Dingwall Owners Club

[silky smoove]

You can see some highlights below. I've never noticed any 'sparkle' in Ducati White. I think it absorbs most light and is a completely flat finish. I can try to shine a bright light on it when i get home. No disco here, just class...

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Thanks for the clarification, and may I say that is a VERY sharp bass.

 

[IvanBassist]

I'm in the Basel/Loerrach/Saint-Louis corner, so Paderborn is not exactly right next door to me.

A report would be interesting nonetheless

Well i went there today. Unfortunately you cannot plek a multi scale instrument at this point. The plek machine just got an update last week to analyse multi scale instrument, but it can't do any fret levelling. At least not right now. Maybe the update to do it might come out at some point.

It's pretty cool for parallel fretted instruments, though

 

[wvbass]

EXCELLENT (and honest) review. Thanks for that!!
I own a Super PJ, and a custom ABZ (its technically more like an AB1)...annnnnd locally a dealer got a D-Roc in - same feelings as you had. I prefer both of mine - tonally - BUT looks, went to the D-Roc. I think they LOOK sharp!
Oddly, i find where the nut ends at the G#, my index finger seems to rub against where the headstock wood drops off (towards the tuners)..maybe i should say its where the index finger first knuckle bends from the hand...(on ALL the Dingwalls)...almost like the wood should still go past the nut at the same height and straight down - not angling with the nut...having it drop away hooks and rubs me from time to time. Maybe i fret oddly there - i will have to pay attention.
I think this "first run" of D's will be fine tuned quickly - i can only imagine the difficulty in having products made overseas and trying to stay on top of Quality from across the globe. Having said that - i still think they're far superior to many other known quality brands (which are made on this continent).
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I really don’t have any issues past the nut like you describe. I would be interested in a picture of you hand position.

Keep in mind...my initial comments about upper fret access and especially fit and finish...those were based on comparisons to my Canadian basses. The D-Roc compares favorably, regardless of price point, but the Canadians are just flawless.

 

[ThisYouCanTrust]

Well i went there today. Unfortunately you cannot plek a multi scale instrument at this point. The plek machine just got an update last week to analyse multi scale instrument, but it can't do any fret levelling. At least not right now. Maybe the update to do it might come out at some point.

It's pretty cool for parallel fretted instruments, though

So did the analysis say anything special ?

 

[IvanBassist]

So did the analysis say anything special ?

The nut slots were carved too low, there was too much bow in the neck and frets around 1-4 + upper frets need some levelling.
We corrected the nut, but now i feel it might be a touch too high or maybe i just got used to the feeling of it before.

I also installed DW nickel strings for the 1st time and I'm really liking the tone so far.
They also seem to give the bass a lot more output compared to other strings I've tried

 

[Peter Lufrano]

Ivan,
You might try emailing Mike Lull’s shop about Pleking your Dingwall.

 

[IvanBassist]

Ivan,
You might try emailing Mike Lull’s shop about Pleking your Dingwall.

Have you plek’d your Dingwalls there?

 

[Peter Lufrano]

EXCELLENT (and honest) review. Thanks for that!!
I own a Super PJ, and a custom ABZ (its technically more like an AB1)...annnnnd locally a dealer got a D-Roc in - same feelings as you had. I prefer both of mine - tonally - BUT looks, went to the D-Roc. I think they LOOK sharp!
Oddly, i find where the nut ends at the G#, my index finger seems to rub against where the headstock wood drops off (towards the tuners)..maybe i should say its where the index finger first knuckle bends from the hand...(on ALL the Dingwalls)...almost like the wood should still go past the nut at the same height and straight down - not angling with the nut...having it drop away hooks and rubs me from time to time. Maybe i fret oddly there - i will have to pay attention.
I think this "first run" of D's will be fine tuned quickly - i can only imagine the difficulty in having products made overseas and trying to stay on top of Quality from across the globe. Having said that - i still think they're far superior to many other known quality brands (which are made on this continent).
View attachment 3586937

Have you plek’d your Dingwalls there?

I believe so. I had them work on my main gigging SJ4, installing block inlays, Luminlay markers, and converting it the “PJ” pickups. They did a refret at the same time and my understanding is that they Plek all their refretting work.

 

[wvbass]

You know, I used to think that fanned frets on a four string were fairly pointless. Maybe it isn't strictly necessary, but Dingwall makes some really nice basses. I may do a NBD thread later, but for now, here's a quick comparison between my Super P and my D-Roc.

The Super P is definitely a P bass. My favorite pickup combination is P only, and it sounds like a P. The pickup is at the more "mellow" end of the spectrum. The bass hangs comfortably on a strap, and the medium scale is perfect for me. Fit and finish are flawless, which is a trait both my Canadian basses have in common.

The D-Roc is completely different. Tone-wise, it is more aggressive, but I wouldn't say it sounds like a Thunderbird at all. It doesn't have the super-thick low end and muted top end that all my other 'birds have. The pickup selector and pickup placement is well designed; rotating the knob clockwise takes you from a thinner, cleaner sound to a thicker, fatter tone. If the switch had a couple more positions, the tone progression would get into 'bird territory. For me, it saves me all the thinning out and cleaning up of EQ that I do when I use a Thunderbird. This bass has a BIG low end, especially for a passive bass. It is humbucker-esque, with maybe a better top end.

The D-Roc is a player. The setup was spot-on right out of the box. The nut feels wider than the Super P, but I think that is because this neck is a little thinner than the fairly chunky P neck. I definitely notice the difference in scale length, especially when I play the low F.

The bass hangs on a strap perfectly, but that solution presents another problem. The neck joint interferes with upper fret access a little - it joins the body at the 14th fret as opposed to the 16th or 17th fret on the Super P. With a strap attached, this is more noticeable. Also noticeable is 20 frets as opposed to 22 on the Super P. None of this upper fret access matters much to me, but I suspect Sheldon will tweak that neck joint at some point in the future; I can't imagine he is completely happy with it yet.

Fit and finish is excellent, but falls a little short of my Canadian basses. For example, the finish in the recessed jack cavity isn't perfect. I was also a little surprised to see that the rear control cavity cover isn't recessed. The bass is super light - I can't weigh it super-accurately, but I put the D-roc at about 7.6lbs and the Super P at 8.8lbs. My bass is matte black and has a black vinyl pickguard. It is beautiful, but I wonder how durable the finish is. I also miss the Canadian Dingwall knobs.

Both basses are exceptional. I give the edge, due to personal preference, to the Super P, but the D-Roc is killer. The D-Roc is as aggressive sounding as it looks - I can't wait to use it with the rock band, some overdrive, and some really heavy-handed pick playing. I can already see that it will love that kind of abuse.

I may have undersold here. My D-Roc Standard is a seriously great bass. Unfortunately, it will be November 30 before I get it onstage. The only electric bass show I have before then is the Bluebird, and that is either the M-85 or fretless. My November shows are almost all upright bass shows.

 

[BassBH]

Thanks for the clarification, and may I say that is a VERY sharp bass.

The color of mine looks a bit different. Was trying to get a fresh picture in the daylight, but lately I leave for work before the sun comes up and don’t get home until it’s alrwady gone down.

Anyway here’s a fresh picture in fairly warm light, and old one, and one from Sheldon.

 

[IvanBassist]

I believe so. I had them work on my main gigging SJ4, installing block inlays, Luminlay markers, and converting it the “PJ” pickups. They did a refret at the same time and my understanding is that they Plek all their refretting work.

I’ll send him an email. Thanks!

 

[gearhound22]

The color of mine looks a bit different. Was trying to get a fresh picture in the daylight, but lately I leave for work before the sun comes up and don’t get home until it’s alrwady gone down.

Anyway here’s a fresh picture in fairly warm light, and old one, and one from Sheldon.

View attachment 3587602
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One of the few IMO where maple looks good on it for a fretboard

 

[BassBH]

One of the few IMO where maple looks good on it for a fretboard

Thanks!

I'm honestly not a maple guy, but I love this bass (my old one hasn't been touched in almost a year). I'd even prefer a simple rosewood upgrade if it existed. And a 6x switch. And...and...and...Kidding, I'm very happy with it.

 

[EMoneySC2]

Welp - I gave in and picked up a 2nd aquamarine sparkle D-Bird off Reverb last night. Going to try to move my AB4 now: For Sale - Dingwall Afterburner 1

This bass is fantastic, I'm just obsessed with the D-Bird ergonomics. The looks aren't too bad either

So yeah, I'll be the guy with two sparkly blue D-Birds for the foreseeable future. One BEAD-Bird and one AEAD-Bird.

 

[BurningSkies]

Well i went there today. Unfortunately you cannot plek a multi scale instrument at this point. The plek machine just got an update last week to analyse multi scale instrument, but it can't do any fret levelling. At least not right now. Maybe the update to do it might come out at some point.

It's pretty cool for parallel fretted instruments, though

I was kind of wondering this when you said you were doing it. I'd always been led to believe that they don't handle multiscale instruments.

 

[BurningSkies]

Uber-fretless-C2 is in the office with me today...

 

[gearhound22]

Thanks!

I'm honestly not a maple guy, but I love this bass (my old one hasn't been touched in almost a year). I'd even prefer a simple rosewood upgrade if it existed. And a 6x switch. And...and...and...Kidding, I'm very happy with it.

There was a nice white combustion with a rosewood neck on Vancouver Island not long ago. But had the rectangle pickups which are hard on the fingers

3rd time lucky I snatched a different Combustion (v1) with rosewood fingerboard so might part with my Nolly now

 

[ThisYouCanTrust]

The nut slots were carved too low, there was too much bow in the neck and frets around 1-4 + upper frets need some levelling.
We corrected the nut, but now i feel it might be a touch too high or maybe i just got used to the feeling of it before.

Didn't you notice it before going to the shop ?
Bow is easy to correct, but how did you fix the nut ?

 

[IvanBassist]

Didn't you notice it before going to the shop ?
Bow is easy to correct, but how did you fix the nut ?

The neck was pretty straight, but apparently there was more room for it to move after correcting the nut.
They added a slim layer of wood beneath it to raise the overall height and then corrected the height

 

[reddavid]

Can one of you with a Ducati White bass take a close-up picture of the finish while it's under a light? I'm working with Billy and Paul at Dingwall on a color choice (pearl white to match the finish I had done on a custom Thunderbird a couple years ago) and I'm curious as to how close Dingwall's Ducati White already is to what I'm looking for. Basically it's just a solid white with a little bit of sparkle to it. Not as much as a true sparkle or a flake, but just a little hint of excitement when the lights hit it without getting into disco territory.

Examples:
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Sooooo, it turns out Ducati White has a very complex character. I tried to capture the depth and ‘sparkliness’. I think it is exactly what you’re going for!