Dingwall Owners Club

[ThisYouCanTrust]

This was the inspiration for my current AB1...

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This is definitely one of the nicest dingwall I have seen, along with the pink/charcoal one they did (although to be honest they just made so many beautiful basses ..).

However what totally ruins the reverse bursts on ABs (IMHO of course) is the right forearm/elbow cutaway.
Since it is the color of the back of the body it somehow changes the shape you see from the front and makes it look weird (once again : to my eyes).

But I suppose I'm the exception here, for instance I don't like the Z body shape - and those always get the nicest finish/options/etc.
By the way I would totally buy an AB with the level of details/finish of a high-end Z, even it it did cost the price of a Z.
I have been meaning to ask Sheldon if that was a possibility or not, but got too many other problems to care about this year unfortunately.

 

[DingwallDingus]

This is definitely one of the nicest dingwall I have seen, along with the pink/charcoal one they did (although to be honest they just made so many beautiful basses ..).

However what totally ruins the reverse bursts on ABs (IMHO of course) is the right forearm/elbow cutaway.
Since it is the color of the back of the body it somehow changes the shape you see from the front and makes it look weird (once again : to my eyes).

But I suppose I'm the exception here, for instance I don't like the Z body shape - and those always get the nicest finish/options/etc.
By the way I would totally buy an AB with the level of details/finish of a high-end Z, even it it did cost the price of a Z.
I have been meaning to ask Sheldon if that was a possibility or not, but got too many other problems to care about this year unfortunately.

I feel like I would do the same if I bought a Canadian Dingwall, I prefer the AB body shape personally.

 

[DingwallDingus]

I was going to keep this hush hush until I got the bass back and finished modding it but I got these pics tonight and feel inclined to share.

This is a 2015 Combustion V4, originally in matte black. Unfortunately the thin finish accumulated some wear in that time and I had a vision of honoring an old holoflash Spector Legend 5 string I had a few years back.

I'm super happy with how this turned out and I'm sure the camera doesn't do it full justice. Once I get it back a Darkglass tone capsule and FD3s are going in it at the NG-2 position.

I'd also love pickguard color suggestions as I unfortunately can't run a clear guard due to routing. I have a black gold sparkle NG guard waiting here, I think it will give it a real space vibe. Also all black hardware and Canadian knobs.

 

[ThisYouCanTrust]

Ok I'm into maybe more sober finishes I guess but we need a video of that, photos are never gonna work with such a finish.

 

[ThisYouCanTrust]

Also you did the cutaway, which IMHO is the right thing to do, yet visually it still does not work 100% (to my tastes anyway).

Or maybe if you do the front and the cutaway, then you need to in fact do the whole body (sides and back) .. hmm, this is becoming a very interesting subject !

 

[DingwallDingus]

Also you did the cutaway, which IMHO is the right thing to do, yet visually it still does not work 100% (to my tastes anyway).

Or maybe if you do the front and the cutaway, then you need to in fact do the whole body (sides and back) .. hmm, this is becoming a very interesting subject !

Haha, I knew out the gate posting that it wasn't gonna be many people's cup of tea really. I appreciate you not roasting me

Agree on the cutaway, I was gonna have a blackburst fade done but I feel like this is the way to go. The back of the body is just gloss black, but he did have an option for the whole thing. I will get a video with it as soon as possible.

 

[pravus]

Does anyone with both satin and gloss finishes have any thoughts on the comparison?

Not really wear per se, but the satin finish on my ABZ is now very polished where my arm hits the body. I was doing some pretty ferocious picking for a while and now you can see a difference in the way the light reflects off that spot. Also it will be easier to dent or scratch the body compared to the glossed finishes. Overall I would say it's not an issue, especially if you aren't a heavy/fast player.

 

[Waltsdog]

Thanks! Was there any body wear from just general contact, or was it confined to anchor points? I don't mind some thumb wear, but overall fragility would be an issue.

Just anchor points, the finish on the ABZ is pretty tough but very thin. It’ll hold up way better than a nitro finish.
The only notable scratch I have on my current one if from the strap rubbing on it in the case one time. Even then that scratch is pretty small and has not resulted in any further chipping or flaking despite being along an edge.

 

[lucas303]

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I was going to keep this hush hush until I got the bass back and finished modding it but I got these pics tonight and feel inclined to share.

This is a 2015 Combustion V4, originally in matte black. Unfortunately the thin finish accumulated some wear in that time and I had a vision of honoring an old holoflash Spector Legend 5 string I had a few years back.

I'm super happy with how this turned out and I'm sure the camera doesn't do it full justice. Once I get it back a Darkglass tone capsule and FD3s are going in it at the NG-2 position.

I'd also love pickguard color suggestions as I unfortunately can't run a clear guard due to routing. I have a black gold sparkle NG guard waiting here, I think it will give it a real space vibe. Also all black hardware and Canadian knobs.

That is so awesome... can't wait to see more pics of it.

 

[Jamie_Funk]

View attachment 4028869
View attachment 4028870
View attachment 4028871

I was going to keep this hush hush until I got the bass back and finished modding it but I got these pics tonight and feel inclined to share.

This is a 2015 Combustion V4, originally in matte black. Unfortunately the thin finish accumulated some wear in that time and I had a vision of honoring an old holoflash Spector Legend 5 string I had a few years back.

I'm super happy with how this turned out and I'm sure the camera doesn't do it full justice. Once I get it back a Darkglass tone capsule and FD3s are going in it at the NG-2 position.

I'd also love pickguard color suggestions as I unfortunately can't run a clear guard due to routing. I have a black gold sparkle NG guard waiting here, I think it will give it a real space vibe. Also all black hardware and Canadian knobs.

How about this option - do then holoflash finish on the BACK of a clear guard - that way you cover all routing and the finish is protected from wear and matches the body somewhat - did something similar years ago when I needed a black guard but only had clear - painted the back of it.

J

 

[BurningSkies]

View attachment 4028869
View attachment 4028870
View attachment 4028871

I was going to keep this hush hush until I got the bass back and finished modding it but I got these pics tonight and feel inclined to share.

This is a 2015 Combustion V4, originally in matte black. Unfortunately the thin finish accumulated some wear in that time and I had a vision of honoring an old holoflash Spector Legend 5 string I had a few years back.

I'm super happy with how this turned out and I'm sure the camera doesn't do it full justice. Once I get it back a Darkglass tone capsule and FD3s are going in it at the NG-2 position.

I'd also love pickguard color suggestions as I unfortunately can't run a clear guard due to routing. I have a black gold sparkle NG guard waiting here, I think it will give it a real space vibe. Also all black hardware and Canadian knobs.

This looks fantastic. I bet in person it goes from this vibrant to more mild depending on the light. Really nice job.

 

[BurningSkies]

Rainy morning so I finally got a chance to take a picture with the most recent update.

My mix of import & shop built Dingwalls, from 1993 to 2020. Certainly not the biggest collection in the world, but I do love them all.

 

[johnsonabq]

This is definitely one of the nicest dingwall I have seen, along with the pink/charcoal one they did (although to be honest they just made so many beautiful basses ..).

However what totally ruins the reverse bursts on ABs (IMHO of course) is the right forearm/elbow cutaway.
Since it is the color of the back of the body it somehow changes the shape you see from the front and makes it look weird (once again : to my eyes).

Thanks! Variety is the spice...
I actually requested the body to be purple and not turquoise (which would've been standard for this reverse burst), and, I like how it "slims" the bass a bit. imho
I seem to be bonding with my AB1 much more than I did my Z3. I even think it's partially because of the arm cut away, but I also prefer the body shape also. I chose the purple back in leu of a contrasting layer (no upcharge).
Looking forward to my next AB, and how I can make it bring to the table something different than this one. Both visually and sonically. I'm toying with an all maple neck/board, more earth colors like the tiger eye burst, two pickups in the Sklar config (both P tone), Glock instead of the DGTC, ash body instead of alder... Decisions, decisions...

 

[AB Nate]

Haha, I knew out the gate posting that it wasn't gonna be many people's cup of tea really. I appreciate you not roasting me

Agree on the cutaway, I was gonna have a blackburst fade done but I feel like this is the way to go. The back of the body is just gloss black, but he did have an option for the whole thing. I will get a video with it as soon as possible.

I don’t think I’d ever spec a bass like that but I’m glad you did. It looks super rad and very curious to see the upcoming video when it’s all said and done. The hollow flash on the back of the pick guard idea is a cool option.

one idea I had would be a smoked mirror PG?
Very cool

 

[AB Nate]

All communications with the shop had ground to a halt due to my incessant questions. Fortunately for everyone (but especially Billy), The Order is nearing the deposit stage.

One thing I haven't fully established is how well the satin finish on the ABZ wears over time. Does anyone with both satin and gloss finishes have any thoughts on the comparison? My two gloss basses barely show anything after almost a decade, but then I baby them. Thanks!

I thought it was your fault...... this time!

 

[ThisYouCanTrust]

Thanks! Variety is the spice...
I actually requested the body to be purple and not turquoise (which would've been standard for this reverse burst), and, I like how it "slims" the bass a bit. imho

Ah ok, interesting.
The other I saw (pink/charcoal) also had a body the color of the center of the burst (charcoal in that case) so it had that same "slimming" effect as yours, I assumed this was standard.
Maybe it's just that a full pink back would have been too much visually (just as a full turquoise back probably).
At some angles (like on your avatar pic) the slimming works almost as if it brought the cello kink back

 

[pravus]

I'd also love pickguard color suggestions as I unfortunately can't run a clear guard due to routing.

How about this option - do then holoflash finish on the BACK of a clear guard

I found this on the internet and it looks like you could also do some sort of holo-film with a clear pickguard cut to shape. They sell sheets of it on amazon. The only thing better would be an actual designed hologram which should be possible. The magic is how the light reflects off of the surface and you can "print" holograms on edible chocolate although I don't know of a company you could contact. Worth a bit of research, maybe.

Love the finish, btw. Makes me want to investigate a "foiled" look like you see in collector's cards and other things.

 

[pravus]

My mix of import & shop built Dingwalls, from 1993 to 2020. Certainly not the biggest collection in the world, but I do love them all.

Awesome collection. When I first looked I thought "where's the new green one?" but then realized it just gets really dark in certain lighting conditions. Those metallic paints are pretty magical. Also love the look of the Voodoo's.

 

[pravus]

I actually requested the body to be purple and not turquoise (which would've been standard for this reverse burst), and, I like how it "slims" the bass a bit.

I really like the cut-over on that. The purple is stunning and goes great with the turquoise and having that hard line really accentuates both, imo.

I'm toying with an all maple neck/board, more earth colors like the tiger eye burst, two pickups in the Sklar config (both P tone), Glock instead of the DGTC, ash body instead of alder... Decisions, decisions...

Good luck! You can spend a lot of time in that rabbit hole

 

[BurningSkies]

Awesome collection. When I first looked I thought "where's the new green one?" but then realized it just gets really dark in certain lighting conditions. Those metallic paints are pretty magical. Also love the look of the Voodoo's.

Yep... here it is from a slightly different angle with flash...