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Hey folks...Although I have been familiar with Dingwall since way back in the Voodoo Bass days, I was looking for some opinions from the experts here. I am looking to buy my first Dingwall, and don't want to purchase the "wrong one." The main reason I want these basses is due to the length of the "B" string and the tone it gets as I have never owned a 5 string and need one. Anyway, I have my trusty top of the line 4-string Spector from 1989, and a 4 string Ernie Ball for playing slap-funk. So I am thinking I would mainly want a Dingwall for rock and country as they are easier forms of music to play, and 5-strings are kinda confusing for me. (ie: if I have to play a difficult slap song, or maybe a difficult jazz tune etc, I would probably just use my other 4-strings...that's where I am comfortable) With that said, I would hope my Dingwall did sound great playing what I really love as well...like Motown, R&B, Reggae, Jazz, Funk (Z2 looks good for Slap-style) etc. assuming it becomes my main axe down the line. So I am wondering the forum opinion on what Dingwall version would be most appropriate for my situation.
Finally, any suggestions on what to do if your town (Winnipeg) only stocks Afterburners, and you want to hear a large variety of basses B4 deciding on the "one?" (I have ordered 2 basses through the mail and have been quite disappointed with both...so I don't want to do THAT again!) And I don't want to be in a situation where the dealer brings in 1 bass and I feel obligated, or I can't compare it to others.
So thanks for your help in advance...and sorry for the long post. Just had to give some background so you know what my needs are etc.
Have a good one.
Jiggs
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[quote="John H.":2x0s25a4]
I originally set my sights on a Z and didn't want to order one w/o first finding out whether or not I could play the fanned fret neck or whether or not I liked the sound. I made two 4 hour round trips to the nearest DW dealer, who happened to have an ABII -- as it turned out, MY ABII. After playing it I couldn't imagine being without for 2 years while me Z was in the queue, so I bought it on the spot. I play in active and passive modes and experience lots of that great Dingwall sound with either setting.
Hope this helps in some way. Enjoy your new bass!
John[/quote:2x0s25a4]
John described my initial thinking perfectly. I also have an Afterburner and am waiting on a Z-1. It's always great to see new players discovering Sheldon's awesome creations. Don't worry, Jiggs, you won't be disappointed this time. Welcome, gentlemen!
Ken
Welcome aboard the forum, J and V. I've had an ABII-5 since November 2006 and never looked back (I put my '76 P bass up for sale right away). I occasionally play my emergency back-up bass, a MM Stingray 4, but use the ABII whenever possible. It plays so well (low action, even tension, great electronics, more tonal combinations, etc.) and getting used to the fifth string hasn't caused me much trouble (the ABII is my first 5er). At first I approached the 5 differently -- choosing lower registers for certain notes and songs -- but have since become very comfortable with playing it as a 4+ stringed bass, if that makes any sense (good muting technique helps a lot). I don't do a lot of slapping but when I do, I prefer the ABII. I'm constantly amazed by the great sound, quality construction, design and support -- from Sheldon, Dingwall Sales and fellow Dingwallers - a very generous, inquisitive and innovative group to be sure.
I originally set my sights on a Z and didn't want to order one w/o first finding out whether or not I could play the fanned fret neck or whether or not I liked the sound. I made two 4 hour round trips to the nearest DW dealer, who happened to have an ABII -- as it turned out, MY ABII. After playing it I couldn't imagine being without for 2 years while me Z was in the queue, so I bought it on the spot. I play in active and passive modes and experience lots of that great Dingwall sound with either setting.
Hope this helps in some way. Enjoy your new bass!
John
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Hi Jiggafloss and Valkyrie. Welcome to the highly-addictive-Dingwall-basses forum. I will try my first ABI and ABII's in a month or so. All the members that own both an AB and a Z (or Prima) they rave about the quality both in terms of construction as well as sound, I am sure I will testify the same in the very near future. I openly admit that I'm really hooked on the all round great quality and sound of Dingwall basses. The fact that Sheldon is really providing great after sales customer service is really important, as well as the great communication and peer-help amongst members of the forum. So far, I have not had the pleasure being in Sheldon's shop and trying different basses (not they stay there for long) but all my Dingwalls are super great basses
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Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your ABI 5 purchase! I love the natural flame top Afterburners and I am sure you won't be disappointed with that bass.
Hi folks,
I'm brand new to this forum (this is my first post) and my first Dingwall is on route, as I type, from Bass Central. It's an Afterburner I 5-string natural. I felt compelled to chime in here because I had very similar needs and concerns as Jiggafloss with buying an instrument mail order. I play in a blues/rock/r & b cover band and want to be able to get a traditional Motown town but also have some variety when playing jazzier songs. I'm feeling reassured by all your comments and feedback that, at last tonally, an ABI should fit the bill.
I've been playing a Jazz Bass but have wanted to try a 5 string. Everything I've read about the Dingwall B string has been so positive, as well as about the fanned frets that I quickly narrowed down my list of possible purchases.
Anyway, I don't want to get too long winded. I'm looking forward to learning alot from all of your collective experiences and expertise.
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[quote="SteelandBassPicker":3fasfl21][quote="BurningSkies":3fasfl21]The AB has an alder body [/quote:3fasfl21]
I thought it was the SuperJs that had alder bodies. My AB-1 is flamed maple, as is yours, from the looks of it.[/quote:3fasfl21]
Super J's do have alder bodies. But so do AB-1's. They're Flame maple top over alder body in the current incarnation. The older ones were flame maple top over soft maple body.
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Thanks for the posts lads. I am gonna go downtown to check out the 3 AB's thanks to your information. I HAD to get up at a jam this weekend as the guy had a 10 year old Voodoo, and I was totally blown away by the smoothness of his sound while I was playing it...even the "E" string. And that was straight into an amp. So I "got" what everyone here has been saying. As a quick aside, if you are ever in Calgary, try as hard as you can to see Hank Insell from Dingwalls endorsement page. OMG..what a funky monster, what a sound.
Alright, have a great day.
Jiggs
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[quote="BurningSkies":1evphhqk]The AB has an alder body [/quote:1evphhqk]
I thought it was the SuperJs that had alder bodies. My AB-1 is flamed maple, as is yours, from the looks of it.
Agree with above. The AB1 will do all you ask and more, and put a shit-eating grin on your face 
. AB2 will do the same and add active preamp, more elaborate/stable neck and exotic top, as well as f-hole/semi-hollow construction for more rubles. Z will put you over the top for feel/ergonomics but probably won't add much tone IMO as compared to the AB series. You've simply gotta determine 1)how many sheckels you're willing to part with, 2)how long you're willing to wait (special order Z will be 2 full years!) and 3)what floats your boat! You won't go wrong with any of these choices.
My free advice (worth all it costs) would be to grab an AB2 semi-hollow from The Perfect Bass.com or Bass Northwest.
. AB2 will do the same and add active preamp, more elaborate/stable neck and exotic top, as well as f-hole/semi-hollow construction for more rubles. Z will put you over the top for feel/ergonomics but probably won't add much tone IMO as compared to the AB series. You've simply gotta determine 1)how many sheckels you're willing to part with, 2)how long you're willing to wait (special order Z will be 2 full years!) and 3)what floats your boat! You won't go wrong with any of these choices.
My free advice (worth all it costs) would be to grab an AB2 semi-hollow from The Perfect Bass.com or Bass Northwest.
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I too think that the Afterburner 1 would be the perfect match for what you're looking for. You might also consider the Z-1 if you've got the scratch as it also has the wider pickup spacing.
The AB has an alder body and a maple neck which would be a good for the 'classic' bass tone. The passive electronics and BluEQube can give the that soul/motown thump or for country, and I for one can say that it works great for reggae.
The Z-1 is swamp ash/maple which would also be good for such sounds.
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Honestly, I think the Afterburners can do all you ask and more. I think a common mistake is to think that they are "budget" models. They are really good and there is nothing "budget" about them other than the fact that they are pretty much stock and don't have any options other than the flame tops (ABI) and D-tuners (some exceptions aside).
That being said, I haven't played any Zs, Primas or Prima Artists. It's almost hard to believe that it gets any better.
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