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Dingwall Owners Club
- Thread starter FroggyOne2
- Start date
Looks like the bass shop is really trying to milk this one. Beautiful bass! New would have been under $3500 CAD
Dingwall Afterburner II 5st. 2010s - Transparent Rootbeer | Reverb
I’m all for making a buck but Not very friendly that’s for sure.
Dingwall Afterburner II 5st. 2010s - Transparent Rootbeer | Reverb
I’m all for making a buck but Not very friendly that’s for sure.
I was like this. I had a whole excel spreadsheet going, with data from the Dingwall price list manually entered for seven or eight potential builds, and I was agonizing about going for cost vs going for those delicious features.I've had a few Dingwalls over the past two years.
I was going to order an ABI, but when it came time to finalize the specs, I went for a Z3.
It should be done in a month or two.
I COULD have had a Canadian 6 for half the cost I ended up paying, but I love my Z3 so damn much, I’m glad I just said “screw it, I’m going all the way.”
In this local market if it doesn't have 3 rounded pickups its value is halved right away.
My Z killed my gas for most any kind of other basses (would love a 6 string Z and I would certainly take a 4 string Super P).
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I've had a few Dingwalls over the past two years.
I was going to order an ABI, but when it came time to finalize the specs, I went for a Z3.
It should be done in a month or two.
Same -the price of a AB1 with a bling can approach that of a Z without an explosive finish and exotic wood top. I was all settled on the AB1 until I tried someone’s Z and just preferred the geometry and build style of the Z better.
My build slot has not been called into active duty yet, so I can still actually order any damn thing. It will hopefully come up in a few months.
Yeah I mean... I considered going the Z route for my latest build but it put it very firmly out of my budget.
As it is I'm going for an ABII 6 fretless (lined fretless, DG electronics, blackburst finish, roasted ash neck), and that's still coming in at basically the same as the base price for a Z3 6. If I wanted to get a fretless with a nice finish and the electronics, we'd be looking at 'sell off a bunch of other basses' territory and boss that ain't gonna happen (the Ibanez BTB6 is definitely going though, it looks and sounds nice but damn uncomfortable).
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I'll start by saying my Sklar sig is the last bass I will ever buy. It has filled every need I can think of and then some. Truly of all the basses I've owned over this long life, (and there has been a ton) this is by far my favorite. It checks every box on my perfect bass wish list. With that said, I recently hooked up with an accomplished songwriter who has some really great material. The band is in the infant stages, but progressing nicely. Yesterday at rehearsal I got the strangest request. He asked what it would take for me to play a Fender bass. I stood there for a moment not really knowing what the answer should or would be, and said, "This is my bass." The conversation pretty much ended there. It's literally the first time I've ever been asked by a band leader to play a different instrument. It definitely put a damper on my day....???
I’ve been asked this before. I told them that I bring whichever bass I own that’s the most appropriate for the gig. If that doesn’t work then they can pay for a bass that suits them more along with the strings and setups, as well as a use tax that is prohibitively expensive. The conversation usually dies there, but I’m still waiting for the day when someone decides to pay for my requirements and I line my pockets for playing a Fender, who happens to make basses that I like quite a bit despite my Dingwall being my number one. Ultimately, if it’s a high profile enough gig with pay to match I’ll play whatever the band leader wants.
Some folks are intimidated by fanned frets and modern designs. Maybe it's the first time he's heard those low, low notes sound so good and he got scared. I'm guessing it's that he thinks the bass doesn't "look right" for the band. But he needs to be reminded that nobody but us bass nerds give a poop about what the bass looks like.
That is a strange question from another musician. I think I would have turned the question back at him. What would it take for him to play a completely different instrument? I would love to lay my fingers on a Sklar, but I don't know if that will ever happen. I assume yours is pictured in your avatar?
Wasn't the look, but rather the Fender tone he was seeking
You really gotta get yourself one of those producer "Fender tone" switch.
I took my AB-1 six string to a gig with a blues guy that specializes in acoustic slide. Between sets, he was giving it a good long look.
Said it was the best sounding bass he’d ever heard, and, “What’s with the frets?”
That six string had something special going on.
Said it was the best sounding bass he’d ever heard, and, “What’s with the frets?”
That six string had something special going on.
Every sound tech I have encountered has expressed how amazing my Sklar sounds. Big smile!!
I pretty much only play a Dingwall and a P-Bass these days, after decades of trying everything and a longtime run with Sadowsky. Those two axes supply everything I’m hearing in my head these days and I’m happy to play both.
With that in mind, my musical pursuits carry me across genres and styles, and there’s simply places where a Dingwall 5 may not be a universally accepted choice, and there’s places where a P might not be the best choice.
When that comes up, it’s important to remember that the best instrument to use is the one that fits the music at hand and makes the people you’re working with the most comfortable. And they can tell. They may not always be able to articulate it, but they can tell. At least for me, I’m trying to bring the best solution to the music that IS there, not what I try to force it to be. The Dingwall might be the perfect instrument for me in my world, but it might not be in someone else’s. This may be a more important consideration if they’re writing checks.
Ultimately, if I have choice between staying home and refusing to play anything but a Dingwall, or playing a P and getting out there to do my life’s work, I’ll play the P. Life is too short, the Dingwall will get played some other time, and anyone who thinks a P is a step backward hasn’t paid enough attention to Pino, Willie Weeks, Jamerson, Bob Glaub, etc.
Sklar is still playing his old Frankenbass - I talked to a guy who saw him with it in a studio before or after a recent Lyle Lovett tour. He certainly plays the Dingwall a lot, and picks it up the second he knows he has to go below E on a project. He’s the sole reason I bought my first Dingwall, after seeing him play one with Phil Collins and actually hearing the bass in a hockey rink for a change.
I can understand wanting to play your great bass that cost 4-5-6k, but it might not work all the time. There is no Excalibur for me, even though a shop Dingwall is really close. These are just my thoughts that have brought me much peace and happiness - as always, YMMV.
With that in mind, my musical pursuits carry me across genres and styles, and there’s simply places where a Dingwall 5 may not be a universally accepted choice, and there’s places where a P might not be the best choice.
When that comes up, it’s important to remember that the best instrument to use is the one that fits the music at hand and makes the people you’re working with the most comfortable. And they can tell. They may not always be able to articulate it, but they can tell. At least for me, I’m trying to bring the best solution to the music that IS there, not what I try to force it to be. The Dingwall might be the perfect instrument for me in my world, but it might not be in someone else’s. This may be a more important consideration if they’re writing checks.
Ultimately, if I have choice between staying home and refusing to play anything but a Dingwall, or playing a P and getting out there to do my life’s work, I’ll play the P. Life is too short, the Dingwall will get played some other time, and anyone who thinks a P is a step backward hasn’t paid enough attention to Pino, Willie Weeks, Jamerson, Bob Glaub, etc.
Sklar is still playing his old Frankenbass - I talked to a guy who saw him with it in a studio before or after a recent Lyle Lovett tour. He certainly plays the Dingwall a lot, and picks it up the second he knows he has to go below E on a project. He’s the sole reason I bought my first Dingwall, after seeing him play one with Phil Collins and actually hearing the bass in a hockey rink for a change.
I can understand wanting to play your great bass that cost 4-5-6k, but it might not work all the time. There is no Excalibur for me, even though a shop Dingwall is really close. These are just my thoughts that have brought me much peace and happiness - as always, YMMV.
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