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Dingwall Owners Club

#8,561
spiritbass said:
Thank you, kind sir. :) Sheldon and crew have mega-chops! I don't know if your local shop is a Dingwall dealer, but if there is not a dealer within 100 miles of your location, you may deal directly with Barry Lamb (a very nice, very knowledgeable sales representative and fellow bassist) in getting your order in.
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Yeah, they're a DW dealer, I talked to Barry and he basically said I have to go through them (which was less than ideal, I'll explain after I finally get to show off the new bass).
 
#8,566
I don't even know how you can decide which one to play!!

spiritbass said:
Not necessarily. I've received photos by e-mail attachment from the shop for two (out of four) of the Dingwall basses that I have ordered directly (my first was 'brokered' through Bass Northwest):

Received in 2013:
SuperJCustom5N2Cburstfulle_zps5a153386.jpg


Received in 2012:
CIMG1371b.jpg


These are the two most perfect five-string jazz basses that I've had the privelege of playing.
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#8,568
PseudoSpaceman said:
Wicked axes! Where I'm located, I have to buy through a local shop, so I'm assuming that this decreases my chances of getting the pictures? Oh well, I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.
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I ordered mine through The Bass Place. I sent an email to Mr. Dingwall requesting a picture be taken if at all possible upon completion. Dennis @thebassplace ended up recieveng the pic and sending it to me. Doesn't hurt to send a friendly request :)
 
#8,571
boamedt said:
No one happens to live local to the Bay Area that owns a dingwall that I could try to play do they? not a single shop around has one or is a dealer. I would love to try one before I bought it
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I'm about 6 hrs south.

That said, many (most?) of us bought our first Dingwall sight unseen. Most people are happy and go for another one. Ultimately, if you don't like it, there's a lot of demand and you'll get rid of it quickly. At no loss if you buy used
 
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#8,573
I loaned my ABZ 5 to another bassist yesterday, so I could play baritone guitar.

He was a little intimidated at first, as he'd never played a 5-string.

It was an "unplugged" jam at fairly low levels. Brightly-lit room, all the players sitting in a circle. We played for about an hour, all meditative, improvised stuff at medium tempos. He noodled around up past the the 10th fret a number of times.

At the end of the session, he mentioned that he got lost a couple of times because of the "extra" string, but was relieved to find it easier than he expected.

It was only then that I pointed out the extra-long scale and fanned frets. He was astonished to realize that he'd been playing all that time without noticing.

His comment? "Wow, I guess that's all for ergonomics, huh? 'Cause it sure plays nice..."
 
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#8,575
Keep an eye on Craigslist, Dingwalls pop up here and there.

Like a lot of guys here, I couldn't find one to try and ended up testing the waters without a demo. I was pretty excited when UPS dropped off my Super P/J four string, but an hour later, I was over the moon.

So, when a AB-1 fiver popped up on local Craigslist, I didn't have any reservations about trying a five string or the long scale.

The used market seems to indicate that values are holding steady.

I've taken mine to open mikes and GTG's. Lots of people miss the whole fanned fret thing, but they always comment on the sound, playability, and light weight. And the pretty finishes.

Good luck with your search!
 
#8,576
boamedt said:
Hmmm that's quite a complement to those basses. I was thinking of a used combustion 5
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I was playing a very nice Lakland 55-94D when I custom ordered my first Dingwall, the AB-I pictured below. At that time, it was the least expensive Dingwall (before the Combustion). The AB-1 was amazing (the Lakland found a new home). I played it five years before selling it to fund a Super series Dingwall and it still looked brand new. The clear coat had no trace of the 'swirlies' that usually develop after extended use.

P1120675.jpg
 
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#8,577
So of course, the only real question is, when will number 5 begin gestation!!:D:smug::woot::bassist::laugh:

spiritbass said:
I was playing a very nice Lakland 55-94D when I custom ordered my first Dingwall, the AB-I pictured below. At that time, it was the least expensive Dingwall (before the Combustion). The AB-1 was amazing (the Lakland found a new home). I played it five years before selling it to fund a Super series Dingwall and it still looked brand new. The clear coat had no trace of the 'swirlies' that usually develop after extended use.

P1120675.jpg
Click to expand...
 
#8,579
Just left Bass Northwest here in Seattle, where I played this Nolly: http://bassnw.com/New Exotic Basses/dingwall_combustion_ng2_black.htm

I always see metal-guy demos of these Nolly models, which is understandable given its namesake, but I was really impressed despite not being a metal guy. Certainly an aggressive character to the bass, but well balanced and the Darkglass EQ could take it to a lot of different tonal places.

This has probably been discussed ad nauseum, but in really torn between a Combustion, now a Nolly, and just going for it with an ABZ with 3-band EQ. Tough decision.
 
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