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Dingwall Owners Club

#44,141
Smallmouth_Bass said:
I think it's better to know what you want if you are going full on custom.

I had a teacher who said that a lot of people asked him why he didn't get a custom bass made and his response was that he didn't need one, that all his needs were fulfilled with the production models he had (which were a P-Bass with an added J bridge pickup and a Stingray 5).

While I am sure it can be an amazing experience to have a custom bass made, I would do the research, try as many instruments as you can to figure out what you like and don't like. For some, that can be a lifetime (and expensive!) experience.
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Oh, I have time to think it over. I’m a long way from deciding whether I want to at all, at this point. In the meantime, I have the price list, and will be carefully looking at things and deciding, adding up costs, etc. I can see what Hohn Fox meant, when he told me during a phone conversation, that it’s options that really drive up the cost on these.
It took me a good long while to decide what options I wanted on my first custom bass (a Carvin six-string I got back in 2004), so taking my time and being sure of what I want, and whether I want to take the step now, is familiar to me.
 
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#44,142
shade_1313 said:
Oh, I have time to think it over. I’m a long way from deciding whether I want to at all, at this point. In the meantime, I have the price list, and will be carefully looking at things and deciding, adding up costs, etc. I can see what Hohn Fox meant, when he told me during a phone conversation, that it’s options that really drive up the cost on these.
It took me a good long while to decide what options I wanted on my first custom bass (a Carvin six-string I got back in 2004), so taking my time and being sure of what I want, and whether I want to take the step now, is familiar to me.
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It’s good to sit on the idea for a bit. I made a spreadsheet with a couple different variations I was thinking about. I even found a guy on Instagram that makes photoshop renderings. I didn’t end up getting those made, but it’s a great option to help really visualize the builds you’re dreaming of.
 
#44,143
If you don’t know exactly what you want, watch the classifieds and buy a used Dingwall, at a good price. Roll the dice!

It’s going to turn into an all consuming addiction anyway, that first hit could be just days away. It gets easier to hit “buy” every time.

I’ve come back to four strings, but I loved the Dingwall fives and the six string. Supers, AB-1s, even a Dbird, they have all been excellent.
 
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#44,145
J Posega said:
It’s good to sit on the idea for a bit. I made a spreadsheet with a couple different variations I was thinking about. I even found a guy on Instagram that makes photoshop renderings. I didn’t end up getting those made, but it’s a great option to help really visualize the builds you’re dreaming of.
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A spreadsheet to keep track of various ideas seems like an excellent idea.
 
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#44,146
I don't know how you all do it with the wait times when putting in a custom order. My only custom order Dingwall was my Super J5, and I think the options were fairly limited in the first batches. All I knew was that I wanted it to be chambered and to be routed to accept the split P pickups, even though the 5-string P's hadn't been developed yet. Mine took about 6 months at the time and I tried to change my fingerboard dots to blocks the day it was fretted, so it was a no go. In retrospect, I like the dots. Everything else was pretty easy and I didn't think about it too much, much like @BurningSkies 's SuperP order, although it didn't come to me in a dream!

I guess my V1 Combustion was kind-of a custom order. They agreed to do a small batch of candy apple greens if they could get enough people to make it happen. I can't remember how much it was, somewhere like 10-20.
 
#44,147
ThisYouCanTrust said:
It's funny, I love my ABs but sometimes I wish they had a bit more meat in the neck, you know ?
I never tried a Z but it's hard to imagine I'd enjoy an ever tinier neck, yet everybody says it's better.
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That’s why I try and be aware of says ng “what I like” vs “what’s better”.


On the six it’s an amazing fit for my hands…. I’m not sure how I’d feel about a 4. The Nathan East I had was a tiny 5 and too small does not seem to be great for my hands anymore. That said, the Yamaha JP2 was like a whole airfield. It was massive and still quite enjoyable.
 
#44,149
ThisYouCanTrust said:
It's funny, I love my ABs but sometimes I wish they had a bit more meat in the neck, you know ?
I never tried a Z but it's hard to imagine I'd enjoy an ever tinier neck, yet everybody says it's better.
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Try a pre-fire Voodoo. That's where you'll find the love. They have Dingwall character but way more beef.

Also, I have Z, Voodoo, Combustions, Super P and had an AB...The Z neck is about as thin as I'd ever go, and in time I grew to really prefer the AB/C range of neck thickness. Similarly, I love the thickness of my Telecaster more than the Jackson guitar neck I have, but I also had a really thick 50's soft V Telecaster that was just a bit TOO thick.
 
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#44,150
Smallmouth_Bass said:
I don't know how you all do it with the wait times when putting in a custom order. My only custom order Dingwall was my Super J5, and I think the options were fairly limited in the first batches. All I knew was that I wanted it to be chambered and to be routed to accept the split P pickups, even though the 5-string P's hadn't been developed yet. Mine took about 6 months at the time and I tried to change my fingerboard dots to blocks the day it was fretted, so it was a no go. In retrospect, I like the dots. Everything else was pretty easy and I didn't think about it too much, much like @BurningSkies 's SuperP order, although it didn't come to me in a dream!

I guess my V1 Combustion was kind-of a custom order. They agreed to do a small batch of candy apple greens if they could get enough people to make it happen. I can't remember how much it was, somewhere like 10-20.
Click to expand...


I've done my 'time' too. The Rastaburst was exactly 3 years to the month from order to delivery. ;) Find a dealer with a wait spot if you want to cut line.

The Spec on the Rastaburst wasn't all that onerous. I knew the top wood look I wanted. I knew I wanted a colorful burst. I looked at the option list and decided that if I'm doing it, I want a matching headstock. I talked to Sheldon about the electronics and narrowed down the preamp but asked for a mod since the appropriate preamp was boost only and I never boost treble, but often roll it. From there along the wait I got occasional emails from Sheldon, saying "I was thinking it would be cool if we..." and my job was to say yes. There was only one place where I said "Yes, unless it costs an extra thousand dollars, if it's a 500$ yes, that's cool." But the reality is that much of what came out of it didn't come from me but from letting an artist do what they do best.

When dealing with artists; other musicians, graphic design, even chefs and bakers; I always much prefer to pitch a direction or general idea and then let whoever run with it. As someone who does a few of these things, it's wonderful to have a mission brief then be allowed to CREATE. Also, the people who are best at what they do certainly don't think or imagine in the same way I do, so the result is almost always surprising but also better than what I would have envisioned.
 
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#44,151
BurningSkies said:
When dealing with artists; other musicians, graphic design, even chefs and bakers; I always much prefer to pitch a direction or general idea and then let whoever run with it. As someone who does a few of these things, it's wonderful to have a mission brief then be allowed to CREATE. Also, the people who are best at what they do certainly don't think or imagine in the same way I do, so the result is almost always surprising but also better than what I would have envisioned.
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Definitely agree with this in spirit, though, in actually following through on this when I'm dropping $9k on a thing is a smidge more difficult. I was pretty precise in what I wanted from my "final" Z, but as the process continued on I gave up less and less asking for the things I wanted and kind of just let the folks at the shop drive it forward. One of the final emails was about bleaching or not, and I basically said "Up to you". It'll be a bit of a surprise, and an awesome bass regardless.
 
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#44,152
Selta said:
Definitely agree with this in spirit, though, in actually following through on this when I'm dropping $9k on a thing is a smidge more difficult. I was pretty precise in what I wanted from my "final" Z, but as the process continued on I gave up less and less asking for the things I wanted and kind of just let the folks at the shop drive it forward. One of the final emails was about bleaching or not, and I basically said "Up to you". It'll be a bit of a surprise, and an awesome bass regardless.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but I'm also a guy who woke up from a dream, stumbled to the computer and ordered a custom bass. ;) I don't buy many basses or do it often, but I like letting the karmic wheel spin a bit.
 
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#44,154
Selta said:
IF I end up ordering a Canadian Super, I'm hoping I can literally just say "Give ma 5 string Super J and make it interesting".
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Sheldon knows I live a lively feeling bass, and the Super is amazingly lively. Probably the most joyously vibrational instrument of all of the ones I've held.
 
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#44,155
BurningSkies said:
Sheldon knows I live a lively feeling bass, and the Super is amazingly lively. Probably the most joyously vibrational instrument of all of the ones I've held.
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One thing I wanted to ask for on my Z, but ultimately didn't, was to have each person in the shop sign it before the clear coat is shot.

I've heard that the Supers often are lively/resonant quite often. I've only played a couple and for brief periods of time, but, @whirledpeas's was just nuts to feel!
 
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#44,156
Selta said:
One thing I wanted to ask for on my Z, but ultimately didn't, was to have each person in the shop sign it before the clear coat is shot.

I've heard that the Supers often are lively/resonant quite often. I've only played a couple and for brief periods of time, but, @whirledpeas's was just nuts to feel!
Click to expand...

If you're referring to the one with the walnut neck, it was also quite a looker. :cool:
 
#44,157
singlemalt said:
If you don’t know exactly what you want, watch the classifieds and buy a used Dingwall, at a good price. Roll the dice!
Click to expand...

Good advice. You gotta start on your Dingwall journey somewhere! Go after what you think you'd enjoy and see how it goes. Then you can really start to shape your custom order. Plus, once your custom order arrives, you've already got a Dingwall backup (then sell the backup to fund another custom). Just beware of DAS (Dingwall Acquisition Syndrome). There is no known cure. :bassist:
 
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#44,158
SemiDriven said:
Good advice. You gotta start on your Dingwall journey somewhere! Go after what you think you'd enjoy and see how it goes. Then you can really start to shape your custom order. Plus, once your custom order arrives, you've already got a Dingwall backup (then sell the backup to fund another custom). Just beware of DAS (Dingwall Acquisition Syndrome). There is no known cure. :bassist:
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Man, since January I’ve gone from zero Dingwalls to a D-Roc Standard and an NG3 6-string. Don’t caution me in catching DAS, I’d say I’d long since got it already.
 
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#44,160
Folks, I know this question has been asked at least a million times, but I was surprised to see there's no authoritative answer. Mostly conflicting reports of trials & errors.

What non-Dingwall strings reliably go on this beast, 5er in my case? I know about Kalium and Payson obviously (do you have a strong preference here?), but talking about the more common brands. For reference, I default to DR lo riders for most uses, and would love to have that hex core feel under my fingers here too.

I'd expect someone to have started a Google doc by now :)
 
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