Dingwall Owners Club

[ThisYouCanTrust]

This is the second bass I've gotten from them in a thinner than usual box, with barely any packing material inside, leaving the gig bag to do the heavy lifting.

I bought 3 basses there and all came like that.
Never was a problem though, but that was pure luck.

Some delivery companies (I won't name them, but they like brown ..) often just throw my packages above the (5-foot high) fence directly on the grass.
Some clients pack well enough for this (tons of plastic, expensive, great for the environment ..), some don't (and then you risk damage).

I don't know if it was always like that, but these days everybody's expecting free delivery, and it has to be fast and safe too.
Not sure how that's supposed to work, I asked the delivery guys and strangely enough they're still getting paid

 

[gearhound22]

Refresh my memory but didn’t I read somewhere that bass was refinished a few pages back? I was on a AB search the last few days lol.

Likewise I mentioned earlier one of the boxes that came was very thin and near torn in half..... Not to stir up the pot but surely they aren’t being shipped there like this..... what are they doing with the original boxes?

 

[retroXvertigo]

I bought 3 basses there and all came like that.
Never was a problem though, but that was pure luck.

Some delivery companies (I won't name them, but they like brown ..) often just throw my packages above the (5-foot high) fence directly on the grass.
Some clients pack well enough for this (tons of plastic, expensive, great for the environment ..), some don't (and then you risk damage).

I don't know if it was always like that, but these days everybody's expecting free delivery, and it has to be fast and safe too.
Not sure how that's supposed to work, I asked the delivery guys and strangely enough they're still getting paid

I paid for delivery.

My best guess is the boxes from them took on so much battle damage because of the lack of packing material.

 

[Nuage420]

I’m trying to recall what it was and even if it happened to me but I remember something about a bass just being shipped in a cheap $100 hard case with a bit of cling wrap around it.
NO BOX or any other form of security cover. basically relying on the 3 crappy cases latches.

Guilty, I don't believe it was here on TB for mine I think it was a verb sale. A few years ago the first time I shipped a bass I didn't have a box and didn't understand the need for a double box with bubble wrap. It was in a hardshell case, I wrapped cloth around the neck, and filled all the space with packing materials (news paper and bubble wrap it didnt budge inside the case), and used duct tape to go around width and lengthwise also covering the latches. My thinking being, well these cases are made to go on tour and this tough plastic is way more protective than cardboard. The bass made it safely and all worked out. I have since learned the proper way and why double boxing is necessary. If the buyer was upset they didn't express it to me but in retrospect whoever it was I do apologize for that one.

 

[Katoosie]

I guess its to cut the costs. Hardshell case, wrap and whatever else and suddenly youre at least a 100 bucks above the sale price on packaging alone, not even getting into the cost of shipping.

 

[ThisYouCanTrust]

I paid for delivery.

My best guess is the boxes from them took on so much battle damage because of the lack of packing material.

I asked them upon ordering the first bass there if they had a suitable hardcase for it, they answered that the dingwall gigbag was up to the task.
In retrospect I suppose I'm lucky it actually was ?

 

[retroXvertigo]

I would trust one of these high end gig bags over a standard hard case.

 

[Nuage420]

I would trust one of these high end gig bags over a standard hard case.

Can confirm the Dingwall bags are top notch. Bass was in tune and unharmed.

 

[Waltsdog]

I paid for delivery.

My best guess is the boxes from them took on so much battle damage because of the lack of packing material.

Gig bag in a box with minimal packing (some paper) is how they come directly from Dingwall, although it's a good sturdy box and I have never had any damage on any of my basses shipped that way. If it has Dingwall branded tape on it, that's probably the box it left the factory in.

It's a shame to see these things from bassdirect, bought my first Dingwall from them many years ago. I'm kinda on the lookout for a used 4 string super and I don't think I'd risk doing business with them having seen those last 2 basses.

 

[retroXvertigo]

The Dingwall boxes are very sturdy. I'm not sure why they (Bass Direct) wouldn't use them for shipping.

 

[J Posega]

I'm sorry, but these packing jobs from Bass Direct are utter bullsh**.

Considering how much you're all paying to have the basses shipped to you, plus the risks involved in international shipping, they could spend a few GBP on some bubble wrap at least.

To spend several thousand dollars/pounds/local currency units on a bass for it to arrive packed up worse than a Squier Affinity straight from Guitar Center is absolutely, 110% unacceptable, regardless of the condition the instrument arrives in.

You should all be getting refunds for the shipping, and if they won't get them, start posting more online about their garbage service.

 

[Nuage420]

Considering how much you're all paying to have the basses shipped to you, plus the risks involved in international shipping, they could spend a few GBP on some bubble wrap at least.

Agree, regardless of price. I had an $80 glarry arrive double boxed with above average cardboard construction. Thick bumper foam in the corners of the small box to bumper the bass. Then the big box had the hard foam corners to hold smaller box in place.

 

[AB Nate]

As for Bass Direct UK, I bought 5 basses from them already. The last one was my DRoc 5 Standard and it arrived with perfect set up out of the box. ABZ5 that I purchased before DRoc required some truss Rod adjustment but it’s normal for any bass that spent some time in a dealers shop and travelled across the pond after that. They normally do their own setup only for second hand basses they sell and it sounds reasonable cause any brand new high end $4-5k Bass MUST have factory setup prior to shipment to dealers. As for packaging I must admit it’s not the best one but I never had bad luck with any basses they ship to me. Regarding the color on their pictures they always seem a bit darker than the real bass, I agree.

Anton!

nice to see you pop in! Maybe I misunderstand but I was under the impression your in some very dangerous territory right now. Regardless, I hope all is well.

 

[AB Nate]

View attachment 4640056 View attachment 4640057

Can confirm the Dingwall bags are top notch. Bass was in tune and unharmed.

Nuts to me that there isn’t any kind of filler around the bag keeping it from floating around

 

[DingwallDingus]

All these shipping posts are making me nervous about mine making it here safe. Luckily it doesn't have to go far at all and will be here today, fingers crossed.

 

[AB Nate]

Guilty, I don't believe it was here on TB for mine I think it was a verb sale. A few years ago the first time I shipped a bass I didn't have a box and didn't understand the need for a double box with bubble wrap. It was in a hardshell case, I wrapped cloth around the neck, and filled all the space with packing materials (news paper and bubble wrap it didnt budge inside the case), and used duct tape to go around width and lengthwise also covering the latches. My thinking being, well these cases are made to go on tour and this tough plastic is way more protective than cardboard. The bass made it safely and all worked out. I have since learned the proper way and why double boxing is necessary. If the buyer was upset they didn't express it to me but in retrospect whoever it was I do apologize for that one.

Well I know I wasn’t on the receiving end of that!! live and learn.


Another factor to consider depending on the item sold and the case it comes in but sometimes the case is part of the package. My bongo has a Schwanky hardshell as an example. Not one I’d use… really for anything… but it’s pretty. Lol.

 

[Nuage420]

Nuts to me that there isn’t any kind of filler around the bag keeping it from floating around

Yea exactly, I suspect it took many an impact on its way to me.

 

[anton72]

Anton!

nice to see you pop in! Maybe I misunderstand but I was under the impression your in some very dangerous territory right now. Regardless, I hope all is well.

Thanks brother. Unfortunately 24th Feb I woke up in evil empire. I was not prepared to this nightmare to be honest. Hanging on here, hoping for the war to stop and praying for peace…

 

[groovaholic]

I saw a ‘Scott’s Bass Lessons’ video recently about Lee Sklar’s Frankenstein bass - the P bass with two reversed-P pickups.

Lee made a fairly well-substantiated guess that his bass is the most recorded bass in popular music, since he used it on over 2500 albums.

That level of success and ubiquity made me wonder why no one (other than a small-run of Gibsons in the 90s) has brought a Sklar-style bass to market.

Personally, I’ve been gravitating toward fatter tones lately and the one tone that my Z3 doesn’t have is that big, open “pickup right at the end of the fretboard” tone.

Seems like the existing Dingwall-Sklar relationship could make a signature double-reverse Super P happen pretty easily…and it’d be a killer!

 

[IvanBassist]

I saw a ‘Scott’s Bass Lessons’ video recently about Lee Sklar’s Frankenstein bass - the P bass with two reversed-P pickups.

Lee made a fairly well-substantiated guess that his bass is the most recorded bass in popular music, since he used it on over 2500 albums.

That level of success and ubiquity made me wonder why no one (other than a small-run of Gibsons in the 90s) has brought a Sklar-style bass to market.

Personally, I’ve been gravitating toward fatter tones lately and the one tone that my Z3 doesn’t have is that big, open “pickup right at the end of the fretboard” tone.

Seems like the existing Dingwall-Sklar relationship could make a signature double-reverse Super P happen pretty easily…and it’d be a killer!

Aren’t FDV pickups actually reversed P magnets? I think i remember reading that somewhere.

If that is the case, a Super P with a reversed neck pickup and an FDV at the bridge should get you pretty close, i guess