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Dingwall Owners Club

I asked John about the many pickup combinations.

He told me that mixing FDV pickups with P-tone or Super Fatty 2 is not possible due to the magnetism of the FDV, but that a combination of P-tone and Super Fatty 2 is possible. He also has some sample material.
I'm curious about this as I own an AB1 w/ a P-tone and 2 FDVs and haven't had issues, I think the P-tone was not factory installed,
 
Alright, I have my spec... nearly locked in. Going to think over it one more night then ship it off to secure it.

Z3, 5 string
Swamp Ash body
#1846 maple burl top (photo below)
custom finish
FD3s, Neve pre w/ toggles
Wenge neck
Ziricote fretboard
Speedo bars matching wood style
blue liminlay side dots
matching headstock, black hardware.

The only two things I'm at all wondering is if I should do Ebony fretboard, and if I should do Ash/Alder body.
I'm leaning away from Ash/Alder as it adds a good deal of weight, and while I'm not particularly weight conscience right now, who knows in the future.
Ziricote vs Ebony is coming down to aesthetics and I just can't choose, but I also think I can't go wrong. I may even just go back to Wenge, too.

View attachment 7071970
Congrats! That top is spectacular
 
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I'm curious about this as I own an AB1 w/ a P-tone and 2 FDVs and haven't had issues, I think the P-tone was not factory installed,

I have a question into Dingwall tech about this very issue. Also about a 6 way pickup selector (I'm envisioning a ns/ms/bs/nm/nb/mb). Has anyone had a custom 6 way in this configuration?

Please post the answer. I have Z3 with a P-tone installed by Bassdirect (UK) and 2 FDVs and I don't notice anything odd either except for the annoying and well known differences in volume between some configurations (loudest is bridge-middle, most quiet is bridge solo).
 
I have a question into Dingwall tech about this very issue. Also about a 6 way pickup selector (I'm envisioning a ns/ms/bs/nm/nb/mb). Has anyone had a custom 6 way in this configuration?
I have done this. The order was different, and the pairs were specifically all parallel, none were in series. It was fine. I find bridge solo to be useless for what I do. I also didn't like NM in parallel at all. Other than that I found uses for the other settings. The MB parallel setting is oddly more usable than MB series in many settings, but at the same time is a way less exciting sound, so that one is a take it or leave it, even though it was formerly my most used setting.

I removed that switch and replaced it with the usual 6-way that's described as "the best of the 3X and D-Roc switches in a single package" offered by Mo. I did re-order the settings, but they're all the same otherwise.
 
I'm curious about this as I own an AB1 w/ a P-tone and 2 FDVs and haven't had issues, I think the P-tone was not factory installed,

I'm not sure exactly why, but... I think it's because the FDV is an alnico pickup and the rest are neodynium, so they think it hurts the sound.

I'll ask him again.
At the time I ordered my specs, I was really into P TONE and SF2, so I wasn't really interested in FDVs...
I have 3x P-tones with switches from the factory. Not sure why you can't use switches with P-Tones. Mine seem to flip up and down and the bass doesn't fall apart. That said, I'd probably switch them to FDVs if I could buy the pickups somewhere.
I think I can answer that.

It's not that you can't use them.

But for the p tone you have to put them in series to get the normal p tone, you won't get that sound if you put them in parallel.

I think that's what he meant.

Of course, it's not impossible to put a switch on them.
 
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I have done this. The order was different, and the pairs were specifically all parallel, none were in series. It was fine. I find bridge solo to be useless for what I do. I also didn't like NM in parallel at all. Other than that I found uses for the other settings. The MB parallel setting is oddly more usable than MB series in many settings, but at the same time is a way less exciting sound, so that one is a take it or leave it, even though it was formerly my most used setting.

I removed that switch and replaced it with the usual 6-way that's described as "the best of the 3X and D-Roc switches in a single package" offered by Mo. I did re-order the settings, but they're all the same otherwise.
I don't know what order Mo would place them in, I have no real preference. My SJ5XXX also has the switches. I have a SFII, Ptone, and FDV pickups. I switched my stock settings so that I have middle solo, which is my favorite setting, followed by neck solo. I will put the SFII in the bridge, having not been happy with either the FD3 or FDV there (stock solo setting). I have also not been blown away by the mb. The nm was fine for my Classic Country band, but not so much for my Biker Rock Band.

Ptones are wired in series, aren't they? Did you notice any change in tone using the toggles? I would expect at least a volume change.

I actually moved away from my SJ5XXX to Thunderbirds for several years. Then I discovered SushiBox pedals and thought I'd give the Dingwall another go, and that middle solo tone through SushiBox is putting it back in the rotation. Totally awe inspiring ❤️
 
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I don't know what order Mo would place them in, I have no real preference. My SJ5XXX also has the switches. I have a SFII, Ptone, and FDV pickups. I switched my stock settings so that I have middle solo, which is my favorite setting, followed by neck solo. I will put the SFII in the bridge, having not been happy with either the FD3 or FDV there (stock solo setting). I have also not been blown away by the mb. The nm was fine for my Classic Country band, but not so much for my Biker Rock Band.

Ptones are wired in series, aren't they? Did you notice any change in tone using the toggles? I would expect at least a volume change.

I actually moved away from my SJ5XXX to Thunderbirds for several years. Then I discovered SushiBox pedals and thought I'd give the Dingwall another go, and that middle solo tone through SushiBox is putting it back in the rotation. Totally awe inspiring ❤️

You can't go wrong soloing the middle pickup. :bassist: If I could have, I would have specified that only a middle pickup be installed in my four-string AB-I (it could have been my signature bass :) 🎸). The bridge and neck pickups might as well not be there, because I never use them. Come to think of it, it would also be cool if the Droc were available with only the middle pickup. It would be like the Series II (my favorite!) Thunderbird. :cool:
 
I'm curious about this as I own an AB1 w/ a P-tone and 2 FDVs and haven't had issues, I think the P-tone was not factory installed,
Please post the answer. I have Z3 with a P-tone installed by Bassdirect (UK) and 2 FDVs and I don't notice anything odd either except for the annoying and well known differences in volume between some configurations (loudest is bridge-middle, most quiet is bridge solo)

I received the following reply


You cannot mix FDV with other pickups unless the bass only has 2 pickups that are not next to each other. The FDV pickups have Alnico magnets. The other types all have neodymium magnets which are very, very strong. The neodymium magnets will erase the alnico magnets and kill the pickups if they are right next to each other for a few months.

I'm confused because I didn't see any problems here.

Are your p-tone pickups alnico magnets?
If so, I don't think you'll have any problems, but I know that the p-tone Dingwall is currently using is neodymium.
 
I'm a passive guy, only using the glock occasionaly for very specific tones/songs but the Neve is super versatile and always "musical". The passive cut over active mode is a great and useful new feature. Get the Neve. Also... it's silly but I do not like the placement of the 3 knobs on the SJ5 - I think it looks a bit weird - much better with the 5 knobs.

My SJ5 is Nothern Ash and Alder (roasted ash neck) - I confirm it is heavy (that's the one John is referring to) but I knew that was coming and did not mind much. With this heavy body, no neck dive... but I somehow doubt you would have a problem with lighter body woods - the SJ is bottom heavy :)
Personally I llove the roasted ash feel (slight preference for Wenge, but to me it provides a much smoother feel than maple).

I have parallel switches and 6 way switches on my 3 dingwalls, but if I'm honest, 95% of the time it's basically all set to series except when using Bridge+Middle together in Series (in which case I typically set one of the pickup - usually the mid - to parallel). Then really occasionally (again very specific tones/songs) I'd use a solo pickup in parallel. I could easily live with a push pull on the middle pickup instead of three switches. Also with my SJ5 (Ptone + SFiis) the neck switch is actually useless (P-tone has to stay in series).

And pic for the road:
View attachment 7071058
I should curse thee, sir. You're making me reconsider my build again. SO hot.

What's the top on this - black with white hard stop?
 
I don't know what order Mo would place them in, I have no real preference. My SJ5XXX also has the switches. I have a SFII, Ptone, and FDV pickups. I switched my stock settings so that I have middle solo, which is my favorite setting, followed by neck solo. I will put the SFII in the bridge, having not been happy with either the FD3 or FDV there (stock solo setting). I have also not been blown away by the mb. The nm was fine for my Classic Country band, but not so much for my Biker Rock Band.

Ptones are wired in series, aren't they? Did you notice any change in tone using the toggles? I would expect at least a volume change.

I actually moved away from my SJ5XXX to Thunderbirds for several years. Then I discovered SushiBox pedals and thought I'd give the Dingwall another go, and that middle solo tone through SushiBox is putting it back in the rotation. Totally awe inspiring ❤️
Pardon my ignorance but I googled SJ5XXX and couldn't find any references in the internet but your posts. What model is that?
 
Different way of expressing a 3x (3 pickup) SJ5
Exactly,it's the bass in my avatar.
20190425_180057.jpg
 
I received the following reply


You cannot mix FDV with other pickups unless the bass only has 2 pickups that are not next to each other. The FDV pickups have Alnico magnets. The other types all have neodymium magnets which are very, very strong. The neodymium magnets will erase the alnico magnets and kill the pickups if they are right next to each other for a few months.

I'm confused because I didn't see any problems here.

Are your p-tone pickups alnico magnets?
If so, I don't think you'll have any problems, but I know that the p-tone Dingwall is currently using is neodymium.
I have a SJ5xx with a P-tone in the neck and an FDV in the bridge.

No issues.

For the classic rock band I'm in...sounds great! :thumbsup:

(97.3% of the time I use the Bridge-Neck-in-series mode - #3 position)

Super-J-Passive-Fiesta-Red-Maple-Ebony-White-Pearloid-Dots-6630-2200x1467.jpg
 
I have a SJ5xx with a P-tone in the neck and an FDV in the bridge.

No issues.

For the classic rock band I'm in...sounds great! :thumbsup:

(97.3% of the time I use the Bridge-Neck-in-series mode - #3 position)

View attachment 7072977
As mentioned in the text, there's nothing to worry about with a traditional 2-pickup split.

By the way, I'm thinking of changing the neck pickup on my Superj4xx from fdv to p-tone, are you happy with the current pickup?
 
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