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Dingwall Owners Club
- Thread starter FroggyOne2
- Start date
Glad to know you got it solved. That's what dealers are for.
Hi everyone,
I have an ABZ 6 that will likely be starting production soon. As I have had an increase in nerve related issues in my hands (more R, but both are an issue), the 6 string is less of a no-brainer than when I started the order. I am looking for some perspective on the long term playability of Dingwall's five versus six string afterburner basses, how they compare ergonomically to the combustion line (compound radius, neck profile, low-action tolerance), and for those with RSI injuries, if you have generally found adjustments, such as lower action, lighter gauge strings, and technique adjustments enough to manage long-scale Dingwalls. I'd prefer the six for more compositional flexibility, but would like to be careful with this decision, especially with the 18mm string spacing. Thanks!
I have an ABZ 6 that will likely be starting production soon. As I have had an increase in nerve related issues in my hands (more R, but both are an issue), the 6 string is less of a no-brainer than when I started the order. I am looking for some perspective on the long term playability of Dingwall's five versus six string afterburner basses, how they compare ergonomically to the combustion line (compound radius, neck profile, low-action tolerance), and for those with RSI injuries, if you have generally found adjustments, such as lower action, lighter gauge strings, and technique adjustments enough to manage long-scale Dingwalls. I'd prefer the six for more compositional flexibility, but would like to be careful with this decision, especially with the 18mm string spacing. Thanks!
Sorry that I’m no help regarding Dingwalls specifically, but wanted to express my sympathies for your hand issues. I had a long bout with de quervain's tenosynovitis in 2017, in which the only cure turned out to be not play at all for almost 6 months.
That said, I’ve been playing 5 & 6 string Afterburner & Z series Dingwalls since 2020 without issue. I’ve found Dingwalls & MTD’s to be the most comfortable for me.
Wishing you relief from your hand issues.
Oof, sorry to hear about the nerve issue.
In my hands, the Canadian neck profile is just overall more comfortable than the overseas models with the same count of strings. However, even then, I think I'd be very mindful about the years of playtime you'll want to have on that bass, and it just plain does take more to move around on the 6 string neck no matter which model it is.
I know it’s not a DW but have you ever seen the Torzal basses with the twisted necks? I know a player who had carpal tunnel and surgery and had good experiences playing one.
I find if you play the same strap height as Robert Deleo and angle the bridge with your right leg it sort of achieves a similar thing as the torzals with wrist position.
If you aren’t doing the stop sign stretches and the other two varieties start now as well.
ANOTHER UPDATE:
Please excuse the long post but if you’re really interested in what has transpired over the past 24 hours, please read on. This has gotten a bit more involved.
I received a call from the dealer today to update me on the process of getting bass replaced. He said he had some bad news. I thought it was the availability of the bass but it wasn’t, it had to do with tariffs. He talked with Dingwall about the replacement bass and they asked if he notified me of the additional tariffs. That’s when he found out he was wrong about them and the $703.87 that was originally on my was the correct amount for the tariffs. He said that if he gives me a UPS return authorization for replacement, the new bass would be subject to those tariffs.
So I asked what about the bass I have and he added that since the shipment wasn’t charged, there probably won’t be anything additional due. He said if I get a request to pay tariffs on the bass, he will pay them because I purchased it in good faith based on what he told me. He said he sold two like that. I’m thinking the other one may be the 6 string that “L0ckett” received earlier this week.
He added if I wanted out of the deal he would send me a prepaid UPS label to return it and refund the entire purchase amount including the shipping. He also added that Dingwall feels bad about this whole scenario and if I return the bass they want to send me a shipment of accessories and goodies because of all the problems. I supposed I could have asked for the box of goodies even I keep the one I have but everyone has been really working hard to get through this and I’m not really looking a bunch of free stuff. I just want a working NG3.
I thought about it for a minute and said if I keep it I assume Dingwall will still work with me to get it working since it is under warranty. He said of course they would. I believe it has a two year warranty. The only thing I asked of Dingwall is for one of their leather guitar straps.
He will confirm everything tomorrow. The way this scenario has twisted and turned, I’m hoping I’m past all of this and well on the was to enjoying the
Dingwall.
Even though this has been a bit of a journey, I’m grateful for the efforts of my dealer, The Vibrato Bar, and the people at Dingwall.
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It’s confirmed. The parts will be shipped to me to correct the problem and the strap will be sent when they have more in stock. I’ll update after I receive the parts and get them installed.
I appreciate that! I'm glad to hear you've been able to recovery and continue to play. It's encouraging to hear you've been able to continue playing dingwall 5s and 6s without issue since. Was the tenosynovitis in the left or right hand? I've had ongoing nerve issues in my hands for about 4 years (potentially spinal) but recently had a bad flareup that meant dropping gigs and being unable to play or even type for about 2 weeks. I've opted to take a break from gigging indefinitely and from playing until the custom gets here this fall.
Just looked up the torsal basses, very interesting design! I tend to keep to a classical-esque playing position for the most part.
Ironically, it tends to be a bit more radial nerve related than median. Definitely keeping on top of forearm flexor/extensor stretches+variations, nerve glides, etc. Thanks for the suggestion!
That's nice to hear confirmation about the Canadian Dingwall necks. I'm hoping the more precise fitting will allow me to get the action into the "stupidly low" territory. The compound radius I expect to be a decent difference. I think you've noted an important consideration for me. My thought process surrounding 6 vs 5 is as follows:
- The 37" scale stretch on the lower frets exists either way, and alongside the thin treble side on the 6 necks (tested on a combustion 6 I tried) makes the 5-6 jump less intense.
- There's a decent chance I'll end only being able to play very minimally for a few years once I start school, regardless of 6 vs 5
- Live playing is unreasonable either way, so it'll be a studio bass. My focus is on recording some solo pieces while it's feasible
- I could sell my NG-2 to get a 4 string SP-1 for a strain aware alternative alongside the custom
I believe they’re sending everything except the pickups. I hope that’s the case because if they send just part of it and it doesn’t solve the problem I’ll have to wait even longer to get this going.
Cool! Dibs on the non-functional stuff if you don't have to send it back.
I doubt I’ll need to due to customs and tariffs.Cool! Dibs on the non-functional stuff if you don't have to send it back.
Green SP1 has arrived!
Incredible sounding and feeling bass. Pretty sure it just instantly became my #1 bass for non-metal (Z3 reigns supreme there)
Put that smaller board together to just have the meat and potatoes on for it vs the spaceship. The Origin trifecta + anadime chorus + cog T16 is pretty much all I need for most things!
Incredible sounding and feeling bass. Pretty sure it just instantly became my #1 bass for non-metal (Z3 reigns supreme there)
Put that smaller board together to just have the meat and potatoes on for it vs the spaceship. The Origin trifecta + anadime chorus + cog T16 is pretty much all I need for most things!
Pep, I'm glad to see that you, The Vibrato Bar and the Dingwall team were able to get things resolved. The tariff situation is extremely volatile and confusing to deal with. I believe you've made the right choice and will be happy once your bass is up and running.
Please take it to your guitar tech ASAP and have him contact us. If he needs anything in addition, we'll get it to him quickly and cover his fees.
Just so we're all on the same page:
1. No bass leaves our shop without being fully inspected. Including this one. That's not to say something doesn't slip by every now and again, but we take QC very seriously. Thank's to our longtime customers for sharing their positive experiences.
2. The staff at Vibrato Bar also play tested this bass and it was working 100% before they shipped it. They also take QC very seriously. I'm very impressed with their level of customer service. They went above and beyond.
3. I've reviewed the email thread and am proud of the job our team did. IMO they handled things very professionally. Especially considering the work load of basses they were also trying to stay on top of.
Lastly, we're still not sure what was the root cause. Pep, would you mind sharing the brand of cable or plug that you were having trouble with initially. We'd like to bring one in to see if there's anything more we can learn from this. Thanks very much.
Please take it to your guitar tech ASAP and have him contact us. If he needs anything in addition, we'll get it to him quickly and cover his fees.
Just so we're all on the same page:
1. No bass leaves our shop without being fully inspected. Including this one. That's not to say something doesn't slip by every now and again, but we take QC very seriously. Thank's to our longtime customers for sharing their positive experiences.
2. The staff at Vibrato Bar also play tested this bass and it was working 100% before they shipped it. They also take QC very seriously. I'm very impressed with their level of customer service. They went above and beyond.
3. I've reviewed the email thread and am proud of the job our team did. IMO they handled things very professionally. Especially considering the work load of basses they were also trying to stay on top of.
Lastly, we're still not sure what was the root cause. Pep, would you mind sharing the brand of cable or plug that you were having trouble with initially. We'd like to bring one in to see if there's anything more we can learn from this. Thanks very much.
Thanks for taking the time to check in on this.
Thank you, Sheldon, for your response.
The initial problem wasn’t the cable because I tried several with the same result (Livewire, Fender Professional, Mogami and Pig Hog). The problem was the screws that secure the input jack cup mount weren’t screwed all the way in and restricting complete engagement of the plugs& jack. The plug would make contact but not enough to have the tip lock-in, so after a sort time it would pop out. I can see how it was missed buy your staff and The Vibrato Bar as I could play it for a few minutes before it would disconnect.
I didn’t discover this until i had removed the jack several times. It appears the mounting holes weren’t drilled deep enough to have the screws go all the way in. It took some major effort to get them in completely.
It was after this, when I took it to a gig, that it shut down with a crackle and pop after 3 notes. Now I get nothing. I’m hoping the parts that are coming will do the trick.
For the past 30 years I’ve done all of my own work including rebuilding basses and repairs for myself and friends/fellow musicians. From what I understand this is a pre-wired unit with only the ground wire needing to be soldered. If that’s the case I’m more than capable of doing that while saving you some $$$. If you would still prefer I find a guitar tech, just let me know and that’s the route I’ll take.
I have an outdoor concert next Saturday, July 19th and hope it’s up and running prior to that date. The parts are due here on Wednesday afternoon so that means the earliest I can get it to a tech would be Thursday and I doubt it will be completed by that gig.
Thanks again, Sheldon. I’ve seen some of your custom work and it’s quite impressive.
Pep (Duke)
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