You know, I think my perspective of Best has changed a few times over the years. I’ve been fortunate to own far to many of these beautiful instruments and sooo many of them have been pinnacle for the desires at the the time. I’ve kept diversity knowing how I can teeter back and forth but I think now it’s time to pick a substantially smaller position and be content with a more minimalistic foundation. I don’t know what musical opportunities the next decade will bring with the relocation. Hopefully more. lol.
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Dingwall Owners Club
- Thread starter FroggyOne2
- Start date
I'd like to meet the GC staff member that named this used Dingwall...
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who knows. not the most egregious error I've seen there, everything else was accurate. I bet that guy has a thick HR file though
Well, I received my bass yesterday (was delivered on friday, but I was away for Xmass).
What can I say: fantastic bass!!
One thing I need to mention, because I asked about it, is that although the pictures from the website showed the old bridge with the 4 individual saddles, it actually arrived with the new minimalistic bridge. So I guess the website was using some old stock pictures.
I was also a bit concerned about the pau ferro fingerboard, because of looks, but this one looks superb. Basically, I only had a previous experience with this type of wood, in a MiM Fender. It was between maple and rosewood in looks, which matched well that bass, but I was afraid would look a bit too clear for this one in mate black. It also always look a bit drier. Well, this one is darker, and looks as good as nice RW, also the opposite of dry. Very happy with it.
Another festure that surprised me in a positive way is the finish on the back of the neck, a very smoooth satin finish very similar to the one found in Fender Am pro ii instrument. I own a Strat and a Tele guitars from that series and this feature is the one that made me fell in love with them. Having the same feel here is just fantastic.
Also the bass is light and not an ounce of neck diving, very stable. I own othe Thunderbird shaped bases, one is an Epiphone, which is great and sounds fantastic, but has some neck diving -but it is not so bad it ever boree me, tbh- and a Diamond Hailfire which is a looker -every time I played it live I received compliments on how gorgeus it looks- but unfortunately has a severe neck divimg issue that makes playing certain stuff more difficult than it should. Nothing of that here, all good.
The bass came with the action a bit yoo high for my liking, so I adjusted it. It was very easy, just a couple of turns on each screw in the bridge. When I went to check the intonation with a Polytune clip, I was surprised, it was spot on perfect on the 12 fret for each string, and even in most other frets it was either also spot on or very, very close.
Some pics attached:
Attachments
NG3 owners. To your ears, what’s more “p bass” sounding? The neck pickup soloed or the middle pickup soloed. Would love to hear your thoughts.
I’m going to try swapping the pickup positions again and recording them this time to A and B and C them back to back to back. Leaning towards getting a 6 way and axing the soloed bridge option. With the EQ on I can get it to sound good, but the other 3 positions are just so much better at inducing goosebumps.
I’m going to try swapping the pickup positions again and recording them this time to A and B and C them back to back to back. Leaning towards getting a 6 way and axing the soloed bridge option. With the EQ on I can get it to sound good, but the other 3 positions are just so much better at inducing goosebumps.
IvanBassist
Commercial User
- Jun 8, 2008
- 3,744
- 11,127
- Disclosures
- Content Manager at Darkglass Electronics, Dingwall Guitars Artist
I've been a bit absent from this thread since I started taking care of all of Darkglass' socials, but I just wanted to say Happy New Year to all of you 
!
Hope to meet some of you at NAMM 2026!
! Hope to meet some of you at NAMM 2026!
I'm not an NG3 owner, but on my SJ 3X I've had switches for neck solo and bridge solo. The common refrain I hear on TB is that the middle pickup solo is the better P-Bass sound, but to my ears the neck pickup did a far better job. I haven't had a neck solo switch in since I swapped the FDVs for SF2s, but at least with FDVs I found that the neck solo did an excellent P-Bass sound whereas the middle solo did (and still does with the SF2s) a thinner and more midrange focused sound that lacks some of the "honk" in a typical P-Bass tone and as a result sits differently in a mix. It's a very cool and usable sound, just not one that I hear and immediately think P-Bass.
I’d second this.
I like to think of the middle solo as more of a modern, clean, almost sterile P(add bass boost) where as the neck solo is a juicier more robust, thick and velvet like sound.
That said, for anything involving speed I lean away from this setting. Its for squeezing juice
I've got 6 ways in both the SJ5XXX and the SJ4XXX, so I have both the neck and middle available in solo. The venue or rooms determine which sounds more P like, or sits better. The 5 has ptones/SFII (bridge) the 4 FDVs.
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...and the musical context, and the playing style, and a million other potential variables. That said, in every use case where I've tried middle solo on a gig or a session I've never really thought "that sounds like a P-Bass" whereas I have had that thought when using neck solo. That was the point of my post that you quoted. YMMV obviously, but that's been my experience.
A P-tone in the neck position sounds great solo'd on my SJ5xx (standard switch, position 4).
Then I select position 3 for a steroid boost! I believe that's the FDV (bridge) and the P-tone (neck) in series.
Those are the only 2 positions I use when playing live.
FWIW, I'm using position 2 (Bridge & Neck in parallel) more at home for headphone practice.
<Digress>
Position 3 on my D-Bird (Middle pickup solo'd) sounds great (FD3n)
Position 4 brings some serious slam (all 3 FD3n's w/bridge & middle in parallel and neck in series).
</Digress>
Then I select position 3 for a steroid boost! I believe that's the FDV (bridge) and the P-tone (neck) in series.
Those are the only 2 positions I use when playing live.
FWIW, I'm using position 2 (Bridge & Neck in parallel) more at home for headphone practice.
<Digress>
Position 3 on my D-Bird (Middle pickup solo'd) sounds great (FD3n)
Position 4 brings some serious slam (all 3 FD3n's w/bridge & middle in parallel and neck in series).
</Digress>
Are you finally coming????I've been a bit absent from this thread since I started taking care of all of Darkglass' socials, but I just wanted to say Happy New Year to all of you
Hope to meet some of you at NAMM 2026!
IvanBassist
Commercial User
- Jun 8, 2008
- 3,744
- 11,127
- Disclosures
- Content Manager at Darkglass Electronics, Dingwall Guitars Artist
Yes! 1st NAMM for me
Couple of questions for the group.
1) is there any way to get OEM Canadian nuts? I got a used Canadian D bird but I think the old owner may have cut the nut slots too low so I’m getting a bit of buzz. My local shop usually does bone nuts for new nuts but idk how well that would work with a Dingwall
2) What’s the current best source for custom 6 way pickup selectors? I want to get a new selector for the D bird to keep the stock 4 options but also add bridge/neck in parallel and bridge/middle in series.
1) is there any way to get OEM Canadian nuts? I got a used Canadian D bird but I think the old owner may have cut the nut slots too low so I’m getting a bit of buzz. My local shop usually does bone nuts for new nuts but idk how well that would work with a Dingwall
2) What’s the current best source for custom 6 way pickup selectors? I want to get a new selector for the D bird to keep the stock 4 options but also add bridge/neck in parallel and bridge/middle in series.
For 2, contact Jason at Fret Nation. He has a working relationship with Mo Mina who made mine, and I believe makes all of them for Fret Nation.
