Dingwall Owners Club

[RevOgre]

Excitement! My Canadian knobs and black Hipshot tuners have shipped, so the purple beast will be fully finished soon! Nice to get some good news, actually.

If anyone ever wondered what summer in Vegas without A/C is like, I do not recommend it. Waiting on fan motors sucks, too.

Hopeful mine ship soon too!

 

[IvanBassist]

Will FDV play with Ptones? Or SFII with Ptones?

I guess they do. Super PJs have a P-Tone and the stock bridge pickup is an FDV.

If I remember correctly, Matt Denis (don’t remember his username) had a SJ 3X with a P-Tone in the neck and FDVs in the middle and bridge positions.

 

[IvanBassist]

Sooo, I sold a bass that I was not playing and also got some unexpected money back from my landlord and I have some extra.

Currently I do not own any 5 strings and I had already set aside some money for the upcoming SP1s (5-string). But now I’m thinking about maybe saving up a bit more to order an ABZ 5 or even go a bit further and stretch out for a Z

Who here owns both an AB and Z and can share some opinions?

 

[Selta]

Sooo, I sold a bass that I was not playing and also got some unexpected money back from my landlord and I have some extra.

Currently I do not own any 5 strings and I had already set aside some money for the upcoming SP1s (5-string). But now I’m thinking about maybe saving up a bit more to order an ABZ 5 or even go a bit further and stretch out for a Z

Who here owns both an AB and Z and can share some opinions?

More than happy to! I have three ABs and two Zs presently, and one other AB and one other Z have passed through me over time.
I won't got much into electronics - you're pretty well versed there, and an FD3 (etc.) in an AB is the same as an FD3 (etc.) in a Z.

For me, it comes down to ergonomics and feel. I just like the way the Zs sit on me, vs my ABs. For what it's worth, I don't presently use the "reach reducing" pin position, though I'm going to start experimenting with it a bit later this year once things calm down.

The neck profile especially on Zs is just much more comfortable for me. I don't know that it's any one particular difference or a sum of the whole, but overall I play and feel better on the Z than AB. The body contours as well just feel more refined and pleasant when sitting or standing. In particular, large position shifts (ex: going from first position [index finger on first fret] up to sixth [index finger on 10th fret]) just seem more fluid and effortless on a Z. This largely matters when I'm writing or learning new material - I'll be able to learn it to a performance level faster on my Z than an AB (exception being "simpler" music where there aren't large position shifts etc).

Plus, part of it for me is I like how my Zs look a bit more than my ABs, which encourages me to pick them up more often. Kind of hard to put value on that

 

[IvanBassist]

More than happy to! I have three ABs and two Zs presently, and one other AB and one other Z have passed through me over time.
I won't got much into electronics - you're pretty well versed there, and an FD3 (etc.) in an AB is the same as an FD3 (etc.) in a Z.

For me, it comes down to ergonomics and feel. I just like the way the Zs sit on me, vs my ABs. For what it's worth, I don't presently use the "reach reducing" pin position, though I'm going to start experimenting with it a bit later this year once things calm down.

The neck profile especially on Zs is just much more comfortable for me. I don't know that it's any one particular difference or a sum of the whole, but overall I play and feel better on the Z than AB. The body contours as well just feel more refined and pleasant when sitting or standing. In particular, large position shifts (ex: going from first position [index finger on first fret] up to sixth [index finger on 10th fret]) just seem more fluid and effortless on a Z. This largely matters when I'm writing or learning new material - I'll be able to learn it to a performance level faster on my Z than an AB (exception being "simpler" music where there aren't large position shifts etc).

Plus, part of it for me is I like how my Zs look a bit more than my ABs, which encourages me to pick them up more often. Kind of hard to put value on that

Thanks! Very helpful
How is the weight difference between your ABs and Zs?

 

[Selta]

Thanks! Very helpful
How is the weight difference between your ABs and Zs?

I threw my info out there for the spreadsheet. While not all my Dingwalls, I weighed a few of them:

Bloodmoon Z, 2021 - 5 string, wenge neck/fretboard, swamp ash body, buckeye burl X top, FD3 w/ Glock (2x pickups) : 8.8lbs
Prima Artist unsure year - 5 string, usual multi lam neck, dual density body, amazing X top and back, PA pickups, Glock pre (2x pickups) : 9.4lbs
Green AB1 2017 - 6 string, maple neck, wenge fretboard, swamp ash body, flamed maple top, FDV w/ Glock (3x pickups) : 9.2 lbs

All fairly close in weight, overall. I can notice the different when I pick them up one after the other, but, even the Prima doesn't feel bad after a couple of hours of play time. The older AB1s are in the same ballpark - really close to the Bloodmoon Z. The other Z I have here feels similar, too. Probably heavier than your Supers, though!

 

[shade_1313]

I threw my info out there for the spreadsheet. While not all my Dingwalls, I weighed a few of them:

Bloodmoon Z, 2021 - 5 string, wenge neck/fretboard, swamp ash body, buckeye burl X top, FD3 w/ Glock (2x pickups) : 8.8lbs
Prima Artist unsure year - 5 string, usual multi lam neck, dual density body, amazing X top and back, PA pickups, Glock pre (2x pickups) : 9.4lbs
Green AB1 2017 - 6 string, maple neck, wenge fretboard, swamp ash body, flamed maple top, FDV w/ Glock (3x pickups) : 9.2 lbs

All fairly close in weight, overall. I can notice the different when I pick them up one after the other, but, even the Prima doesn't feel bad after a couple of hours of play time. The older AB1s are in the same ballpark - really close to the Bloodmoon Z. The other Z I have here feels similar, too. Probably heavier than your Supers, though!

I do have all the data in a few sheets worth of different groupings (three sheets for the different string counts, sheets for the various models, with some grouped together, such as one sheet for all Supers, Combustion and NG together, etc) and will put them all on google docs, but the A/C issue has gotten in the way of doing so, so far.

 

[IvanBassist]

My alnico split P finally arrived View attachment 6994729

In case anyone was curious, this was behind both Neo and Alnico pickups. The higher kOhm numbers are from the Neos

 

[MascisMan]

In case anyone was curious, this was behind both Neo and Alnico pickups. The higher kOhm numbers are from the Neos

View attachment 6997074View attachment 6997076View attachment 6997077View attachment 6997078

Interesting. Is that just the output difference of the magnet types or a combination of magnet types and wiring differences I wonder?

 

[IvanBassist]

Interesting. Is that just the output difference of the magnet types or a combination of magnet types and wiring differences I wonder?

Not sure. But i set both pickups sets to the same height and had to add about 4 db of extra gain to the Alnicos when recording the A/B comparison.

Now I just need to mix and edit the clips

 

[MascisMan]

Not sure. But i set both pickups sets to the same height and had to add about 4 db of extra gain to the Alnicos when recording the A/B comparison.

Now I just need to mix and edit the clips

*cough* and share your QC Preset *cough*

 

[IvanBassist]

*cough* and share your QC Preset *cough*

It’s up in the cloud

 

[jimmydean]

My 4 string Combustion is fantastic , but I must admit I want to buy a Sklar 5 string ..........is that so wrong ?

 

[MascisMan]

My 4 string Combustion is fantastic , but I must admit I want to buy a Sklar 5 string ..........is that so wrong ?

There is nothing wrong about saying that. It is quite normal actually.

 

[shade_1313]

There is nothing wrong about saying that. It is quite normal actually.

The one factor that keeps me from seriously looking at a Sklar, when I’m pondering what Canadian Dingwall to have built, is that 5s just don’t click with me the way 4s and 6s do.

 

[Thumper]

I followed up with Dingwall, asking about trying all three pickups.

Q: Is this also true of the SFII and FD3? If I wanted to buy one middle pickup of each for example, I’d get three different B pickups; if I wanted to compare neck or bridge positions I’d get a N of each version?

Their answer, which feels so valuable it should be stickied:
Yes that is correct!

It is important to know that the FDV pickups cannot be paired with any other Dingwall pickup - if an FDV is next to an FD3 or SFII, it will mess with the magnets and destroy the pickup.

When you say destroy the magnets, what exactly do you mean? I feel it's more of a field or output disruption instead of actual physical damage. I'm not nitpicking here, just want to fully understand.

 

[BunchyMutt]

When you say destroy the magnets, what exactly do you mean? I feel it's more of a field or output disruption instead of actual physical damage. I'm not nitpicking here, just want to fully understand.

I was wondering that too. That wasn't my language, that's a direct quote from a Dingwall rep

 

[shade_1313]

I am baffled by USPS. My tuners and Dingwall knobs went from Murrieta, CA, which I could drive to in under 5 hours, to a distribution center annex in Indianapolis?

I feel like this is not actually going to be delivered tomorrow.

 

[scallster]

On the subject of P tones, I have ordered a Super J with a P tone in the neck and two FD3's in the middle and bridge with a Neve active passive preamp. The question is does the P tone do a convincing precision tone? I know not many people have the Neve preamp, and especially with the P tone in the neck and most are Rio basses.
Your thoughts please?

 

[SemiDriven]

On the subject of P tones, I have ordered a Super J with a P tone in the neck and two FD3's in the middle and bridge with a Neve active passive preamp. The question is does the P tone do a convincing precision tone? I know not many people have the Neve preamp, and especially with the P tone in the neck and most are Rio basses.
Your thoughts please?

I have a P-tone (neck) in an SJ5.

I think it's convincing. I usually use it combined with the bridge (FDV) for a killer tone (IMHO).

You're setup is intriguing! Please keep us posted!