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Dingwall Owners Club

#8,521
Guys, I'm leaving the club...



























... just for a few days, as I'm making a trade! Swapping my ABZ5 for an ABZ6 that came up for trade in the Classifieds. I'm nervous, I've never spent so much time away from my ABZ. I mean, I've gone out of town and not brought it, but it's always there, waiting for me on the stand in my living room. I'll have to bring my *Fender P* to rehearsal tomorrow morning!

I'm super excited. My first bass was a cheap Ibanez 5, my second a nice, brand new Ibanez SR506. I defretted and then took apart the SR506 several years ago and have missed having a 6 string for that whole time.

It's strung B-C right now, but I can almost guarantee I'll be trying it out tuned F#-G sometime in the future.

Lots of pics and a small review to come once the 6 is in my hands. Hopefully it comes after my exams and papers are due next week!
 
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#8,522
J Posega said:
Guys, I'm leaving the club...
... just for a few days, as I'm making a trade! Swapping my ABZ5 for an ABZ6 that came up for trade in the Classifieds. I'm nervous, I've never spent so much time away from my ABZ. I mean, I've gone out of town and not brought it, but it's always there, waiting for me on the stand in my living room. I'll have to bring my *Fender P* to rehearsal tomorrow morning!

I'm super excited. My first bass was a cheap Ibanez 5, my second a nice, brand new Ibanez SR506. I defretted and then took apart the SR506 several years ago and have missed having a 6 string for that whole time.

It's strung B-C right now, but I can almost guarantee I'll be trying it out tuned F#-G sometime in the future.

Lots of pics and a small review to come once the 6 is in my hands. Hopefully it comes after my exams and papers are due next week!
Click to expand...

Time to get some of those fat strings.
 
#8,523
BC82 said:
FYI: If anyone is looking for a SJ4, here's a used one for sale at Bass Northwest for a decent price, http://bassnw.com/Used Basses/dingwall_super_J_4_Natural_Pau_Ferro_Passive.htm

Dingwall%20Super%20J4%20Natural%20Passive.jpg
Click to expand...

If I wasn't waiting for the 3X I'd snap that up immediately...slap a black guard on it and it would be a perfect twin for my PJ ;)
 
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#8,525
Awful quiet over here lately.

I like it. Suggests that everyone is busy playing the Dingwalls they have, instead of agonizing over their next purchase!

On that note, I used the ABZ for an impromptu acoustic jam on Saturday. Worship music, about a third of it familiar, a third spontaneous, and the rest quiet noodling behind scripture readings and prayer. .

As far as I'm concerned, ABZ > ABG, even through a crappy Yorkville combo. I was able to draw beautiful, woody tones out of it... So much for my P-bass as a go-to for quiet stuff.
 
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#8,526
I'll chime in. Not playing in a group at the moment but playing at home, switching back and forth between the SJ5 and the SP/J5. Currently on a SP/J5 kick. Amazing tone and digging the Nickel strings so much it may be a while till I decide to put on the T. I. Flats. :-)
 
#8,529
factorplayer said:
Fret dots.

Why?? especially on the bottom of the fretboard. From a playing position you can't even see them unless you are craning your neck to look at the board.

Side dots I get - easy to see those. Gonna go out on a limb here on the fret dots though... they're straight up tacky.
Click to expand...

Depends. I've played fairly regularly with pickup players, sit-ins on our live sets, etc. Having visual dots for a guitarist or a keyboard player across stage really helps them figure out a ballpark of where you're playing when someone doesn't know your material. This is more important when dealing with a fanned 5 or 6 as most guitarists or other players are really disoriented by the slant and also the additional strings. I had Sheldon put blocks on my V/Z bass at 5 and 12 to give those people a fighting chance.
 
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#8,530
Hey all! I know this may seem like blasphemy, but have any of you ever gone looking for other luthiers who use fanned frets just out of curiosity?

For a while, I thought Dingwall was alone in the world of multiscale and then I searched a little harder eventually coming across this Mayones "V Fret" Patriot.

mayonespa-1394477895-9008.jpg


I had also briefly heard about a fanned fret SR series Ibanez, but can't seem to find any information on it.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

But today I stumbled across a Skervesen Guitars, European luthier/ company that makes a few different fanned fret models, as well as fanned fret electric guitars. Including a singlecut!

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Just thought I'd share my internet adventures of the morning. I'm in no way leaving the Dingwall bandwagon, especially with a Combustion heading my way in November!
 
#8,531
Interesting that only the Mayones got the parallel fret in the correct spot.

I have a luthier buddy who does a lot of multiscale instruments, including harp guitars, and like most guys in the acoustic guitar community, he came to the same conclusions as Sheldon regarding where the "center" of the fan should be.

This morning's brain twister brought to you courtesy of Tony Karol:

Karol Harp Guitar1.jpg


Comically, his harps don't have a normal fan either, because of the way his inline harp bridge and bracing pattern work out...
 
#8,532
Yeah, I've looked but I figured that the guy who's got the most experience with them is probably the best at making them. ;) Also, the fanning, while being the most visible aspect of Dingwall basses makes it the most spoken about...isn't the only or best reason for Sheldon's basses. His work in ALL the other aspects of the build is amazing.
 
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#8,534
With a fanned design, you can move the place where the fret is closest to perpendicular to the strings is placed on the board. If you look at the Novax replacement necks, they're fanned so that it goes from closest to parallel fret at the top of the neck, to fanned at the nut, etc.

http://www.novaxguitars.com/parts-accessories/necks-bass.html

Nex_Pbass.jpg
 
#8,538
BurningSkies said:
Yeah, I've looked but I figured that the guy who's got the most experience with them is probably the best at making them. ;) Also, the fanning, while being the most visible aspect of Dingwall basses makes it the most spoken about...isn't the only or best reason for Sheldon's basses. His work in ALL the other aspects of the build is amazing.
Click to expand...

Definitely agree there. For people familiar with Dingwall the multiscale design is probably the aspect that comes to mind first but there's a lot more to Sheldon's basses than that. The sleek, modern and well balanced bodyshape, the neodymium pickups, the house made covers and knobs, the dual density or chambered bodies, the awesome finishes, the individual bridge saddles, time tested wood combinations, it's all part of what makes a Dingwall a Dingwall. And I think they are fantastic instruments. I've really dug the two Super J's and the one Super P that I've played but it was an AB II at my local boutique bass shop that had me drooling. Thick but clear, versatile but with it's own sound it was an incredible bass that is no doubt making the person that bought it very happy.

There are a number of builders that make fan fret basses. I owned this ACG:
d8806daf.jpg


I didn't expect it to sound or play like a Dingwall and it didn't. Both companies have a strong personal stamp on their instruments that go far beyond scale length.

Likewise, Chris Stambaugh has made quite a few multiscale basses in the past, especially ERBs. But this one is my favorite:
6438279757_fd7da54b85_z.jpg

benlesser1.jpg


Again, beyond the fanned frets it isn't anything like a Dingwall. It's a Stambaugh with fanned frets.
 
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