The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Other Bass Brands => Topic started by: Psycho Bass Guy on March 07, 2016, 05:34:06 PM
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This is the FB link (https://www.facebook.com/dingwallguitars/photos/pcb.1149363878420747/1149362445087557/?type=3&theater). There's nothing on the website which looks to have been last updated last July. The design seems a natural fit but that headstock has gotta go!
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Very nice body lines. Shame about that headstock.
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A t-bird with the headstock of an Ibanez Soundgear?!?!
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Bolt on Thunderbirds just look natural to me.
I like the color though.
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The fanned frets go well with the body angles. I normally like Dingwall's headstock, but for anything T-Bird-ish, there needs to be a headstock with four tuners on a side, fivers included. I wonder if anyone failed to notice the fret cant because it matches the body so well?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=972hw9_-fEA
I don't think the headstock is that bad though; we've seen some real uggos. This one is at least a nod to the TBird headstock; smaller with 2 tuners moved to the other side (as cool as the Tbird headstock is, in line + swept back is a recipe for disaster). What does bother me is heel adjusted truss rods (but not enough to be a significant factor in a buy decision). ... and for the price of admission on this one it's still a bolt on.
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the june taylor dancers on rails. :P
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Surprisingly, the headstock doesn't bother me. I don't know if I'd bother with fanned frets on anything less than a 6 string. MAYBE on a 5er...
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No Facebook, I can't see it.
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https://www.facebook.com/dingwallguitars/photos/pcb.1149363878420747/1149362445087557/?type=3&theater
there you go, doc.
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Thanks! Well, it's a beauty for sure. I like the headstock. I don't like it enough to say I'd want to own it. One of Carlo's or mine would be more to my tastes.
Also, what's the point of the fan frets? That really means adjusting your playing routine and I'm happy with linear fret alignment! :P
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Also, what's the point of the fan frets?
It's Dingwall's "thing." The neck has equivalent harmonic scale lengths for all the strings, meaning every note on the neck is theoretically in tune and the whole bass sounds much more piano-like. The common 34" "long" scale only provides for a true harmonic series on the G on a four string bass.
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every time i see ' piano like bass' i think wtf. how about a bass like bass. but i guess some folks like that aberrant tone. :P
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I am with you on that except herev in this specific case they don't mean tone wise so much as intonation/temperment wise
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isn't that what you accomplish with the slant in the bridge saddles?
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The slant at the bridge is just a half measure. The bridge may be canted to change the scale length a bit, but the frets are still parallel on an untempered fretboard. Many notes on the neck are still pretty out of tune, notably in lower positions. I've never played a fanned fret bass, but I have wanted to for years ever since I first heard of Dingwall. Ibanez currently is selling a 5 and 6 string model and ESP introduced what will no doubt be a more-budget friendly version. ...and piano-like tone refers to equal tone across all the strings, not a snarling upper midrange. If "piano like" is too prejudicial, think "harp like."
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I really don't like the E string tone as well on anything over 34" scale. YMMV.
I'm also happy with linear fret alignment! Not interested in trying a fanned fret bass, but there's nothing wrong with the concept. And from what I've read, it's not that hard to adapt to playing them.
IIRC Ralph Novak's main reason for starting to build them was better tone by having what he called a natural scale length for each separate string. Intonation might be easier, but there's no way to overcome the limitations of equal temperament.
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what is the reasoning behind the pickup placing? surely to get a broad range of tones you want the PU's spread apart?
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My Vigier passion has dual pickups slammed back at the bridge like that. It makes for a very bright & chime-y sound, at little too much in my opinion. I end up compensating a lot with the amp/eq to cut the brightness back and bring out some lows. I do like the way it looks though for some reason.
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Not entirely (in a perfect sense). even after saddle adjustment intonation is never perfect everywhere on the neck.
See also these crazy guys (for those players, and I have known a few, were a few cents out of tune ruins their day): http://www.truetemperament.com/ (check out that first fret; don't try bending the D/G string up there).
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NOW, there is nothing new under the son.
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I clicked on that link and briefly thought I was having a stroke.
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I clicked on that link and briefly thought I was having a stroke.
Yikes! I can see why.
It's just not that big a problem to me. Then again, I'm a fan of the old 3-saddle Tele bridge and don't think those newfangled compensated saddles are necessary. :)
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perfect intonation is meaningless to me, Ill still manage to hit at least 3 wrong notes in a set and nothing is fixing that. :-[
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perfect intonation is meaningless to me, Ill still manage to hit at least 3 wrong notes in a set and nothing is fixing that. :-[
So true. If I do THAT well, I'm very happy! :P
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I like guitars to have a little wobble to them. Perfect intonation doesn't sound like a guitar to me anymore.
https://youtu.be/1QZAETFJ3a8
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Moreso than intonation, I'm interested in the tonal and harmonic benefits of individual scale lengths for each string.
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Moreso than intonation, I'm interested in the tonal and harmonic benefits of individual scale lengths for each string.
I don't think there's an answer for that other than personal preference
Ralph Novak has an article on his site, a technical lecture he gave to the Guild of American Luthiers. This was before he started marketing his fanned fret guitars. I found it interesting because of the spectrum charts comparing Gibson, PRS and Fender scale lengths (for guitar).
http://www.novaxguitars.com/info/technical.html
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I don't think there's an answer for that other than personal preference
Ralph Novak has an article on his site, a technical lecture he gave to the Guild of American Luthiers. This was before he started marketing his fanned fret guitars. I found it interesting because of the spectrum charts comparing Gibson, PRS and Fender scale lengths (for guitar).
http://www.novaxguitars.com/info/technical.html
Thanks for the link, interesting!
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The bass player for Haken was playing a Dingwall, but he jsut switched to a Zon with standard frets.
https://youtu.be/larKRCtgioA?t=2m37s
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I like the looks of the Dingwall, including the headstock. Never tried a fanned-fret bass but it would be interesting to try one for a minute. Wouldn't have any use for one really, not with my level of "talent".
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Ive always wanted a go on one, until i do i reserve judgement
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Lee Sklar plays a lot of Dingwall, Also with the current Toto tour
I played the D-Bird last week at The London Bass Guitar Show. It was made for Dutch guy Rob van der Loo. He asked for the shape. It's really nice, the headstock echo's the Tbird headstock a bit. The body is even thinner at the edges as a real Bird.
Sheldon Dingwall is a great guy btw.
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The body is even thinner at the edges as a real Bird.
Thinner than my 64s- 1 inch (25 mm)? Somehow I doubt it.
Sheldon Dingwall is a great guy btw.
Great enough to not get a cease and desist from Gibson?
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Great enough to not get a cease and desist from Gibson?
Henry's legal department is probably already working on it.
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I like it. The fanned frets and the TB design go together perfectly. And as someone who prefers a long scale E over a medium or short scale one, and the D and the G of a short scale over what a medium and long scale would have to offer, I'm enamored of the whole concept.
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Sorry, no, ugly.
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Looks almost exactly like a sketch from years ago that I had of Sheldon's idea for this Dingwal Tbird...except I think the headstock was nicer. I have to find that sketch and doublecheck.