Given the volume boost I'm assuming Position 3 B+M is wired series stock, correct?
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Dingwall Owners Club
- Thread starter FroggyOne2
- Start date
derylgallant
Bassist from Prince Edward Island, Canada
Hi there! Some time ago, I bought a second hand Dingwall ABZ passive 5 string. Love it! however, lately I've been noticing some more hum and after checking cables and what not, it seems to be the bass. Something might've come undone or something. So I unscrewed the backplate noticed a weird little battery thingie attached to the backplate. I always thought it was a weird drop of glue on that backplate, but inside it's apparently wired to something that is not connected to the pickup and output wiring. Who knows what I am looking at here? What is this silly thing?
Also, no loose wires or whatever, so no idea yet where the hum came from.. But what is this thingamadingle?
Also, no loose wires or whatever, so no idea yet where the hum came from.. But what is this thingamadingle?
No idea on that device but the solder job on that selector switch looks horrific to me. Doesn’t look clean between some terminals.
Hard to see specifically due to the photos, but that looks like a LiIon battery and charge controller. The black/white going to the plate were likely for a plug so it could be plugged in to charge. I did similar for my AB1 6er, but, in a much cleaner way, and using standard USB-C for the connector.
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What exactly does it say on the pack?
it looks like perhaps a rechargeable(usb?) battery pack to go with a preamp(that has been removed)
you could try just removing it entirely and shielding the cavity cover
it looks like perhaps a rechargeable(usb?) battery pack to go with a preamp(that has been removed)
you could try just removing it entirely and shielding the cavity cover
It looks like there was an aftermarket LED indicator added to the cavity cover, and the "weird little battery thingie" might be a rechargeable battery pack or preamp module that would attach via the white connector at the end of the red-blue-black wire harness.
Can you post a pic of the writing on the "battery thingie"?
It says right on the device "rechargeable" and there's the telltale yellow strip that indicates a battery. Looks kind of puffy TBH. Someone clearly had a preamp in the bass at some point and took it out. Dispose of that thing properly and safely.
And agreed with the other poster that said the switch soldering looks a little rough.
Thanks for the quick replies! Yes, it says rechargable Li-Polymer, so it is a rechargable batterypack, but I was curious about the necessity of it in a passive bass. Maybe I missed something in Dingwalls genius mind. But there's nothing to plug it into, so I'll just remove it.
Yeah, the soldering seems rough, but it works and I see no bridges or anything, so I'm not going to touch that. I think it's a ground issue with the Neutrik locking jack, another silly thing. I'll replace that with something normal and see what it does.
Thanks all!
Yeah, the soldering seems rough, but it works and I see no bridges or anything, so I'm not going to touch that. I think it's a ground issue with the Neutrik locking jack, another silly thing. I'll replace that with something normal and see what it does.
Thanks all!
Whatever it is, it’s not doing anything for you. A left over from a previous mod, it looks like they took whatever preamp they put in there and left the battery and led power indicator.
Check the ground wire under the bridge and make sure it is still intact and making good contact.
Does the noise increase when you aren’t touching the strings and decrease when you are holding the strings? That’s a grounding issue. The crappy solder blob might be part of the problem.
It should look like this.
Should be a fairly easy fix if you can do better soldering than the last guy. Dingwall has replacement switches with easy screw clamp connectors. No soldering needed.
check with Fretnation.com.
Check the ground wire under the bridge and make sure it is still intact and making good contact.
Does the noise increase when you aren’t touching the strings and decrease when you are holding the strings? That’s a grounding issue. The crappy solder blob might be part of the problem.
It should look like this.
Should be a fairly easy fix if you can do better soldering than the last guy. Dingwall has replacement switches with easy screw clamp connectors. No soldering needed.
check with Fretnation.com.
If it was my bass, I'd pop the LED out of the cover and replace it with a black plastic hole plug from the hardware store.
And since I always route my cable under my strap, I agree with your questions about the benefit of the locking jack.
I replaced the locking jack on my bass with a good old Switchcraft and a mounting plate that fits the Neutrik base plate perfectly:
E Series 1/4" / 3 Conductor Stereo, Black Finish | Switchcraft
And since I always route my cable under my strap, I agree with your questions about the benefit of the locking jack.
I replaced the locking jack on my bass with a good old Switchcraft and a mounting plate that fits the Neutrik base plate perfectly:
E Series 1/4" / 3 Conductor Stereo, Black Finish | Switchcraft
I should also mention I've been associated with Dingwall Guitars since 2010. I have to figure out how to get that in my sig or something. That's part of the rules right?
Bass pics are mandatory
I could show how long I've been playing Dingwall by saying "Bought my first Afterburner new for $1200"
(Which means: Dec 2003. I just celebrated 20 years with Dingwall. Ironically, the Dingwall I play as my #1 now is from 1999, AFAIK)
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There she is. Can I be in the club?!
A passive Z3 with a cello-cut? Dude, you ARE the club
If that bass had a maple fretboard, it would be my "just won the lottery, placing an order!" bass.
