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Dingwall Owners Club
- Thread starter FroggyOne2
- Start date
Folks, I know this question has been asked at least a million times, but I was surprised to see there's no authoritative answer. Mostly conflicting reports of trials & errors.
What non-Dingwall strings reliably go on this beast, 5er in my case? I know about Kalium and Payson obviously (do you have a strong preference here?), but talking about the more common brands. For reference, I default to DR lo riders for most uses, and would love to have that hex core feel under my fingers here too.
I'd expect someone to have started a Google doc by now
Paysons are my goto. Quick reliable service. Great CS. Great sounding strings.
Nothing wrong with the dingwall strings.
Never dealt with Kallium but I have a set here and they are great for the drop tunes stuff. I’ve heard CS is poor
Newtone I think has gained popularity especially in Europe.
D ‘Addario makes a long scale set but I’ve honestly never ever been a fan of the ones I try due to availability locally.
I haven't been following -- important question is which model are you referring to? And a follow-up question is what aren't you liking about Dingwall strings, which will point you in different possible directions.Folks, I know this question has been asked at least a million times, but I was surprised to see there's no authoritative answer. Mostly conflicting reports of trials & errors.
What non-Dingwall strings reliably go on this beast, 5er in my case? I know about Kalium and Payson obviously (do you have a strong preference here?), but talking about the more common brands. For reference, I default to DR lo riders for most uses, and would love to have that hex core feel under my fingers here too.
I'd expect someone to have started a Google doc by now
Jason at FretNation has a lot of that data compiled for the "common" brands.What non-Dingwall strings reliably go on this beast, 5er in my case? I know about Kalium and Payson obviously (do you have a strong preference here?), but talking about the more common brands.
Another option: I think that SIT Strings may have been the former Dingwall OEM, because they list sets as "Dingwall Style" on their website.
Finally, I've used both Kalium and Payson strings.
Both supply great strings, and the customer experience with Payson was also great (good prices and fast shipping).
Kalium were just too difficult to get; I couldn't rely on them as my go-to: place an order and wait 1 month...2 months...which is too bad because the strings are great, and they have so many options that you can REALLY choose the tension and feel that you want.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I've never heard that SIT were an OEM provider. I do know that the current ones are D'Addario and the previous ones were GHS...
I guess I will always have a soft spot for the GHS voodoo strings. I always thought the tuner ends were so graceful looking.....I still have a set or two in reserve!
Same - I had a couple sets of the Voodoo strings that lasted YEARS with periodic soaks in denatured alcohol…
Couldn't answer that question because I have no point of reference. I need to explore the potential responses first to try anything other than the standard Dingwall strings and see how much strings factor into my overall concerns about the feel and sound of the bass.
There was a comment in that “is Dingwall pricing itself out of the market” thread, about the cost of an AB being probably double that of a Combustion, if they were specced out to be as close as possible in the options. I was playing around with the price list, and noticed something that amuses me…if I wanted, for some reason, to get an AB as close to my NG3 as possible, swapping the fretboard from wenge to plain maple would cause the cost to go up.
Also, interesting to see that an ABI with just the same body paint job and the same preamp as my NG3 would only cost about $500 US more than my NG3.
Also, interesting to see that an ABI with just the same body paint job and the same preamp as my NG3 would only cost about $500 US more than my NG3.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I hadn't tried steel strings since Dingwall released the nickel strings...and my last of the steels were the Voodoo ones. I couldn't believe how different the newer steel strings were in terms of feel and texture once I finally did try 'em again.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
The one thing to think about is that strings for fanned basses are also gauged to be more even across the fan than strings for parallel fret basses. That's why I've always headed back to sets designed for multi-scale.
I am a page late to the discussion. I got a ng2 5 string and loved it so much i ordered a custom build (april 2022 build). Will be an ab1 six string in F#.
Never played a six, but the 5 was so good i figured one more string would be fine. I just played a ibanez something or another with six and 54mm nut spacing… and the dingwall 6’s
Are about the same (55 for a ng). The ibanez was easy as pie… so the dingwall 6 will be fine.
(The Ibanez just had a floppy b). I am so spoiled now.
Never played a six, but the 5 was so good i figured one more string would be fine. I just played a ibanez something or another with six and 54mm nut spacing… and the dingwall 6’s
Are about the same (55 for a ng). The ibanez was easy as pie… so the dingwall 6 will be fine.
(The Ibanez just had a floppy b). I am so spoiled now.
I may actually buy that identical bass as a holdover until my ab1 6 arrives.
The only think slowing me is that i want a f# mod and i am unsure if a f# 6 would be harder to resale? Maybe easier because unique?
Are the strings and the nut the only changes to do f#?
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After playing around with a simple spreadsheet and the price list, IF I order a Canadian bass, it’ll likely be a fairly simple D-Roc or Super P, or a full featured monster Z or AB1.
I still have time to ponder, no hurry.
I still have time to ponder, no hurry.
After playing around with a simple spreadsheet and the price list, IF I order a Canadian bass, it’ll likely be a fairly simple D-Roc or Super P, or a full featured monster Z or AB1.
I still have time to ponder, no hurry.
Sounds like you 'need' one of each.
You know you're up in here with Dingwall enablers, right?
I can manage a custom over the time I’d be waiting, and probably squeeze in the F# NG3 that I want to do in the same time period…but two customs at once? Nah.Sounds like you 'need' one of each.
Now, IF I do this…once the first is taken care of, I’ll happily do the other. Maybe there’ll be a D-Roc 6 by then.
By the time I save up, it’ll be gone. Believe me, I LOVE the look of that one. Ordering custom will let me put money away while it’s in the queue, but in the month or so it’d take to free up the cash for that beauty, I really doubt it’ll still be available.
