Most of the extra length for the B string is at the bridge end, so it’s not an extra 3” at the nut. So it’s more like the reach you’d expect with a 35” scale length.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Dingwall Owners Club
- Thread starter FroggyOne2
- Start date
Don’t worry. Just buy one and spend sometime with it.
Technically the strech is longer because the scale length is longer. But because of the overall design you don't feel it as much. For instance I have 34" scale Spectors that have a much longer reach so it all depends.
I'd say the neck profile is somewhere in between a Jazz and Precision. Wider and beefier than a Jazz, but not a club like a Precision. The 5 string is a little flatter, the 4 strings a little rounder. Personally I think the 4 string neck is perfection. I would like the 5 to be a little less flat but it's fine and of course that's a personal thing.
I'd love to but dropping that much money on an instrument without being sure is not something that I'm able to do.
Beauty
Dingwall Zebra-1 6 String Electric Bass Sheldon Dingwall 2002 - Whalepool Blue | Reverb
Feels scammish but…. Beauty!
it matches my
Old 4 string.
Dingwall Zebra-1 6 String Electric Bass Sheldon Dingwall 2002 - Whalepool Blue | Reverb
Feels scammish but…. Beauty!
it matches my
Old 4 string.
Last edited:
Anyone here know how the ABZ or Z 6 string neck compares to the NG3-6 string neck? I have a deposit down for a custom but not sure if I will get another 6 string. I love the musical possibilities of the 6er but I'm struggling to love the neck profile of the NG3-6. It feels to flat and wide for my small hands.
Yeah I was admiring this as well this morning and it's gorgeous! So who's near Palmdale, CA??
The good thing about them being hard to find is that if you change your mind or dont vibe with it, it won't be hard to get your money back out of it so just wait for a decent deal you're comfortable with to come along.
.
the Z neck is substantially different from a NG. I had a similar concern when I was considering a transition from 5-6 and once I got hands on a Z 6. It was a done deal. Now going back and playing other six string necks I find very comfortable but the Z neck was a perfect neck to make the transition take place. Now my NG gets as much play time as my Z as I have to be road ready with it.
Ultimately though, moving to a different neck takes an adjustment period. The Z neck is magic
the Z neck is substantially different from a NG. I had a similar concern when I was considering a transition from 5-6 and once I got hands on a Z 6. It was a done deal. Now going back and playing other six string necks I find very comfortable but the Z neck was a perfect neck to make the transition take place. Now my NG gets as much play time as my Z as I have to be road ready with it.
Ultimately though, moving to a different neck takes an adjustment period. The Z neck is magic
I cut my teeth on Jazz and Precision bass style instruments, and typically can’t stand 24 fret basses. Dingwall is an exception.
On 34”-37” Dingwalls, you can’t escape the fact that the B and E will be longer than standard Fender, requiring the longer neck to accommodate this. There is a little bit of initial effort and push in terms of arm reach to cleanly fret the lowest notes, but going back and forth between traditional designs and the 37” Dingwall is not a big jump for me.
Pictures may not indicate this well, but a Dingwall 34”-37” is only about 1/2 inch longer than a regular fender bass from tip of the headstock to bottom of the body. This measurement could made exactly the same if you cut a half inch off the tip of the Dingwall headstock.
So, short answer is that the Dingwall is noticeably longer in scale length but doesn’t present as a big hurdle to jump over during the playing experience.
Neck profiles on Z and AB models are on the thin/flat side of the street to me. Maybe like a shredder guitar but bigger to accommodate bass strings? Otherwise very comfortable - the neck works with you to work the hand reaches and fret angles. Z models typically are sleeker and thinner than AB offerings, but both are fast necks.
Last edited:
While the scale is longer, the basses are designed in a way to make the reach not feel any longer. To put it into perspective, a Dingwall 37-34" bass can fit into a case designed for a standard scale bass.
I'd say the 5 string AB necks I've played are more akin to an Ibanez, but a bit more substantial. They're not as drastically thin and narrow as Ibanez necks, but they're not as rounded as typical Fender or Stingray necks, and not as fat as a P bass.
Put another way; I've never heard of someone selling their Dingwall because they didn't like the neck profile, but some players have a definite preference between the AB and Z necks, with the Z being thinner
Didn‘t have time to reply myself and was eagerly waiting for someone to make this exact point.
That one makes me want a six string for the first time in my life....I love the scallop at the end of the fretboard, that was a short lived feature due to the time it took to get right!
That's good to hear. I'm going to ask a question that's been asked a countless times and I'm not really worried but how does the fanned fret feel? Does it feel different headstock side (where G string frets are closer to you than the B frets) versus body side (where the fanning is in the "other" direction? Do you find a side easier to play on? I have to ask as my fingers are on the shorter side.
Surely there is a long and Macquade around you you can go and try a couple out at? I’ve noticed a few on Kijiji in the gta. I think the Markham store is a good one to carry stock?
Haven't seen a Dingwall at the closest one in a good while, I'm def on the lookout. I'll check the Markham one when I'm in that part of town
If you have a contact at L and M just reach out to them and they can point you in the right direction. There are quite a few dingwalls floating around your part of Canada. Maybe a local could help you out?
Sorry it doesn’t answer your question but hands on experience would if you can make that happen.
Lowendtech
Happily trending in my own peculiar direction.
Lowendtech
Happily trending in my own peculiar direction.
Burlington usually has a few in stock too.
I would imagine that the downtown T.O. location has some as well.
All the Supers that I’ve bought new have come from Calgary.
If you struggle to play a 34" scale bass, you'll struggle with a Dingwall because of the extended scale. But unless you have freakishly short fingers, it probably won't be a problem. Playing chords in the upper frets (above 12th) is a little challenging compared to a parallel fret bass.
