Dingwall Owners Club

[Musicman1901]

I only have experience with the Glock, as I have had one in my ABZ that I sold last year, and now in both of my current AB1s. I have experimented with them a lot, and I find that the tones are very useable over most of the ranges of the three controls. But I always seem to end up back at the center detents for all three controls!

Yeah honestly I find my favorite tones with my NG is when all the knobsre centered

 

[AB Nate]

I only have experience with the Glock, as I have had one in my ABZ that I sold last year, and now in both of my current AB1s. I have experimented with them a lot, and I find that the tones are very useable over most of the ranges of the three controls. But I always seem to end up back at the center detents for all three controls!

Lol. And where I'm at now too....
in one project. In the metal one not so much. bass at 5.6 mid at 7.5 Treb about 7.

Both awesome pres and I love the glock but I am very excited about the DGTC in the fretless.

Can't go wrong either way IMO.

 

[bebass]

I only have experience with the Glock, as I have had one in my ABZ that I sold last year, and now in both of my current AB1s. I have experimented with them a lot, and I find that the tones are very useable over most of the ranges of the three controls. But I always seem to end up back at the center detents for all three controls!

I use pretty much the same on all my basses. Sometimes I may give a slight backoff of the treble or high mid in the Darkglass, and sometimes just a slight nudge on the bass depending on the cab I am using, but in general they stay at center.

 

[spiritbass]

I bought my first Dingwall (a new AB-1) in December of 2003 for $1200...
A couple years later, I bought a used Z2 for $1300 as a "backup" (it quickly became #1)
A few years later, I traded that Z2 for a newer AB2.

When I hit "a dry patch", I sold the AB1 for $1600-$1700, and eventually sold the AB2 for $2400...

Once finances picked up a bit, I picked up a nice AB1.5 for $2100.
Eventually decided that I preferred 4 string and sold the AB1.5 for a small profit.
Took the proceeds and bought a Z2 4-string, and that's my huckleberry...

Groove that huckleberry!

I've actually sold two custom Dingwalls, but it was by choice. It pains me to see someone being forced to part with a killer Dingwall due to financial constraint...

 

[Musicman1901]

Groove that huckleberry!

I've actually sold two custom Dingwalls, but it was by choice. It pains me to see someone being forced to part with a killer Dingwall due to financial constraint...

It sucks when you’ve gotta sell gear for bills and stuff. Selling a bass to fund a new one is one thing but being forced to dump a bass is awful.

 

[spiritbass]

Note, ABs are not specifically one piece bodies. Plenty of 2 and 3 piece ABs produced.

Mine was two nicely matched pieces of alder:

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Both my older mahogany ABII and alder ABI are two piece bodies.

 

[xnewyorka]

Both my older mahogany ABII and alder ABI are two piece bodies.

Sorry, I guess my wording wasn't exactly correct in my original post,. I didn't literally mean just a single piece of wood, what I should have said was that the AB has wood of uniform density. Whether the body is one or two pieces of wood, it is all the same wood. In fact, if it is book matched, technically speaking it is one piece of wood really, just that the wood was sawed in half and opened like a book so that the grain will be mirror images on the left and right side. The distinguishing factor on the Z3 now is the dual density construction, with two completely different densities of wood on each half of the body. You can tell this very easily, because the grain does not match from one side to the other. For example:

 

[Joeykun]

View attachment 2943884
The swirl is a little crazy for my taste but I do love purple.

I love purple and I love that the Swirl is crazy. I get more comments from people saying how cool it is!

 

[Musicman1901]

There’s a pretty crazy looking Z3 in the classifieds right now

I love purple and I love that the Swirl is crazy. I get more comments from people saying how cool it is!View attachment 2944569

yeah the purple swirl is pretty awesome.

 

[tombowlus]

What do you guys think about the Darkglass vs Glockenklang preamps? Significant pros or cons for one vs the other?

They are pretty different preamps, but I'd say the biggest difference relates to how they control the middle to upper mids, up through the treble. As previously mentioned, the Darkglass pre gives you more control over the "meat" of the upper mids to lower treble, and the Glockenklang preamp gives you a more pristine, airy tone, and the ability to dial in some high end sheen and sparkle. I do like the Glock's passive tone rolloff feature (on the same knob as the active treble boost).

To be clear, though, I have not had both preamps in the same bass, so I have not done a true A/B between the two.

 

[xnewyorka]

If I may pick the many fine brains online here, would anyone have a bright idea on how to remove the remaining gold lettering on the bridge pickup on my NG?

You can do a dry run by covering it with black electrical tape. If you are happy with the results, you could try a black Sharpie marker before moving on to actual removal. For removal, I would suggest taking the pickup out and testing the solvent on a non visible part of the pickup shell to make sure it doesn't eat it. Rubbing alcohol is probably pretty safe, but it may not work.

 

[Bassheart365]

I just looked on dingwalls website and that feature is definitely part of the Glockenklang preamp

I have the Glockenklang preamp in my SJ5. When you switch to passive the treble becomes the tone pot. It's a great preamp. I have the Darkglass in my Z3 which I also love. I would describe the Glock as a more "hifi" and "transparent" preamp.

 

[AB Nate]

There’s a pretty crazy looking Z3 in the classifieds right now

yeah the purple swirl is pretty awesome.

You mean the green one?
Amazing.

 

[Bassheart365]

At least the exchange rate is favorable to people in the U.S. right now. 10,000 CAN is about 7,700 USD. If you can choose the pickup, electronic, preamp specs etc for an ABZ...what is the advanatage of the “Z”. This might be obvious but I guess as I look at their website I don’t understand what somebody would be paying for by getting a Z3 opposed to an ABZ 3

My first longscale Dingwall was an ABZ. I was quickly talked into trading up to a Z3. I also now own a 2004 AB II. It's all a matter of degree. There is a reason the Z series is more expensive. If I handed you my Z3 you would understand immediately. It's not something you can appretiate looking as the website specs.

 

[Bassheart365]

Before I discovered Dingwall basses 10 years ago, I was strictly a 4 string player. I tried 5 strings but playing on the B string always left me, how shall I put it...wanting. Once I played the B on my Z3 I was not only hooked on the whole multiscale design, but on 5 string basses. Which has led me to my new Dingwall addition, a 6 string mahogony/bubinga/wendge AB II. It's my first 6 string and it has been a lot of fun getting more proficient on it (I'm learning a lot about chord voicings and inversions). My main inspiration for getting a 6 string was going to a Thundercat show several months ago. Anyway, it's been fun journey going from a dedicated 4 string single-scale player to a 6 string Dingwall. I didn't see that coming at all.

 

[been_effected]

I hoped never again to know the pain of gazing upon that beauty. I believe she ended up in Japan.

It did - pretty sure I've seen the Youtube videos of the owner

 

[been_effected]

If you like a slim neck. Z all the way. No question. I swear my 6 feels no more bulky then a 5 string fender jazz

This makes me wonder whether a 6-string Combustion/NG would be too much for me. I've not played 6's before and would love to get into them, but buying one sight unseen and not playing on the neck makes me...nervous.

 

[Musicman1901]

You mean the green one?
Amazing.

Yes the green one. Looks awesome

 

[Musicman1901]

Before I discovered Dingwall basses 10 years ago, I was strictly a 4 string player. I tried 5 strings but playing on the B string always left me, how shall I put it...wanting. Once I played the B on my Z3 I was not only hooked on the whole multiscale design, but on 5 string basses. Which has led me to my new Dingwall addition, a 6 string mahogony/bubinga/wendge AB II. It's my first 6 string and it has been a lot of fun getting more proficient on it (I'm learning a lot about chord voicings and inversions). My main inspiration for getting a 6 string was going to a Thundercat show several months ago. Anyway, it's been fun journey going from a dedicated 4 string single-scale player to a 6 string Dingwall. I didn't see that coming at all.

I’ve always struggled with 5s too and having such an impressive low B makes it much easier to adapt. Don’t know if I could make the jump to 6. That Bubinga 6 string in the classifieds is beautiful