Cool. I’m really digging it compared to the original one.... which also has great settings
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Dingwall Owners Club
- Thread starter FroggyOne2
- Start date
Cool. I’m really digging it compared to the original one.... which also has great settings
upThat certainly is the first thing you notice.But in the case of the NG-3, the threpickups all grouped together, and the pickup selector with its various ways of picking/combining them is unique too.
from what I understand, all the new NG3s will come with the D-Bird selector switch. Which is kind of a disappointment for me. I put a D-Bird switch in one of my x3 Dingwall basses just to try it out. I found I have no use for a 3-on selection. And I gotta have my jazz selection. So I switched back to the stock selector. I've got a NG3 6 string coming and I was told it will come with the D-Bird selector. If so I'm switching it out.
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Well, I just got back from hosting the 2018 Emerald City Bass Convention. Hooooo boy! Between myself and another bassist, we had just about every long-scale Dingwall represented there (two of my AB1's, my Prima, his NG2 and his Z3). There were an absolute ton of folks asking questions, trying them out, and of course just being blown away by everything Dingwall. I don't know if we'll have more folks joining our ranks soon directly from this, but, I wouldn't be surprised. I personally handed my Prima or AB1 6 string to at least 40 different players, and did some brief demos to the attendees (hey, it's my event, so making everyone pay attention to me was fairly simple 
).
Man it felt great to hand someone a Dingwall, and see the look on their face when they'd play. The surprise from the initial tone (Pretty much everyone starts by just hitting the low B, haha), then the ecstasy when they run through scales, arpeggios, slap/pop, and everything else. It's a truly wonderful feeling to share, and seeing/sharing that excitement that I fondly remember from my first Dingwall experience is something special
).Man it felt great to hand someone a Dingwall, and see the look on their face when they'd play. The surprise from the initial tone (Pretty much everyone starts by just hitting the low B, haha), then the ecstasy when they run through scales, arpeggios, slap/pop, and everything else. It's a truly wonderful feeling to share, and seeing/sharing that excitement that I fondly remember from my first Dingwall experience is something special
Yep, most likely same for me too (and I have a standard Combustion 6 string coming)
If you feel like parting with a d bird switch shoot me a pm. I was thinking of hitting up Dingwall for one for my Z3 5
johnsonabq
Watch out where the huskies go...
Interesting... I'll use this for now. I'm still getting to know the various voices of this bass, and have to wait until Saturday to hear it in a full band context. I also need to get some stainless strings on her too, that'll make a difference.
But as the members of the Spector Club will attest, I don't hesitate to change electronics if I'm so inclined.
I have absolutely thought about putting a spare tonepump into my NG-2... I once had an Epiphone T-Bird with EMG TBDC dual coil pickups and a Tonepump... that thing was pure spector tone. It sounded so much better than the muffled passive bass it once was.
johnsonabq
Watch out where the huskies go...
I've got the Dbird switch right in front of me as part of the NG2-3 upgrade kit that was just delivered. That said, not only can you can get the regular rotary switch, someone here had an amazingly worked-over combustion in white and gold that he had sourced a custom rotary switch with more than four positions for.
Sounds like the ideal way to get the best of all possible worlds!
Sounds like the ideal way to get the best of all possible worlds!
Yes, that would be the best imo! I'd love to have:
- a setting for each individual pickup
- J-bass like neck & bridge parallel
- ray like bridge&middel in series
- that tasty d.bird 3-pickup setting
Where did you get your upgrade kit? Very intrigued about those.
- a setting for each individual pickup
- J-bass like neck & bridge parallel
- ray like bridge&middel in series
- that tasty d.bird 3-pickup setting
Where did you get your upgrade kit? Very intrigued about those.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
So I have this thing here and I'm thinking about sending it to a qualified person to reduce the number of frets by 100%. Thoughts and feels?
You mean you want to do a "fanned to sans" conversion?
Wonder if anybody has done one of those.
Can't see why it wouldn't work.
Personally, I would need fret lines in a highly visible/contrasting color, or my audience would be walking out on me. You may have enough muscle memory programming accomplished to not need that.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
You mean you want to do a "fanned to sans" conversion?
Wonder if anybody has done one of those.
Can't see why it wouldn't work.
Personally, I would need fret lines in a highly visible/contrasting color, or my audience would be walking out on me. You may have enough muscle memory programming accomplished to not need that.
I've played standard fretless in the past, I had a MIJ Jazz without lines on the board, but for this I think I'd be putting a contrasting color inlay (maple or similar). I have a very qualified local/regional guy who mostly works with high end acoustic instruments, so it would totally not be a hackjob but a fully competent conversion. I recently bought this from a local friend, and it made sense to buy since it was very generous 'friend pricing' along with the consideration that he wouldn't have to post/pack/ship this anywhere. So for me it's a sub-$1k bass, and that might make it a really reasonable candidate.
We also have a prospective 'acoustic' gig or two coming up and while certainly not acoustic, I feel like a fretless fits into that context really well.
DO IT! I've had a Dingwall fretless for the past several years. I went the (not inexpensive) route of having Sheldon make a replacement fretless neck. I'm by no means an expert on fretless, but a Dingwall sounds very good as a fretless (no surprise there.) I do like the fretlines to help me get in the vicinity.
Only thing I can think of is fretboard wear. Sheldon does an epoxy finish and/or uses rock hard ebony for durability.
BEAD D Bird is ready for me. Had my local favorite guy give it a full set of adjustments.
I can't pick it up until tomorrow evening, though.
Give me patience.
I can't pick it up until tomorrow evening, though.
Give me patience.
Yeah, I think it would be very cool.
I don't see any side dots in your photo. Not sure if they are hidden by the camera angle or not present.
My personal preference on unlined basses is to have side dots on the fret lines.
Even on lined basses, if the lines are difficult to see easily (and for my aging eyes, they probably will be), I would still like prominent dots on the fret lines if possible.
On a Dingwall though, side dots are of less use than on a monoscale, since they are only accurately placed relative to the lowest string. So it's something to ponder.
If you are ever going to play it on a dark stage, you might look into doing Luminlay lines instead, which I think would be very cool. My only concern is that the wood will expand and contract while the Luminlay won't, but that's an issue for any lined fretless where the lines are a different material from the fingerboard. In a perfect world, I would think you might want the lines to have moisture-absorbing properties similar to the fingerboard for expansion/contraction purposes, but I'm no expert on that, and I'd defer to someone with experience with Luminlay fretlines.
