Dingwall Owners Club

[Jeff Roller]

I remember Sheldon talking about using zero frets when he started, but the advantages were soon outweighed by the production time it took to install them. I do have basses with zero frets, but don't have a strong opinion on their "advantage" over not having one.

 

[BurningSkies]

I remember Sheldon talking about using zero frets when he started, but the advantages were soon outweighed by the production time it took to install them. I do have basses with zero frets, but don't have a strong opinion on their "advantage" over not having one.

I play open strings zero percent of the time, so I don't really have the need for it.

 

[Jeff Roller]

I play open strings zero percent of the time, so I don't really have the need for it.

This is pretty much me as well. In fact, the only time I play an open string is on a bass WITH a zero fret just to "release the magic".....I'm always underwhelmed lol......

 

[Element Zero]

This bass dates to the mid-2000's...has the BluEQube (passive mid cut switch), the knobs may or may not be original to the instrument (that's around the time the shop started making their own, many of us with this era bass at the time ordered up new ones to replace the stock ones).

The pickups are FD3's but most likely what you're hearing is that the coils are in parallel rather than series. In the days before FD-3's had 4-leads and you could wire the coils in parallel or series...they came in parallel. That changed by 2007-08 or so when the shop started making the FD3-4L and people could opt for coil switches...and the BluEQube disappeared.

The neck is 5-piece, but is not poly-finished like the current AB's. It's an oil wax finish to the back of the neck, so it does have to be somewhat regularly re-waxed and does feel different from the current finishes. As is often the case, the headstock signature has been smudged, most likely by someone who's waxed the neck and touched the headstock with hands that still had wax on them...another fairly common thing.

My best guess is that bass would have retailed new for somewhere around 1800$ If I were serious about it, I'd really be trying to negotiate the price somewhat aggressively given some of the condition issues involved.

Wow. A wealth of info. Thanks. I’m not in a position to purchase anything right now... but eargasms are enjoyable.

 

[EMoneySC2]

I play open strings zero percent of the time, so I don't really have the need for it.

In my original metal band I play an AEAD-Bird with a guitarist in an 8 string EAEADGBE tuning, and I play my open lower-A, E, and higher-A strings all the time it's fun to play in unison, then drop down an octave on the A strings.

 

[johnsonabq]

I play open strings zero percent of the time, so I don't really have the need for it.

I wonder if they are needed. I've never had a zero fret on any bass, the nut has done the job quite well. And I always use open strings when I play. I love the tone. BTW, the nut on my Z3 was quite minimal.

 

[BurningSkies]

I wonder if they are needed. I've never had a zero fret on any bass, the nut has done the job quite well. And I always use open strings when I play. I love the tone. BTW, the nut on my Z3 was quite minimal.

It's a preference thing, I think. If you want your open strings to sound more like fretted strings, then a zero fret may be worth considering. Many of us don't really play open strings very often if at all, and others (like yourself) prefers the tone of open without a zero fret.

 

[Digity]

Sealed? Lots of options. I’d probably use naphtha

Not sure, it’s for a combustion, I’ve already put a nice gash in the neck so maybe not? Lol

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

It's a preference thing, I think. If you want your open strings to sound more like fretted strings, then a zero fret may be worth considering. Many of us don't really play open strings very often if at all, and others (like yourself) prefers the tone of open without a zero fret.

I was under the impression that avoiding open strings is more about the scale length and the notes sounding brighter in comparison to their fretted equivalents, rather that the tone differences between the nut material and the fret material.

 

[singlemalt]

I had an Afterburner 1 six string in whale pool, almost identical to the one in the classifieds. Same era for sure, just a push pull tone for the blueqube switch.

There was something special about the sound of that one. Just an outstanding, great sounding Dingwall. I never felt like it needed anything extra, though I'd have been interested in a P tone if they made one for six strings.

And very light for a six string.

I think it came and went for around $2K.

 

[johnsonabq]

Just thinking out loud here but, I'm having trouble seeing how the string has a brighter tone from a synthetic nut, than a steel fret. (I'm not a physics guy. And after years of brass nuts I found it... interesting, that Dingwall's are synthetic)
I've heard "teachers" on you tube say "never play an open string". But of course that makes me go right out and play open strings. LOL It's the open B string that sold me on Dingwalls in the first place.
Like @BurningSkies said, it's preference. I also play with a pick 2/3, to 3/4 of the time.
But hey, that's me. I still like my RH750 too so...

 

[Thumper]

For many years I didn't play open strings (or 4s), the tone wasn't the same, and it made it easier to play another tuning if the singer needed it. When I became the lead singer in a jam band, I went back to 4s and open strings to ease the transition. I still play open strings if the tone is close. However, sometimes an open or fretted note just works better, tone wise or position wise for what I'm doing.

 

[AB Nate]

Just thinking out loud here but, I'm having trouble seeing how the string has a brighter tone from a synthetic nut, than a steel fret. (I'm not a physics guy. And after years of brass nuts I found it... interesting, that Dingwall's are synthetic)
I've heard "teachers" on you tube say "never play an open string". But of course that makes me go right out and play open strings. LOL It's the open B string that sold me on Dingwalls in the first place.
Like @BurningSkies said, it's preference. I also play with a pick 2/3, to 3/4 of the time.
But hey, that's me. I still like my RH750 too so...

I think it’s the consistency of every note, other then open strings having a finger applied to it. Even though the note takes place on the fret above the finger placement, I have to think that a finger does apply even the slightest mute vs an open string with no finger applied.

 

[AB Nate]

Thinking about it, I’ve never shied away from open string usage. Matter of fact I use them fairly often

 

[BurningSkies]

Thinking about it, I’ve never shied away from open string usage. Matter of fact I use them fairly often

Again, it is a preference and technique thing. Open strings have a different timbre than fretted notes & I'd argue that the note envelope is also different. If your right hand fretting/muting of strings are pretty integrated then you also can't apply how you generally play to open strings.

 

[AB Nate]

Again, it is a preference and technique thing. Open strings have a different timbre than fretted notes & I'd argue that the note envelope is also different. If your right hand fretting/muting of strings are pretty integrated then you also can't apply how you generally play to open strings.

Yep. Very much affiliated with the genre a player is in I’d say.

I’d find the usage of the open strings more so in my rock and metal experience and I’d find myself gravitate towards the fifth position on the B more in the latin/jazzy stuff

 

[J Posega]

Amateurs, playing your basses. Pfft, I don’t even play any notes, I just lounge around thinking about all the things I’d play if I had the time.

 

[BurningSkies]

Amateurs, playing your basses. Pfft, I don’t even play any notes, I just lounge around thinking about all the things I’d play if I had the time.

You can just make loops on your computer.

 

[jaco944]

For me, at church just before I hit that big glorious low open B I sometimes announce to the keyboard player “you ready for the hand of god cause here’s comes the thunder” hahaha

 

[johnsonabq]

Again, it is a preference and technique thing. Open strings have a different timbre than fretted notes & I'd argue that the note envelope is also different. If your right hand fretting/muting of strings are pretty integrated then you also can't apply how you generally play to open strings.

Yup. For me, if I need muting in a song, I'm probably playing with a pick and palm muting. Even fingerstyle I'll pluck with my thumb and palm mute.
A perfect example is when my band plays Satriani "Flying in a Blue Dream", a lot of that song is palm muted w/pick. Although it's in F so no open strings. LOL
We all have our "styles" of playing, and we all play different music. If you are giving your all to make the song sound it's best and getting it done; you're golden.