hi gang, I just bought a wonderful Super J5 on the TB Classifieds and love everything about it--the feel, the look, the tone--except, oddly enough, the B string. I know that at 35" it won't have the same clarity as the 37" B strings on other Dingwall models, but I'm finding it very fuzzy and boomy. It helps to roll off the bass entirely, but this compromises the tone of the other strings. I'm wondering if lowering the pickups might help. On the other hand, this IS my first fiver, so maybe this is just par for the course. Any suggestions?

Congrats!

perhaps try a different string?

 

[singlemalt]

I should have said that I’ve never had a Dingwall that wouldn’t set up super low before I ran out of adjustment room between the truss rod and the excellent bridge hardware. Some basses, at that point, would need a shim under the heel of the neck to improve the angles.

Like you, I expect a Dingwall to show up with a great set up, ready for my personal string selections and tweaks.

Sheldon has an excellent video tutorial on set up posted on YouTube.

How much saddle screw is showing is going to depend on the strings, tapered or non tapered. Sometimes mine are almost bottomed out, sometimes there’s quite a bit of thread.

First check for set up is holding down the string on both the lowest and highest frets at the same time, and looking at the space between the bottom of the string and the 12th fret. There should be very little daylight if the neck is almost flat. Or you can hold the string down on the highest fret and sight down the neck, comparing the curve of the neck to the straight string. I start with 1-2mm relief.

I’ve never had to mess with the nut, even when I ran E-C on a B-G Dingwall. I just found the action to be even better, with perhaps an open string rattle of the G in the former D slot. Nothing a bit of shrink tubing wouldn’t fix.

Since I usually put really light strings on, sometimes I might need to relax the truss rod a bit. Truss rod adjustments tend to be pretty stable, I never see movement after a set up. As we go from very dry low humidity to the rainy season here in Washington state, I might need to make small adjustments.

Short story, you should be able to dial in a great set up.