Dingwall Owners Club

[Tim Skinner]

Thanks Ivan! Great interview, tons of exciting info. I love seeing Sheldon speak about products and developments. You can really see the passion he has for delivering great instruments.
Love the idea of Import Supers.
Love the John Taylor signature. Saw Duran Duran a couple weeks ago and his tone was amazing.

 

[shade_1313]

Man, if the upgrade bridges don’t need routing, I’m going to need to start putting money away now, because I’ll NEEEED those.

 

[AB Nate]

I don't think so. It tends to happen on all strings and as mentioned seems to be mostly prevalent on certain PU settings.

If this is a volume issue, would lowering the PUs resolve it?

pick up height is very important. I would definitely do an easy check and drop your pick ups down to see if it goes away. Remember volume can be gained back down stream of the bass. Find a good pick up height that maximizes your tone and clarity and then adjust gear down stream to taste.

 

[FretNation]

Multiscale strings have been designed to have equal tone and equal tension on all strings at the scale lengths they will be strung at. Mono scale strings have been optimized to work at 34” scale. They will feel very heavy on the lower strings of a multiscale.

Matching gauges will get you close but is not the whole story as the core to wrap ratio varies between manufacturers. This ratio affects tone and tension as well. This is why the same gauges from two different manufactures feel and sound different.

We do agree that matching gauges does not give you the exact same result. We will not get the same result just matching gauges from one string set to another from different manufacturers. That doesn't mean the strings don't work for other users.

 

[seedokebass]

Oh man! Will be watching that later today!

 

[gustobassman]

Fantastic. Nice work Ivan!

 

[Npunk42]

Are you smacking the pickup with the string? Maybe lower the bass side and see if it still happens

The factory setup allows for that. Its intentional. Just set the action a bit higher and you'll get to where youre going.

 

[Katoosie]

So, it has been a couple of weeks now since I've gotten the Dingwall D-roc and I have been struggling to see my other bass in a positive light ever since.

The buildup of "eh" towards the Spector has been gradual, but I cannot pretend that the huge disparity between the sound of the two doesn't bother me.

More and more I reach for the dingwall simply because of the sound. I mean, that droc is a monster. Is that a thing you all have experienced with a dingwall? It can't be just me, right?

I like my other bass but nowadays I think that I like it more because it's "fancy", but then I play it and I want to go back to the dingwall. I actually have to force myself to pick up my more expensive bass, which is really odd to me.

The feel of the strings while playing, that grunt, the tone and the weight - it outclasses my more expensive Spector bass. I actually really dig that maple neck with pau ferro and I believe I would love a maple/maple or maple/wenge even more than the pau ferro the droc has and maple/ebony that spector has - for a fretted bass.

Am I going nuts? Having the dingwall makes me sad in a way that is hard to explain - it just works better than the spector in every way, so my brain has a thing in it now that is saying - now what?

Help

 

[IvanBassist]

So, it has been a couple of weeks now since I've gotten the Dingwall D-roc and I have been struggling to see my other bass in a positive light ever since.

The buildup of "eh" towards the Spector has been gradual, but I cannot pretend that the huge disparity between the sound of the two doesn't bother me.

More and more I reach for the dingwall simply because of the sound. I mean, that droc is a monster. Is that a thing you all have experienced with a dingwall? It can't be just me, right?

I like my other bass but nowadays I think that I like it more because it's "fancy", but then I play it and I want to go back to the dingwall. I actually have to force myself to pick up my more expensive bass, which is really odd to me.

The feel of the strings while playing, that grunt, the tone and the weight - it outclasses my more expensive Spector bass. I actually really dig that maple neck with pau ferro and I believe I would love a maple/maple or maple/wenge even more than the pau ferro the droc has and maple/ebony that spector has - for a fretted bass.

Am I going nuts? Having the dingwall makes me sad in a way that is hard to explain - it just works better than the spector in every way, so my brain has a thing in it now that is saying - now what?

Help

I actually force myself to practice most of the time with my other cheaper basses. It helps to build stamina and to keep my chops on different instruments.

 

[ThisYouCanTrust]

I'm spector-less at the moment, but I'm sure itching for one.
The issue is finding a good one though, I'm totally anal and the smallest details can ruin the experience for me.

With dingwalls I've just never had a problem or a disappointment down the line, with spectors I've seen it all (neck dive, dead spots, wolf notes, uneven frets, cracked finish, you name it ..). Yet I know I'll get one eventually, I just keep searching ..
There are not many brands which do that to you now, are there ? So that says something.

Also for me dingwall definitely threw the last shovelful of earth over the 34" scale's coffin, so that eliminates lots of classics (if I want a 5 or 6er of course, 4s are still perfectly fine, but I don't play them that much anymore).
Also US spectors, MTDs, etc are not so easy to find in europe, that doesn't help with anything (except my wallet of course !).

 

[AB Nate]

So, it has been a couple of weeks now since I've gotten the Dingwall D-roc and I have been struggling to see my other bass in a positive light ever since.

The buildup of "eh" towards the Spector has been gradual, but I cannot pretend that the huge disparity between the sound of the two doesn't bother me.

More and more I reach for the dingwall simply because of the sound. I mean, that droc is a monster. Is that a thing you all have experienced with a dingwall? It can't be just me, right?

I like my other bass but nowadays I think that I like it more because it's "fancy", but then I play it and I want to go back to the dingwall. I actually have to force myself to pick up my more expensive bass, which is really odd to me.

The feel of the strings while playing, that grunt, the tone and the weight - it outclasses my more expensive Spector bass. I actually really dig that maple neck with pau ferro and I believe I would love a maple/maple or maple/wenge even more than the pau ferro the droc has and maple/ebony that spector has - for a fretted bass.

Am I going nuts? Having the dingwall makes me sad in a way that is hard to explain - it just works better than the spector in every way, so my brain has a thing in it now that is saying - now what?

Help

It’s a normal occurrence. Don’t fret.

that said, perhaps put some new strings on the Spector. You’ve had your “fancy” set on there for a while. Don’t expect it to ever compare, just appreciate it as different.

it took me like 10 yrs to come out of my “only dingwall” phase. That said, hands down if I only had one I know which dingwall it is but in the last few years I’ve come to appreciate the different tone options of other basses. Feel as well a little bit but generally speaking dingwall wins that out without competition.

perhaps if your Spector was a next thru you’d appreciate the contrast between the 2 a bit more.

 

[gustobassman]

So, it has been a couple of weeks now since I've gotten the Dingwall D-roc and I have been struggling to see my other bass in a positive light ever since.

The buildup of "eh" towards the Spector has been gradual, but I cannot pretend that the huge disparity between the sound of the two doesn't bother me.

More and more I reach for the dingwall simply because of the sound. I mean, that droc is a monster. Is that a thing you all have experienced with a dingwall? It can't be just me, right?

I like my other bass but nowadays I think that I like it more because it's "fancy", but then I play it and I want to go back to the dingwall. I actually have to force myself to pick up my more expensive bass, which is really odd to me.

The feel of the strings while playing, that grunt, the tone and the weight - it outclasses my more expensive Spector bass. I actually really dig that maple neck with pau ferro and I believe I would love a maple/maple or maple/wenge even more than the pau ferro the droc has and maple/ebony that spector has - for a fretted bass.

Am I going nuts? Having the dingwall makes me sad in a way that is hard to explain - it just works better than the spector in every way, so my brain has a thing in it now that is saying - now what?

Help

You are not alone... I have a very nice trio of Sadowsky NYC Satin basses. One was being gigged non-stop for about 2 years (100+ gigs) up until I brought home my first NG3 last october. Within minutes/a few notes I knew things were about to change for me and honestly I haven't touched the Sadowsky basses since. The tone, the neck, the feel... it all feels really awkward compared to a Dingwall. That sick feeling.. I have that looking at some really expensive basses I'll most likely never play again, what I would have called "dream" basses at the time. Now, even my least used NG3 gets way more playing time.

 

[Nuage420]

Don’t fret.

Badunt tisss

 

[steve_rolfeca]

So, it has been a couple of weeks now since I've gotten the Dingwall D-roc and I have been struggling to see my other bass in a positive light ever since.

...The feel of the strings while playing, that grunt, the tone and the weight - it outclasses my more expensive Spector bass.

...Having the dingwall makes me sad in a way that is hard to explain - it just works better than the spector in every way, so my brain has a thing in it now that is saying - now what?

Interesting.

I had a similar reaction with my ABZ, but the circumstances were very different.

I built this beauty with the help of my luthier friend Tony Karol. It was a labour of love, with some amazing pieces of figured maple and bubinga in it, and some very fortunate accidents with design choices. Partly inspired by Anthony Jackson's original Fodera single-cut, it began with a single EMG soapbar at 18V, and a volume control. Carbon fibre insets and careful lamination made the neck incredibly stable, and the 35" B string was to die for. It made the sounds I had been hearing in my head for decades, felt like an extension of my body, and pretty much killed GAS for me for about 21 years.

I added a second pickup rout, went through a number of different EMG pickup and control layouts as I fine-tuned it over the years, and all it did was get better.

Sadly, it was pretty hefty, even after a couple of re-carves to save weight. In the end, a chronic back injury eventually forced me to either give it up or quit gigging altogether.

Purchasing the Dingwall in 2013 was a last-ditch effort to save my career, but it was more money than I'd ever spent on a bass, and I was ordering it blind. My only reference point was a disappointing test of a Super P, and short session with a first-gen Combustion.

My anxiety level was through the roof for the next few months, but when it arrived, the ABZ was a revelation. It gave me the same "aha moment" that I had on completion of the single-cut, but even more so. This was THE ONE.

I think I understand the stress you're feeling over your Spector, but my reaction was the opposite. Instead of feeling sick to my stomach that I had to retire the single cut, our parting was gentle, and without any regret.

As the Dingwall captured my attention more and more over the next few months, I came to realize that the single-cut had become irrelevant. It bugged me to have such a beautiful instrument tucked away in the closet, so I did the obvious: I polished it up one last time, and then give it to a talented friend who I knew would appreciate it.

It still comes back to me for maintenance once a year, but while I enjoy the visit (and love to see the videos my friend makes with it), I have no problem letting it go.

 

[Nuage420]

Interesting.

I had a similar reaction with my ABZ, but the circumstances were very different.

I built this beauty with the help of my luthier friend Tony Karol. It was a labour of love, with some amazing pieces of figured maple and bubinga in it, and some very fortunate accidents with design choices. Carbon fibre insets and careful lamination made the neck incredibly stable, and the 35" B string was to die for. It made the sounds I had been hearing in my head for decades, felt like an extension of my body, and pretty much killed GAS for me for about 21 years.

View attachment 4812253

I went through a number of different EMG pickups and control layouts over the years, fine-tuning it, and all it did was get better.

View attachment 4812252


Sadly, it was pretty hefty, even after a couple of re-carves to save weight. In the end, a chronic back injury eventually forced me to either give it up or quit gigging altogether.

Purchasing the Dingwall in 2013 was a last-ditch effort to save my career, but it was more money than I'd ever spent on a bass, and I was ordering it blind. My only reference point was a disappointing test of a Super P, and short session with a first-gen Combustion.

My anxiety level was through the roof for the next few months, but when it arrived, the ABZ was a revelation. It gave me the same "aha moment" that I had on completion of the single-cut, but even more so. This was THE ONE.

I think I understand the stress you're feeling over your Spector, but my reaction was the opposite. Instead of feeling sick to my stomach that I had to retire the single cut, our parting was gentle, and without any regret.

As the Dingwall captured my attention more and more over the next few months, I came to realize that the single-cut had become irrelevant. It bugged me to have such a beautiful instrument tucked away in the closet, so I did the obvious: I polished it up one last time, and then give it to a talented friend who I knew would appreciate it.

It still comes back to me for maintenance once a year, but while I enjoy the visit (and love to see the videos my friend makes with it), I have no problem letting it go.

This convo makes me more and more concerned about how I'll feel when my MTD arrives...

 

[steve_rolfeca]

This convo makes me more and more concerned about how I'll feel when my MTD arrives...

Pffft. Nothing to stress about. Good instruments hold their value, and learning their quirks is endlessly fascinating.

If you look at my signature line, you'll see that it's still possible to enjoy other instruments; it's just that while the others come and go, my Dingwall stays a constant.

 

[AB Nate]

I’ve been trying to talk myself into selling my Spector NS5XL. Played it last night. It’s such a fantastic instrument. Can’t do it yet.

 

[Blues Cat]

@IvanBassist great job on the interview. You almost got @Sheldon D. to spill the beans on the S series import features.

 

[jellew]

Interesting.

I had a similar reaction with my ABZ, but the circumstances were very different.

I built this beauty with the help of my luthier friend Tony Karol. It was a labour of love, with some amazing pieces of figured maple and bubinga in it, and some very fortunate accidents with design choices. Partly inspired by Anthony Jackson's original Fodera single-cut, it began with a single EMG soapbar at 18V, and a volume control. Carbon fibre insets and careful lamination made the neck incredibly stable, and the 35" B string was to die for. It made the sounds I had been hearing in my head for decades, felt like an extension of my body, and pretty much killed GAS for me for about 21 years.

View attachment 4812253

I added a second pickup rout, went through a number of different EMG pickup and control layouts as I fine-tuned it over the years, and all it did was get better.

View attachment 4812252

Sadly, it was pretty hefty, even after a couple of re-carves to save weight. In the end, a chronic back injury eventually forced me to either give it up or quit gigging altogether.

Purchasing the Dingwall in 2013 was a last-ditch effort to save my career, but it was more money than I'd ever spent on a bass, and I was ordering it blind. My only reference point was a disappointing test of a Super P, and short session with a first-gen Combustion.

My anxiety level was through the roof for the next few months, but when it arrived, the ABZ was a revelation. It gave me the same "aha moment" that I had on completion of the single-cut, but even more so. This was THE ONE.

I think I understand the stress you're feeling over your Spector, but my reaction was the opposite. Instead of feeling sick to my stomach that I had to retire the single cut, our parting was gentle, and without any regret.

As the Dingwall captured my attention more and more over the next few months, I came to realize that the single-cut had become irrelevant. It bugged me to have such a beautiful instrument tucked away in the closet, so I did the obvious: I polished it up one last time, and then give it to a talented friend who I knew would appreciate it.

It still comes back to me for maintenance once a year, but while I enjoy the visit (and love to see the videos my friend makes with it), I have no problem letting it go.

That was a beautiful and well written story you shared.

 

[Katoosie]

I actually force myself to practice most of the time with my other cheaper basses. It helps to build stamina and to keep my chops on different instruments.

Right, that makes sense. I still play both, but yeah. Favoring the dingwall right now.

I'm spector-less at the moment, but I'm sure itching for one.
The issue is finding a good one though, I'm totally anal and the smallest details can ruin the experience for me.

With dingwalls I've just never had a problem or a disappointment down the line, with spectors I've seen it all (neck dive, dead spots, wolf notes, uneven frets, cracked finish, you name it ..). Yet I know I'll get one eventually, I just keep searching ..
There are not many brands which do that to you now, are there ? So that says something.

Also for me dingwall definitely threw the last shovelful of earth over the 34" scale's coffin, so that eliminates lots of classics (if I want a 5 or 6er of course, 4s are still perfectly fine, but I don't play them that much anymore).
Also US spectors, MTDs, etc are not so easy to find in europe, that doesn't help with anything (except my wallet of course !).

First off - what is a wolf note? All I can hear in my head is a wolf howling after playing a specific note with what you've given me

I've always been picky from the very start of my bass journey and I'm really starting to narrow things down. I think this dingwall experience has taught me another thing - fanned fret always. No exception. So that kills a lot of possible options for me - but narrows it down to 2, maybe 3 makers I would throw some money at.

Going from a 37" 4 string to a 34" in my case is almost a whiplash. It's really odd. Seriously. Yay clarity! -switch- oh, welcome mud city, I guess.

It’s a normal occurrence. Don’t fret.

that said, perhaps put some new strings on the Spector. You’ve had your “fancy” set on there for a while. Don’t expect it to ever compare, just appreciate it as different.

it took me like 10 yrs to come out of my “only dingwall” phase. That said, hands down if I only had one I know which dingwall it is but in the last few years I’ve come to appreciate the different tone options of other basses. Feel as well a little bit but generally speaking dingwall wins that out without competition.

perhaps if your Spector was a next thru you’d appreciate the contrast between the 2 a bit more.

You never do help, do you?
Yeah these strings I got definitely wore out (they're down to bare steel in places I pluck a lot, from gold...) but I'm not willing to swap out strings every few months. I actually like wearing strings down, saves the hassle, money and you can always cook them like spaghetti. And I still got more of those, but fresh, if I really need to swap them.

And actually, the euro is a neck thru. Its the euro model. It's a sandwich.

Thanks

You are not alone... I have a very nice trio of Sadowsky NYC Satin basses. One was being gigged non-stop for about 2 years (100+ gigs) up until I brought home my first NG3 last october. Within minutes/a few notes I knew things were about to change for me and honestly I haven't touched the Sadowsky basses since. The tone, the neck, the feel... it all feels really awkward compared to a Dingwall. That sick feeling.. I have that looking at some really expensive basses I'll most likely never play again, what I would have called "dream" basses at the time. Now, even my least used NG3 gets way more playing time.

Yeah, I'm definitely early in my journey to give any final thoughts but I think this dingwall will eventually phase out the spector, I mean, I don't know yet but that's my very early gut feeling that I have. They're still different enough but I can always try to make the dingwall sound more like the spector. The punch from the droc though... I mean that right there is one reason it beats the spector, and like I just wrote - it's just one thing out of a few that really keep it up above the competitor.

Interesting.

I had a similar reaction with my ABZ, but the circumstances were very different.

I built this beauty with the help of my luthier friend Tony Karol. It was a labour of love, with some amazing pieces of figured maple and bubinga in it, and some very fortunate accidents with design choices. Partly inspired by Anthony Jackson's original Fodera single-cut, it began with a single EMG soapbar at 18V, and a volume control. Carbon fibre insets and careful lamination made the neck incredibly stable, and the 35" B string was to die for. It made the sounds I had been hearing in my head for decades, felt like an extension of my body, and pretty much killed GAS for me for about 21 years.

View attachment 4812253

I added a second pickup rout, went through a number of different EMG pickup and control layouts as I fine-tuned it over the years, and all it did was get better.

View attachment 4812252

Sadly, it was pretty hefty, even after a couple of re-carves to save weight. In the end, a chronic back injury eventually forced me to either give it up or quit gigging altogether.

Purchasing the Dingwall in 2013 was a last-ditch effort to save my career, but it was more money than I'd ever spent on a bass, and I was ordering it blind. My only reference point was a disappointing test of a Super P, and short session with a first-gen Combustion.

My anxiety level was through the roof for the next few months, but when it arrived, the ABZ was a revelation. It gave me the same "aha moment" that I had on completion of the single-cut, but even more so. This was THE ONE.

I think I understand the stress you're feeling over your Spector, but my reaction was the opposite. Instead of feeling sick to my stomach that I had to retire the single cut, our parting was gentle, and without any regret.

As the Dingwall captured my attention more and more over the next few months, I came to realize that the single-cut had become irrelevant. It bugged me to have such a beautiful instrument tucked away in the closet, so I did the obvious: I polished it up one last time, and then give it to a talented friend who I knew would appreciate it.

It still comes back to me for maintenance once a year, but while I enjoy the visit (and love to see the videos my friend makes with it), I have no problem letting it go.

I think you hit the nail of the head with the irrelevance/redundancy angle. I feel like the droc made my other bass redundant in many aspects of my music playing. I think the fact that I tend to play more aggressive music makes the droc an even more dangerous instrument when we think about both basses I own. It just fits better with the style and my heavy plucking technique. I like letting the music take me on a journey, what can I say

Thank you for this. All of you!
Happy to read more opinions as stories well