Dingwall Owners Club

[been_effected]

All this talk about NG's not being used for metal is really making me start to regret ordering a Combustion 3X instead of an NG-3. That and playing an NG-2 in Melbourne a few weeks back....*sigh*

I have all the Darkglass outboard gear that I could need, just need to get through this...*rocks back and forth on the floor*

 

[Charlzm]

It’s far from ideal to me, too, but when I tried one before it was fine. The parallel fret BTBs (the only basses they do with 35” scale) are all incredibly heavy in my experience and the Bartolini MK1 pickups and electronics depress me.

At least this way I’ll have something with a better B than a regular SR.

It’s all a series of compromises. String spacing or weight or scale length or electronics or quality.... can only get a couple of the things I want on my limited budget.

I’ll re-evaluate later when I’ve got a more permanent place to stay out in LA, but you can all rest assured that I was never gonna bring my SP or ABZ with me to the hostel I’ll be spending my next few weeks at.

If you can find one, try out an LTD B-1005SE before buying the Ibanez. You won't regret it.

 

[bebass]

Look for a Cirrus.

Most undervalued long scale, active, basses. A Mississippi Alembic!

I’ll likely keep mine for the rest of my life. I love it.

 

[bebass]

All this talk about NG's not being used for metal is really making me start to regret ordering a Combustion 3X instead of an NG-3. That and playing an NG-2 in Melbourne a few weeks back....*sigh*

I have all the Darkglass outboard gear that I could need, just need to get through this...*rocks back and forth on the floor*

I think you will find that you can add as much DG as you want for the DG sound and still have the upper end if/when you want it. I think Combustion 3x are amazing and versatile and often passed up for NG series when in fact it brings a lot to the table. I think you will like it.

 

[been_effected]

I think you will find that you can add as much DG as you want for the DG sound and still have the upper end if/when you want it. I think Combustion 3x are amazing and versatile and often passed up for NG series when in fact it brings a lot to the table. I think you will like it.

Hoping so. It'll have the pao ferro fretboard too instead of maple, so hopefully a tad less "zing"-y too.

 

[johnsonabq]

I think you will find that you can add as much DG as you want for the DG sound and still have the upper end if/when you want it. I think Combustion 3x are amazing and versatile and often passed up for NG series when in fact it brings a lot to the table. I think you will like it.

It seems like the NGs are part of the Combustion series. What's the difference?

 

[xnewyorka]

It seem like the NGs are part of the Combustion series. What's the difference?

Primarily: Pickup placement, Darkglass vs. EMG preamp, hardware color, finish choices, and options for pau ferro fb and fancy top on Combustion.

 

[johnsonabq]

Primarily: Pickup placement, Darkglass vs. EMG preamp, hardware color, finish choices, and options for pau ferro fb and fancy top on Combustion.

Ah, I see. I do prefer the DGTC over EMG.

 

[Waltsdog]

Hoping so. It'll have the pao ferro fretboard too instead of maple, so hopefully a tad less "zing"-y too.

I’ve said it before but I had both an NG2 and a Combustion at the same time. I got rid of the NG2 fairly quickly.
If you have a Darkglass pedal already then it’s a more versatile setup imo.

 

[Larchi]

I played a BTB at Gorham Bros. yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised with how utterly 5#!tty it was.

Yeah they look cool, but they play like rubbish.
I ended up getting an Ibanez ATK 5 - a cool bass - not the best B string, though that pickup sounded great. I think I had it for about 3 years. Then bought my old teacher's Dolphin-6 copy. The Dingwalls are the only basses with a better B string than my Dolphin - It sounds that good.

 

[Larchi]

All this talk about NG's not being used for metal is really making me start to regret ordering a Combustion 3X instead of an NG-3. That and playing an NG-2 in Melbourne a few weeks back....*sigh*

With the 3x It'll probably sound much the same as an NG3... What woods, fingerboard and colours did you choose? My 6 Is supposedly gonna arrive at The Basscentre in January. Yours?

 

[BurningSkies]

Yeah they look cool, but they play like rubbish.
I ended up getting an Ibanez ATK 5 - a cool bass - not the best B string, though that pickup sounded great. I think I had it for about 3 years. Then bought my old teacher's Dolphin-6 copy. The Dingwalls are the only basses with a better B string than my Dolphin - It sounds that good.

I actually don't think they even look cool. The horns are weirdly shaped and the body is clunky. It was just the only fretted 5 they had on the wall that saw right off.

 

[J Posega]

Now I'm second guessing myself on the SRFF.

I need a bass for LA but I can't afford a new, or even used, Combustion except for the very rare cheap v1's. And if I'm making a bunch of compromises on a parallel fret bass, I'm not even willing to spend as much as I would on a v1 Combustion. So it's a dilemma. I might start looking for 35" scale 4 strings. At least then weight and string spacing aren't such issues.

 

[Larchi]

Now I'm second guessing myself on the SRFF.

Can you play one somewhere? I would only order in an instrument that I'd played before.

 

[Selta]

Now I'm second guessing myself on the SRFF.

I need a bass for LA but I can't afford a new, or even used, Combustion except for the very rare cheap v1's. And if I'm making a bunch of compromises on a parallel fret bass, I'm not even willing to spend as much as I would on a v1 Combustion. So it's a dilemma. I might start looking for 35" scale 4 strings. At least then weight and string spacing aren't such issues.

Why don't you just borrow one of my AB1s? I can shoot my blue one down to you.

 

[xnewyorka]

Now I'm second guessing myself on the SRFF.

I need a bass for LA but I can't afford a new, or even used, Combustion except for the very rare cheap v1's. And if I'm making a bunch of compromises on a parallel fret bass, I'm not even willing to spend as much as I would on a v1 Combustion. So it's a dilemma. I might start looking for 35" scale 4 strings. At least then weight and string spacing aren't such issues.

Can you just make your own poor-man's fan fret bass?
Just get a cheap parallel fret bass, and while you are playing, rotate the bass as needed so that the headstock goes up and down (changing the angle of the neck with respect to the floor) as you move your fretting hand up and down the neck or up and down across the strings. Et voila, dynamic fanned frets.
Works for me.

 

[J Posega]

Why don't you just borrow one of my AB1s? I can shoot my blue one down to you.

Thanks man, thats awfully generous, but I'm staying in a hostel for the next month while hunting for a more permanent rental, and then I go to a conference in Albuquerque. Then I come back to LA and hope that I found something better than the hostel, otherwise I do that again. So I'm just really paranoid about having something costly, much less something I don't own. Granted, it's an 'upscale' hostel (Podshare) and they assure me theft is extremely uncommon, but still... just makes me really uneasy. Otherwise, I'd just be taking one of mine!

Can you play one somewhere? I would only order in an instrument that I'd played before.

Out of 30+ instruments I've owned and flipped, I think I played maybe 4 before buying. I'm just too spoiled by the goodness of my Dingwalls to trust that I'll get on well enough with a cheapo 5er.

Can you just make your own poor-man's fan fret bass?
Just get a cheap parallel fret bass, and while you are playing, rotate the bass as needed so that the headstock goes up and down (changing the angle of the neck with respect to the floor) as you move your fretting hand up and down the neck or up and down across the strings. Et voila, dynamic fanned frets.
Works for me.

This could make for hilarious YouTube content, as long as you do some Glenn Fricker-style ranting and raving like a lunatic.

 

[AB Nate]

Thanks man, thats awfully generous, but I'm staying in a hostel for the next month while hunting for a more permanent rental, and then I go to a conference in Albuquerque. Then I come back to LA and hope that I found something better than the hostel, otherwise I do that again. So I'm just really paranoid about having something costly, much less something I don't own. Granted, it's an 'upscale' hostel (Podshare) and they assure me theft is extremely uncommon, but still... just makes me really uneasy. Otherwise, I'd just be taking one of mine!


Out of 30+ instruments I've owned and flipped, I think I played maybe 4 before buying. I'm just too spoiled by the goodness of my Dingwalls to trust that I'll get on well enough with a cheapo 5er.


This could make for hilarious YouTube content, as long as you do some Glenn Fricker-style ranting and raving like a lunatic.

Honestly, if you are literally just looking for a block of wood with strings on it in a budget I’d go into a music shop with zero expectation and not be looking for any brand inparticular.
Say you set a budget of $1000 as an example..... pick up every single bass under that price tag and walk away with the one that felt the best. No matter if it’s a P, J, 34” or 35” scale. 4 strings or 5.

Perhaps a cheapy yammy might make you think.... “ hey.. not bad” or even dare I say a squire.

There was a Line 6 variax used at my local L and M for $300. I almost brought the same thing home because it was pretty cool with the built in emulator and the neck actually wasn’t terrible. I decided I need another base kicking around like another mole in my head. Thank god reason and a tight budget came to play but still.

Anyways. Before selecting a certain model I’d just go and see if something in your price range grabs you. Being temporary it doesn’t even need to be a tone machine as long as it feels good.

I keep going back to an American standard Jazz at l and m that is on the wall used. Every time I pick it up music just seems to flow...... it sound like poo compared to..... well you know....... but it plays nice and has its own sound that I can appreciate differently.

Just my 2 cents. I have yet to pick up an SRFF that felt good. There’s 2 on the wall at l and m. I don’t even bother. I’ll go for a stingray or something first as I know how they feel. I’d rather go for a bass that has its own entity vs a crappy wannabe.

Hell, you’ll probably end up selling the darn thing anyways once your reunited with your Dingwalls

 

[AB Nate]

With the 3x It'll probably sound much the same as an NG3... What woods, fingerboard and colours did you choose? My 6 Is supposedly gonna arrive at The Basscentre in January. Yours?

The preamps can achieve significantly different tonal characteristics.

Also, it’s my understand that the combustion’s went to ash exclusively. Where as the NG is alder.

And the NG3x is repping the d bird switch. I don’t think the combustion is too. Probably just the 3x switch. There is fairly significant differences between the 2

So..... nope. I don’t think they will sound much the same at all. Maybe in passive mode.

 

[AB Nate]

Can you just make your own poor-man's fan fret bass?
Just get a cheap parallel fret bass, and while you are playing, rotate the bass as needed so that the headstock goes up and down (changing the angle of the neck with respect to the floor) as you move your fretting hand up and down the neck or up and down across the strings. Et voila, dynamic fanned frets.
Works for me.

Do you have a demonstration video for us?!? I could probably save myself a good $20 g if I was to adopt this method.