Happy Jack Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 No way can I afford to buy one, and no way am I a good enough player to justify owning one, but I'm curious. Firstly, does anyone know where in or around London I can have a go on one of these? Any model will do - it's the fanned frets & balanced string tension I want to experience. The Gallery have none in stock, but hope to get two more back end of July. Secondly, the Dingwall web-site says you haven't lived until you've played their 5-string with both a drop-D [b]and[/b] a drop-A tuner. Alex at The Gallery was able to conceal his enthusiasm on that score, leaving me doubly-curious. Has anyone tried a Dingwall with that configuration? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d-basser Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 my 6er Ding has a drop A tuner and I love it, 37" scale low A could demolish things if you arent careful about volume If you are ever in Scotland (esp Glasgow) give me a shout and you can try mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I liked the Super-J 4 I had. Alot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 [quote name='d-basser' post='225941' date='Jun 24 2008, 03:18 PM']my 6er Ding has a drop A tuner and I love it, 37" scale low A could demolish things if you arent careful about volume If you are ever in Scotland (esp Glasgow) give me a shout and you can try mine [/quote] Thanks for the offer though - regrettably - I doubt I can take you up on it. What do you play through? With frequencies that low, presumably you need to give some thought to your cabs ... Incidentally, regarding your sign-off, the glass is neither half-full nor half-empty. Your glass is the wrong size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d-basser Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 (edited) i currently have an EBS Fafner through a Peavey 15" black widow and I gives good lows, aint gigged this set up. Loudest I have had it was a studio band practice with Fafner and an Ampeg 810 which had the punchiest lows ever, no trouble with farting out or the like glass comment, is that not a Pratchett quote? Edited June 24, 2008 by d-basser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I was going to suggest The Gallery until I saw you'd been there and they're currently out of stock... The strangeness of the fanned-frets lasts about 10 seconds maximum once you're actually playing. This is really something you can only experience for yourself by playing one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I too have been curious about Dingwalls. Eventually I managed to get to the gallery and have a go on some. The aesthetic disruption of angled frets wasn't a problem! But the way they played was not worthy of their price bracket, IMO. They played well, but nothing special. Again IMO. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 [quote name='d-basser' post='225967' date='Jun 24 2008, 03:57 PM']glass comment, is that not a Pratchett quote?[/quote] Could be ... I'm a HUGE Pratchett fan. If I wasn't [i]Happy Jack[/i], I might well be tempted to call myself [i]The Patrician[/i]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 [quote name='Happy Jack' post='226156' date='Jun 24 2008, 07:46 PM']Could be ... I'm a HUGE Pratchett fan. If I wasn't [i]Happy Jack[/i], I might well be tempted to call myself [i]The Patrician[/i].[/quote] That one is already reserved by another huge Pratchett fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 24, 2008 Author Share Posted June 24, 2008 [quote name='mcgraham' post='226137' date='Jun 24 2008, 07:30 PM']I too have been curious about Dingwalls. Eventually I managed to get to the gallery and have a go on some. The aesthetic disruption of angled frets wasn't a problem! But the way they played was not worthy of their price bracket, IMO. They played well, but nothing special. Again IMO. Mark[/quote] Interesting. My initial curiosity over how they played led me to do some web surfing this afternoon, which in turn led to the discovery that there is currently NOT ONE Dingwall available for sale in Europe. Not just the UK, but the whole f-ing continent. Curiouser and curiouser. So I dug some more, and there [i][b]may[/b][/i] be a few available at Ed Roman Guitars in Las Vegas. The website is really not that clear on what stock he actually has right now. There are none for sale in Canada. By now I'm fascinated. A bass that's so much in demand that there are either none, or virtually none, available throughout Western Civilisation should attract a certain amount of respect. So I went on the Dingwall forum to check the 'For Sale' listings. Hello! HELLO!!!! There's a bit of an echo in here, y'know. It's really very empty. I really want to find out what makes them SO desirable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgraham Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 You really are assuming that they are out of stock because they are in demand. Remember that shops don't re-order stuff that people don't buy/takes them a while to shift. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d-basser Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 would you kill me if you knew how little I paid for mine a few months back?... [i]...£640...[/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I've played [b]d-basser[/b]'s Dingwall and it really is a great bass with a great sound. It gets a little confusing when playing up high as the dots on the side of the neck are directly above the fret one below (directly below the 17th fret dot is the 16th fret). It's not an insurmountable problem though!! The only other thing about Dingwall's is that you might not be able to get your favourite string brand because of the 37" B string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 (edited) But that's because it's got too many strings... If it had been a 5er, you have been battling at least me for it! The Dingwalls at the Gallery seem to have shifted quick enough. There were two or three just in back in November last year and only one in April this year and now none. Edited June 24, 2008 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 [quote name='d-basser' post='226275' date='Jun 24 2008, 10:24 PM']would you kill me if you knew how little I paid for mine a few months back?... [i]...£640...[/i][/quote] How the F@*k did you manage to get that so cheap? Scuse the french but that was the very first thing that I said when I saw that! I tried a few of the afterburners a few years ago in Ed Roman's & totally loved every second of it & would have fetched one back if it wasn't for the $3500 price tag. The fan frets are very easy to use & the sound off them is tremendous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d-basser Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I got mine on the 'bay, just sat and had a wee bid war in the last 2 minutes, I bid upto £650 in the last second of the auction and won, I am one lucky (and now broke) fellow. It is mint condition to, I have seen brand new basses in shop in half as good nick as this 4 year old beauty (wow only time you can say 4 year old beauty with out being a perv and added to a "list") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Oh, we have a list. ;0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d-basser Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 damn do I have to stay away from schools now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonlord Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 [quote name='mcgraham' post='226211' date='Jun 24 2008, 10:50 PM']You really are assuming that they are out of stock because they are in demand. Remember that shops don't re-order stuff that people don't buy/takes them a while to shift. Mark[/quote] Sure, that's also probably why there is a 4 year waiting list for Dingwall Primas, they make one every four years because it takes them a while to shift If you're interested in a Dingwall in Europe, I would suggest contacting fullrangebass (he's a member here too, but the dingwall forum is a better bet). He has about 25 at the moment and he usually has a few for sale if the price is right. By the way, I wouldn't judge Dingwall only from their Afterburner line - the Z and Primas are far nicer, actually some of them are the best basses (feel, ergonomics, construction, sound) I've played and I've played my share of foderas, sadowsky, sei, jerzy drozd etc etc. That said, the afterburners are also amazing basses. By the way, Dingwall is coming out with a more affordable ($1200) 5-string line in the next few months or so, that should be something to keep in mind for those who can't afford the more expensive ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d-basser Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 the cheap one looks damn fine actually, I am now persuading myself i need a 5 string , nice black burst...oops i made a mess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullrangebass Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 [quote name='Toasted' post='225948' date='Jun 24 2008, 05:31 PM']I liked the Super-J 4 I had. Alot.[/quote] I am the proud owner of that Super PJ. It's truly a great bass. Thanks [quote name='mcgraham' post='226137' date='Jun 24 2008, 09:30 PM']I too have been curious about Dingwalls. Eventually I managed to get to the gallery and have a go on some. The aesthetic disruption of angled frets wasn't a problem! But the way they played was not worthy of their price bracket, IMO. They played well, but nothing special. Again IMO. Mark[/quote] Hi Mark. It all depends on the type of sound you are after. And the Ultimate test is to compare similar level basses in a BAND context. Many basses sound breathtaking on their own, yet they disappear when other instruments start playing along. YMMV but with my extensive herd (60 high end basses at once, and still down to 50 right now) their price is justified both in terms of looks, construction and ergonomics as well as (most importantly) TONE Hey Jack, a PM has arrived to your mailbox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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