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Dingwall Owners Club

#5,101
Sheldon D. said:
I appreciate the praise but I'd like to point out that the quality and craftsmanship is a result of the efforts and skills of the whole Dingwall team.
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Interesting that you made this comment, Sheldon. I just have a Super J5 Standard so I am all but certain that it never touched your personal build table. That said, with as many hours as I have playing it, I am still in awe of fit and finish. It is literally flawless. There is not a single flaw, tool mark, or the slightest imperfection in the finish. They don't make glass with this clarity. You don't even see duress marks in the screws and that tells me that Dingwall is not only using high quality tools, but regularly replacing bits and tips.

I don't know who built my bass but I would happily buy him a steak dinner for his/their personal commitment to perfection. It goes well beyond customer service, guarding job security, or any other factor. Whomever built my Super J did so as if lives were at stake.

I'd expect to see this level of artistry/perfection in a 5 digit bass. In the 3-5K range, I have seen none better. NONE !

If you keep records, you should identify the individual(s) that built serial # 4705 and tell them that their commitment to perfection is admired daily and without fail.

And people wonder why Dingwallians foam and froth at the mouth.
 
#5,102
Zoomie said:
Interesting that you made this comment, Sheldon. I just have a Super J5 Standard so I am all but certain that it never touched your personal build table. That said, with as many hours as I have playing it, I am still in awe of fit and finish. It is literally flawless. There is not a single flaw, tool mark, or the slightest imperfection in the finish. They don't make glass with this clarity.

I don't know who built my bass but I would happily buy him a steak dinner for his personal commitment to perfection. It goes well beyond customer service, guarding job security, or any other factor. Whoever built my Super J did so as if his life was at stake.

I'd expect to see this level of artistry/perfection in a 5 digit bass. In the 3-5K range, I have seen none better. NONE !
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Zoomie, I asked Sheldon at one of the London Bass show (which is our poor man version of your NAMM) 2 years ago why was there a sticker on the back of the headstock with the initials of 2 people, he said one is the man that build it and the other is mine as I check the finshed product.

All Dingwall basses have the SD on that stickers, it means Sheldon checks them all, so in a nutshell your bass has been on his bench, tuned and adjusted for perfection by Sheldon.

Amen!
 
#5,103
Grand Wazoo said:
Zoomie, I asked Sheldon at one of the London Bass show (which is our poor man version of your NAMM) 2 years ago why was there a sticker on the back of the headstock with the initials of 2 people, he said one is the man that build it and the other is mine as I check the finshed product.

All Dingwall basses have the SD on that stickers, it means Sheldon checks them all, so in a nutshell your bass has been on his bench, tuned and adjusted for perfection by Sheldon.

Amen!
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My sticker was probably pulled by BC prior to sending.

While this doesn't surprise, I don't necessarily think that Sheldon inspecting is the primary driving force of the builders. That level of pride is likely ingrained in genetic make up.
 
#5,106
No straight basses left here, except for my 76 Kramer 450B, and it's fretless. I keep it mostly for sentimental reasons. It was my first bass and I've had it since 1979. It's been heavily modified with J bass Dimarzio humbuckers, a Bart preamp, Wilkerson bridge, ect. It's just too heavy, at 13+ lbs, for any real playing time. It does do a really nice mwaaaah and has a killer fat tone.

I had a Fender Jazz but it was up for sale the afternoon my Super P/J arrived. I'm pretty much spoiled for basses, but I keep an eye on the classifieds.

You never know when a trade up Dingwall, something like a AB-2 sixer with the chambered body and F hole in some beautiful exotic top, blue or red tint, say, might appear... Not that I'm thinking about it. Just keeping an open mind!

I go to our local GTG's a couple times a year and I get to fondle some pretty high end stuff. The Dingwalls more than hold their own.
 
#5,107
This was posted over at the sevenstring.org forum, hasn't even been mentioned on the Dingwall forum yet, but I thought I'd share with TalkBass.

Adam (Nolly) of prog-metal band Periphery posted it on his Facebook... apparently a prototype Combustion that will be at NAMM '14 most likely.
 

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#5,108
For the record, I think I made up my mind regarding my next Dingwall : a fretless SJ5.

I want a jazz, another 5er and a fretless, but they can be the same bass. This way I can sell my jazz and fretless without regret to fund it. I'll still have the same scale and profile as my SP so it should be easy to go back and forth. I'm a little worried about intonation but pretty sure I'll deal with it.
 
#5,109
Just out of curiousity.....was there much of an adjustment period getting use to the fanned fretboard? I've never played or have even seen a bass with a fretboard like that in person. Also, how's the neck profile on the 5 string models?

Thanks.
 
#5,110
It's not a big deal at all, unless you play complex chords. Within a couple minutes you'll be comfortable enough ; within a couple days it will be second nature.

Yesterday I was jamming with friends and the guitar player grabbed my Super P5 for a couple tunes. It was the 2nd time he played it, and for the 2nd time he commented how great the neck feels - and he's a guitar player ! As for me, it's among the best basses I've ever tried and the few that compare are at least twice the price.
 
#5,114
TheEmptyCell said:
This was posted over at the sevenstring.org forum, hasn't even been mentioned on the Dingwall forum yet, but I thought I'd share with TalkBass.

Adam (Nolly) of prog-metal band Periphery posted it on his Facebook... apparently a prototype Combustion that will be at NAMM '14 most likely.
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I'm surprised ya'll aren't buzzing more about this. I've been on the verge of sinking new pickups and preamp into my stock Combustion but I think I'll hold off awhile now.
 
#5,115
factorplayer said:
I'm surprised ya'll aren't buzzing more about this. I've been on the verge of sinking new pickups and preamp into my stock Combustion but I think I'll hold off awhile now.
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I love the finish combined with the pickguard. Stunning.

That said, I am totally self absorbed with the upcoming arrival of my Super P5. So, short of Sheldon posting a pic of my new baby, I got nothing but........Meh ! rofl
 
#5,116
Mike M. said:
Just out of curiousity.....was there much of an adjustment period getting use to the fanned fretboard? I've never played or have even seen a bass with a fretboard like that in person. Also, how's the neck profile on the 5 string models?

Thanks.
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I recently played a "Geddy" Super J at Long and McQuade in Vancouver, and within 30 seconds I knew it was the most comfortable bass I had ever tried. I didn't even think about the fanned frets once I was actually playing. The salesman was nice enough to let me run it through an SVT, and I understood why folks rave about these basses.

However, I almost always play with a pick, and I did find the Super J fairly bright. Does anyone happen to know which body wood the one I tried might have? The maple/maple neck obviously contributed to the brightness as well, so would I be better off with something like maple/morado or even wenge/wenge? I like a strong presence in the lower mids.
 
#5,117
A bright, open top end is a feature of all Dingwalls, in my limited experience.

The cool thing is that it's always available to you, yet you can roll it off with the tone control(s). Convincing old-school tones are still available, even with the long-scale, more aggressive models.

Although I've never sampled a Dingwall with that option, I've owned and sampled a number of basses and guitars with wenge necks and either wenge or ebony fingerboards.

Wenge has an interesting mid-forward, compressed, sustaining character. I think you'd want the actual wenge neck option rather than just a wenge fingerboard, to get the full flavour of it.
 
#5,118
Anybody care to talk specifics about the P-tone pickup?

I am still on the fence about whether I could use a slightly more mid-forward voicing for my ABZ. I tried the new nickel rounds and really liked their effect on the mids. Sadly, I went back to the SS strings because the nickels excited a bit of a dead spot on the G string.

Over the weekend, I hooked a series-parallel coil switch into the neck pickup wiring. I thought it pushed the tone in the right direction, but I found it overpowering in the low end.

The trouble is that I'm not looking for a drastic change, just a little fine-tuning. I only dial the tone control back about an 1/8th to a 1/4 turn even with the SS strings, unlike some folks on here.

Thus my interest in the P-tone. If it goes for a more detailed midrange presence (like a 60's P-bass with rounds), it might be just the ticket. On the other hand, if it's all about a big, pillowy low end, then it would be too much for me.

Comments?
 
#5,119
cusar5 said:
I recently played a "Geddy" Super J at Long and McQuade in Vancouver, and within 30 seconds I knew it was the most comfortable bass I had ever tried. I didn't even think about the fanned frets once I was actually playing. The salesman was nice enough to let me run it through an SVT, and I understood why folks rave about these basses.

However, I almost always play with a pick, and I did find the Super J fairly bright. Does anyone happen to know which body wood the one I tried might have? The maple/maple neck obviously contributed to the brightness as well, so would I be better off with something like maple/morado or even wenge/wenge? I like a strong presence in the lower mids.
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I don't know if I can help, but I'll try. We play about 6-7 covers that require pick work.

I'm ash, ash, maple pau ferro, Further it's a passive Super J with no pre. It can be a hair edgy so usually I just roll back the tone an 1/8th of a turn or so.

That said, I run a Greenboy Faital loaded Dual 15 cabinet and a Reiner tube pre. The 15's give me most of what I want via low mids. I can grab some more off of the Reiner if I so desire.

In addition, I must admit that I am not a fan of the beloved SVT. I have to think that the 10's aren't helping in this particular instance.

Also, remember that where Dingwalls really shine is in the mix. They can punch their way to front of the toughest mix, without ever sounding ganky or thin. I am not implying that the Super J is thick and syrupy. Just that it runs amuck in the mix with plenty of 3 foot wide heinie. At home with my headphones on playing solo, it sounds sweet but not monster.

I have never played any of the Dings with wenge. My last foray with wenge was my Warwick spree many years ago. Someone else will have to jump in.

Finally, a Super P or a JP may give you more of what your ears want if you spend a lot of time on the pick.


My two cents. I am certain that others will chime in here.
 
#5,120
P tone for the AB-1 was the best $150 I ever spent on bass gear. (I've got stupid pedals that cost more and do far less) It totally made the bass happen. I was on the fence about the AB-1, and loved everything about it, except for the sound. Now it's a keeper. The P tone is hotter, more mid present and aggressive. I have a huge range of tones, plus the blueqube switch.

I know what you are saying about the series rewire. It's a move in the right direction, and a taste of what could be. I did the same thing on my Super J before going whole hawg for the P pup. That made dropping a P tone in the AB a no brainer. It took all of half an hour. It would be easy to undo. I wish I'd recorded the before and after...

While you are trying strings with your new bass, I can say I've really been liking the Payson nickel round medium lights. The Circle K nickel balanced set was also nice, as well as the Infeld Superalloys. I have TI jazz flats on five string at the moment, but the Paysons are really working for me on the six string. I haven't had a chance to try the new Dingwall nickels I received last week. I'm one of those guys that can't do stainless steel, so I've been trying nickel sets to see what works best.
 

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