Dingwall Owners Club

[BurningSkies]

Supposed to get my 5-string Combustion in November, and felt great about the Amethyst burst I picked out, but second guessing how beautiful that Whalepool is. Thought about getting the NG version of a 6-string some day, but these are so much prettier.

I think those Amethyst burst finishes are great...and if I read the situation correctly, they're limited? Seems like a win, and they'll be scarce in the near future.

 

[gearhound22]

For anyone that owns an ABZ (this is the lightest DW bass correct?) and a D-Bird/Roc/ Combustion
How do they compare weight wise?
Is it a big difference?

 

[spiritbass]

View attachment 3999920 View attachment 3999921 View attachment 3999922

Cool knobs. What did you do/have done with the electronics?

 

[JackTheRipper]

I have another question. Sometimes I play a few songs (maybe only 3 for now) where on my regular 4 string Jackson bass where I tune down to B-E-A-D. Of course the B string now is very 'floppy' and I know the neck has just relaxed and that less tension effect takes its toll on the other strings as well. I have 2 songs that I cant even play because they tune the E down to an A. How does the 4 string Dingwall perform in this type of situation? Will I notice a big difference and play-ability because of the scale length going on with the Dingwall? I know, I could have bought a 5 string, but I'm sticking with a 4 string for now and the next 4 years of my playing..at least.

I have 2 NG-3 4-string basses that I bought specifically for drop tunings. One is tuned to Drop C (CGCF) and the other is tuned to Drop A (AEAD). The Dingwalls handle this extremely well. You will need to get the right set (gauge) of strings and set it up properly, but once that's done, they work great.

--jack

 

[Jeff Roller]

Cool knobs. What did you do/have done with the electronics?

Mike Pope pre, left the stock pup selector switch, had a luthier copy the 18v cavity from my Z2 and he routed one for this bass. Love this bass, it was my first DW!

 

[EMoneySC2]

I have another question. Sometimes I play a few songs (maybe only 3 for now) where on my regular 4 string Jackson bass where I tune down to B-E-A-D. Of course the B string now is very 'floppy' and I know the neck has just relaxed and that less tension effect takes its toll on the other strings as well. I have 2 songs that I cant even play because they tune the E down to an A. How does the 4 string Dingwall perform in this type of situation? Will I notice a big difference and play-ability because of the scale length going on with the Dingwall? I know, I could have bought a 5 string, but I'm sticking with a 4 string for now and the next 4 years of my playing..at least.

I've got two four string Dingwalls, one in BEAD and the other in AEAD. They do a great job. I'll say though, no bass stands a chance if you detune it from EADG to BEAD without swapping on heavier gauge strings.

 

[spiritbass]

Mike Pope pre, left the stock pup selector switch, had a luthier copy the 18v cavity from my Z2 and he routed one for this bass. Love this bass, it was my first DW!

I can understand your attachment. Dingwalls are good at fulfilling the corporate goal of "making you smile" every time. Or Ding-grin.

 

[singlemalt]

For anyone that owns an ABZ (this is the lightest DW bass correct?) and a D-Bird/Roc/ Combustion
How do they compare weight wise?
Is it a big difference?

Funny you should ask! We just bought an accurate digital scale for measuring food. As soon as I was left unsupervised, I took it to the man cave.

My Dingwalls, from lightest to heaviest:

The flyweight winner is an AB-1 four string, glossy finish, flame maple top over alder body, maple neck and wenge board: 7 lb 8oz.

The AB edged out the Super P four string in solid black gloss finish by 1 whole once: it weighed 7lb, 9 oz.

The Dbird in metallic color shift blue/purple weighed in at 8 lb, 5 oz. Punches way above its weight sound wise, with attitude.

My Cirrus was a respectable 8 lb, 7 oz.

Lightweight four strings with light strings are my thing.

 

[pravus]

For anyone that owns an ABZ (this is the lightest DW bass correct?) and a D-Bird/Roc/ Combustion
How do they compare weight wise?
Is it a big difference?

So my scale isn't the most accurate for this but what I'm seeing is that the ABZ is right around the same weight as the NG-2 and my Zs. The NG-2 actually seems to come in at .2lbs lighter on average but the numbers jump around so it's hard to say. The ABHS is 1lbs heavier and the AB-II with 2 pickups and no pre-amp is 1lbs lighter.

I don't have a D-ROC but I'd have to imagine it's going to be about the same or maybe just slightly lighter due to scale length. I remember seeing an interview with Sheldon where he mentioned that they like to keep the weights of everything within a certain range.

Another note about the ABZ is that I think it is probably the loudest acoustically. That thing just sings!

 

[spiritbass]

My SP-4 is the lightest at 7lbs, 3oz. My SJ/P-4 is heaviest @ 8lbs, 12oz. My Indigoburst alder/maple/pau ferro ABI was my lightest fiver @ 8lbs even.

 

[Waltsdog]

For anyone that owns an ABZ (this is the lightest DW bass correct?) and a D-Bird/Roc/ Combustion
How do they compare weight wise?
Is it a big difference?

AB1 4 string was lighter than my d-bird by a bit. Not much in it though feel wise, never weighed them on an actual scale just going by feel.

 

[graphics1988]

My ABZ4 (swamp ash and wenge neck/fb) is 8lbs even...my Super PJ4 (alder and maple neck) 7lbs 15oz. Both nearly identical...both weighed on a high end digital scale for...ahem...tea leaves.
Cheers

 

[VolverseLoco]

I have 2 NG-3 4-string basses that I bought specifically for drop tunings. One is tuned to Drop C (CGCF) and the other is tuned to Drop A (AEAD). The Dingwalls handle this extremely well. You will need to get the right set (gauge) of strings and set it up properly, but once that's done, they work great.

--jack

So this is the part that I really know nothing about and I'm about to look foolish (wouldn't be the first time). Are you saying that you buy another set of strings just for those tunings and keep the bass setup like that? Gosh, I would only have 1 Dingwall to work with. I only play a few tunes in B-E-A-D, so I would just tune down from E-A-D-G for those few songs. I know exactly how my current bass doesn't handle this so well, I was hoping, and I think from what I read here, that I maybe can 'get away with it' a little better when doing this on the Dingwall when said Dingwall is normally E tuned, right?

 

[johnsonabq]

Supposed to get my 5-string Combustion in November, and felt great about the Amethyst burst I picked out, but second guessing how beautiful that Whalepool is. Thought about getting the NG version of a 6-string some day, but these are so much prettier.

I think the amethist burst Combustions look great. The import whalepool burst is a little different. More Green in the mix I think. Here's mime...

 

[Digity]

I wish the whalepool looked like it does from the Long And Mcquade website, not sure why it's different. The blue along the edges looks a little tacky.

 

[VolverseLoco]

I wish the whalepool looked like it does from the Long And Mcquade website, not sure why it's different. The blue along the edges looks a little tacky.View attachment 4000419

Is this bass Whalepool blue as well? The wood use for the tops of the 2 basses here are different, one is quilted maple and one is flamed, right? Does that have such an impact on the color?

 

[Digity]

Is this bass Whalepool blue as well? The wood use for the tops of the 2 basses here are different, one is quilted maple and one is flamed, right? Does that have such an impact on the color?

The one I posted is just an older version, the 2019 line is when they introduced the flamed top I believe. I don't believe the tops would cause a variance in colour.

 

[singlemalt]

Not wahlepool, but another really nice blue burst over flame. This is the light weight AB-4.

The Dbird in a purple mood, it can also look as blue as the headstock, just depends on the light and angle. Very cool metallic finish.

 

[Flabzilla]

Whale poo.

 

[howardf]

I think those Amethyst burst finishes are great...and if I read the situation correctly, they're limited? Seems like a win, and they'll be scarce in the near future.

I'm sure I'll get over what could have been once it's in my hands. The amethyst photographs really well. Not sure how the resell holds up being wrong handed and all.

I think the amethist burst Combustions look great. The import whalepool burst is a little different. More Green in the mix I think. Here's mime...

View attachment 4000413

I noticed the green showed more on the combustions. Great instrument you've got there!