Combustion 4

Great to hear it is on it's way. 1.5" nut like a jazz would be great, vol,vol with optional rotary, ptone would sound great. and that's my 2 cents thanks

Having just switched from a Super J to a Super PJ, I would agree that the P-tone will add more versatility.

Sheldon, Y U NO make 7-string Dingwall first? I would be all over an ABZ-7 or ABI-7, maybe even a Combustion 7. Actually, that would be a great idea - an affordable entry into multiscale ERBs.

Just the fact that we get far more requests for a 4-string Combustion than for a 7.

[quote="Sheldon Dingwall":1pqfulhj]Just the fact that we get far more requests for a 4-string Combustion than for a 7.[/quote:1pqfulhj]So, if I request a 7 often enough, you will make one? Nah, just do what you want to. You being Dingwall, I'm pretty sure anything you design will be great. [size=50:1pqfulhj](That just made me lust for a Dingwall 7 even more...)[/size:1pqfulhj]

Combustion 4 will be my dream come true, I want it as close as five string versions, 18 mm. string spacing would be great. (to make a sleekest Dingwall bass) I want it in pink finished with matching headstock! ROCK!

I would agree with the 18mm spacing on a 4 string too ,so that going from a 5 to 4 feels the same for once, I have yet to find a 4 string I like , and have just figured out that it's the spacing

Wanna see a prototype! and I think P tone neck pu is the best choice to go. (FD3A parallel wiring neck is not my favorite.) And if the price is really good i can have 2 of them, then I can turn the rosewood one to a fretless!

On spacing, I think the target market would probably be people who want a 4 string, not a 5 (crazy I know) specifically because they are 4 string players, so having the spacing the same as a 5 would probably not be beneficial. It would be more important that it feels familiar to the typical 4 string player. (All us 5 string players know once you get 5 you never go back. - oh hang on, I'm a 5 string player with a 6 string...)

Callum nailed it. 19mm or 20mm would be perfect on a 4 string. People who specifically want a four string long scale while a perfectly good five string available are mostly 4 string purists, not a leap of faith there, so give them what they want. As for pickups, I wish I could help... But a P pickup coupled with a series wired FD-3A makes sense. As for volume/volume vs 4 pos selector, vol/vol is what more people are used to and this is in part a gateway-drug bass to a more heavy Dingwall addiction; so making it more appealing is a good thing. If you had an offshore SuperJ this wouldn't be a concern because that'd definitely be the gateway drug bass. Until that happens I'd go with vol/vol or maybe even vol/balance; yes, it lessens the high content but is a more appealing control layout that feels natural to everyone. Also Sheldon, many people didn't like the string retainer. It is good to have it there, it improves the bass, but it [i:dg6zntz4]looks[/i:dg6zntz4] as if the bass is accepting it's flaw. If you're re-designing the neck carvs, maybe making the headstock plane a few milimeters further then the plane of the strings - if you see what I mean - and dropping the retainer would be marked as an improvement. Moving the headstock like that probably increase the volume of wood spent per neck or something, maybe that would make it more expensive. Just an idea to go around the retainer. Or maybe a small circular retainer that only captures the middle two strings - it wouldn't look as important and is more commonplace.

The 4-string headstock is shorter, I'll test it without a retainer and see what happens. 19 mm saddle spacing is king in the 4-string world. Ive chosen 40 mm for the nut width for the proto type. Not too wide, not too narrow.

The 4 should definitely be designed w/ 4 string players in mind and have wider spacing. How about some solid non-metallic colors like yellow, green, orange, and purple? Pearl white would be nice, too. I ditched the string retainer on my Combustion and wound the strings to the bottom of the shaft. It works fine and looks much better. No retainer would be preferable on the 4.

I ended up returning my Combustion because my bandmates and I found it too clinical sounding even though the playability was excellent. I would say if you are making a four-string you probably need to aim at the "traditional-minded" in tone a bit more than you did with the Combustion 5-string. P-tone neck pickup would certainly help. I think in four strings 19 mm string spacing is ideal for a lot of people. My favorite nut width, personally, is 1 & 5/8''. I doubt you'll have problems making it play well because the Combustion 5 I owned ever so briefly played quite excellently.

I agree with cassius987 that a FD3A sound pretty too clinical,(but not in a bad way) I replaced the Pus already. Anyway, Did you have some schedule when will Combustion4 come out? I got pretty exciting to see and hear it.

I don't have anything constructive to add, other than saying hooray 4-string! [img:17iu2u8t]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v641/KINGNAD/graemlins/cloud.gif[/img:17iu2u8t]

[quote="Synsausagebass":36y8ttfr]I agree with cassius987 that a FD3A sound pretty too clinical,(but not in a bad way) I replaced the Pus already. Anyway, Did you have some schedule when will Combustion4 come out? I got pretty exciting to see and hear it.[/quote:36y8ttfr] If you've had a chance to compare the FD3A (Combustion) to FD3 (ABZ and up) pickups, would you say they are more clinical sounding than the FD3's. We're aiming for late November or December.

Definitely interested in a 4, although I have the Dingwall bug and may spring for a ABZ 4 before the end of the year. I hope a passive switch happens and a butterscotch blonde with matching head and black guard would be so nice...

Is there any update?

Still no update?

Same here, would love some prototype news or maybe a pic!