Dingwall Owners Club

[BurningSkies]

I've used an Afterburner 1 and my Voodoo/Zebra 1 mainly for reggae. While I do occasionally play other things for a break, I've found that the Dingwall tone is good for funk/rock/hard rock/soul and actually I did a session for a friend and did hardcore/punk with it. I think of Sheldon's pickups as a middle ground between Precision and Jazz in terms of tone, I can make it go in either direction, depending upon what I'm trying to do. The clarity of the lower strings is unlike a Fender, though. The basses have a much more precise and definitive speaking voice down low.

 

[singlemalt]

I'd say you can get anything you want from the passive models, and anything you want and more from the actives. There is huge range of tones and feels, and that's before you start messing around with different strings.

For example, the AB-1's can get you plenty of punch, or a scooped funky sound with the bluEQube. I've got one with TI Infeld nickels, a more funky fusion sound and one with the Labella nickels which gets a rounder, darker tone. Both will deliver a solid punch for rock or blues.

The Super J's cover the spectrum with the active/passive options. The voodoo strings are, IMHO, very hi fi sounding. They are really nice stainless strings. They play well. I just lean towards the slicker feel of nickel, and I like the darker sound.

I feel like the Dingwalls can handle anything you want to do sound-wise. They have a huge range. If you need a B string that really works, you're in the right place.

 

[Blues Cat]

I've a question for the D.O.C. members.... Is there a certain style of music that you think the Dingwall basses suit?

I play a bunch of different types of music (including rock and country) and need a 5 string with that all round fat round tone which can fit in nearly anywhere.

I really like the Combustion, but have heard that Dingwalls are too hi-fi sounding. Saying that though, I've also heard that the Combustion pickups counter that claim.

Any opinions would be much appreciated!!

Dingwall's are versatile. Leave 'em wide open for cutting thru or roll the treble back and you get a fat round sound. I've even used a foam mute under the strings near the bridge for the Motown sound.

If you use nickle strings it fattens it up a little more.

 

[Bocete]

I've a question for the D.O.C. members.... Is there a certain style of music that you think the Dingwall basses suit?

I play a bunch of different types of music (including rock and country) and need a 5 string with that all round fat round tone which can fit in nearly anywhere.

I really like the Combustion, but have heard that Dingwalls are too hi-fi sounding. Saying that though, I've also heard that the Combustion pickups counter that claim.

Any opinions would be much appreciated!!

I play punk with my fretless Dingwall, which shows how versatile they might be. Not a single fretless I've seen apart from mine can pull of sounds like that when played with a pick. Not many fretted basses either, come to think of it.

As for the hi-fi sounding, they do have rich highs that you are able to roll off. The tone control is very useful. What hasn't been said is that, compared to other basses, the dynamic range of Dingwalls is great. You can go from very quiet to very loud in a heartbeat, the pickups are very responsive. Not nearly so on my jazz bass, for what it's worth.

There are quite a few Dingwall players who play mostly blues and old-school rock, smiling ear to ear while doing so.

 

[Chasarms]

IME so far, if you have the tone knob 100% open, you get a hi-fi tone. Lots and lots of clarity. I keep mine at about 80%.

If you roll it completely back, it's really fat and round. You can get lots of tones with these babies (Mine is an ABZ 5 btw)

I believe BurningSkies is a Reggae player and has more experience. I bet he can give more info than I can ^^.

Hope this helps,
Iván

I just got an ABII. I would laugh aloud at anyone who suggests that the bass, in series mode, is hi-fi. I love hi-fi. I also have a Modulus Q5 that I LOVE! My ABII can certainly be hi-fi, but is actually quite versatile.

I have owned a lot of "agressive" sounding basses, including a Warwick, SR5, L2500, etc., and NOTHING that I have ever owned has the cutting edge of the ABII. When you slap the thing into series mode, it is like a giant bass deathray that destroys anything that stands in it's path. You can't stop it, you can only hope to control it.

 

[tombowlus]

I play a fairly wide variety of music with my Dingwalls, though most of it is rock of one variety or another. I don't have many clips of me playing one of my Dingwalls, but here are a couple of tunes with my "local" band (covers only, not a very "serious" band, so cut us a little bit of slack! ):

Only One Way to Rock

Fly Me Courageous

That is my SJ4 through a TC Electronic rig (RH450/RS212/RS410/RS210). The audio is from the camcorder's tiny mic (Kodak Zi8), but other than compressing a good bit, it's a fairly accurate recording, tone-wise. As you can see, that SJ4 is far from "hi-fi" (though I can certainly "pretty it up a bit" with the pickup selection and EQ).

Hope this helps, Tom.

 

[Chasarms]

So, I gigged the ABII for the first time this weekend. I thought I would share some additional observations for "the record."

1. I wish the neck was a little chunkier. These things have a pretty petite neck, as I have mentioned. It is a bit tiring for me. It was only a 30 minute set. I don't think I would attempt to do a full 2 hours on this bass right now. I would probably have to rotate something else in. That said, the feel is great, and it does make some techniques seem easier.

2. The ability of the bass to cut through the mix in series mode is pretty amazing. It sits in the mix and will not be denied. It is almost too edgy when you listen to it alone, but in the mix, it just kills. I was playing on a house rig of a Thunkerfunk 420 and Eden 410. It was just the bomb. I also rehearsed for another gig with my F1 and Aguilar cabs. It still has the same mojo. Awesome!!

3. The parallel mode is probably too scooped to be much use to me in most settings. It sounds incredible soloed. If I was doing a gig with a really airy, open mix, I think it would absolutely be stunning. The clarity and articulation is amazing. The slap tone is probably the best I have ever experienced. But, it just won't cut through against two or three guitars and keys.

4. DON'T SWITCH TO PASSIVE MODE WITHOUT MUTING. I experienced a HUGE nasty and embarrassing pop on stage in an otherwise quiet moment. I won't do that again. Lesson learned.

5. The B string is as amazing as everyone says it is. I don't think it quite has the "power" of the B on my Q5, but it is absolutely PERFECTLY coordinated with the rest of the bass. This bass is probably the most pure 5 string bass I have ever played, and I have owned a BUNCH of top fivers. The tone, texture, response, clarity and quickness of the B string matches EXACTLY with the others. I played between the 5th and 12th frets on the B string more this weekend than I have in a long time simply because of the clarity in tone. The extended range notes are limited only by the amp and FOH amplifying them. The attack, energy and sustain is no different in any way from the higher strings.

6. It looks stunning. I got more compliments on it than I can recall in a long time, and I have owned some pretty sharp stuff.

All and all, I am pretty excited about the bass. Even my more critical comments, while fair, are nothing to worry over. It's a keeper.

Chas

 

[Ur2funky]

Only One Way to Rock

Thanks for sharing this Tom!

Marshall stacks are alive and well I see! I can't remember the last I saw a wall of doom like that, more or less in an American Legion!

Nice playing tooo!

 

[IntrepidCellist]

I hear you on the neck; I got very used to mine after a few gigs though. Just takes a lighter touch and wearing the bass a little higher. Thankfully the balance puts the neck at just the right angle.

 

[tombowlus]

Thanks for sharing this Tom!

Marshall stacks are alive and well I see! I can't remember the last I saw a wall of doom like that, more or less in an American Legion!

Nice playing tooo!

Funny thing, our guitar player really was playing through two Marshall 4x12's, but most of the rest of those were dummy cabs. The lead act (Ted Nugent tribute band) used one real Marshall 4x12 on one side, and had a Hartke 4x10 and a guitar 2x12 hidden behind two of them on the other side.

 

[BurningSkies]

So, I gigged the ABII for the first time this weekend. I thought I would share some additional observations for "the record."

1. I wish the neck was a little chunkier. These things have a pretty petite neck, as I have mentioned. It is a bit tiring for me. It was only a 30 minute set. I don't think I would attempt to do a full 2 hours on this bass right now. I would probably have to rotate something else in. That said, the feel is great, and it does make some techniques seem easier.

2. The ability of the bass to cut through the mix in series mode is pretty amazing. It sits in the mix and will not be denied. It is almost too edgy when you listen to it alone, but in the mix, it just kills. I was playing on a house rig of a Thunkerfunk 420 and Eden 410. It was just the bomb. I also rehearsed for another gig with my F1 and Aguilar cabs. It still has the same mojo. Awesome!!

3. The parallel mode is probably too scooped to be much use to me in most settings. It sounds incredible soloed. If I was doing a gig with a really airy, open mix, I think it would absolutely be stunning. The clarity and articulation is amazing. The slap tone is probably the best I have ever experienced. But, it just won't cut through against two or three guitars and keys.

4. DON'T SWITCH TO PASSIVE MODE WITHOUT MUTING. I experienced a HUGE nasty and embarrassing pop on stage in an otherwise quiet moment. I won't do that again. Lesson learned.

5. The B string is as amazing as everyone says it is. I don't think it quite has the "power" of the B on my Q5, but it is absolutely PERFECTLY coordinated with the rest of the bass. This bass is probably the most pure 5 string bass I have ever played, and I have owned a BUNCH of top fivers. The tone, texture, response, clarity and quickness of the B string matches EXACTLY with the others. I played between the 5th and 12th frets on the B string more this weekend than I have in a long time simply because of the clarity in tone. The extended range notes are limited only by the amp and FOH amplifying them. The attack, energy and sustain is no different in any way from the higher strings.

6. It looks stunning. I got more compliments on it than I can recall in a long time, and I have owned some pretty sharp stuff.

All and all, I am pretty excited about the bass. Even my more critical comments, while fair, are nothing to worry over. It's a keeper.

Chas

Hmmmm. Interesting. I agree with a bunch and some stuff I think is just personal taste. The neck is comfortable for me. I have fairly large hands, but I also hold a guitar from time to time. I had a harder time with a wide neck (my old telecaster was over an inch near the nut and v profiled). I do strap my bass on fairly high, so that might make the difference. Also, after playing my Z for a few years, picking up the AB made the neck feel positively chunky. Either way, I did spend some time working on keeping my playing lighter and more uniform since I moved to Dingwall basses and its paid off.

I used to be a series all the time kind of player with Sheldon's basses. about 8 months ago, I rethought that and actually have found that parallel fits in to the band setting better. When I move to series (which I do once or twice per show on songs that can use the bigger thicker bottom end), it often feels more tubby than I want and I roll back my lows a bit. Of course, that may be because I've EQ'ed my amp for parallel.

...I don't get much of a pop on my amp between passive and active. I've got a different setup and a different preamp though.

 

[Blues Cat]

Sounds really full Tom, especially for a video mic.

I play a fairly wide variety of music with my Dingwalls, though most of it is rock of one variety or another. I don't have many clips of me playing one of my Dingwalls, but here are a couple of tunes with my "local" band (covers only, not a very "serious" band, so cut us a little bit of slack! ):

Only One Way to Rock

Fly Me Courageous

That is my SJ4 through a TC Electronic rig (RH450/RS212/RS410/RS210). The audio is from the camcorder's tiny mic (Kodak Zi8), but other than compressing a good bit, it's a fairly accurate recording, tone-wise. As you can see, that SJ4 is far from "hi-fi" (though I can certainly "pretty it up a bit" with the pickup selection and EQ).

Hope this helps, Tom.

 

[Chasarms]

Hmmmm. Interesting. I agree with a bunch and some stuff I think is just personal taste. The neck is comfortable for me. I have fairly large hands, but I also hold a guitar from time to time. I had a harder time with a wide neck (my old telecaster was over an inch near the nut and v profiled). I do strap my bass on fairly high, so that might make the difference. Also, after playing my Z for a few years, picking up the AB made the neck feel positively chunky. Either way, I did spend some time working on keeping my playing lighter and more uniform since I moved to Dingwall basses and its paid off.

I used to be a series all the time kind of player with Sheldon's basses. about 8 months ago, I rethought that and actually have found that parallel fits in to the band setting better. When I move to series (which I do once or twice per show on songs that can use the bigger thicker bottom end), it often feels more tubby than I want and I roll back my lows a bit. Of course, that may be because I've EQ'ed my amp for parallel.

...I don't get much of a pop on my amp between passive and active. I've got a different setup and a different preamp though.

There's nothing "tubby" at all about my bass in any setting. The closest you'll get is with the neck PU soloed. The bass stays impressively focused even with exagerated boosts of the preamp bass EQ. The combined series mode is very tight, it just has a really effective mid presence. I have played in bands that the parallel would work well. Right now, I am not in one.

I agree that the neck profile is a matter is personal preference. I would prefer it be chunkier. If there is a five string bass out there with a a more petite neck than my ABII, I have never seen it. Of course, note that I am coming off a long stint with 19 mm spaced fives. First Fender then Sadowsky. They are obviously far more chunky. I would prefer something in the middle.

 

[Blues Cat]

4. DON'T SWITCH TO PASSIVE MODE WITHOUT MUTING. I experienced a HUGE nasty and embarrassing pop on stage in an otherwise quiet moment. I won't do that again. Lesson learned.

Chas

Both of my Dingwall ABII5's make nasty pops when switching, even with the volume knob all the way down. The 4 way rotary switch makes a nasty cick or pop too.

 

[Paul M]

4. DON'T SWITCH TO PASSIVE MODE WITHOUT MUTING. I experienced a HUGE nasty and embarrassing pop on stage in an otherwise quiet moment. I won't do that again. Lesson learned.

If you keep your left hand on all the strings, you will be well grounded and the switching will be silent.

The ABII-5 is my main bass now. I also have a Super PJ4 and an ABI-6. After lusting and longing for Super J5 for over a year now, I think I've come to realize that I am an ABII guy. Now I want a twin fretless version to go with my 2005 ABII.

Even the Primas and the Z's don't grab my attention - but then, I have never played one of those.

 

[Paul M]

By the way, Blues Cat, every time I check this thread, I have to stop and look at your fretted/fretless pair of ABII's.

When I first got my ABII, I wasn't crazy about the exotic wood. Now I can't get the new glossy exotic wood (any kind) fretless ABII with "S" hole, out of my head.

 

[Blues Cat]

Bocete owns my fretless now. It's good to see it's his main player.

I still own 2 ABII-5's though, both fretted.

 

[IvanBassist]

I just got an ABII. I would laugh aloud at anyone who suggests that the bass, in series mode, is hi-fi. I love hi-fi. I also have a Modulus Q5 that I LOVE! My ABII can certainly be hi-fi, but is actually quite versatile.

I have owned a lot of "agressive" sounding basses, including a Warwick, SR5, L2500, etc., and NOTHING that I have ever owned has the cutting edge of the ABII. When you slap the thing into series mode, it is like a giant bass deathray that destroys anything that stands in it's path. You can't stop it, you can only hope to control it.

I believe there was a misunderstanding, but I agree 100% with your post.

Iván

 

[Chasarms]

I believe there was a misunderstanding, but I agree 100% with your post.

Iván

Sorry. I quoted the wrong post. I intended to quote the post from 7string.

 

[IvanBassist]

Sorry. I quoted the wrong post. I intended to quote the post from 7string.

Hehe. No problem

We shall now continue enjoying our new basses