• 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

#7,121
Ask away!

My fretless AB-II covers basically any sound I want to put out. The fretted Combustion I got to supplement it for rock and overdrive sounds. I don't play jazz though. These are very versatile instruments, and with the latest triple pickup versions, I really think you'd have all grounds covered.

Best to try for yourself, if you can. There must be a store or someone who has a Dingwall or two near your location.
 
#7,122
NaH said:
@ Bocete (re: "a fretless Dingwall does everything you want it to, just try" from Part 6)

I'm sure you said it for everyone else's benefit as well, but I must agree with you:

My Dingwall Fretless on top:
View attachment 385728
Click to expand...


Dude, I have been meaning to ask this of a Dingwall Aficionado like yourself for some time: is it much harder playing multi scale fretless than regular? I played a Dingwall at the recent London Bass guitar show and I was amazed by how easy it was to play, and was wondering if the same logic applies to fretless.
 
#7,123
Coeball said:
Dude, I have been meaning to ask this of a Dingwall Aficionado like yourself for some time: is it much harder playing multi scale fretless than regular? I played a Dingwall at the recent London Bass guitar show and I was amazed by how easy it was to play, and was wondering if the same logic applies to fretless.
Click to expand...

Yes the same logic applies IMO, with the caveat that a 37" inch fretless comes with certain challenges in the lower positions, multiscale or not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pmad_bass
#7,124
For full disclosure: for as long as I played bass, I wanted to play fretless. I also always wanted to own a Dingwall ever since I saw pics of them from some NAMM. So, when I saved enough money, I decided to dive in deep water and got a fretless Dingwall. I learned to play fretless on it. That makes my experience heavily biased, as I have no idea how I'd handle a parallel fretless.

That said, i do find the fretted Dingwall a lot more forgiving. The problem is not the fanned nature of the fretboard, that's very comfortable for me, but the fret spread on the B and E strings in low positions. You need to perfectly match the 37" spread of the B string, and for my hand size, that's just about as spread as I can handle. On a fretted Dingwall that's not necessary and makes things much easier. I still find the AB-II neck more comfortable, it's thinner and, well, feels like home for me. But if I play the fretted for a while and go back to fretless, I notice that my fingers need to be a bit more spread out to be perfectly in tune. I hope all this made some sense.
 
#7,129
Coeball said:
Dude, I have been meaning to ask this of a Dingwall Aficionado like yourself for some time: is it much harder playing multi scale fretless than regular? I played a Dingwall at the recent London Bass guitar show and I was amazed by how easy it was to play, and was wondering if the same logic applies to fretless.
Click to expand...

I moved from fretted parallel basses to only fretted Dingwalls, then got a Dingwall fretless (which was also my first fretless) so I don't have a comparison to parallel fretless either, but for me the move between fretted and fretless Dingwalls has been smooth. Don't get me wrong, you still need to pay attention on a fretless (I do anyway), but I wouldn't be afraid of the jump.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pmad_bass
#7,130
BurningSkies said:
Please welcome Mr. CL400Peavey to Dingwallhood. FedEx shipped his AB1 in one day. :)
Click to expand...
I was so surprised when I looked at the tracking and they had it delivered to the DC at 9 am this morning.

I had a couple hours with it this afternoon. Installed strap locks, got it tuned up, and started banging away through my '66. Best sounds I have ever had in 19 years of playing bass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurningSkies
#7,134
It may be your bass. I have one that is almost identical, but I can't take a picture nearly as well as Sheldon does. It is simply a superb bass.

I put a P tone in and have it strung with TI flats. (Thanks Jeff!)

I love the understated elegance. The unmarked fretboard and flame maple look great. At under 8 lb, it is a joy to play.
 
#7,135
Any thoughts on down-tuning a super j 4 by a whole step (so DGCF rather than EADG)?

I do this with all of my parallel fretted and Fretless basses, and am wondering if that works against the design / engineering of the bass.

Anxiously waiting for paypal to clear so I can start playing a surf green super j4 (hopefully within 2 weeks) :bassist:
 
#7,136
It can be done but you'll want to use heavier strings as the stock ones are already on the "very light" side in standard tuning

Solid colour ABII... I like
ABIIFront.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Thumper and spiritbass
#7,137
wmmj said:
Any thoughts on down-tuning a super j 4 by a whole step (so DGCF rather than EADG)?

I do this with all of my parallel fretted and Fretless basses, and am wondering if that works against the design / engineering of the bass.

Anxiously waiting for paypal to clear so I can start playing a surf green super j4 (hopefully within 2 weeks) :bassist:
Click to expand...

You can tune it to just about anything. Might need a swap of strings, and some adjustment to the neck relief and the bridge saddles.
 
#7,138
wmmj said:
Any thoughts on down-tuning a super j 4 by a whole step (so DGCF rather than EADG)?

I do this with all of my parallel fretted and Fretless basses, and am wondering if that works against the design / engineering of the bass.

Anxiously waiting for paypal to clear so I can start playing a surf green super j4 (hopefully within 2 weeks) :bassist:
Click to expand...

If you switch to some heavier strings, you'll still get the benefits of more balanced tension across the strings and truer speaking length for the higher strings. I say go for it.
 
#7,140
NaH said:
I moved from fretted parallel basses to only fretted Dingwalls, then got a Dingwall fretless (which was also my first fretless) so I don't have a comparison to parallel fretless either, but for me the move between fretted and fretless Dingwalls has been smooth. Don't get me wrong, you still need to pay attention on a fretless (I do anyway), but I wouldn't be afraid of the jump.
Click to expand...

Okay thanks for the info that is very reassuring.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back