Dingwall Owners Club

[MDBass]

Well guys I think I need help lol. Having some bad thoughts. You SP lovers don't hate me for this, but I'm still trying to get the SPj 5's tone to grow on me. At this point, sad to say I liked the sound of my combustion and my SJ4 with glock pre. I've tried different eq settings and pedals. My fav bass setting is both pups in parallel.

It did sound better at practice in the mix, however a lot of play time is solo. Not 100% what I want to do yet, but if anyone think they might possibly interested, shoot me a message. I'm toying with the thought of getting a full active Dingwall without a p pup. ... breathe...... sigh.

On a better note, I received a black pearl pick guard for my black and maple SJ4 with b pearl blocks. Looks amazing of course.

All in all, to each his own, right? I just wish there was a dealer close that kept Dingwalls in stock.

My two cents? Try reversing the P pickup

Also, an outboard pre may solve your issues; my SPJ is articulate and punchy as all hell, but it's also running through an Aguilar Tone Hammer DI pedal at all times.

 

[BuffaloBob4343]

My two cents? Try reversing the P pickup

Also, an outboard pre may solve your issues; my SPJ is articulate and punchy as all hell, but it's also running through an Aguilar Tone Hammer DI pedal at all times.

I agree on the reverse P suggestion, but it might be tough without a pickguard routed for that mode.

 

[CL400Peavey]

My two cents? Try reversing the P pickup

Also, an outboard pre may solve your issues; my SPJ is articulate and punchy as all hell, but it's also running through an Aguilar Tone Hammer DI pedal at all times.

If I was to have a p/j, that is the first thing I would do.

 

[BuffaloBob4343]

Have you: messed with the pick up heights, tried some nickel strings (either rounds or flats) or messed around with your set up? I'm just saying, dialing it in can take a few tries. The P tones are way more forward in the mids, so the tone control is way more important. Pickup height is super sensitive. I've never gotten along with the stainless strings. Zoomie sent me some of the new Dingwall nickels for the Super series, I'll give them a try and see how they work. I've been running TI jazz flats on the Super PJ's and it's really working for me.


I really like the passive P tone and the tone control on my Super J. I went so far as to change the to the split P pickup from the J's super fatty. Mine has a Glock pre, but I rarely turn it on. The Super Pj 4 has the aguilar pre, and again, I never turn it on. The passive P tones have been great. Both of these are the older Jazz body and maple necks with wenge fretboards and the split P pup and a J pup at the bridge. I tend to favor the solo'd P pup or one click back. Passive tone rolled way off.

While this doesn't sound as cool as an active jazz playing solo, the reaction to the P bass in the full band mix, the solid focused punch, was very cool. More butts moved. The band was happier.

Now that the new Super P's are out, I'm wondering if the bodies are routed to accept all the various styles of Dingwall Pups. For example, could you put a Super fatty in a new pickguard? Or could a pup the same size and shape as your bridge pup (FD-3?)be fitted in a new pickguard?

I totally agree that it takes some adjustments to the palette when you first hear the passive Dingwall P tone. One thing you can do is have someone play it for you while you sit out front of a band or open mic. You really appreciate that tone in the mix hearing it like that.

 

[spiritbass]

There have been some good recommendations made. DO tweak your pickup heights to taste. If you want to try the reverse configuration on your precision pickup, you can McGyver it like I did on my SP4:

All of my Dingwalls are active. My SJ/P4 and SJ/P5 have the two-band Glock preamps, and I activated my SP4 with a Redeemer Circuit. Soloing the precision pickup (with pre engaged and controls flat) on the SJ/P4 delivers the best precision tone I've ever heard (to date, my life isn't over!). The SJ/P5 is my least favorite to play solo, but sounds fantastic in a mix. I've expressed my opinion in other TB threads - IME, five string basses just don't punch like fours. IMO, they are similar, but different instruments. I have not owned or played any of Sheldon's SP5's, so I don't have any direct experience with your model.

 

[singlemalt]

^^^ cool idea! So did you settle on the reverse or the traditional P?

 

[spiritbass]

^^^ cool idea! So did you settle on the reverse or the traditional P?

Thanks! I ordered it with a standard W/B/W guard and wanted to hear the reverse configuration before having a custom guard cut for it. I settled on traditional.

 

[smeet]

Yep, when I got the bridge pickup added to my SP5, I got both pickguards and started out with reverse P. It sounded good, but the reverse P pickup soloed just didn't hit me like the standard P. I'm starting to really understand how the pickups respond, both to my playing and also to adjustment. Raising the P pickup a bit gave me a heaping helping of upper mids for extra attack and aggression.
I'll probably go back and try the reverse config again at some point and see what I can make it do with what I know now.

 

[BC82]

I'm guessing you just aren't into the passive P tone. Do you have a SJ5 with a P pickup, or a SP5 with a J? They sound different, as the P pickup on the SJ is farther from the bridge, which would make it a bit more thick and less punchy than the SP.

If you like the parallel sound, that's a bit of a clue. That's about the farthest you can get from the passive P sound on that bass. So maybe it's just the wrong flavor of instrument for you?

Its a Super P pj config. That makes sense why I like both in parallel the most.

Have you: messed with the pick up heights, tried some nickel strings (either rounds or flats) or messed around with your set up? I'm just saying, dialing it in can take a few tries. The P tones are way more forward in the mids, so the tone control is way more important. Pickup height is super sensitive. I've never gotten along with the stainless strings. Zoomie sent me some of the new Dingwall nickels for the Super series, I'll give them a try and see how they work. I've been running TI jazz flats on the Super PJ's and it's really working for me.

Now that the new Super P's are out, I'm wondering if the bodies are routed to accept all the various styles of Dingwall Pups. For example, could you put a Super fatty in a new pickguard? Or could a pup the same size and shape as your bridge pup (FD-3?)be fitted in a new pickguard?

I've tried lowering the P and moved FD3 closer to the strings. In my head that I thought that would let the bridge be louder than the p. I'm a nickel fan so that is what it was shipped with. I also wondered that about the pickups, if a FD3 would fit. I might have to pop the pg off and take measurements.

My two cents? Try reversing the P pickup

Also, an outboard pre may solve your issues; my SPJ is articulate and punchy as all hell, but it's also running through an Aguilar Tone Hammer DI pedal at all times.

Could try reversing.. most of its play time has been through my Darkglass VMTD as to try to flavor it. I have pondered getting a tone hammer and running my vmt through it.

I totally agree that it takes some adjustments to the palette when you first hear the passive Dingwall P tone. One thing you can do is have someone play it for you while you sit out front of a band or open mic. You really appreciate that tone in the mix hearing it like that.

Never thought of that. Will have to try.

There have been some good recommendations made. DO tweak your pickup heights to taste. If you want to try the reverse configuration on your precision pickup, you can McGyver it like I did on my SP4:

All of my Dingwalls are active. My SJ/P4 and SJ/P5 have the two-band Glock preamps, and I activated my SP4 with a Redeemer Circuit. Soloing the precision pickup (with pre engaged and controls flat) on the SJ/P4 delivers the best precision tone I've ever heard (to date, my life isn't over!). The SJ/P5 is my least favorite to play solo, but sounds fantastic in a mix. I've expressed my opinion in other TB threads - IME, five string basses just don't punch like fours. IMO, they are similar, but different instruments. I have not owned or played any of Sheldon's SP5's, so I don't have any direct experience with your model.

I forgot that you had done this. Might have to give this a shot as well.


Thanks everyone for your thoughts and input. I will have to do some figuring out.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

I totally agree that it takes some adjustments to the palette when you first hear the passive Dingwall P tone. One thing you can do is have someone play it for you while you sit out front of a band or open mic. You really appreciate that tone in the mix hearing it like that.

That's my experience with Fender P-basses, as well. Like a Telecaster with an AC30, the attraction isn't obvious when you try it out in a music store, but when the drummer kicks in on a live stage, everything suddenly starts to make sense...

That may be why my ABZ spends so much time on the neck pickup.

 

[Sheldon D.]

An FD3 shell was never considered when designing the pickup rout. I'm pretty use it wouldn't fit without additional routing. Rewiring the P pickup set in parallel would tame the mids considerably.

 

[BuffaloBob4343]

I haven't had a rehearsal yet, but just hearing the tone of my Super P4 with reverse P pick-up mode makes me think I'm going to really like it.

Interestingly, I find the tone very much like the recorded P bass tones I'm playing along with.

Should have rehearsal tomorrow night, so I'm looking forward to getting a handle on it in a live mix.

 

[BC82]

Well it looks like its gonna be me and good ole faithful for a while. Maybe I'll keep an eye out for a good deal on a gloss black and maple combustion. They always did me good. For now I'm a one bass kinda guy! Never know until you try it. Makes me think I shoulda got that ABZ from MDbass.

So here is a couple pics with the black pearl pg:

 

[spiritbass]

This pg and the blocks compliment each other nicely.

 

[Smallequestrian]

Well it looks like its gonna be me and good ole faithful for a while. Maybe I'll keep an eye out for a good deal on a gloss black and maple combustion. They always did me good. For now I'm a one bass kinda guy! Never know until you try it. Makes me think I shoulda got that ABZ from MDbass.

So here is a couple pics with the black pearl pg:
View attachment 490341 View attachment 490342

Funny, I had an almost opposite experience from you. The last Super J I had did very little for me sonically and ended up being sold to fund the down payment on my PJ5. I'm a one bass guy now as well and quite content.

 

[reddavid]

Agree. Adding a P pickup to my Super J made a huge difference. Thickened it up nicely. Still balanced and versatile. Like both active and passive.

 

[dukeorock]

I love the black body with black pearl pick guard, myself

 

[CL400Peavey]

I love the black body with black pearl pick guard, myself View attachment 490624

I really want to try a JGR..........

 

[smeet]

Hey all, I want to change out a couple of the knobs (pickup selector and maybe tone) on my SJP5, as I mess with them a lot and I want to be able to quickly read them. So I'm thinking a couple of old-style chickenhead knobs would be really nice. Does anybody know of a good source that would fit nicely on the shafts and fit in looks-wise?

 

[IvanBassist]

I'm selling my ABZ 5 to fund a SJ. More info can be found by clicking Invalid Link Removed