Nothing on their site but Combustions/NGs and D-Rocs… and then one bonkers Canadian SPJ
Check again, that D-Roc is a crazy custom with ghost inlays! They know how to spec their builds.
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Dingwall bass
- Thread starter Cory rich40
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Check again, that D-Roc is a crazy custom with ghost inlays! They know how to spec their builds.
I can't say what to do as taste is subjective, but I am in the same camp as a lot of others who have a bongo(doubt I'll get rid of it), had a Bfr Stingray(I do miss it, but don't regret trading), and recently acquired a used Dingwall NG3, which I got because 1. It was a great deal, and 2. it was always one of those basses I wanted to like, but as some have mentioned, most sound bites online skew towards the metal/prog/djent tonal end of the spectrum, and I usually lean towards a warmer more mellow tone. The build quality on this is as good as anything I have right now which is mainly American/Canadian. While we could be just the lucky ones, I think it's more likely that they're just generally very well built basses. Don't let the made in China label affect your decision. As for the sound, I'm going to again echo the sentiment of what a lot of others have already said in that it is waaay more versatile than I expected. It can sound very aggressive, but it's really easy to dial it back and get a nice smooth church-ready sound. I probably wouldn't trade a stingray or a bongo for it, but I also want another stingray and probably wouldn't trade my Dingwall either so who knows. Go. Play it. Love it or don't. They're all great.
Good eye. Custom D-Rocs are so much less common that I often forget about them.
The Combustion/NG basses sound very aggressive, but that has more to do with the whole setup of the bass and not only with the fanned frets. I've owned and played several fanned fret basses that were very versatile and could offer a vast palette of sounds.
Yeah, I've had it for half a year and tried about everything. One thing I did want to do was reverse the pickup selector switch, so I could get the neck+middle position, also contemplated swapping the Darkglass pre with the Glockenklang, but ultimately decided against it and sold the bass.
I did get it to sound okay - I use a rather large pedal board with lots of sound shaping options - but it felt like the bass was fighting tooth and nail to stay like it was.
I love my Dingwalls: I own and owned both canadian and chinese models, do not let the sticker "made in China" fool you, they are as great or even better in terms of construction as any american/european built instrument (not talking about boutique of course, for that level of craftmanship you can go with canadian Dingwalls), but you'd better go to the shop and try one before you decide to pull the trigger, there are just a few people which don't get accustomed to the fanned frets system (I feel sorry for them since I think they are great and the future of bass), and do not believe they can only sound aggressive, e.g with a NG3/Combustion you can get with the rotay selector:
- bridge solo => J bass solo bridge style sound
- bridge and middle in series => Musicman "on steroids"
- bridge and neck in parallel => J bass with both pickups style sound
- neck solo => P bass style sound
I wrote "style", that does not mean you have a J or a P or a Stingray in your hands, but that kind of vibe going through a Darkglass pre amp (if NG2/3) or a EMG pre amp (if Combustion).
In other words: yes I would trade the Bongo or a Stingray for a Dingwall
- bridge solo => J bass solo bridge style sound
- bridge and middle in series => Musicman "on steroids"
- bridge and neck in parallel => J bass with both pickups style sound
- neck solo => P bass style sound
I wrote "style", that does not mean you have a J or a P or a Stingray in your hands, but that kind of vibe going through a Darkglass pre amp (if NG2/3) or a EMG pre amp (if Combustion).
In other words: yes I would trade the Bongo or a Stingray for a Dingwall
Never give up the BFR Bongo! That is a tone monster that I'd regret giving up.
Intent is to run my combustion passive. I've been a fender P/J volume/tone wide open guy for ever. Have embraced a bit off roll off with my Rick and suspect it is only going to take passive, front pickup and a bit of roll off to get right where I want it. We shall see.
P.S. My '89 MIJ Fender crushes any 80s Fender. JS. Price point is price point and quality build is a quality build.
Judging by the comments, the basses mentioned I mentioned are so good that you can’t really say which one is better. On a trade I will definitely regret it. As far as dingwall basses go, look at the group omnific. They use dingwalls. What else do they use? They use Bongo’s just as much. This decision is one that would probably be handled better by buying a used one in the near future. It is definitely a bass that needs to be tried out before purchasing. I talked to a gentleman who said that the fanned frets required getting used to. He still said they were awesome sounding basses.
The Bongo is a great bass with a
broad range of musically useful tones. If you want versatility, a Bongo is an excellent choice.
Based on my admittedly limited experience playing a few, Dingwalls are beautiful basses that excel at being Dingwalls. If you like that sort of sound then a Dingwall bass is your oyster. They’re kinda like Spectors and Warwicks in that regard. They have a strong signature sound that’s addictive provided you’re into that vibe. I’d strongly suggest trying one out before you make any decisions.
FWIW I plan on eventually getting a Dingwall. But I doubt I’d give up a Bongo to do it if I owned a Bongo.
Just my 2¢
broad range of musically useful tones. If you want versatility, a Bongo is an excellent choice.
Based on my admittedly limited experience playing a few, Dingwalls are beautiful basses that excel at being Dingwalls. If you like that sort of sound then a Dingwall bass is your oyster. They’re kinda like Spectors and Warwicks in that regard. They have a strong signature sound that’s addictive provided you’re into that vibe. I’d strongly suggest trying one out before you make any decisions.
FWIW I plan on eventually getting a Dingwall. But I doubt I’d give up a Bongo to do it if I owned a Bongo.
Just my 2¢
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It depends on the player. It took me about five minutes to get comfortable with the two I tried out. But that was me. YMMV.
I think the less of a big deal you think fanned frets will be going in, the less of a big deal they’ll turn out to be once you play one. I don’t have large hands. And I found the Digwalls actually felt marginally easier to play than my Spector 35” 5-string. But once again, YMMV.
I apologize... but... bongo's (IMO) are just ugly enough that they are sure to go up in value...
Chinese Dingwalls are so gorgeous that they're sure to lose all thier value within 10 years.
Chinese Dingwalls are so gorgeous that they're sure to lose all thier value within 10 years.
Adapting to multiscale was pretty easy for me. The only thing that felt odd was the reach for the F on the E string and C on the B. Everything else seemed about the same until you try doing chords in the upper frets. Some chords will require different fingerings, but they're more comfortable overall. With regards to the BFR releases, there are a select few that will go up in value due to demand, but I think that overall there are too many BFR releases for them to be something that goes up in value. It's more value to the initial buyer who wants something not on EBMM's usual menu. Now with their custom shop coming, not sure if BFRs will be as "special". You mentioned earlier about trading both basses for a Dingwall. Don't do that, you would essentially be valuing the basses at $1300 each. You would do better by selling them yourself and then buying the Dingwall if you so chose.
If you can drive to the shop to try a Dingwall, I'd do that. The NG basses are very versatile (I have a 5-string NG-2) but so is your Bongo. The NG is my first five string and I had much more trouble adjusting to the extra string than the fanned frets.
If you decide you're interested in a Dingwall, either now or down the road, you should be able to find a used NG for much less than $2600.
If you decide you're interested in a Dingwall, either now or down the road, you should be able to find a used NG for much less than $2600.
100% agree!
As a QC professional and former aircraft maintenance officer, all the news about Boeing lately has been grabbing my attention.
Boeing built their reputation on quality control and the reliability that comes from controlling your processes.
That reputation is why they have had the contract to build "Air Force One" for decades.
But Boeing started counting the beans and cutting corners, and now people would rather change their travel plans than fly on Boeing jets.
Quality and reliability don't come from a ZIP code, they come from processes...
I had my first conversation with Sheldon Dingwall 20 years ago.
It took about 3 sentences to realize that he is genuinely excited to talk to players and figure out ways to keep making his basses better all the time.
I've been playing his basses ever since!
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I played a Dingwall NG3 at Bass Central down in Florida. Great guys at that store btw. My personal opinion was I thought the Dingwall was cool, but (here comes the hate) I didn’t find it terribly versatile. The pickup selector only gives you a couple preset options for pickup combo. I found the bridge pickup thin, bridge and middle is supposed to be the “MM” sound but came off more like a Warwick Thumb, neck pickup was ok. If you were given the option to solo the middle pickup it could have been a game changer for me. I will say the evenness of the sound from string to string was impressive, almost like playing with compression. Neck felt good, fanned frets took only a second to get used to. My two cents is I wouldn’t trade a USA instrument for a Chinese instrument no matter how hard Sheldon tries to convince me of their quality. However, like others have said it’s a good idea to test drive a Dingwall. It may be the bass that suits you. I just see them as another metal bass. That said I am pretty fond of the Lee Sklar model, if only I had $9,000.
I think you're a bit crazy to ask that question before you've even played the thing. If you play it, and you find that it's the most awesome thing ever, then yes, you should consider it. But I'd suggest you don't bring your bass on the first trip - give yourself some time after playing it to see if the thing really captivates you.
A great bass is not the one that sounds awesome in someone else's hands. What you are looking for is a bass that inspires you to play so much that you will actually practice - a bass like that is worth whatever it costs (assuming you don't have to steal the money or starve your kids for it). So, go to the store pick the thing up, and start playing it. If, after a while, someone tells you the shop is closing, you have your answer. If you play it, think "it sounds great", but you can easily put it down after 5 minutes, it's not your bass.
This is available via the D-Roc 3X switch rather than the standard 3X switch. You can specify either when ordering. Obviously, that doesn't help for an already-built bass, but worst case scenario is that you could swap the switch or add in a custom switch with up to six positions.
You specified 'another' metal bass. What are some other metal basses?
Doesn't sound like those basses are worth trading off and while reviews can be helpful, only you can decide.
