I use HX Effects and a EHX Canyon. Mainly boost, and occasional chorus and reverb.
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Dingwall Owners Club
- Thread starter FroggyOne2
- Start date
Venue-wise there are a handful of good places you can put on a decent show. I'm definitely not complaining, it could be (and used to be) a lot worse.
There's definitely a bigger scene if you play covers or more mainstream stuff, you can even make an ok living off of it, many of my friends do. Like almost everywhere else metal stuff is firmly in the underground.
Thank you! I just ordered a 5er in primrose. Should be in in the next few weeksjust a friendly heads up from up here in Canada, Musique Depot is blowing out their JT stock, I snapped up a seafoam green 4 string for over 1400 bucks off the regular Canadian price. there’s a five string in black still available here:
Dingwall JT3 5 GK P SH John Taylor Signature Combustion - 5 String Metallic Black w/ Stripes & Pao Ferro Fretboard
The Dingwall JT3 John Taylor Signature Combustion is a 5-string bass built around a Nyatoh body, maple neck, and Pao Ferro fretboard. FDn pickups paired with a Rupert Neve Designs preamp deliver exceptional definition and tonal versatility in the studio and on stage. Finished in Gloss Metallic...musiquedepot.ca
I'm not sure if this is the proper place, but figured a bunch of DIngwall owners in one spot is as good as any. Apologies for the length of this post.
I really want a 5 string Dingwall Combustion, but I am having trouble figuring out which one I am after, and there really aren't any local places where I can try all of the options out there.
There are two I am fairly set on, and one I am not really sure about.
The Neve preamp seems really attractive to me, but they come with either an EMG, Darkglass or Neve preamp across the 4 models I am looking at
* Combustion John Taylor (Neve)
* Combustion Nashville (Neve)
* Combustion Amos Willams (EMG, not out yet)
* Combustion NG3 (Darkglass)
I think I've ruled out the NG3 because it seems extremely suited for djenty/detuned prog metal type stuff. I do dabble a bit in that, but 90% of my playing is NOT that, and I really don't see myself using a lot of distortion/gain ultimately. I play a lot of fingerstyle/slap/tap type stuff, squeaky clean.
Looks:
This is probably a bit of "looks over sound" but I'm not really trying to shy away from that being important on some levelt o me. I really don't like the colour scheme on the JT, nor the fact that I cannot get the green one with a maple fingerboard. The Nashville has a fairly ugly pickguard (the one I am after has a figured maple top, so the pickguard is this odd clear thing, and removing it would leave a ton of tiny little holes in the body). The NG3 only comes in one colour that appeals to me. I REALLY like the wooden hippie sandwich look of the Amos, but that one only comes with Pau Ferro, and they don't exist yet, so hard to tell how folks have gotten on with them yet.
Preamp:
I am fairly sure the Darkglass one is not for me. I think the DG tone is cool occasionally, but it just doesn't seem like it's best suited for my style of playing. Is that being unfair to the NG3? I am curious if any NG3 owners play their bass clean most of the time. The one appealing thing to me about that preamp is that there is a high mid and low mid control instead of bass/treble. That seems REALLY useful. Am I judging this wrong?
The EMG preamp sounds fine to me in videos I've watched. Nothing too special there, but I'm not really turned off by it at all either.
The Neve preamp sounds GREAT in videos, but the lack of mid control is a bit odd to me. I use my mid control a lot on my active basses.
Nashville:
The controls on this one seem wonky to me. The confusing 3 way switch + blend knob is kind of turning me off to it. I am only basing this on the fact that I vastly prefer playing a jazz bass with two different volume pots instead of a blend pot. I feel like ultimately this thing has far more options that I would ever care to use, but it's the only way to get a Combustion with a Neve preamp that doesn't look like the 80s exploded all over it
Conclusion:
I find the idea of the Neve preamp attractive, but I am extremely curious if folks have directly compared these different options/models and had anything to offer advice wise. I don't feel like basing my decision on the preamp alone, something easily replaceable, is really the best idea, but that said, I don't think you can really easily source that Neve preamp in any way in the aftermarket. I mostly want to hear from folks if it's *really* that good? The last thing I want to do is buy an expensive bass and immediatly start changing out the components of it. I feel like that's not the move. So, ultimately I am looking for a Goldilocks Dingwall that doesn't exist in the permutation of options I want, and going custom shop is not really realistic for me. Thank you for any insights here that might make my decision easier, and for your patience if you made it this far. I really appreciate and welcome any thoughts.
I really want a 5 string Dingwall Combustion, but I am having trouble figuring out which one I am after, and there really aren't any local places where I can try all of the options out there.
There are two I am fairly set on, and one I am not really sure about.
The Neve preamp seems really attractive to me, but they come with either an EMG, Darkglass or Neve preamp across the 4 models I am looking at
* Combustion John Taylor (Neve)
* Combustion Nashville (Neve)
* Combustion Amos Willams (EMG, not out yet)
* Combustion NG3 (Darkglass)
I think I've ruled out the NG3 because it seems extremely suited for djenty/detuned prog metal type stuff. I do dabble a bit in that, but 90% of my playing is NOT that, and I really don't see myself using a lot of distortion/gain ultimately. I play a lot of fingerstyle/slap/tap type stuff, squeaky clean.
Looks:
This is probably a bit of "looks over sound" but I'm not really trying to shy away from that being important on some levelt o me. I really don't like the colour scheme on the JT, nor the fact that I cannot get the green one with a maple fingerboard. The Nashville has a fairly ugly pickguard (the one I am after has a figured maple top, so the pickguard is this odd clear thing, and removing it would leave a ton of tiny little holes in the body). The NG3 only comes in one colour that appeals to me. I REALLY like the wooden hippie sandwich look of the Amos, but that one only comes with Pau Ferro, and they don't exist yet, so hard to tell how folks have gotten on with them yet.
Preamp:
I am fairly sure the Darkglass one is not for me. I think the DG tone is cool occasionally, but it just doesn't seem like it's best suited for my style of playing. Is that being unfair to the NG3? I am curious if any NG3 owners play their bass clean most of the time. The one appealing thing to me about that preamp is that there is a high mid and low mid control instead of bass/treble. That seems REALLY useful. Am I judging this wrong?
The EMG preamp sounds fine to me in videos I've watched. Nothing too special there, but I'm not really turned off by it at all either.
The Neve preamp sounds GREAT in videos, but the lack of mid control is a bit odd to me. I use my mid control a lot on my active basses.
Nashville:
The controls on this one seem wonky to me. The confusing 3 way switch + blend knob is kind of turning me off to it. I am only basing this on the fact that I vastly prefer playing a jazz bass with two different volume pots instead of a blend pot. I feel like ultimately this thing has far more options that I would ever care to use, but it's the only way to get a Combustion with a Neve preamp that doesn't look like the 80s exploded all over it
Conclusion:
I find the idea of the Neve preamp attractive, but I am extremely curious if folks have directly compared these different options/models and had anything to offer advice wise. I don't feel like basing my decision on the preamp alone, something easily replaceable, is really the best idea, but that said, I don't think you can really easily source that Neve preamp in any way in the aftermarket. I mostly want to hear from folks if it's *really* that good? The last thing I want to do is buy an expensive bass and immediatly start changing out the components of it. I feel like that's not the move. So, ultimately I am looking for a Goldilocks Dingwall that doesn't exist in the permutation of options I want, and going custom shop is not really realistic for me. Thank you for any insights here that might make my decision easier, and for your patience if you made it this far. I really appreciate and welcome any thoughts.
I can talk all day about Glockenklang, Darkglass, and Neve.
For me, the Neve blows them all away and it isn't even close. I primarily play prog / death metal, too (though depending on the gig, play a pretty wide variety of genres).
I would say that the DG preamp isn't really the same as the effects pedals and the ever present "Dingwall through a Darkglass stack" sound. It isn't a particularly transparent preamp -- even engaged but set netural, it colors the tone. But, it is certainly usable and can dial in a good range of tastes. I just didn't really liked the baked-in sound from it and felt like I had to fight it more than I care to.
The Glockenklang was a long time favorite for me. Very very sweet, easy to use without even thinking about it, and didn't try to force itself onto you. While a very good preamp, I did often find that I felt something wasn't quite how I wanted, even after 10+ years of Dingwalls loaded with them.
The Neve though, holy moly is it a great preamp. Engaged but neutral is good, transparent experience. The range of adjustment is phenomenal imo. I don't even notice the "lack" of a dedicated mid control in the least. I have a lot of fun with the controls on it dimed out - no extra noise and just this sweet, all enveloping sound that absolutely slams and responds well to dynamic playing.
For me, the Neve blows them all away and it isn't even close. I primarily play prog / death metal, too (though depending on the gig, play a pretty wide variety of genres).
I would say that the DG preamp isn't really the same as the effects pedals and the ever present "Dingwall through a Darkglass stack" sound. It isn't a particularly transparent preamp -- even engaged but set netural, it colors the tone. But, it is certainly usable and can dial in a good range of tastes. I just didn't really liked the baked-in sound from it and felt like I had to fight it more than I care to.
The Glockenklang was a long time favorite for me. Very very sweet, easy to use without even thinking about it, and didn't try to force itself onto you. While a very good preamp, I did often find that I felt something wasn't quite how I wanted, even after 10+ years of Dingwalls loaded with them.
The Neve though, holy moly is it a great preamp. Engaged but neutral is good, transparent experience. The range of adjustment is phenomenal imo. I don't even notice the "lack" of a dedicated mid control in the least. I have a lot of fun with the controls on it dimed out - no extra noise and just this sweet, all enveloping sound that absolutely slams and responds well to dynamic playing.
Thank you, this is exactly how I feel from listening to dozens of videos and recordings. The DG just seems to have this sound I feel like I'd constantly be trying to dial out or fight against, that's a great way to phrase it.
Do you have any thoughts on the EMG preamp Dingwall ships with these days? The non-Nashville Combustion has that, which would make this a lot easier for me. I really am leaning towards the Nashville, but I can't get that Neve preamp out of my head.
Unfortunately I haven't touched an EMG pre, Dingwall or not, in a long time and I'd hate to give input based on hazy memory. I'm sure someone here has a Combustion with one though
Hi there Dingwall Owners
I have, for one lucky TB'er, a case of my minor inconvenience is your gain!
Long story short, I ordered 2 sets of Dingwall 5 String Long Scale F# Nickel Strings. Five. String. The 2 sets showed up and I went to set up my bass and it turns out that the first set I opened was missing the .170 string. Luckily, the other set had all 5, so I was good to go for my recording session. I let the company know what happened and they sent me a replacement set.
It only had four strings in it as well
So, since the company was out of stock at that point, they engaged Dingwall directly. Dingwall has sent me 2 more sets to replace the 2 incorrect sets and those will be here Monday and I'm keeping the faith that someone will check the boxes before they send them to me
Anyway, the 2 sets that I have are in the picture below. If you have a Dingwall or like using their strings and could use a couple of sets of brand new strings, PM me and, for the cost of shipping to you from Massachusetts, they are all yours
-Mike
edited to add the picture of my NG3 in Lilac Mist
I have, for one lucky TB'er, a case of my minor inconvenience is your gain!
Long story short, I ordered 2 sets of Dingwall 5 String Long Scale F# Nickel Strings. Five. String. The 2 sets showed up and I went to set up my bass and it turns out that the first set I opened was missing the .170 string. Luckily, the other set had all 5, so I was good to go for my recording session. I let the company know what happened and they sent me a replacement set.
It only had four strings in it as well
So, since the company was out of stock at that point, they engaged Dingwall directly. Dingwall has sent me 2 more sets to replace the 2 incorrect sets and those will be here Monday and I'm keeping the faith that someone will check the boxes before they send them to me
Anyway, the 2 sets that I have are in the picture below. If you have a Dingwall or like using their strings and could use a couple of sets of brand new strings, PM me and, for the cost of shipping to you from Massachusetts, they are all yours
-Mike
edited to add the picture of my NG3 in Lilac Mist
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hey that’s awesome! I see they have a few more available in different configurations than what was listed when I placed my order. I bought my SP1 fiver from them a few months ago back when they were getting kind of scarce. they’re good people.
Dang so tempting i got my SP-1 From them.just a friendly heads up from up here in Canada, Musique Depot is blowing out their JT stock, I snapped up a seafoam green 4 string for over 1400 bucks off the regular Canadian price. there’s a five string in black still available here:
Dingwall JT3 5 GK P SH John Taylor Signature Combustion - 5 String Metallic Black w/ Stripes & Pao Ferro Fretboard
The Dingwall JT3 John Taylor Signature Combustion is a 5-string bass built around a Nyatoh body, maple neck, and Pao Ferro fretboard. FDn pickups paired with a Rupert Neve Designs preamp deliver exceptional definition and tonal versatility in the studio and on stage. Finished in Gloss Metallic...
I'm not sure if this is the proper place, but figured a bunch of DIngwall owners in one spot is as good as any. Apologies for the length of this post.
I really want a 5 string Dingwall Combustion, but I am having trouble figuring out which one I am after, and there really aren't any local places where I can try all of the options out there.
There are two I am fairly set on, and one I am not really sure about.
The Neve preamp seems really attractive to me, but they come with either an EMG, Darkglass or Neve preamp across the 4 models I am looking at
* Combustion John Taylor (Neve)
* Combustion Nashville (Neve)
* Combustion Amos Willams (EMG, not out yet)
* Combustion NG3 (Darkglass)
I think I've ruled out the NG3 because it seems extremely suited for djenty/detuned prog metal type stuff. I do dabble a bit in that, but 90% of my playing is NOT that, and I really don't see myself using a lot of distortion/gain ultimately. I play a lot of fingerstyle/slap/tap type stuff, squeaky clean.
Looks:
This is probably a bit of "looks over sound" but I'm not really trying to shy away from that being important on some levelt o me. I really don't like the colour scheme on the JT, nor the fact that I cannot get the green one with a maple fingerboard. The Nashville has a fairly ugly pickguard (the one I am after has a figured maple top, so the pickguard is this odd clear thing, and removing it would leave a ton of tiny little holes in the body). The NG3 only comes in one colour that appeals to me. I REALLY like the wooden hippie sandwich look of the Amos, but that one only comes with Pau Ferro, and they don't exist yet, so hard to tell how folks have gotten on with them yet.
Preamp:
I am fairly sure the Darkglass one is not for me. I think the DG tone is cool occasionally, but it just doesn't seem like it's best suited for my style of playing. Is that being unfair to the NG3? I am curious if any NG3 owners play their bass clean most of the time. The one appealing thing to me about that preamp is that there is a high mid and low mid control instead of bass/treble. That seems REALLY useful. Am I judging this wrong?
The EMG preamp sounds fine to me in videos I've watched. Nothing too special there, but I'm not really turned off by it at all either.
The Neve preamp sounds GREAT in videos, but the lack of mid control is a bit odd to me. I use my mid control a lot on my active basses.
Nashville:
The controls on this one seem wonky to me. The confusing 3 way switch + blend knob is kind of turning me off to it. I am only basing this on the fact that I vastly prefer playing a jazz bass with two different volume pots instead of a blend pot. I feel like ultimately this thing has far more options that I would ever care to use, but it's the only way to get a Combustion with a Neve preamp that doesn't look like the 80s exploded all over it
Conclusion:
I find the idea of the Neve preamp attractive, but I am extremely curious if folks have directly compared these different options/models and had anything to offer advice wise. I don't feel like basing my decision on the preamp alone, something easily replaceable, is really the best idea, but that said, I don't think you can really easily source that Neve preamp in any way in the aftermarket. I mostly want to hear from folks if it's *really* that good? The last thing I want to do is buy an expensive bass and immediatly start changing out the components of it. I feel like that's not the move. So, ultimately I am looking for a Goldilocks Dingwall that doesn't exist in the permutation of options I want, and going custom shop is not really realistic for me. Thank you for any insights here that might make my decision easier, and for your patience if you made it this far. I really appreciate and welcome any thoughts.
I would go this route: pick up a used Combustion and worry about the active circuit later.
I always ended up running in passive mode. The various flavors of onboard preamps are mostly available in pedals or models.
I had both Aguilar and Glock preamps in various Dingwalls. The Glock was the most transparent. I rarely turned it on.
Buying used will generally save you a chunk of change and make it easy to bail out if you find the longscale fanned fret isn’t your thing. Don’t discount the various Super series, either.
Spend some time prowling the used market. You can sometimes find Canadian models in the new import price range.
All my Dingwalls have been used and excellent basses.
Good Hunting!
Thanks, yeah good shout about used. I really like active preamps so I feel like I would use it more often than not, but having never played a Dingwall in person I can't make that statement with any confidence. I really appreciate your experience, thanks for sharing it. I found a JT for a great price so I might end up going that direction in the end anyway and just dealing with the interesting colourway
I have a Z3 with the DG preamp. In Dingwalls, I have had Glocks and an EMG prior.
I love my DGTC preamp. Like Selta said, it is not one of distortion boxes built into a bass preamp. It has some mid boost when set flat and I like it. I mostly leave the knobs flat as that bit of boost sounds great with my bass. I used to play in metal bands, this bass can sound aggressive but that is not all and it is very versatile.
As I recollect, the Glock was really transparent but I thought the high eq was set at too high a frequency. The EMG was very plain. I have no experience with the Neve but would like to try. My main concern would be that it is a 2 band preamp but I haven’t heard anyone complain about that.
My other Dingwall (Super J) has an ACG/East filter-based preamp and I love that. So, putting in a preamp of your choice is always an option too.
Speaking of preamps, does anyone have a Neve in their build that they absolutely hate and want to sell or swap for my Darkglass?
I know, I know, this is the long shot of all longshots... but since they still aren't available to buy outside of new builds, it's worth a try! Heh
I know, I know, this is the long shot of all longshots... but since they still aren't available to buy outside of new builds, it's worth a try! Heh
You can spec a Trickfish Flexcore preamp that on paper is identical to a Neve. I have one in my SJ and it’s great. I have another SJ arriving in a few months with a Neve so I’ll be able to do a direct comparison to see how close the Flexcore is to the Neve. The Flexcore is the third preamp I’ve had in my current SJ and is by far my favorite.
@Kriegs I was unable to PM you, your profile is restricted, but if they're not taken already, I would like the strings! I have both 4-stringers and 5-stringers and both short and long-scale so I feel your pain, LOL. PM me, I think my profile is open!
Sorry about that, I haven't been on TB in years and guess they locked my profile? I'll PM you now
Anyway, I was just coming here to post an update:
Dingwall didn't send me 2 new 5 string sets, instead sent me the two .170's that were missing from the sets that I bought
I've had Dingwalls with the DGTC, Glock, NEVE and EMG pres. Glock was fantastic - I really liked that one. Just "fit" really well. The DGTC does what it does and you're either aa fan of that sound or not. The EMG has some interesting frequency points. I have one in the new KK3 model- I dont really like the mid point on it, much too high for my tastes. It sounds fine with everything "flat" but beyond that, i'm not really a fan. I'm really considering adding a Nordstrand 3 band to that bass. I LOVE those preamps. I have a 2B in my reggae NG with SF2 pickups.. sounds SOOOOO good. The Neve I have on my new Z and I'm still getting used to it. Most preamps I've used to just lightly accentuate my sound, not necesarily used the pre to "shape my tone". But, like @Selta said above, on the Neve you can really crank the EQ and it's not noisy like the DGTC or get really washed out with really broad sweeps like the EMG. Its very musical in that sense. That said, to me at least, the NEVE isnt very forgiving, it will highlight your bad technique but it also sounds great so wrong notes arent that bad
.IMO the EMG pre is pretty blah, not bad, not great, not offensive, nothing special either. A decent "utility" pre, but not nothing fancy.
