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Dogal Hellborg Strings

#321
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
Has anyone used these strings on a StingRay yet? I’m asking about the rounds and the flats .
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I am installing the Flats JH172 this morning. I was researching a little to see the best way to "wrap" them around the machine head to avoid slippage. I think I'll just go with the Ernie Ball recommended way...

I'll post back here about how much I love them(Really expecting to love them):)
 
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#323
For starters: My Retro 70s Stingray is String through body only.

I started with the G string: I wrapped it by overlapping the 2nd wrap over the 1st wrap. That worked fine but I ended up switching it to the Ernie Ball method(See Pic) after having the D string slip.
p1nxch9-jpg.2517731


D String: The D string wasn't really long enough for String through body but I made it work. It ended up slipping at full pitch with the 2nd wrap over 1st wrap method. The end of the D pulled apart a little so I used the D from a second set I had(the 1st one will be fine for a Non-String through body)

I installed the 2nd D using the Ernie Ball method Pictured above and it worked great but only about 2 wraps on the post. It's not slipping after 1/2 hour of hard jamming.

A & E strings: these have no taper at the end so it's really impossible to to use the EB method for these 2(I just felt like 1/2 of the Machine head would snap off.

So I just use the standard tuning method for the E & A

...I hope that wasn't all too confusing.

My first impression is that they feel fantastic and sound great. There are no weird overtones. The notes are very, very even up and down the neck with respect to volume and feel. They are very balanced.

The E string is nice and fat/full sounding and you can really get some Thump from them. The highs sing very nicely too.

As I said the D is a little short for a string-thru but it will work. in the end I think TI Flats may be as good a choice considering they are less than 1/2 the price.
 
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#325
I put a set of these (rounds) on a HB jazz and really fell in love with these strings. The feel, flexibility, the barky tone they produce, loved it all. So, I wanted to try another set on my Spector Euro and did. The newer set is still nice, they feel good-ish, but are noticeably more dead (feeling) or dark sounding to me.

Are these sets inconsistent from set to set, or did i possibly just get a weird anomaly set?
 
#326
I just put a set of the JH172 flats on my Rickenbacker 4003. The E was quite the pain to get installed but I was able to make it work. These flats are simply amazing on my Rick. I will definitely be keeping them on.

For those following along, I got 2 sets of the JH172 flats. I put the first one on a String-Thru Retro 70 Stingray and had some trouble with the D string slipping. I now realize that Dogal makes a 35" scale set. That would really make the D string install go a lot smoother. I'm not sure about the E,A & D strings but I believe 35" scale is the way to go for String-Thru-only bridges.

I was able to Jam the Rickenbacker at rehearsal and it is mind blowing how well I can hear every note. The tone is beautiful. I can get all the brightness I need as well as more than enough Thump and everything in-between.

I can't wait to Jam the Stingray with my group but I don't know if it will be as good as the Ric 4003.

I'll post back here in case anyone wants to try the JH172's on 2 Band Stingray. My Ray was really great with the stock Rounds at last Gig so so I'm hoping for the best...
 
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#330
Is this a Hellborg QC issue or does Dogal have this problem across their entire line? At those prices, I’d expect better.

Still waiting for short scale hellborgs.
 
#332
Petethebassman said:
No problems with installation or strings slipping- I installed them just like I've always done with any string brand, poke the string end in the tuner post center hole, make a bend and wind all of it on the tuner post.
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0000_1.jpg
:thumbsup:

i stopped cutting strings decades ago. there are no advantages to cutting them for any of my EBs. the advantages of leaving them intact are several (for me), and besides: it's an extra step that doesn't always work out the way you might have expected!

love the dogal-hellborg rounds! :bassist: i generally choose string sets for the overall feel, but these woke me up a bit with their sound. pretty cool!
 
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#333
vivaknoxvegas said:
My E is the worst of the bunch. <post above>

I may reach out to them as well.
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I have 2 sets of JH172 Flats. The E is killer on both of my basses(Ric & Stingray). On My Ric 4003, I need some High Pass Filter because the E is so damn Phat on both basses.

There's no possible way to avoid cutting the G string for a 2+2 Machine head unless you want doubled up wraps. It's just a fact that they strings need to be cut sometimes. I also had to cut about 1" off the E string on the Rick to make it work. Otherwise it will be jammed down on the Bushing and that tension could snap the post right off the Tuning Machine.
 
#335
Petethebassman said:
No problems with installation or strings slipping- I installed them just like I've always done with any string brand, poke the string end in the tuner post center hole, make a bend and wind all of it on the tuner post.
Click to expand...
I can confirm this, unless you have a String-Thru-Body-only bass. In that case, get the 35" Scale set or at least the D string. The E,A & G are fine at 34" scale on a Stingray. I can't say for sure on a Fender but it's probably fine.
 
#336
I’ve got a Warmoth Jazz with a Babicz FCH-4 (top load, not through the body) that’s currently wearing light La Bella DTFs. I find it’s a little too dark and thumpy in that characteristic La Bella way, and I’m not totally digging it. Some questions for those of you who’ve tried the Hellborg flats:
  1. Previously I’ve used TIs and liked the tone but hated the tension. Are the Hellborg flats as floppy as TIs, or are they tighter?
  2. Are the installation concerns warranted with a top load bridge and an inline Fender-shaped headstock.
  3. The answer is likely no, but; has anyone come up with a definitive installation method for these?
 
#337
silky smoove said:
I’ve got a Warmoth Jazz with a Babicz FCH-4 (top load, not through the body) that’s currently wearing light La Bella DTFs. I find it’s a little too dark and thumpy in that characteristic La Bella way, and I’m not totally digging it. Some questions for those of you who’ve tried the Hellborg flats:
  1. Previously I’ve used TIs and liked the tone but hated the tension. Are the Hellborg flats as floppy as TIs, or are they tighter?
  2. Are the installation concerns warranted with a top load bridge and an inline Fender-shaped headstock.
  3. The answer is likely no, but; has anyone come up with a definitive installation method for these?
Click to expand...
They are a little less floppy then TI's but not much. Use the installation method shown in post 323 for the D & G strings. The E and A will be fine with the standard installation method.

I have the JH172 on 2 basses and they are truly a game-changer.

FWIW, TI's are fantastic and I eventually got used to the "floppiness" and actually prefer lower tension strings now.
 
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#338
FunkHead said:
FWIW, TI's are fantastic and I eventually got used to the "floppiness" and actually prefer lower tension strings now.
Click to expand...
I also tend to prefer lower tension strings, but found the TIs unusably floppy. I loved the tone, but couldn't get along with what felt like spaghetti noodles under my fingers. I've used La Bella black tapes before, which are also quite low tension and never had an issue, but something about TIs just didn't work for me mechanically. It's too bad because I really enjoyed the tone. My hope is that the Dogal Hellborgs would be in the same tone universe with a bit tighter feel.
 

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