Bought my ABZ 5 August 13th 2010 (built 12/10/2009), in facts we are nearly coming to the 5th year and it has been used more than the other 2 Dingwalls which I have, and yet there is very very little wear on any of the frets, at least nothing to write home (read Sheldon) about, anyway the bass has had 11 set of strings changes at these crazy intervals. Mostly due to string wear.
12/10/2009
09/18/2010
12/14/2010
03/06/2011
05/25/2011
11/06/2011
07/15/2012 Sansone strings, they last and last... did that whole year on one set of these!
03/04/2013
09/17/2013
10/17/2013
07/16/2014 Sansone strings again!! Oh man alive!
07/04/2015
I will send some close up macro pictures on my next string change.
The other 2 basses are played but not as much as the ABZ 5, which is my "b*t*h" so it gets the most use

Sansone strings are very hard to get for me living in England, they are handmade in Italy and I have to wait an average of 16 months from ordering to receiving, I'd have more chances to catch malaria in Iceland than a set of these strings in London, my last set I had I donated to Sheldon in London at the last Bass Show for him to test and see what they are like, I am still waiting from Franco Sansone to send me the next supply

tick tock, tick, tock....