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Dingwall Strings? What are their characteristics

vindibona1

vindibona1

Apr 18, 2015
3,142
3,505
65
#1
I'll keep this short. Someone gave me a set of these Dingwall strings just saying I should try them. Far be it for me to turn down free bass strings.

I wanted something to try on my Yamaha TRBX605 to perhaps get a sound closer to my Sandberg. I had purchased some DR Black Beauties, but there was something wrong with them and DR is replacing the set. But while I wait I'm wondering what they are and which bass they would be best appreciated.

What do y'all know about these strings? I knew of Dingwall basses but never played one and didn't even know they had their own brand of strings.
What can you tell me?
TIA


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#2
One thing you should know about Dingwall strings is they're designed for the 34"-37" multi-scale. So, the winding length (ball end to taper) on the low B is longer than the E, which is longer than the A, and so on... If you try them on a standard 34" scale, you will find the full winding on B and E will end up wrapping around the tuner post.
 
#4
michael_t said:
One thing you should know about Dingwall strings is they're designed for the 34"-37" multi-scale. So, the winding length (ball end to taper) on the low B is longer than the E, which is longer than the A, and so on... If you try them on a standard 34" scale, you will find the full winding on B and E will end up wrapping around the tuner post.
Click to expand...

I get that... I was advised to get the MEDIUM scale length strings, which I have. It's marked on the package. But thanks anyway. It would be an easy thing to miss.

But speaking of scale length... I bought a standard set of DR Black Beauty strings and the B string was WAY too long for the Yamaha. I contacted DR to ask what I may have done wrong and they were absolutely perplexed. They are sending me a new set of strings. I haven't checked out EADG strings yet and will wait until I get the new set to compare.

In the meantime, I am almost shocked at how similar, at least in spec and weight that my TRBX605 is to my Sandberg. But for some reason the Sandberg plays better and has more clarity. I have to wonder if the playability is due to Plek'ing and a lot of the sound is due to the 40-128 SS Sandberg strings? Pretty incredible for a bass to cost 6x less than the other and be so close in so many ways! The Sandberg will have its own role in my bass stable, mostly for performances, while the Yamaha will not become my main rehearsal bass (especially because the house amp at rehearsal is pretty much crap compared to my main amps).
 
#6
vindibona1 said:
But speaking of scale length... I bought a standard set of DR Black Beauty strings and the B string was WAY too long for the Yamaha. I contacted DR to ask what I may have done wrong and they were absolutely perplexed. They are sending me a new set of strings. I haven't checked out EADG strings yet and will wait until I get the new set to compare.
Click to expand...

By the way, you have tried the DR Pure Blues on your 605, haven't you? How was the low B on that set?
 
#7
Since these are Dingwall medium scale strings they go down to a 32" G string. Not sure if there's sufficient length to put them on a single scale 34-35" bass and have the G string still make it around the tuning machine sufficiently. You can always measure your bass and figure it out.

I use Dingwall medium scale nickel strings on my Dingwall Super J. They're nice strings with a pleasant "pingy" quality to their top end when used on my Super J. I have not tried their stainless version of these strings, but I have compared them to the Payson nickel strings that would be a direct counterpart to these. The Paysons had less going on up top than the Dingwalls, but had a certain quality to the upper mids that I quite liked that the Dingwalls don't seem to have. I would categorize these Dingwall strings as sounding fairly polite despite the bright top end. Again, this is all based on my use of them with a Super J.

Addendum: The basses Dingwall makes these strings for have the following scale lengths per string, which are all different than their long scale (34-37") basses:
B - 35"
E - 34.25"
A - 33.5"
D - 32.75"
G - 32"
 
#10
silky smoove said:
That question is why I mentioned it in my post. I don't know off-hand, and I'm not at my studio to measure one of the packs I have in my string drawer. I won't be there until later tonight or tomorrow to check, but I can measure one then.
Click to expand...

No worries...

I'm curious because the G on my Yamaha TRBX505 needs to be at least 35.5" (ball to taper) for the full winding to go past the nut.
 
#11
michael_t said:
I'm curious because the G on my Yamaha TRBX505 needs to be at least 35.5" (ball to taper) for the full winding to go past the nut.
Click to expand...

Wait... Forget everything I've written so far. I haven't been thinking very clearly.

The G is typically a single wrap so the "winding length" doesn't really matter as long as the total length of the string is long enough to wrap around the post a few times.

Sorry for the confusion. I'm outta here...
 
#12
I would echo what @silky smoove said. I have a set of Dingwall strings on my custom built multi scale and they are very "pingy" (for lack of a better word) in the top end. But it was exactly what I was looking for when I built my bass. I wanted to imitate that Dingwall "clank" so I built a wenge neck fan fret with Dingwall strings on it and it has that certain "clank" to it that I wanted, so in my case it worked perfectly. The lows are still clear, not muddy at all. But that's also on a 37" low B string, so YMMV there. But the top end is quite "clanky", think Periphery and the sound Nolly has, it's the best way to describe it. A fair portion of that sound comes from effects, but the strings help in a way I'm not sure a D'addario or DR would. Know what I mean?
 
#14
michael_t said:
By the way, you have tried the DR Pure Blues on your 605, haven't you? How was the low B on that set?
Click to expand...

Back in 2017 when I first got it. The Pure Blues kept the TRBX from being sent back. I'm not sure which bass the Dingwalls will go on. My Jazz 5 likes Sunbeams. The BTB likes Slinkys. I have the Dingwalls because they were given to me to try. But I'm stumped. I like my Sandberg with the strings that came on it, so I don't think I'm even going to experiment with that bass.
 
#17
michael_t said:
Sorry I messed up the above post. This is what happens when I try to do this on my smart phone, which doesn't give me the option for "edit "
Click to expand...
There was something wrong with the low B on the Black Beauty strings. DR is sending me a replacement set.

I have to presume the Pure Blues is a "normal" string length suitable for 34" scale. I have Sunbeams on both my Jazz basses and have no issues and had no issue with the Pure Blues when I tried them on my TRBX.
 
#18
silky smoove said:
Since these are Dingwall medium scale strings they go down to a 32" G string. Not sure if there's sufficient length to put them on a single scale 34-35" bass and have the G string still make it around the tuning machine sufficiently. You can always measure your bass and figure it out.

I use Dingwall medium scale nickel strings on my Dingwall Super J. They're nice strings with a pleasant "pingy" quality to their top end when used on my Super J. I have not tried their stainless version of these strings, but I have compared them to the Payson nickel strings that would be a direct counterpart to these. The Paysons had less going on up top than the Dingwalls, but had a certain quality to the upper mids that I quite liked that the Dingwalls don't seem to have. I would categorize these Dingwall strings as sounding fairly polite despite the bright top end. Again, this is all based on my use of them with a Super J.

Addendum: The basses Dingwall makes these strings for have the following scale lengths per string, which are all different than their long scale (34-37") basses:
B - 35"
E - 34.25"
A - 33.5"
D - 32.75"
G - 32"
Click to expand...

I never thought to take the Dingwalls out of the package until you guys started talking about string length. Well.. These aren't gonna fly. The low B is WAY too long for my 34" scale basses and even way too long for my 35" BTB! The G string is all one diameter so that would work cut to length. I didn't even bother taking the other strings out of the package. What would be the point?

Perhaps I can swap them for some Pure Blues or another set when I see the guy? BTW... The G on the Dingwalls felt way too thin, but I measured them with my caliper and the .045 was correct. Then I measured the Ernie Ball Cobalt Flat G string which was supposed to be .045 as well because it felt thicker... Nope. .050! I have several packages of the EBCF's and they all say .045. Interesting.
 
#20
@vindibona1 always use a set design for parallel fret basses for parallel fret basses for best results. Use a set designed specifically for fanned basses on fanned bases. Guaranteed success every time both in tone and balance from string to string.
 
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