• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Dingwall Owners Club

#30,601
LawDog said:
Right you are! Originally shipped from LA, I think maybe it was showing Syracuse in FedEx Canada's system if that's where it was routed across the border.
Click to expand...

He may be around here these days. He's been doing graduate work in LA IIRC. or at least around here off and on, still has some family connections in the area I think. I do believe that was his 'travel bass' so he didn't have to move out with his Super-P, etc.
 
#30,605
pbass6811 said:
Well, that isn't something that I've ever heard anyone complain about. I had a v1 Combustion and a passive ABZ 5 and that ABZ was every bit as powerful sounding as the active Combustion. Heck, my D-Bird Standard is just about as loud as my NG-3.
Click to expand...

I wasn't talking about output voltage but about the tone.

I was able to test a NG DG edition and it had the immediate tone I was expecting.
My afterburner is definitely not that aggressive, it has tons of midrange punch but it's not as in your face.
Could be many things though, dg preamp vs passive, neo pups vs FDV, maple neck/fb vs wenge/wenge, alder body vs northern ash .. I don't know.

In any case I vastly prefer the AB on every single aspect of the instrument, but on the tone I'm just not so sure.
I won't lie, I'm a bit struggling to get something as "raw" (if that makes sense) as what I heard on that NG.

Maybe it sounds stupid but since it's supposed to be the better instrument I was expecting the AB to be easily able to produce the NG tone, plus more.
In the end if we could do a sonic venn diagram there would be some overlap but there are definitely tones you can make with one which you can't with the other (this being true for both basses btw).
 
#30,606
ThisYouCanTrust said:
I wasn't talking about output voltage but about the tone.

I was able to test a NG DG edition and it had the immediate tone I was expecting.
My afterburner is definitely not that aggressive, it has tons of midrange punch but it's not as in your face.
Could be many things though, dg preamp vs passive, neo pups vs FDV, maple neck/fb vs wenge/wenge, alder body vs northern ash .. I don't know.

In any case I vastly prefer the AB on every single aspect of the instrument, but on the tone I'm just not so sure.
I won't lie, I'm a bit struggling to get something as "raw" (if that makes sense) as what I heard on that NG.

Maybe it sounds stupid but since it's supposed to be the better instrument I was expecting the AB to be easily able to produce the NG tone, plus more.
In the end if we could do a sonic venn diagram there would be some overlap but there are definitely tones you can make with one which you can't with the other (this being true for both basses btw).
Click to expand...
That's the unfortunate thing, just because it cost more doesn't mean it's going to sound how YOU want it to.

My bro got a top of the line $1100 LTD eclipse with evertune, and it doesn't sound as good to him or I, as his $300 LTD explorer.
 
#30,607
The NG's preamp is really aggressive sounding. You could get a Dark Glass pedal that will cover those frequencies and more, or install a tone capsule in your AB.

Before that though, my other suggestion would be try rewiring the pickups in series instead of parallel, this will give a more aggressive sound. You see lots of Dingwalls with switches for this.
 
#30,609
Subscript said:
Before that though, my other suggestion would be try rewiring the pickups in series instead of parallel, this will give a more aggressive sound. You see lots of Dingwalls with switches for this.
Click to expand...
^^ This ^^
I have a Z3 with the series/parallel switches and I never take my pickups off series. My order for an AB1 with the Tone Capsule was going to have the series/parallel switches and I just said leave the switches out and wire all pickups in series.

My D-Bird came with all pickups in series. I believe that's standard.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Waltsdog and jakka1
#30,612
xnewyorka said:
That may be true for live, but what about in the studio where a flat frequency response gives a more natural and uncolored tone for the raw dry signal?
Click to expand...
Maybe true, but I don't record.
The BEA strings are pretty bright and open naturally, to my ears its almost the same tone, just bigger and richer when you go series- It's got that Dingwall sound to me.
 
#30,614
ThisYouCanTrust said:
I wasn't talking about output voltage but about the tone.

I was able to test a NG DG edition and it had the immediate tone I was expecting.
My afterburner is definitely not that aggressive, it has tons of midrange punch but it's not as in your face.
Could be many things though, dg preamp vs passive, neo pups vs FDV, maple neck/fb vs wenge/wenge, alder body vs northern ash .. I don't know.

In any case I vastly prefer the AB on every single aspect of the instrument, but on the tone I'm just not so sure.
I won't lie, I'm a bit struggling to get something as "raw" (if that makes sense) as what I heard on that NG.

Maybe it sounds stupid but since it's supposed to be the better instrument I was expecting the AB to be easily able to produce the NG tone, plus more.
In the end if we could do a sonic venn diagram there would be some overlap but there are definitely tones you can make with one which you can't with the other (this being true for both basses btw).
Click to expand...

I understand, and I apologize that I wasn't as clear, because I wasn't totally talking about output in my head, but when I typed it out...LOL

All those things that you mentioned would contribute to your dilemma, passive vs. active would be a pretty big difference. My D-Bird is about as loud as my NG, but it's not as aggressive sounding. I attributed that directly to being able to bump High-Mids on the DGTC. The different pickups are probably a contributing factor as well, as I think the FDVs are a tiny bit smoother. I also like the idea of re-wiring the pickups to be in Series. I think that's why my D-Bird has almost the same output as my NG...

I get what you're saying. I love Michael Tobias and all of his basses. I know there were a number of rock guys playing Tobias basses back in the day(Robert Trujillo, Bardi Martin, and the guy from Drowning Pool), but when he changed over to MTD, even though he went from Neck-Thru's to Bolt-On's, his basses got "smoother". I tried to get them to work(I've had three 535-24's), and I swear that last 535-24 I had was the single BEST playing bass I've ever owned, but none of them ever sounded "right" to me. Maybe if I'd put Nordstrand's or EMG's in it, who knows? So, no, a high price tag doesn't mean it's always gonna work.
 
#30,620
As an eBay Associate, TalkBass may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Like
Reactions: BassBH

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back