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Dingwall Owners Club

#26,562
In case it goes unnoticed in its own thread, I wonder if any Afterburner 1 owner has a bass with a pickup and could help me out. The bass I'm taking about would be something like this:

abi4-fiesta-red-tort-pg-maple-maple-e-1.jpg


My custom is arriving in a few weeks, without the pickguard I wanted (I think they couldn't make a normal one, on account of the neck touching the neck pickup, and all the pickups being too close to each other). I'd need two half pickups.

Any owner that could perhaps trace the pickguard for me, so that I can have a custom ordered for me? That'd be GREATLY appreciated.
 
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#26,566
reddavid said:
View attachment 3303255 Did someone say Prima? I was fortunate enough to get this used. (Middle) It was made for a guy who used to work at the Dingwall shop. Everything was hand selected over years of searching. It is an amazing bass. Left/top is the Cocobolo fretless. Right/bottom is the ABllHS. Set for life.
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I covet the hardware on Jeff's Prima Artist. I've always wondered though, because it's been through a few fair sets of hands...kind of sad that it seem to never be anyone's 'forever' bass.
 
#26,567
Also, the Fretless Combustion went back to the tech on Friday...one of the boxwood inlays (19th fret) had come unseated...and I was finding the action too high for my liking. It got the fret fixed, the fingerboard above 12 got sanded down a bit more and the nut grooves were lowered.

I got home, took a little bit of relief out of the neck (less than an 8th turn) and ran a set with it. Totally workable, but found that I still wanted to see if I could the action lower. A couple of the saddles are already as flat low as they go, so I put in a quick shim (thin business card strip) in the pocket at the heel...expecting to have to raise saddles. That was not the case. The action is a bit lower (about 3mm at the 12th, from bottom of string to board)...and there were no additional buzzes, but it sounds fully fretless up and down the neck (not plunky)

Driving me a bit nuts not to have a pick guard, but I did get word this week that Terrapin Pickguards is processing my order, so hopefully in the next week or two it'll be fully clothed again and I can pick which of the three I like best.

For those keeping track:
-v4 Combustion (used) $900
-professional defretting/CA coating: $200
-move pickup to 'Z2' position add DG-TC: $170
-Pickguards professionally fabricated, cellulose & modern (3): 260$
(though I could have done a single pickguard for 60$)
Total cost: $1530

Next up, I was finding the fret lines at the edge of the board (not the face) to be too lacking in contrast so that in low light I wasn't getting much love for them. And I'm not really looking to do a full luminlay job right now. I tested out a fine silver paintpen to brighten then a very fine application of glow-in-the-dark acrylic over it...and damnit if it doesn't work great. Since my thumb is down the center of the neck they stay put and don't wear off, and the test with decent quality paint was solid...and the removal was fairly quick and definitely non-invasive. I have a quantity of what's reputed to be the strongest/brightest/long-lasting glow powder available and acrylic base waiting for another run. I tested the powder as visible for more than a few hours.
 
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#26,568
BurningSkies said:
...

Next up, I was finding the fret lines at the edge of the board (not the face) to be too lacking in contrast so that in low light I wasn't getting much love for them. And I'm not really looking to do a full luminlay job right now. I tested out a fine silver paintpen to brighten then a very fine application of glow-in-the-dark acrylic over it...and damnit if it doesn't work great. Since my thumb is down the center of the neck they stay put and don't wear off, and the test with decent quality paint was solid...and the removal was fairly quick and definitely non-invasive. I have a quantity of what's reputed to be the strongest/brightest/long-lasting glow powder available and acrylic base waiting for another run. I tested the powder as visible for more than a few hours.
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That is a great idea!
 
#26,576
AB Nate said:
I wonder if the new saddle pieces go lower then the old ones. Perhaps a bridge swap?
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Maybe, from what I remember, the new bridge pieces aren't a direct retrofit though, and is probably more of a project than I need right now. Honestly, a sliver of cardstock hasn't changed the tone of the instrument in the least and it seems to be in a good place now.
 
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#26,577
johnsonabq said:
My gateway Dingwall was an NG-3. I only sold it because after getting the Z3 I felt it was redundant and wanted to get a Super P.

View attachment 3303631
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As great as these basses are, this is what makes me hesitant to order a Matte Pink swirl NG3-6; the fear of getting a swirl that's more black than pink. If I get one that looks like the NAMM preview I'd be thrilled. OTOH if I get one with this kind of colouring, I would be unlikely to keep it. I have a, for lack of better words, poor luck track record of ordering things (musical as well as non-musical) online and from stores. I'd be heartbroken if I ordered one and had to wait nine months or more for it to come out looking more black than pink.
 
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#26,579
Ok, so I just watched Scott Devine's(Scott's Bass Lessons)interview with Sheldon. Although we all already know it, Sheldon Dingwall is just an outstanding human being! I'm familiar with a lot of the Dingwall history, but I could listen to Sheldon talk about it all day! I love how he saw the Novax system in a guitar mag, had a light bulb moment, then met Ralph a few weeks later. That's just great stuff and hearing him tell the story is fascinating. We know that Lee Sklar was the one who gave Sheldon the idea of mandolin frets, but Sheldon talked about where Lee got the idea from. I learned that the DGTC was conceived over dinner at Disney World through a series of very fortunate events, lol!

The two things that really caught my attention. Sheldon mentions that almost all of their artists, that are playing 3-pickup basses w/the "D-Bird" switch, prefer the "all pickups on" position, including Lee Sklar. Which brings me to my other, attention grabbing, note, Lee is on tour playing a prototype of the Lee Sklar 3, with the "all pups on" switch and, apparently, he really likes it. Makes me glad I had them put the D-Bird switch in all my upcoming basses!

Hmmm...Z3 or Sklar 3...:woot::bassist:

edit: It might have actually been Disney Land, I'm not sure. I'd hafta go back and watch the interview again, which wouldn't be bad. It was after a NAMM show, so I'm fairly certain they wouldn't all have hopped on a plane just to fly to Florida and have dinner. It's probably whichever one is in Cali and close to Anaheim...LOL!
 
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#26,580
AB Nate said:
Try another set of new strings. I had this exact thing happen with a brand new B straight outta the pack...different brand which replaced it instantly. But it can be the string. worst case you have a back up set.

every once in a while a string is defective.
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IronSpatula said:
I’ve had this happen before with a Kalium .136. It may be that one of the windings has come loose from the others. In my case, it was subtle enough to be unnoticeable plugged-in.
Click to expand...

Thank you guys, It really seems to be the case, I will give a try to several alternatives. Still hoping for some feedback from Sheldon.
 

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