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Dingwall Owners Club

#28,401
On the subject of tube amps (a subject I really like) - I used to gig/practice with an Orange AD 200b and I found that combo (I was playing an AB 1.5 5er at the time)to be an amazing pair tonally plus I cut through 2 guitar players, sat above the bass drum in the mix and 200 tube watts could still be felt/thump with efficient cabs. The weight of the head wasn't bad to lug around either.

Other tube amps I had were:
Eden WTB 300v - it sounded muffled and really was a rebadged Fame amp (whoever that company is). It didn't have any presence so it didn't last long in my rig.
Peavey VB-2 - A pretty decent tube amp that can be had for cheap. It has decent EQ and sounded pretty good as long you the preamp wasn't overdriven. I think I bought the one I had for $400.
A 70s Univox tube head and matching 2-15 cab. A super fun combo, looked very cool and screamed 70s. Tone was good enough and I used a lot of fuzz with it.
Mesa Boogie Prodigy - I wanted to really love it but for me, I just felt like I was fighting the EQ/Voice part of the amp. I kept it for over a year but never truly enjoyed it.
Ampeg SVT 2 - I liked it, not sure why I sold it.

I have never owned an SVT but I have used them at times when backline was provided. Sounded amazing on top of the fridge.

Currently, I have Ampeg PF50T and an older, rare Mesa Cab that has a 12, an 8 and a little tweeter. This combo sounds really good, Ampeg nailed it with this little amp. I am not gigging much and when I do - I am not playing bass (I am big into modular synthesizers) but, this rig could work for smaller gigs and practices in the right band setting. I bought the amp because in the nearish future, after we settle into our house I will be buying a 10 x 20 metal building, sound proofing and having a music space (again!) and I intend to do some recording and the pf50T has some good features for recording.
 
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#28,402
Speaking of tube amps. Love them but I've got gigs every weekend and am not up to carrying one around. So I bought a Noble tube preamp, and use it with a class D featherweight (Bergantino Forte). So I guess you could call it a tube hybrid rig. The Noble resides on my pedal board and I don't play without it. I really accentuates the harmonic content and is a perfect match for my AB II.
 
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#28,403
I thought I had helpful P pickup transplant photos but that turned out to be stretching the facts.
P4080007.jpeg

I guess I was just trying to remember what went were as I did the swap. About the only helpful thing in this picture is on the left, at the corner of the circuit board: that's the bridge pup wires. Red, white and clear going to the rotary switch. Its hard to see, but the green and black leads are joined to each other and shrink wrapped. That makes the bridge pup series.

Here's the neck pup, also wired to series. Simple, fast and reversible. You could also use a switch, and that would be even better, if you like switches. I wasn't ever going back to parallel, and switches give me too many options.
IMG_0148.JPG

Again, black and green are disconnected from the switch and joined together.

Here's what I was going by:
fullsizeoutput_65.jpeg
IMG_1016.JPG

My Super J 5 was an early model, and the P pickup had not been developed yet, so there were no holes for mounting the pup. While I waited for the P pup, I changed the wiring on the neck pup to series. I liked that, and did the bridge at the same time. I think changing to series gets you about 85% of the way to the P sound. Not quite all the snarl, but close.

Once the P pup became available, I ordered one and a new pick guard. I used the new pick guard to locate the holes, then drilled and tapped for the mounting bolts.

Even basic soldering skill will get this done in about 15 minutes.

The newer models probably come ready with inserts for both pickup options.

Good luck!
 
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#28,404
singlemalt said:
I thought I had helpful P pickup transplant photos but that turned out to be stretching the facts.
View attachment 3382148
I guess I was just trying to remember what went were as I did the swap. About the only helpful thing in this picture is on the left, at the corner of the circuit board: that's the bridge pup wires. Red, white and clear going to the rotary switch. Its hard to see, but the green and black leads are joined to each other and shrink wrapped. That makes the bridge pup series.

Here's the neck pup, also wired to series. Simple, fast and reversible. You could also use a switch, and that would be even better, if you like switches. I wasn't ever going back to parallel, and switches give me too many options.
View attachment 3382150
Again, black and green are disconnected from the switch and joined together.

Here's what I was going by:View attachment 3382158View attachment 3382156
My Super J 5 was an early model, and the P pickup had not been developed yet, so there were no holes for mounting the pup. While I waited for the P pup, I changed the wiring on the neck pup to series. I liked that, and did the bridge at the same time. I think changing to series gets you about 85% of the way to the P sound. Not quite all the snarl, but close.

Once the P pup became available, I ordered one and a new pick guard. I used the new pick guard to locate the holes, then drilled and tapped for the mounting bolts.

Even basic soldering skill will get this done in about 15 minutes.

The newer models probably come ready with inserts for both pickup options.

Good luck!
Click to expand...


Thank you so much! That is very helpful!

I got the P pickup installed, and rewired the bridge J pickup to be in series.
Wow, what a great tone!

My only issue now is the pickguard, since Dingwall no longer has them.

In fact, the tone is so good, I’m gonna do the same thing to one of my SJ5’s.

Thank you again for all your help!
 
Last edited:
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#28,405
The_Owl said:
I kept trying the Class D and pedals thing, but in the end, I could never get the pedals to sound as good recording as when driving an amp and cab. I've been listening a lot to BTBAM lately, and Dan Briggs gets some great bass tones from a Sunn 300T. It has all the features I want; separate and blendable channels and compressor. I've always been a bass and amp kind of person, with nothing in between.

Bought locally in Sweden. The Sunn has such a great, organic character to it. The harmonic richness and added saturation of notes is out of this world. I've been missing the character of a tube power section as well. That just cant be replicated easily. The fact that I have tube distortion ready at the clock of a switch will be a great feature live and in the studio.

Best sounding amp ever!
Click to expand...
Update. Going on a business trip tomorrow to where the amp is located. I should be able to bring it back with me.
 
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#28,407
I don’t know the size of the current side dots.


I used the 3mm Luminlay without the black outer circle. More glowing dot, and they look white against the wenge fretboard in day light. If it’s a wenge neck and board, or wenge over maple, the plain 3mm look great.

Drilling a hole for 3mm removed all of the plastic sidedot and made it a clean looking install.

3mm=.118 inch, or about 1/8”. Buy a couple drill bits around 3mm and do a test fit. Snug is good enough with super glue, no need for tight.

On my Super P, Dingwall put in the black outlined Luminlay dots. The neck is maple with a maple board, so the black outline provides a contrast to the pale wood in daylight.

I’d still go with the full glowing dot if I was doing another install. The glowing dots are so cool!
 
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#28,408
singlemalt said:
I don’t know the size of the current side dots.


I used the 3mm Luminlay without the black outer circle. More glowing dot, and they look white against the wenge fretboard in day light. If it’s a wenge neck and board, or wenge over maple, the plain 3mm look great.

Drilling a hole for 3mm removed all of the plastic sidedot and made it a clean looking install.

3mm=.118 inch, or about 1/8”. Buy a couple drill bits around 3mm and do a test fit. Snug is good enough with super glue, no need for tight.

On my Super P, Dingwall put in the black outlined Luminlay dots. The neck is maple with a maple board, so the black outline provides a contrast to the pale wood in daylight.

I’d still go with the full glowing dot if I was doing another install. The glowing dots are so cool!
Click to expand...
Did you go with the blue or the green?
Makes good sense to go with the full size opposed to the black surround type. More illuminating material I imagine adds to more glow time.
Thanks for your input.
 
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#28,414
Hey guys,
I have started researching Dingwall basses late last year and have read pretty much everything I could on the basses and the company, including most of this thread.

I bought my first bass in '85 (a '77P-bass) and still have it. In '99, I bought a US Lakland 55-94dlx which became my main bass until 2009 when I bought a Sadowsky MV5. I still have all 3 basses and figured that since it had been 10 years since my last bass, it was time to get another one. I play some club dates but mostly bigger stages, some touring (festivals, fairs, theatres) with country bands and folky stuff. However, I also have been playing in a rock trio for over 20 years (think Beatles to Metallica) and thought a Thunderbird would be great for that band. I tried a few and was not impressed. I thought of the Mike Lull T-Bird and then stumbled on the D-Bird. I hesitated because of the standard only being 4-string but decided I could make it work. I will have one in the next few weeks. :)

DAS! It's not made up. It's a real thing!!! I don't even have 1 Dingwall yet and I'm already planning on a second and a third, partly due to TBer @Waltsdog. He was nice enough to let me try out his ABZ, SJP5 and SP5 and compared them to my Sadowsky. All I can say is I want a SJ and SP, and then a long scale one, although not sure of the model yet. One thing at a time, right?

The Super series rarely come up and usually go pretty fast. After contacting a few TBers, there might be a Super P and a Super J available. The problem is my 25 year old roof needs replacing next month. So any new bass (after the D Bird) will require me to sell an existing bass. Also, the SP and SJ available are not colors I would typically buy, meaning not my favorite.

Questions:
1. If I was to have a SP refinished (painted) professionally, how would that affect the value of the instrument?
2. If I was to convert the SP to a SPJ, how would that affect the value of the instrument?
3. If I was to convert the SP to a SPJ, is there ANY way to retain the Tone Fusion? I love that thing!
4. For those who have played both Sadowsky and SJ, what would you say the main differences are? I was just about to put single coils pups in the Sadowsky, but now am thinking of selling it. My friends are shocked as they love that bass. It sounds great and big and still cuts through a mix really well.
5. Lastly, do any of you with a SJ5, SP5, SJP5 or SPJ5 thinking of selling one in the next little while? If so, please PM me asap. I will likely get one of the ones available unless I find something I like better. Btw, I already reached out to Andy but he won't sell me his beautiful blue SJ5.

This thread is one of my favorite one on any forum. Everyone here is so knowledgeable, courteous and eager to share their experience in a professional way, including Sheldon himself. Please help me become part of the family. :)

Rocky
 
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#28,416
Rocky55 said:
Hey guys,
I have started researching Dingwall basses late last year and have read pretty much everything I could on the basses and the company, including most of this thread.

I bought my first bass in '85 (a '77P-bass) and still have it. In '99, I bought a US Lakland 55-94dlx which became my main bass until 2009 when I bought a Sadowsky MV5. I still have all 3 basses and figured that since it had been 10 years since my last bass, it was time to get another one. I play some club dates but mostly bigger stages, some touring (festivals, fairs, theatres) with country bands and folky stuff. However, I also have been playing in a rock trio for over 20 years (think Beatles to Metallica) and thought a Thunderbird would be great for that band. I tried a few and was not impressed. I thought of the Mike Lull T-Bird and then stumbled on the D-Bird. I hesitated because of the standard only being 4-string but decided I could make it work. I will have one in the next few weeks. :)

DAS! It's not made up. It's a real thing!!! I don't even have 1 Dingwall yet and I'm already planning on a second and a third, partly due to TBer @Waltsdog. He was nice enough to let me try out his ABZ, SJP5 and SP5 and compared them to my Sadowsky. All I can say is I want a SJ and SP, and then a long scale one, although not sure of the model yet. One thing at a time, right?

The Super series rarely come up and usually go pretty fast. After contacting a few TBers, there might be a Super P and a Super J available. The problem is my 25 year old roof needs replacing next month. So any new bass (after the D Bird) will require me to sell an existing bass. Also, the SP and SJ available are not colors I would typically buy, meaning not my favorite.

Questions:
1. If I was to have a SP refinished (painted) professionally, how would that affect the value of the instrument?
2. If I was to convert the SP to a SPJ, how would that affect the value of the instrument?
3. If I was to convert the SP to a SPJ, is there ANY way to retain the Tone Fusion? I love that thing!
4. For those who have played both Sadowsky and SJ, what would you say the main differences are? I was just about to put single coils pups in the Sadowsky, but now am thinking of selling it. My friends are shocked as they love that bass. It sounds great and big and still cuts through a mix really well.
5. Lastly, do any of you with a SJ5, SP5, SJP5 or SPJ5 thinking of selling one in the next little while? If so, please PM me asap. I will likely get one of the ones available unless I find something I like better. Btw, I already reached out to Andy but he won't sell me his beautiful blue SJ5.

This thread is one of my favorite one on any forum. Everyone here is so knowledgeable, courteous and eager to share their experience in a professional way, including Sheldon himself. Please help me become part of the family. :)

Rocky
Click to expand...

Wait.....what? There’s a Super P available???
Where?

I’ve owned and gigged both Sadowsky J and P basses as well as now being a Dingwall “convert”.
I own 2 SJ4’s and 2 SJ5’s.
The Sadowsky basses are phenomenal instruments. The sound great, are very reliable and consistent, and are great players.
But.....for me, my hands, and my ears, the Dingwalls are every bit as well crafted, while also being far more comfortable FOR ME, and I also feel that the string to string tone is more consistent.
Just my rusty 2 cents.
 
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