Aaaaaaand the place that Dingwall recommended doesn't seem to understand what I want. Liking the blue painter's tape more and more.....
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Dingwall Owners Club
- Thread starter FroggyOne2
- Start date
What about a blank of pickguard material, a sharp razor and a dremel? It would still be a PITA, but it's doable.
Or mod the 4 string cover.
Or get a 3X pickguard.
Thanks for the suggestion. I did indeed move the pickup where I wanted it today without the pickguard, and I find it to be a definite improvement. Thanks for making me take this small step before proceeding!
And it turns out that while Dingwall might have made the pickguard in the Reverb posting, they no longer offer custom pickguards. So you were correct in the first place, whatever the posting might have indicated.
Damn, I mean I understand they are protecting their stuff so what you have stays what it is, but it's just a piece of plastic.
I want the 3X because I want some of that burp you get, but like the Warwick thumb, it doesn't always sound the best.
I want the 3X because I want some of that burp you get, but like the Warwick thumb, it doesn't always sound the best.
I don't think it is about protection. I think they simply don't have the time. All hands trying to get basses out the door. I'd love to see someone dedicated to stuff like this, mods, etc. even if info came at a cost, but maybe that doesn't pay as well as having them help get things out...
+1 You have to keep in mind how small a crew that is daily satisfying the large demand for these instruments.
Another +1. If you consider how much employee contact time it would take to deal with fulfilling an order for a cheap piece of plastic, as compared to having that same person spending their time getting a bass finished and out the door that somebody has been waiting 24 months for, I bet an economically fair price for the pickguard would be at least $100 to $150. Then nobody would buy them.
If they could be made in bulk, that would certainly drop the price. But there is probably not a very big market out there looking to do this sort of mod.
Why not give the job to Pickguard Heaven or one of those pickguard fabricators, and let Dingwall focus on building basses?
You can take your pickguard off, make a template on construction paper by tracing your pickguard with a sharp pencil, then take a pin and poke out at least three of the screw holes forming the biggest triangle shape you can make. Then lay the paper on top of the bass body with the pickups removed, and line up your three screw holes, then tape the template in place firmly with blue painter's tape. Then place a pickup on top of the template directly over the routed location where the pickup needs to go, and trace around it. Then carefully cut out that hole for the pickup.
When you're done, put the pickups back in and test the template for fitment before sending it to the fabricator.
I have not done this, but it seems like it should work.
If they could be made in bulk, that would certainly drop the price. But there is probably not a very big market out there looking to do this sort of mod.
Why not give the job to Pickguard Heaven or one of those pickguard fabricators, and let Dingwall focus on building basses?
You can take your pickguard off, make a template on construction paper by tracing your pickguard with a sharp pencil, then take a pin and poke out at least three of the screw holes forming the biggest triangle shape you can make. Then lay the paper on top of the bass body with the pickups removed, and line up your three screw holes, then tape the template in place firmly with blue painter's tape. Then place a pickup on top of the template directly over the routed location where the pickup needs to go, and trace around it. Then carefully cut out that hole for the pickup.
When you're done, put the pickups back in and test the template for fitment before sending it to the fabricator.
I have not done this, but it seems like it should work.
I really dig how we're all a bit different.
I wish Dingwall, and every manufacturer really, would put pickguards on with double-sided tape, so if you don't want the pg, you can yank the damn thing off and you're not stuck with trying to fill a bunch of holes in your bass. I can't wait for my ABZ's to show up so I don't hafta look at pickguards anymore. Heck, I'd like to see a D-Roc without a pg(That's not a Hellboy). I wonder if I could get a discount on a D-Roc if I requested that they leave off the pg...
edit: Would anyone with PhotoShop and some skills mock up a D-Roc, any color, without a pickguard? Thanks!
I wish Dingwall, and every manufacturer really, would put pickguards on with double-sided tape, so if you don't want the pg, you can yank the damn thing off and you're not stuck with trying to fill a bunch of holes in your bass. I can't wait for my ABZ's to show up so I don't hafta look at pickguards anymore. Heck, I'd like to see a D-Roc without a pg(That's not a Hellboy). I wonder if I could get a discount on a D-Roc if I requested that they leave off the pg...
edit: Would anyone with PhotoShop and some skills mock up a D-Roc, any color, without a pickguard? Thanks!
I really dig how we're all a bit different.
I wish Dingwall, and every manufacturer really, would put pickguards on with double-sided tape, so if you don't want the pg, you can yank the damn thing off and you're not stuck with trying to fill a bunch of holes in your bass. I can't wait for my ABZ's to show up so I don't hafta look at pickguards anymore. Heck, I'd like to see a D-Roc without a pg(That's not a Hellboy). I wonder if I could get a discount on a D-Roc if I requested that they leave off the pg...
edit: Would anyone with PhotoShop and some skills mock up a D-Roc, any color, without a pickguard? Thanks!
The D-Roc standard pickguard is a vinyl sticker so you can just peel it off.
For @fretlessman71 and whoever else can use it.
This is the scan I did for my custom pickguard (NG3).
I used a flatbedscanner and made sure it won't scale.
The company here in germany used this picture to make my pickguard. I think they just traced the outlines with a vectorprogram or something.
You can print the picture out (1:1 no scaling with your printer) and cut it so you can lay it on your bass to check if the propotions match.
EDIT: somehow the file won't upload here without compressing the picture....so i don't know if the scaling is still right.
This is the scan I did for my custom pickguard (NG3).
I used a flatbedscanner and made sure it won't scale.
The company here in germany used this picture to make my pickguard. I think they just traced the outlines with a vectorprogram or something.
You can print the picture out (1:1 no scaling with your printer) and cut it so you can lay it on your bass to check if the propotions match.
EDIT: somehow the file won't upload here without compressing the picture....so i don't know if the scaling is still right.
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Yeah, I actually meant the Custom. I have a D-Bird Standard, and I’ve thought about getting the hair dryer out and peeling them off. If I was definitely gonna keep both of my current Dingwalls, I’d get someone to fill the holes on my NG and peel off the D-Bird sticker.
Can the stickers actually be considered a legit pickguard?
Yeah, I actually meant the Custom. I have a D-Bird Standard, and I’ve thought about getting the hair dryer out and peeling them off. If I was definitely gonna keep both of my current Dingwalls, I’d get someone to fill the holes on my NG and peel off the D-Bird sticker.
Can the stickers actually be considered a legit pickguard?
Sheldon himself came in here many pages ago to chime in this - IIRC because the playing area is raised compared to the rest of the body, they did not see a need to put on a hard, protective pickguard and instead went for mostly aesthetics with the vinyl stickers on the Standard and the wenge on the Custom
Yeah, I actually meant the Custom. I have a D-Bird Standard, and I’ve thought about getting the hair dryer out and peeling them off. If I was definitely gonna keep both of my current Dingwalls, I’d get someone to fill the holes on my NG and peel off the D-Bird sticker.
Can the stickers actually be considered a legit pickguard?
There are no screws on the custom either, not sure how it's held on:
Invalid Link Removed
Bass Direct appear to have a small stock of Invalid Link Removed, might not have the finish you're after though.
I'm not sure the combustion pickguards will fit, Dingwall kind of indicated that to me.
They didn't want people to pass off a Combustion as an NG3
They didn't want people to pass off a Combustion as an NG3
First I’ve heard of this. I’m quite confident that they would fit.
The NG is a combustion and they follow the same CNC as far as I know.
The difference between a combustion and a Nolly :
-originally was pick up placement but this has changed with both being offered 3 x. That said even the V4 I believe bodies were still made to be either or.
-NGs have specific wood specs. The combustion used To be either ash or alder with the option of a darker wood fretboard. Used to be rosewood now pao Ferro.
- finish.
- and of course a big one! The preamp that is installed.
Other then that then are built on the same chassis.
I think he had prostate cancer removed and is doing much better. Caught it early he mentioned in a post. I hope he’s doing great and that it’s only a moment in his life.
There’s been a lot of sadness and reality in my life this year and it hits very hard sometimes. I hope nothing but good things for Sheldon and all of you.
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So.... on another note.
Tangible happiness anyone.
These are some baaaad basses right here.
Tangible happiness anyone.
These are some baaaad basses right here.
