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Dingwall Owners Club

#5,021
You never know what you'll run into at a Talkbass GTG: How about a 1000 watt tube amp?

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185 lb of power. As you can see, if you check out the high quality photos, Nate does really nice work.

I played a Kala Uke bass solid body through this beast with a SWR 8-10 cab and another fEarful like 1-15 and horns rig.

I couldn't resist the chance to play the smallest bass through the biggest rig. Astounding!

The Dingwalls got lots of love. The fEarfuls and Genz Benz Streamliner 600 were house favorites.

About 20 people spent a rainy afternoon checking out cool gear. The Robb Allen fretless mouse was something special. A few guys making good use of the Zoom B3's.
 
#5,022
Gig report:

My quietest acoustic setting in months last night. About 45 people in a basement conference room, backing an unamplified acoustic guitar.

This is a room with terrible acoustics. It's really hard to get any definition. Even my AudioKinesis cab, which is pretty close to flat, sounds like a muddy mess in there. I used my G-K MB200 into a little sealed wedge with a single Eminence Beta 10a in it. Tone rolled off about a third on the bass, both p/u's in series. As always with that cab, I had to push the bass and low mids and roll off some upper mids and treble on the amp.

I got a pleasing, woody growl once I adjusted my touch accordingly.

Two beefs with the new nickel strings:

They were giving me a little too much growl for the setting. I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that the smoother sound of the slightly broken-in SS strings would have fit better. I'm not going to take the nickels off, though- it's too soon to blame it on the string construction. We'll have to see how they sound after they've had some time to break in.

I also found a noticeable dead spot at the 5th fret on the G string. If it was there at all with the SS strings, I don't think it was as noticeable.

Once again, it's too early to draw any conclusions from this. There are too many other factors involved:
1. My understanding is that the ABZ doesn't have carbon fibre inserts in the neck, so it could be a mild touch of "Fender-itis".
2. I was playing in the room from hell.
3. I was using a crappy little single-driver cab with a weird midrange/treble response.
4. I am notorious for being particular about dead spots on the G string. For whatever reason, I like to play sustained tones on the C at that position, and even a little change in the harmonic balance as the note decays is enough to bug me.

I'm back there again next Sunday, so I might slap the SS strings back on for that gig, and see how they compare with the same rig and settings.
 
#5,027
Man, these threads are turning over fast!

Everybody in this house prefers Dingwall:
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#5,031
I spent a couple of hours at Bass Central last week and played a slew of basses including a bunch of Dingwalls: ABZ4, ABII, Prima ($12.5k!!) and a SJ. I was particularly smitten with the ABII, though I like the Prima's neck profile a bit better, I think.

One of the things that was really noticeable about all of the Dingwall 5 strings is how the B-string stays together even way up the neck. On most 34 or 35" scale basses the B gets warbly and funny sounding past the 7th fret or so. Not these.

After playing all those Dingwalls, everything else I played there seemed kinda crappy. Even the Sadowsky, MTD535 and US Laklands and Spectors I played.

Think I'm going to have to try to save my pennies and get an ABII, though I am curious about the ABZ5 (they didn't have one). Maybe one of you can answer this question: Is the neck profile/feel of the ABZ close to that of the ABII? I ask because the neck on the 4 string ABZ I played seemed fat (front to back) and round compared to the ABII. Not sure if that was a 4 vs 5 thing or not.

Anyway, I was super impressed and I foresee a Dingwall or 2 in my future. :D
 
#5,033
Mark Reccord said:
.... Maybe one of you can answer this question: Is the neck profile/feel of the ABZ close to that of the ABII? I ask because the neck on the 4 string ABZ I played seemed fat (front to back) and round compared to the ABII. Not sure if that was a 4 vs 5 thing or not.

Anyway, I was super impressed and I foresee a Dingwall or 2 in my future. :D
Click to expand...

I can. I have both and I can confirm that it is as if both necks blanks are shaped by the same jig. No difference between profile, depth, width, just the wood changes. Frets are the same too. I could (if I would but I don't feel the need for) swap necks between the two basses, and they would fit on either bass no problemo! ;)

Anymore questions officer? :D

Here's a pic fo'ya!

reducedsize_zpsdba857c5.jpg
 
#5,035
Grand Wazoo said:
I can. I have both and I can confirm that it is as if both necks blanks are shaped by the same jig. No difference between profile, depth, width, just the wood changes. Frets are the same too. I could (if I would but I don't feel the need for) swap necks between the two basses, and they would fit on either bass no problemo! ;)

Anymore questions officer? :D

Here's a pic fo'ya!

reducedsize_zpsdba857c5.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks and holy crap what a gorgeous trio of basses!

I guess it was just the delta between the 4 and 5 string necks that gave me that impression.
 
#5,036
Mark Reccord said:
Is the neck profile/feel of the ABZ close to that of the ABII? I ask because the neck on the 4 string ABZ I played seemed fat (front to back) and round compared to the ABII. Not sure if that was a 4 vs 5 thing or not.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure. I have an older 5-string Afterburner II and the neck feels a bit slimmer, front to back, than the one ABZ that I have tried.

I wish the stores in my area could stock a selection of high end Dingwalls. I've never even seen a Z or a Prima, or even an ABII since they went hollow and got the glossy finish. :bawl:
 

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