Dingwall Owners Club

[pbass6811]

dbird standard and custom pickguards

Hey! Are you doing that comparo you were talking about on Instagram?

View attachment 3416046 My 1st Dingwall
Very happy with it. The middle Pickup sound is the only one I need . Boost the bass a little, cut the mid a little - and I have a great sound for Primus style strum and slap, or an awesome pick sound.
All the strings sound better in multi scale, but what really floored me was how good the C string is. So bright and clear, full and loud, it's usable across the whole length!
And the way the scale changes as you go across it seems to encourage you to play fast
Not as fancy as some of the Dingwalls on TB for sure, but the Ng2/3 look pretty mean in black.
Got it strung with the stainless steel Dingwall set. Got the action set super low
very impressed with the quality of everything overall, especially the fretwork and neck.
I really hope the NG2/3 goes down as a classic. I would love to know how many are out there....
Anyway...

Dingwall

You got my NG-3/5's big brother! Nice bass! I really dig the black/maple contrast. Congrats!

My first Dingwall was a 2005 AB-1. It arrived on Thursday and I played it saturday for a gig. I figured, no point in waiting.

I feel ya'. I've had basses delivered on Friday afternoon and gigged them that night. I also agree with the "no point in waiting" mantra. Having said that, I might be in the same camp as Larchi. Although I've messed around on a few 6ers, I've never had one to call my own and really get comfortable with. Since one of my incoming ABZs is a 6/3, I'll have that chance, but I may not be able to gig it straight away, we shall see...

OTOH, I've met me. If my 6/3 shows up on a Friday afternoon, I'll probably take it to the gig that night. I may not play it, but it'll be there.

Who am I kidding?! I'll end up playing it. It may only be for one song, LOL, but I will not be able to resist that temptation...bahahaha!

 

[TinyE]

Sorry i should have mentioned: on guitars the slight tuning change is used to help facilitate bar chords, and on a 4,5 or 6 etc bass it's just not needed. Plus it makes things a pain in arse, theory wise. Why spoil that symetry?

aha, this helps. i (as most of us I would guess did) cut my chops on guitar before i became a bass player. Makes sense! thank you.

 

[Selta]

(as most of us I would guess did)

Not a bet I'd take lol. Though small, I run the PacNW bass convention and overwhelmingly, in that community, bassists started as bassists, not reformed guitarists.

 

[pbass6811]

Ok, got an issue now, position 1 on my D-Bird is practically dead. I'm getting almost no output from the bridge pickup solo'd. I, pretty much, just run position 4(all pups on)live, and it sounds great. Every other position sounds great, but that one. I haven't opened the control cavity to see what's up. Sorta bummed, but since I never used pos.1, it's not that big of a deal. I guess I need to find a new tech...

 

[singlemalt]

Open it up and have a look, it not like the magic will fall out.

Half the time I find some simple fix. Wiggle some wires and listen for crackling or intermittent signal.

I’d be looking hard at the switch.

 

[pbass6811]

Open it up and have a look, it not like the magic will fall out.

Half the time I find some simple fix. Wiggle some wires and listen for crackling or intermittent signal.

I’d be looking hard at the switch.

Even if it does fall out, I could just shove it back in there, LOL! I agree with the switch assessment, since the other 3 positions, 2 of which include the bridge pup, all sound fantastic.

The problem would be if it requires soldering, I'd need to learn how to do it(which I, obviously, need to learn how to solder anyways).

Another option is to just leave it, since I never use that setting anyway. Honestly, I have no use for just the bridge pup anyway, so it's not hurting my live sound or even my recordings.

I'll fix it.

 

[BurningSkies]

Ok, got an issue now, position 1 on my D-Bird is practically dead. I'm getting almost no output from the bridge pickup solo'd. I, pretty much, just run position 4(all pups on)live, and it sounds great. Every other position sounds great, but that one. I haven't opened the control cavity to see what's up. Sorta bummed, but since I never used pos.1, it's not that big of a deal. I guess I need to find a new tech...

I bet your 'all on setting' is just two pickups sounding great and not all three.

Yep. Check the wiring at the switch and see if it's looking solid. IIRC that pickup is wired internally in series, so check over the place where the green/black wires connect too. Beyond that I'd use a multimeter to see if you've got a coil or both dead if the first two things don't give you relief.

 

[Waltsdog]

Ok, got an issue now, position 1 on my D-Bird is practically dead. I'm getting almost no output from the bridge pickup solo'd. I, pretty much, just run position 4(all pups on)live, and it sounds great. Every other position sounds great, but that one. I haven't opened the control cavity to see what's up. Sorta bummed, but since I never used pos.1, it's not that big of a deal. I guess I need to find a new tech...

Open the back and take a look at the selector switch, the connections are all by screw, check to make sure they are all in place. You may have had a wire come loose. It's a passive bass so there isn't much to it but if you don't see anything obvious take it to a tech.

 

[singlemalt]

I wire bridge pickups in series, which gives them a extra boost. It’s easy, since your going to practice your soldering. You’ll just disconnect two of the four wires from the bridge pup and join them together, insulate with a piece of shrink wrap.

For that burpy, tight jazz sound the bridge pup solo is nice, but it will still need a volume boost.

The interesting stuff happens with the bridge and other pup in parallel. It’s less wide and loud than other positions, but nicely focused and clean.

Good luck!

 

[Waltsdog]

I wire bridge pickups in series

Good luck!

The D-Bird bridge is already in series.

 

[BurningSkies]

I wire bridge pickups in series, which gives them a extra boost. It’s easy, since your going to practice your soldering. You’ll just disconnect two of the four wires from the bridge pup and join them together, insulate with a piece of shrink wrap.

For that burpy, tight jazz sound the bridge pup solo is nice, but it will still need a volume boost.

The interesting stuff happens with the bridge and other pup in parallel. It’s less wide and loud than other positions, but nicely focused and clean.

Good luck!

I've come to appreciate and use the bridge (series) in series with the middle. I use that on my NG-3 nearly all the time, live. I do default to bridge/neck parallel when I record though. All my Dingwalls have the pickup coils in series except for the Rastaburst, which has switches for the pickups.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

View attachment 3416046 My 1st Dingwall
Very happy with it. The middle Pickup sound is the only one I need . Boost the bass a little, cut the mid a little - and I have a great sound for Primus style strum and slap, or an awesome pick sound.
All the strings sound better in multi scale, but what really floored me was how good the C string is. So bright and clear, full and loud, it's usable across the whole length!
And the way the scale changes as you go across it seems to encourage you to play fast
Not as fancy as some of the Dingwalls on TB for sure, but the Ng2/3 look pretty mean in black.
Got it strung with the stainless steel Dingwall set. Got the action set super low
very impressed with the quality of everything overall, especially the fretwork and neck.
I really hope the NG2/3 goes down as a classic. I would love to know how many are out there....
Anyway...

Dingwall

I would expect a few hundred go out the door each year. I think Dingwall does about 1500 instruments a year with 200~ being Canadian. The NG and the Combustion line have exponentially increased their sales numbers.

 

[BassikBrad]

When two reggae bands cooperate on a song, is it a joint session?

Anyway, back to talking about Dingwalls. I've been thinking a lot about custom builds, lately. I've also come to realise that most of my favourite bass tones come from neck through basses through tube amps, and that I (don't hate me) think that EMG pickups sound amazing, especially the passive 40HZ model. I've also also come to terms with the fact that I will always prefer 19 mm spacing on a bass, whether or not it's a 4- or 5-string.

So, do you see my conundrum? The things I'd want on a custom build are not options I could have on an AB. As much as I love the playability, tone and general feeling of the 34-37 fanned scale, and I really do, the last time I ordered a custom build I made some compromises with the specs on behalf of the luthier. In the end, it made the instrument feel less like "my own" bass, and ultimately led to me getting rid of it.

While there's no denying my ABHS is an absolutely fantastic instrument on its own merits, I would like to have one that's customised exactly to my specs. Those specs would involve EMG 40HZ pickups, maple body with three piece maple neck through construction with a rosewood FB and 19 mm spacing, finished in Candy Pink Metallic with a 2-band active EQ.

Funny you should mention EMG 40HZ pups. There's a local bass player with a Shecter Stiletto Studio,
that sounds amazing & it has those 40 HZ pups. So it's now on my GAS list.

 

[packrat]

Because a 6 string bass is traditionally tuned in 4ths.
Low Tuning B-E-A-D-G-C
High Tuning E-A-D-G-C-F

If you tuned a 6 string bass to standard guitar tuning, you would have a Baritone guitar tuning an octave down
B-E-A-D-F#-B

This is dingwall land! Those are regular and high tuning. Low tuning is F#-B-E-A-D-G!

 

[kirkdickinson]

This is dingwall land! Those are regular and high tuning. Low tuning is F#-B-E-A-D-G!

Correction accepted. You are right. B is "Standard" F# is Dingwall land!

C# is crazyness!

 

[pbass6811]

I'll fix it.

I fixed it.

I opened it up and did my best "I know what I'm doin'" impression. I got my flashlight, moved some wires around, turned some screws, twisted some wires, put it all back together, and VIOLA'! I get sound out of all 4 positions. It was touch and go there for a second, but I pulled it off...

If anyone needs any tech work done, I'll help you look for somebody...

 

[Flabzilla]

This is dingwall land! Those are regular and high tuning. Low tuning is F#-B-E-A-D-G!

Yeh.

 

[NaH]

When two reggae bands cooperate on a song, is it a joint session?

Anyway, back to talking about Dingwalls. I've been thinking a lot about custom builds, lately. I've also come to realise that most of my favourite bass tones come from neck through basses through tube amps, and that I (don't hate me) think that EMG pickups sound amazing, especially the passive 40HZ model. I've also also come to terms with the fact that I will always prefer 19 mm spacing on a bass, whether or not it's a 4- or 5-string.

So, do you see my conundrum? The things I'd want on a custom build are not options I could have on an AB. As much as I love the playability, tone and general feeling of the 34-37 fanned scale, and I really do, the last time I ordered a custom build I made some compromises with the specs on behalf of the luthier. In the end, it made the instrument feel less like "my own" bass, and ultimately led to me getting rid of it.

While there's no denying my ABHS is an absolutely fantastic instrument on its own merits, I would like to have one that's customised exactly to my specs. Those specs would involve EMG 40HZ pickups, maple body with three piece maple neck through construction with a rosewood FB and 19 mm spacing, finished in Candy Pink Metallic with a 2-band active EQ.

Torzal has fanned fret options now and they have custom string spacing.

 

[NaH]

Not a bet I'd take lol. Though small, I run the PacNW bass convention and overwhelmingly, in that community, bassists started as bassists, not reformed guitarists.

So am I a reformed keyboardist?

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I would expect a few hundred go out the door each year. I think Dingwall does about 1500 instruments a year with 200~ being Canadian. The NG and the Combustion line have exponentially increased their sales numbers.

That many? Wow! I was under the impression that the Combustion and NG lines were more in the 300 - 500 range and the Canadian models being significantly less.