Dingwall Owners Club

[IronSpatula]

My new ABI 4-string has arrived, and I am beyond stoked! Northern ash body, quilted maple top (bleached, Whalepool Fade, wenge accent), roasted ash neck (the first one out in the wild!), Mac ebony fingerboard, FD3's (with switches), Glock pre, Hipshot Xtender, blue Luminlay side dots and Speedo Bars. Initial playtesting is even better than I had expected (and I've played a bunch of Dingwalls). The notes just explode out of this thing, and the neck feels incredible. Can't wait to get some quality hours in on this bad boy!

Very cool! Hate to be another guy piling on about the ash neck, but is it lightweight?

 

[AB Nate]

I believe MTD also does the roasted ash

Wow, beautiful. Not normally a fan of the fades, but this one looks like a cross-section of deep water. Very cool.

What made you decide to go with an ash neck? I don't know that I've seen many, if any, ash necks before.
Does it just have their normal neck finish on it? It's so chocolatey brown.
How does it feel under the thumb?

From what I understand, torrefaction (roasting) makes the wood super stable. If Dingwall were to decide to offer roasted maple for necks and boards and roasted ash for bodies, I would be clamoring to put together a deposit ASAP (although, I kind of am already).

The main manufacturer using Ash necks that I can remember seeing are on some Foderas.
Interested to hear more about it.

 

[tombowlus]

Wow, beautiful. Not normally a fan of the fades, but this one looks like a cross-section of deep water. Very cool.

What made you decide to go with an ash neck? I don't know that I've seen many, if any, ash necks before.
Does it just have their normal neck finish on it? It's so chocolatey brown.
How does it feel under the thumb?

From what I understand, torrefaction (roasting) makes the wood super stable. If Dingwall were to decide to offer roasted maple for necks and boards and roasted ash for bodies, I would be clamoring to put together a deposit ASAP (although, I kind of am already).

I have played several basses with ash necks in the past, mostly MTDs (I reviewed a 635 some years ago with an ash neck and ash body, and this was my first experience with an ash neck; I also own a 535 with a laminated neck using flamed ash and "white" wenge), though I also own a Jerzy Drozd bass with an ash neck. It seems to allow for a very aggressive, brighter, very snappy attack. The roasted ash neck on this ABI is not colored or tinted in any way. That is its natural color after roasting. According to Sheldon, the roasting takes a lot of the aggressiveness out of the ash, and actually ups the liveliness. He claims it is no brighter than maple, and is more "textured and nuanced." He claims it is now his "most favorite neck wood ever," and so far, I tend to agree. It is not overly bright or thin in any way, and I am really hearing that "lively" thing (which was a specific goal of mine for this bass).

 

[tombowlus]

Very cool! Hate to be another guy piling on about the ash neck, but is it lightweight?

Sheldon says that the roasting actually makes it lighter. That being said, I tend to prefer the tone of heavier northern ash bodies, so I actually asked for a heavier body, and my overall weight is right at 10.0 lbs. The neck definitely seems to be lighter, though.

 

[ThisYouCanTrust]

Are you sure that's ash ? Those tiny slashes or whatever it's called are really typical of wenge, I had never seen that on ash before.

 

[tombowlus]

Are you sure that's ash ? Those tiny slashes or whatever it's called are really typical of wenge, I had never seen that on ash before.

Yes, I am positive that it is roasted ash.

 

[AB Nate]

Yes, I am positive that it is roasted ash.

I had a MM SR special with roasted maple neck and the roasting sure made it snappy I thought. Loved it.

 

[AB Nate]

Wow, beautiful. Not normally a fan of the fades, but this one looks like a cross-section of deep water. Very cool.

What made you decide to go with an ash neck? I don't know that I've seen many, if any, ash necks before.
Does it just have their normal neck finish on it? It's so chocolatey brown.
How does it feel under the thumb?

From what I understand, torrefaction (roasting) makes the wood super stable. If Dingwall were to decide to offer roasted maple for necks and boards and roasted ash for bodies, I would be clamoring to put together a deposit ASAP (although, I kind of am already).

I believe Sheldon mentioned shying away from roasted maple due to the roasting process presenting inconsistencies in the maple or something of the like.

 

[darren1970]

My new ABI 4-string has arrived, and I am beyond stoked! Northern ash body, quilted maple top (bleached, Whalepool Fade, wenge accent), roasted ash neck (the first one out in the wild!), Mac ebony fingerboard, FD3's (with switches), Glock pre, Hipshot Xtender, blue Luminlay side dots and Speedo Bars. Initial playtesting is even better than I had expected (and I've played a bunch of Dingwalls). The notes just explode out of this thing, and the neck feels incredible. Can't wait to get some quality hours in on this bad boy!

Now that........is one sexy looking bass.
Congrats

 

[ThisYouCanTrust]

Yes, I am positive that it is roasted ash.

Well I guess you learn new things everyday

 

[tombowlus]

Are you sure that's ash ? Those tiny slashes or whatever it's called are really typical of wenge, I had never seen that on ash before.

It certainly does bear a striking resemblance to wenge, but it's a slightly tighter grain and a slightly smoother feel.

 

[groovaholic]

Yes, I am positive that it is roasted ash.

Not to start a tonewoods debate, but IMO woods have distinctive tones.
I remember being a kid and hitting rocks with sticks, and one of the sticks sounded JUST LIKE a baseball bat.
I'm wondering if this neck will contribute that distinctive crack, so well-loved by baseball fans.

 

[retroXvertigo]

Super Fattys and a new 6 way switch are in!

I did get some before recordings for @AB Nate , just need to get the after.

Really digging the neck/mid setting.

 

[retroXvertigo]

If anyone wants 6 string FDVs, I have a set of 3.

I also have a low F# string set I used for a week. It wasn't for me.

Figured I'd mention here before I throw it up on classifieds.

 

[J Posega]

I believe Sheldon mentioned shying away from roasted maple due to the roasting process presenting inconsistencies in the maple or something of the like.

I recall that. Given how roasted maple is becoming more common among other brands, I'd love to hear more about what makes ash a more suitable roasted neck wood for Sheldon and Co.

 

[Ryno1330]

Super Fattys and a new 6 way switch are in!

I did get some before recordings for @AB Nate , just need to get the after.

Really digging the neck/mid setting.

View attachment 4667424

Neck middle paralle - interesting. Did you make any recordings of it?

 

[beatdatthang]

Super Fattys and a new 6 way switch are in!

I did get some before recordings for @AB Nate , just need to get the after.

Really digging the neck/mid setting.

View attachment 4667424

Can you order the switch with any configuration you want? I don’t have much use for the all 3 on parallel/series setting. I would like the option to do bridge alone, mid alone, neck alone, bridge and mid parallel, bridge and neck parallel, bridge and mid in series.

 

[retroXvertigo]

Neck middle paralle - interesting. Did you make any recordings of it?

Not yet.

I think Jason at Fret Nation has a video with an example of that setting.

I really like it so far.

 

[retroXvertigo]

Can you order the switch with any configuration you want? I don’t have much use for the all 3 on parallel/series setting. I would like the option to do bridge alone, mid alone, neck alone, bridge and mid parallel, bridge and neck parallel, bridge and mid in series.

Check with @FretNation .

That's where I got the switch.

 

[AB Nate]

If not Mo at Nordstrand makes them up. I would even venture a guess that he’s doing it for Jason.

Can you order the switch with any configuration you want? I don’t have much use for the all 3 on parallel/series setting. I would like the option to do bridge alone, mid alone, neck alone, bridge and mid parallel, bridge and neck parallel, bridge and mid in series.

Check with @FretNation .

That's where I got the switch.