What an interesting year it has been!
I discovered Dingwall basses for the first time here on TalkBass almost exactly a year ago when I decided to rekindle my interest in playing music. I learned through this thread that Sheldon would be visiting shops in New Jersey and New York as part of his Summer NAMM tour, and would be showing off a purple specimen of his new D-Bird model as well as an NG2 5-string in the new Yellow Swirl finish. That was all the excuse I needed to take a day off work so I could go meet the man himself and see the basses in person. I went there with $4,000 cash in my pocket and every intention of talking him out of that purple D-Bird. But the NG2 won my heart that day, and then so did the chambered AB2 that was hanging on the wall. I didn't have enough cash for the AB2 (and the owner wouldn't budge on the $4,500 price), so I tried to buy the NG2. The owner said he couldn't sell it to me because he didn't know the price yet. I showed him the price sheet and offered to pay full retail price. He said he still couldn't sell it to me because he also needed to add customs and shipping and he didn't know how much to charge for those until he got his invoice. I told him it was a long trip to get there, and I wanted to leave with the bass or I wouldn't be back. He let me leave with my cash.
So I decided at that moment that not only would I buy a Dingwall elsewhere, I would also become a Dingwall dealer. I could easily see that there would be huge demand for these basses, especially the NG2's, given their incredibly high build quality, great tone and playability, and very attractive price point. So I got home and immediately bought the very next NG2 that got listed in the TB Classifieds, and also ordered two more new ones (4 and 5 string) in my preferred color schemes, figuring I would keep one or two and sell the other one (or maybe not sell it.)
Someone made a comment on this thread about how the NG2 is like a gateway drug to get you hooked on the brand, and then you find yourself needing to "graduate" to a Canadian bass. I had no such plans. But when a gorgeous new ABZ 5-string with a Darkglass preamp suddenly popped up, I grabbed it immediately. Then my two NG2's arrived in the mail. Then an absolutely stunning, one-of-a-kind Z3 popped up and I couldn't resist it. I figured I would just sell the ABZ5 at that point, since the Z3 would make it redundant. By this point, I am up to 4 Dingwalls (having sold that first one NG2), and starting to have serious thoughts about how to go into business as a Dingwall dealer, or dealer of bass stuff in general.
So in that vein, I started buying some other nice basses just to have some inventory for when I open my store. Then another new Z3 popped up, but this one with a wenge neck. And I realized that since my ABZ5 has a maple neck with wenge fb, and the Z3 has a maple neck and fb, I really do need a Dingwall with a wenge neck and fb in order to be able to compare the difference in the sound. (And I want to make some high quality recordings in order to let anyone interested in buying a Z3 hear the difference in the tone between the neck woods.) So I bought that second Z3. But in the back of my mind, I was wondering how much of the tonal difference was due to the different body style etc., when suddenly another stunner of a new Z3 popped up at another dealer, this one with a maple neck and wenge fb. Too gorgeous to pass up, I had to get that one. So now I have over $21,000 worth of Z3's - sheesh, that's enough for a nice used Z3 of the BMW variety!) Now I'm starting to realize that I had better start learning how to play a 5 string bass, since I own all of these nice 5-strings now. I am recalling that I bought a brand new StingRay 5 in 1994 and it has sat in the case unplayed all these years because "I am a 4-string player". Then I saw a post elsewhere on TB that said that once you can get the hang of a 5-string, it's not that much different to add a sixth string. You can guess what happens next: a beautiful ABZ 6-string pops up on the market, so of course I concluded "it must be a sign", and I had to get that one.
Meanwhile, all this time, in the back of my mind, I have this lingering awareness that this whole Dingwall addiction all started because I saw the photo of that first purple D-Bird and was completely consumed by the lustful desire to obtain it. Out of the blue, a guy on the other side of the world posts on Facebook "How much is my used D-Bird worth?" And when I learned that his was purple, AND it had a wenge neck, AND it was already strung BEAD by the factory, my Dingwall quest was over, and my collection would be complete with that prize in it. I could finally stop buying Dingwalls!
But does the story end here? No, it can't, because then I realized that I have never even played, seen, or even contemplated a Super, and then I see MD Bass rocking his Super J5xxx and sounding SO good, and I realize that one of those would be awesome to really complete the collection. So I found one. Not just any one, but the most amazing one. And then suddenly, out of the blue, a chambered AB2 appears on used market. Two small issues - it has a bubinga body, and shipping costs a fortune because it's on the other side of the globe and on the other side of the equator. No worries mate, nothing a little extra money can't overcome. Phew, now I must really be done collecting Dingwalls! Oh wait - shoot, there is this other animal called a Super P - it kind of sounds like a P, but it can do more than that. And oh, it has a thunderous B string on it too. And no batteries. How cool is that? I have to find one! And as luck would have it, within about a week of this revelation, one of those pops up in the Classifieds. After all of that, what should appear on the market but another Z3 - not just any Z3, but the holy grail of Z3's, and quite possibly the holy grail of basses in general. Darkglass preamp? Check. Wenge neck? Check. Block inlays? Check. Luminlay side dots? Check. Stunning finish that you could just lose yourself in? Check and double-check. So I had to get that one. How could I pass it up? In fact, I will gladly sell my other three Z3's now because now I have the one. In fact, I can sell all my other basses too!
Except for one thing: an extremely friendly TB member (in fact the very same TB member who informed me of the availability of that bass in the first place!) told me how much he would love to have it for his own. And he is in a band, and would actually play it and make good use of it. Meanwhile I am not in a band, and I just noodle on the bass at night after the kids have gone to bed and mostly play through headphones. And I do already have that other Z3 with a wenge neck and Darkglass preamp. No block inlays, no luminlay, no fancy finish, but still a really great bass. Yeah, I guess I can go ahead and let him have the holy grail bass. I can feel good about that. He and I have become friends through here, and I value that a lot. So we will be meeting in person in a few weeks to have a drink, make a toast to TalkBass and the great community spirit that we have on here (especially on this thread), and make a toast to Sheldon Dingwall for designing and building some of the finest basses in the entire world.
As I reflect on my first year with Dingwall basses in my life, it has been a really wonderful year as I have made many great new friends and also rejuvenated by interest in playing bass. It is time for me to start to focus what little free time I have on playing the bass. When time permits, I would love to start selling some of these amazing basses and getting back some space in my house so people can walk across the room without having to step over or around basses. I don't know when or if I will have time to create any Classified listings, but if you have read this far and you see something in these photos that you would like to have so you can play it, PM me and we can discuss. Aside from the ones I bought second hand, most of these beautiful instruments have been played for less than 30 minutes, and that is really a crime. They were built to be played and enjoyed, not to sit in their cases in a climate controlled room doing nothing.
Without further ado, here is the xnewyorka Dingwall collection from A(B) to Z(3) for your viewing pleasure...
AB2HS, ABZ5, ABZ6 (Those funky inlays on the ABZ5 are $7 stickers from Amazon - just an experiment, and they come right off)
D-Bird, AB2HS, ABZ5, ABZ6, NG2
D-Bird, Super P, Super J5xxx, AB2HS, ABZ5, ABZ6, NG2
All the 5-strings (AB2HS, ABZ5, Super Jxxx, Super P, Z3, Z3, Z3)
Z3, Z3, Z3
Z3, Z3, Z3, Z3
I discovered Dingwall basses for the first time here on TalkBass almost exactly a year ago when I decided to rekindle my interest in playing music. I learned through this thread that Sheldon would be visiting shops in New Jersey and New York as part of his Summer NAMM tour, and would be showing off a purple specimen of his new D-Bird model as well as an NG2 5-string in the new Yellow Swirl finish. That was all the excuse I needed to take a day off work so I could go meet the man himself and see the basses in person. I went there with $4,000 cash in my pocket and every intention of talking him out of that purple D-Bird. But the NG2 won my heart that day, and then so did the chambered AB2 that was hanging on the wall. I didn't have enough cash for the AB2 (and the owner wouldn't budge on the $4,500 price), so I tried to buy the NG2. The owner said he couldn't sell it to me because he didn't know the price yet. I showed him the price sheet and offered to pay full retail price. He said he still couldn't sell it to me because he also needed to add customs and shipping and he didn't know how much to charge for those until he got his invoice. I told him it was a long trip to get there, and I wanted to leave with the bass or I wouldn't be back. He let me leave with my cash.
So I decided at that moment that not only would I buy a Dingwall elsewhere, I would also become a Dingwall dealer. I could easily see that there would be huge demand for these basses, especially the NG2's, given their incredibly high build quality, great tone and playability, and very attractive price point. So I got home and immediately bought the very next NG2 that got listed in the TB Classifieds, and also ordered two more new ones (4 and 5 string) in my preferred color schemes, figuring I would keep one or two and sell the other one (or maybe not sell it.)
Someone made a comment on this thread about how the NG2 is like a gateway drug to get you hooked on the brand, and then you find yourself needing to "graduate" to a Canadian bass. I had no such plans. But when a gorgeous new ABZ 5-string with a Darkglass preamp suddenly popped up, I grabbed it immediately. Then my two NG2's arrived in the mail. Then an absolutely stunning, one-of-a-kind Z3 popped up and I couldn't resist it. I figured I would just sell the ABZ5 at that point, since the Z3 would make it redundant. By this point, I am up to 4 Dingwalls (having sold that first one NG2), and starting to have serious thoughts about how to go into business as a Dingwall dealer, or dealer of bass stuff in general.
So in that vein, I started buying some other nice basses just to have some inventory for when I open my store. Then another new Z3 popped up, but this one with a wenge neck. And I realized that since my ABZ5 has a maple neck with wenge fb, and the Z3 has a maple neck and fb, I really do need a Dingwall with a wenge neck and fb in order to be able to compare the difference in the sound. (And I want to make some high quality recordings in order to let anyone interested in buying a Z3 hear the difference in the tone between the neck woods.) So I bought that second Z3. But in the back of my mind, I was wondering how much of the tonal difference was due to the different body style etc., when suddenly another stunner of a new Z3 popped up at another dealer, this one with a maple neck and wenge fb. Too gorgeous to pass up, I had to get that one. So now I have over $21,000 worth of Z3's - sheesh, that's enough for a nice used Z3 of the BMW variety!) Now I'm starting to realize that I had better start learning how to play a 5 string bass, since I own all of these nice 5-strings now. I am recalling that I bought a brand new StingRay 5 in 1994 and it has sat in the case unplayed all these years because "I am a 4-string player". Then I saw a post elsewhere on TB that said that once you can get the hang of a 5-string, it's not that much different to add a sixth string. You can guess what happens next: a beautiful ABZ 6-string pops up on the market, so of course I concluded "it must be a sign", and I had to get that one.
Meanwhile, all this time, in the back of my mind, I have this lingering awareness that this whole Dingwall addiction all started because I saw the photo of that first purple D-Bird and was completely consumed by the lustful desire to obtain it. Out of the blue, a guy on the other side of the world posts on Facebook "How much is my used D-Bird worth?" And when I learned that his was purple, AND it had a wenge neck, AND it was already strung BEAD by the factory, my Dingwall quest was over, and my collection would be complete with that prize in it. I could finally stop buying Dingwalls!
But does the story end here? No, it can't, because then I realized that I have never even played, seen, or even contemplated a Super, and then I see MD Bass rocking his Super J5xxx and sounding SO good, and I realize that one of those would be awesome to really complete the collection. So I found one. Not just any one, but the most amazing one. And then suddenly, out of the blue, a chambered AB2 appears on used market. Two small issues - it has a bubinga body, and shipping costs a fortune because it's on the other side of the globe and on the other side of the equator. No worries mate, nothing a little extra money can't overcome. Phew, now I must really be done collecting Dingwalls! Oh wait - shoot, there is this other animal called a Super P - it kind of sounds like a P, but it can do more than that. And oh, it has a thunderous B string on it too. And no batteries. How cool is that? I have to find one! And as luck would have it, within about a week of this revelation, one of those pops up in the Classifieds. After all of that, what should appear on the market but another Z3 - not just any Z3, but the holy grail of Z3's, and quite possibly the holy grail of basses in general. Darkglass preamp? Check. Wenge neck? Check. Block inlays? Check. Luminlay side dots? Check. Stunning finish that you could just lose yourself in? Check and double-check. So I had to get that one. How could I pass it up? In fact, I will gladly sell my other three Z3's now because now I have the one. In fact, I can sell all my other basses too!
Except for one thing: an extremely friendly TB member (in fact the very same TB member who informed me of the availability of that bass in the first place!) told me how much he would love to have it for his own. And he is in a band, and would actually play it and make good use of it. Meanwhile I am not in a band, and I just noodle on the bass at night after the kids have gone to bed and mostly play through headphones. And I do already have that other Z3 with a wenge neck and Darkglass preamp. No block inlays, no luminlay, no fancy finish, but still a really great bass. Yeah, I guess I can go ahead and let him have the holy grail bass. I can feel good about that. He and I have become friends through here, and I value that a lot. So we will be meeting in person in a few weeks to have a drink, make a toast to TalkBass and the great community spirit that we have on here (especially on this thread), and make a toast to Sheldon Dingwall for designing and building some of the finest basses in the entire world.
As I reflect on my first year with Dingwall basses in my life, it has been a really wonderful year as I have made many great new friends and also rejuvenated by interest in playing bass. It is time for me to start to focus what little free time I have on playing the bass. When time permits, I would love to start selling some of these amazing basses and getting back some space in my house so people can walk across the room without having to step over or around basses. I don't know when or if I will have time to create any Classified listings, but if you have read this far and you see something in these photos that you would like to have so you can play it, PM me and we can discuss. Aside from the ones I bought second hand, most of these beautiful instruments have been played for less than 30 minutes, and that is really a crime. They were built to be played and enjoyed, not to sit in their cases in a climate controlled room doing nothing.
Without further ado, here is the xnewyorka Dingwall collection from A(B) to Z(3) for your viewing pleasure...
AB2HS, ABZ5, ABZ6 (Those funky inlays on the ABZ5 are $7 stickers from Amazon - just an experiment, and they come right off)
D-Bird, AB2HS, ABZ5, ABZ6, NG2
D-Bird, Super P, Super J5xxx, AB2HS, ABZ5, ABZ6, NG2
All the 5-strings (AB2HS, ABZ5, Super Jxxx, Super P, Z3, Z3, Z3)
Z3, Z3, Z3
Z3, Z3, Z3, Z3
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