*PLEASE READ* - They're back...🙄 It's come to our attention that there are some commenters on our videos who are trying to scam our subscribers with offers of free gifts and message requests. None of these comments are official or from us. We will never reach out via the comments of a social media channel. We're doing our best to remove the comments and flag the accounts in question!
This is widespread. I’ve had the same message from … @ Telegram profiles on a couple different pages now. This is truly a scam and something needs to be done
Well said. I actually dig mine mostly for the P bass (middle pup ) tones Bridge pup does nothing for me, at least not yet (in my journey so far). Same with the bridge and middle. The “all 3” is sweet with the right gain. Love it. DROC on!
I'd like to know what is the, ", dark glass sound, and why is it theirs,? I find their products kind of underwhelming, and not just because I bought 3 of their amps and every one of them had to be returned because of a defect (I even bought two different darkglass amps), but also because their overdrive sounds thin and too digital sounding, and because they tend to stick a lot of stuff on there you don't need or have elsewhere already, like an eq, or a headphone jack, or a blend knob,, etc, so they can charge $300 - $500 for an over praised distortion pedal. I don't even think there is a dark glass sound, I think everyone plays a $4,000 bass thru them and that's the sound you are hearing. Darkglass doesn't call it the dark glass sound, they call it the modern bass sound in an attempt conflate their brand with modern sounding bass guitars like dingwall, to make you think your bass is obsolete without dark glass products. I have an aftershock pedal from source audio that can pull off every sound dark glass sells on their product line and more, but I don't even prefer that, id rather have a Sana Amp or a tone hammer as far as pre amps go, but I get decent amplified sound already with my rickenbacker and Mesa TT800.
@@buckemptier that was a really long winded way of saying you don’t like the way dark glass products sound dingwall basses come with dark glass preamps from the factory, hence the association between dingwall and “the darkglass sound” at least that’s how i see it anyway
The only thing I hate about a Dingwall is that I don’t own one. I might have had a longer list but this video made me forget about whatever I thought I was thinking about Dingwall basses. Excellent work, excellent bass and excellent points of information about fanned frets🎉❤
@@captainchunk4078 😂😂😂 I said the same thing one of the best P bass tones ever!! I want that 6 way rotary for the true musicman tone like lowend Lobster did!
@@bassimprovjams3772 you’re a bad man for planting that seed. Great idea. That way you at least get a jazz bass too! I just played some Sabbath. Oooofff. Suits you sir!
I had never heard of Dingwall in 2006 when I saw one hanging in a local music shop. I was just getting back into playing bass after a long hiatus and I wanted a 5-string. My first 5-string was a Fender and it had a flabby B-string. I vaguely understood that a longer scale length like 35-inches might fix that problem. When I saw the Dingwall and found out the B was 37 inches, I was sold immediately. I bought two Dingwalls that year, a third the following year, and then a fourth custom-made Dingwall many years later.
I’ve played a Dingwall for years and love it. The only complaint is that the first time I tried an entry level Combustion I thought it was great - then I tried a top end Z. It was way more great. If you try a Combustion and love it just buy it. Don’t try anything else. Close your eyes and run out of the store with your new bass. Don’t look back.
Loved the Protest the Hero mention! Arif left the band for a while now so Cam McLellan recorded most of the bass lines in Palimpsest, including the line of "All Hands".
I love that these basses proof themselves to make a difference (sound, playability, aesthetics) without failing and that Dingwall helped to spread fanned frets to other brands… which helps to have choices!
Yes, no matter what one says, Dingwall are now the yardstick which all others are being measured against. Whatever you say, Dingwall is the company with most and longest experience on fanned frets. However, they made them like luxory sports cars and priced thereafter. You don't need a Dingwall in order to get a fanned frets bass. LTD/ESP makes great ones too, at around the same price as Combustions, and they are a more hefty build. I've owned one too.
Ian, I am not seeing anything I hate about Dingwall basses....EXCEPT THE PRICE!!!!! Wish they would make a sub $1000 model with fan frets so us mortals can own one! They have China operations so they could potentially do it...but at the cost of quality. One of the big reasons they have to sell for so much is the supply chain to make in China, ship back to Canada for inspection, then shipped out again to dealers and consumers. All that costs money!
One of your “hates” about chords is actually one of the things I love about my Dingwall. Yes, chords are a little trickier, but the fan frets on the upper register make for some unique voicing and stretches that I wouldn’t be able to make on a regular bass!
Hey guys - Dave from The Bass Channel here; I have had shoulder and wrist problems off and on for a few years, so I was living exclusively in medium and short-scale land for awhile. UNTIL I discovered the Dingwall DRoc, and had to grab one. It's my #1 now, and it's not even close - just effortless to play even with the extra stretch on the low E. Hell, I had a 5-string Dingwall back in the early '00s but I didn't bond with that one NEARLY as much as the DRoc 4. Loved this video, love that bass!
I owned a Dingwall NG3 and sold it to buy a car, and honestly I miss it so much, it played and felt so well under my fingers and this is without an amp. With an amp, I didn’t even feel like I needed any pedals to adjust the sound like my Darkglass Compressor or EQ or Noise Gate etc., it just sounded insane. Now I play a Ibanez 5 string fan fret, it’s one of the older ones from like 4-5 years ago but it’s just not the same, get yourself a Dingwall man, that’s still my dream bass
My main bass is an Ibanez EHB1506MS with a SRMS806 as backup. It was really surprising how quickly a multi-scale bass felt comfortable. I expected it to take days or weeks. It felt natural in under 5 minutes.
Ian, once again, you knocked it out of the park with your overview video of the DRoc. This video should be mandatory viewing for anyone with interest of hearing/seeing the Dingwall DRoc in action.
Due that extended Rio play-through was amazing and I love Jealously so much, too! Such a great video and Sharon was in it to make it even better! My first multi-scale was a Dingwall Combustion 5 string and I still love playing anything rock or metal on it or anything.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Dingwall 5/3 Combustion and desperately want a 5 string D-Roc in vintage burst. That being said, one thing I never see mentioned is the need to modify the right hand (plucking) technique. I find I have to move my hand forward as I move toward the higher pitched strings, basically following the path of the pickups, in order to keep a consistent tone across the strings. Otherwise, it's as if I'm plucking closer to the bridge in the G string and closer to the middle on the B string. It took a bit of getting used to, and there's really no way around this when making leaps across octaves, but I was not happy with the tone until I figured this out. That being said, I occasionally pick up my other basses because I feel bad for them watching me play the Dingwall all the time, but I always go back. There's just no comparison.
I have a fifth hate for you: Picking close to the bridge. As you move to the D and G string you risk hitting the bridge with your picking fingers unless you compensate and move diagonally down the strings.
We recently saw Duran Duran in NYC and John Taylor was using Dingwall Basses. They just sounded amazing and he is so great. Great concert if they come your way. For those of you familiar with the Kubicki X Factor bass.. that E string with the string extender open to the low D really sounds amazing.. the longer string length does have an impact on the sound. Great demo video to the host 👍
Only thing I hate about it is that it's a 4-string. I have an '82 MIA (as all 82's were) Fender Jazz that has the same neck profile as the '65 Jazz I bought in 1966 (was stolen in 1976 with all my touring gear), but has a white-bound all maple neck with 70's era pickup spacing. It just has the best sound and is soooo comfortable to play. So I don't need or want a 4-string. HOWEVER, I would really LOVE a Dingwall 5-string!
I SOOOOOO covet that bass. Watching this I managed to knock the aesthetics off your Hate list... because I could agree with anyone who says the shape is unlovable, but then we'd both be wrong. Then the chord thing - I'd work to get over it. So now only have to get over 03, 02 and 01. Well... If you want weird - I play Chapman Stick, so feeling the nut? is a big MEH! I always fret heavily because I'm a self-taught, terrible bassist LOL. That's binned point 02. I don't have a point 01 either. Excellent video, BTW. Thank you Ian... your enthusiasm makes me want to be playing bass from dawn 'til dusk.
One of the things I would put on my hate list is the lack of string selection choices. I have an Ibanez EHB10005MS bass, and fortunately, the scale length is still short enough I can use "normal" long scale strings. The Dingwall (which I would still love to own one) goes as long as 37" for the low B string, and you have to find strings long enough to accommodate that. Dingwall does sell strings for their basses, and I hear their strings are very good, but I do have a preference that I wouldn't be able to use with a Dingwall.
I own an NG-3 and even though I do play metal I actually play pop or funk most of the time with that dingwall clean tone in the jazz position And I swear to god I would never trade this bass for any other brand in the world
guys, I just love watching your videos. the energy and enthusiasm you have is so addictive. also you bounce off each other so well. Please don't stop making your videos. you are an inspiration.
Can we just say what an awesome video this is? Ian bringing the good stuff to SBL! Killer review, killer playing , funny… all the things i enjoy with the Ian Scott combo.
I'm an OG and have owned a Dingwall ABII for like 18 years with a short intermission. The first one I owned was unbelievable. Beautiful curly top and back killer action and tone for days. Due to some financial challenge I was forced to sell. As soon as I could I bought another used ABII. I currently own theis one and sadly it just doesn't have any "mojo" like the first one. No matter how hard I try I can't seem to connect and get what I want out of it. This brings up another observation about basses. I found Fender basses new out of the box of the same model can vary widely in the "mojo quotient". I wasn't expecting this from a Dingwaii. One last thing that I have never seen mentioned about fanned frets: If you stretch the strings it depends on your position on the fretboard and the direction of your stretch to deternine the amount of stretch needed for the desired amount of pitch change. Think about it.
I'm one of the weenies that found about them more recently with the metal players using them. But I immediately fell in love with the concept. I have a 4 string jazz bass and low notes are a no go with this. A 5 string fanned fret bass is the dream. The clarity they have is perfect for anything and everything. And they also look awesome as well. They take the classic guitar shape and turn it into a sports car. But it's expensive so owning one is many miles down the road.
I have a 10th Anniversary Combustion 5st, and I can testify that you can do ANYTHING with this bass!!! I use it almost exclusively on my party band, covering from rock to country, pop, disco, etc... I found it very responsive to the right hand technique, and that B string is deeeep and powerful!!! It's a little bit intimidating at first, but you get used to it easily, and it not as difficult to play at the lowest registers, even for a 5.6' guy like me!! I've known a lot of guys who tell me "but that's a bass for metal!", but in 5 min the change their minds... And with the upgrade possibilities and pickups configurations, I think there's almost no genre you cannot play with this baby!!!
Thanks for the reminder about how ripping those Duran Duran basslines were. I love the look of a multiscale bass (or guitar for that matter, ever since I first encountered Charlie Hunter). I’ve never played one, though. I need to get my hands on one!
Absolutely loved this 😄I picked up an NG2 several years back and it's truly a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-all like you've demonstrated. The ergonomic, intonation, and tension advantages make a truly timeless bass - whenever I think about getting a new one I first have to get past my "well, I already have a Dingwall" pause. Dozens of shows and thousands of hours of playing later and it still looks new. Plenty of amazing instruments out there, but these check all the boxes for me.
I played an Ibanez fan fret bass for a while and my #1 thing was that strings which were long enough were hard to come by and usually a lot more expensive because of this
@@TheProgGuy The Dingwalls used to be very hard to come by in Sweden until last year so when I played I’d order D’addario’s extra long string sets from Germany.
I love that I have all the Dingwall goodness that Ian mentions, in a more practical body shape that flies under the radar in my Canadian ABZ-5. I love that it fits in a regular Fender case, that it offers vintage 2-pickup passive tones with that trademark clarity and definition. I also love the battle-axe ruggedness in a bass that ways just under 8lb. The ONLY thing I hate about it, is that it was just $1,800 in 2013, and the same spec in 2023 would be somewhere between three and four grand.
I love that Sharon answers the phone…”Sup, loooooooser!” and Ian’s, slightly phased look, is classic. Great stuff!!! I would not be disappointed if there were daily videos…just saying.
I have a Kiesel Vanquish multiscale 5. Love the bass, but my one hate is you can't use standard strings. There are a few special brand of strings you have to use due to the long B string scale length.
Worst thing about my Dingwall is just using the upper register and the frets not aligning with the markers because of the extremity of the fan, but that’s a pretty minor adjustment for the tone and playability
I honestly have no hate for the multiscale... I love the look, I love the feel, i love the tone... Ok there is one thing, It's kind of bummer having to get the longer strings to fit my 37 inch Dingwall
Best part of this video - Ian Martin Allison. Second best part was the bass line to Rio! Holy!! Man, that grooves! This was a joy to watch. As someone who has seen these basses around the internet world but never picked one up or wanted one, this was a good education on fanned frets. Thanks!
Another topic regarding especially Dingwalls, not other ff brands. Their use of thin mandolin frets. That's why some people detects "inharmonics" in the upper range of the thicker strings on a 5 string ff bass. The upper harmonic content overshadows the fundamental because the "stop" that the small fret makes isn't sufficient enough to stop the string vibrating beyond the frets stop or witness point. On a grand piano, the thicker the string the dampers that stops them strings from ringing are both broader in dimensions (along the strings length) and often consists of three or more dampers too. It's the same when you dampen the strings with just one finger at your picking hand. The thick B-string doesn't stop vibrating until you use at least 3 fingers to stop it. The harmonic node (naturally) is at a too wide point along the string. Same with the frets and the actual bridge saddle. The small point of the small frets is just not sufficient enough. The longer scale you have on a string, the harmonic node point is longer along the string, you can get quite approximate with it, and not have to nail it exactly by thousands of a millimeter. I would love to if Dingwalls came with thicker frets (not just taller). I feel those small frets are bit sluggish, when pressing down and releasing the fingers. There's some video of a guy trying the D-roc out, and he demonstrates the "buzz" that occurs when lifting his fingers off of the G-string which has normal scale (34 inch) on the fanned fret bass. It's always a short "prft" when lifting off any finger. So this had nothing to do with fanned frets as such, but the fret size. Maybe tapered frets? They go thicker as they go down under a thicker string. The thicker the string, the more mass and fatter/wider fret? But at the end of the fret at under the g-string, it's thinner? :-) I do have very much experienced this on other basses too. On some fret spots the string resided on a needle, so to speak, and the result is a dead spot (ringing only at an octave above). As fast as I filed the fret down to a more flatter/wider level, that "dead spot" or "one-octave-above" ringing totally disappeared and it was like all the other frets and strings ringing. Fundamentals. Of course, one had to calculate and take into account that all other frets followed suit, so this particular pesky fret didn't come out levelled lower than the others. The thing is that this has very little to do with Fanned Frets as such but Dingwalls only. Regular basses with super thin frets are just as bad. It is especially heard very clearly when doing slides and glissandos from the first few frets till one fret avobe the 12th fret. It dampens and the tone dies out and the resulting decay is 4th or 5ht harmonic only at no volume at all. Thicker/wider frets keeps the tone all the way up. It is the problem when some people tries out a Dingwall for the first time, and first time a fanned fret bass. They think those inharmonics here and there are due to the fanned frets design, while it's not. It's because the thin mandolin frets. So they diss the thing from the get go.
Own a NG-3. Love how easy it is to play, the thin frets. Also love the sound. I dislike the fact that my string choice is limited. I'd love to use some Elixirs on it, but I couldn't find long scale version.
I just got an Ibanez EHB1505 MS Blue....Fantastic! No problem adjusting after a few days of practicing my bands songs on it. Very surprised and more confident in my level of playing!
I own an Ibanez EHB and a BTB, both multiscale and there is absolutely nothing I dislike about it. They're my favorite instruments to play just for the feel of the strings!
The one thing I noticed about multi-scale is that the natural harmonics (7th and 5th fret) take a little more play time to find. They aren't always directly over the fret so you gotta kind of find em. Other than that I can hardly wait to get my first one... Already gonna set it up to be my C# standard/Drop B bass. dUg Pinnick type tones will be heard in the greater Detroit area.
How do you go about setting it up to tune in drop B, like what strings do you use and do you need to file the nut down? I found these strings that are made for drop tuning, I want to tune my 4 string rickenbacker as BEAD. Im wondering if you are using these strings r if you are using strings from 5 string,, and if you have to file the nut or make other adjustments.
@@buckemptier I've got a 35" scale that I tune to C standard and use .110 to .055 strings on. I did have to open the nut a bit for that. I'm thinking the same strings should work for a multi-scale for drop B. As for having to switch from C# to drop B, Hipshot drop tuners are so worth the money. I have them on two of my basses and will most likely add them to more.
As for tuning a Ric to BEAD you really are gonna have to go with 5-string gauge strings and open the nut to accept them. Ric's are a shorter scale (33 1/2? I could be wrong on that). But having a shorter scale means less mass so you have to compensate with heavier strings to keep tension. Longer scales have more string mass so you can use lighter gauge strings and still keep a decent amount of tension.
More Sharon please her prog rock bassline video was off the chaingang!!!! Thank you guys for being so generous with your giveaways, I hope that whomever is lucky enough to win one cherishes it for a lifetime.
I don't understand the hate for the fanned fret system. If you've ever played one you'd get the idea pretty quickly but on a 5 string it's the best sounding and feeling to me. I have other 5 strings that are high end basses but the B is floppier on them and less articulate than the Dingwall. I love it, I play it mostly these days 99% over all of my other 4 and 5's. Although, I'm about to swap out the preamp for a John East MMSR preamp that will give me much different tonal capabilities that I like over the DarkGlass Tone Capsule.
Why are the pickups so closely spaced? Wouldn't it be better to put the neck pu closer to the end of the fretboard? Seems like that would give more distinct tones.
I've only played two multiscale basses, both ibanez - a short scale headless, and the blacked out iron label one. I didn't like either experience. The short scale felt like a toy and the iron label was better but nothing remarkable. But I'm kind of obsessed with Dingwall's now after a long time of being meh about them. For me it was when I was recently laying down a track on my Sire V10, and the low B was just not doing what I needed it to do. I used to have a Lakland 55-02 with the 35" scale and that was a true pleasure to play...So I can only expect that the Dingwall 's 37" B string will solve all my problems, right?! The only question is which one do I get, and how many strings?
Even though I *am* a metal guy, I had this image that all it was good for is that "modern" scooped bass tone. Thanks to Ian, I'll be getting this bass with 5 strings soon!
I have 2 multiscale Kiesels, both are 5 strings. It was surprisingly easy to get used to the multiscale. And the low B is nice and clear. The only difficulty I have is playing the first 2 frets on the G & D strings; sometimes my finger lands too close to the nut.
Thank you for yet another great video Ian. As a Dingwall ovner I find that the Dingwall´s have far better sustain and harmonics than my other basses. I find slapping the fender jazz bass is more natural for me, but other than that the Dingwall has been my workhorse since 2010.
My peeve with fanned fret basses is that if you spend a lot of time on them, the next time you pick up your fretless you are all over the place trying to re-calibrate on the fly. Slight adjustments in muscle memory really matter on a fretless. The transition from standard to fanned frets is, as you say, easy, and barely noticeable for most of the neck, but fretless basses are much less forgiving. You could argue that the solution is to buy a multiscale fretless, but that way madness lies. They exist, but I've never seen one in the wild, and I think I know why. If you already play a standard fretless you will be so incredibly out of tune at first, that it will be like learning intonation all over again, only with a way more complicated set of shapes to get used to. Once you did finally master it, muscle memory would have so reset as to render all standard scale fretless basses unplayable without another period of adjustment.
The only thing I don't like about multi-scale basses is restringing them. Finding strings long enough (especially for 5-string basses) isn't as easy as walking into any local guitar shop and grabbing a pack off the rack. I know Dingwall sells their own strings, which tend to be a bit pricey, just as their basses.
The three things that have stopped me from buying a Dingwall are: 1) the price 2) limited availability (which also increases used market prices) 3) what I imagine to be very limiting sting options/ availability. You can't just swing by the shop and pick up a new set when you need em, you can't use any of the strings you have stashed for any of your other basses (unless they're also Dingwalls) But for real I've been contemplating one of these since long before they were popular.
That's the only thing holding me back. No shops around here have them and they're expensive. If I had the money and lived closer to a place that had them I'd already have a dingwall. It would fix all my low string problems with my jazz bass. When I'm able to get one I will definitely get it. The flab is horrible on normal 4 string basses.
@@13_cmi Just order strings online? just buy a few packs while you're at it and you will always have me at home you're gonna need em eventually anyways.
So. Here in the UK there are a few retailers of Dingwalls, but sadly, none where I live (Liverpool) I have been checking out the reviews and videos on the Combustions and the NG3's for about 18 months now, but wasn't sure if one would be for me. Back in November I was in Birmingham at a Nightwish concert and realised that I was closer to real live Dingwalls than I was at home, so I called up Bass Direct. They said they had some in stock and I could pop in and try one out. When I got there, Ash, set me up with two basses, an NG four string and a combustion five. My Ideal version would be the NG3/5, but they didn't have one in. Impressions. First off, lighter than I was expecting (both 4 and 5 string) the fit and finish on these chinese models seemed to rival my USA Fenders ( pleasantly surprised ) My Fenders are strung with 45-125's. Ash said the Dingwall had 45 - 128's on it. Similar but they felt so different to play. The tension seemed to be less on the Dingwalls compared to my Fenders and the string to string feel was very even and felt easier to play. The array of tones out of both of these basses was amazing. After about 45 mins I left Bass Direct and told both my daughters that we were walking back to Liverpool, as I had to sell the car to buy a Bass! In conclusion, I wanted one before I played one. Now after playing a Dingwall I MUST get one! (Some serious GAS going on) So, have to let one of my Fenders go to fund part of the Dingwall purchase. ( working on it ) Thank you Scott, Ian and Sharon for this and other amazing, informative videos you do. Keep up the great work. Thanks also to Ash and the guys at Bass Direct for letting me get my hands on their Dingwalls! :) There will certainly be a Dingwall in my future
I had to file the bottom corner of the nut on my Ibanez EHB1005-SMS to soften it because of contacting it when fretting C on the B string. Now I never notice it. Haven't really had trouble with short fretting down neck. I find the angle of the frets up neck to be much easier to use. I agree the first fret on B and E are the biggest challenge on a multi-scale.
I love the note definition you get with the longer scale length, especially on 5 strings. I never much cared for that low B, and personally I haven't really wanted or needed it much. Playing around on a multiscale 5 (with good pickups, which I feel is a necessity for low-b-basses) I noticed that the low b is as usable as the e string was on a normal bass. Getting that low, big, growly rumble feels amazing when it's not super floppy. It allows you to actually hear which note is being played :)
I absolutely dig my combustion 5. As stated it’s so clear and powerful with the EMG preamp and fd3 pickups. I had the opportunity to play a friends ABZ and yep, got one on order. The Chinese made are excellent. The Canadian made are out of this world. I knew from the first 3 notes of playing the ABZ I was going to buy one. I’ve never experienced that level of want with any instrument and I’ve been fortunate to own a number of amazing basses over the years. Yes it does take a little time to get used to the fanned frets but your hands and muscle memory adjust to it.
I remember the first time I played a Dingwall, it messed with my brain for a good 15 minutes, I didn't quite like it at first. Though the more I played it at the old Bass Northwest, the more the idea grew on me. Still have yet to own one though. The DRoc is such a classy design!
I’m a diehard Stingray player… having said that, I played a Dingwall once in a shop…. and it came home with me. It’s an early AB1 and I do wish the neck was thicker more stingray like but there’s no denying it’s an amazing playing bass 🙌🏻 I can’t see myself ever selling it.
You defined my problem. I have play the NG3 5string differently than my Stingray 5 because of "shallow fretting" I can man handle the Stingray's neck but the Dingwal is wider with a different radius so it requires finesse... I'm working on my technique because the tone is worth it.
I know, right??!! I was thinking the same thing! I love that bass line even though my wife is a giant Duran Duran fan-girl (she'll eviscerate me for butchering the lines with my "style", but oh well). Happy learning!
For me, I have absolutely no use of my pinky on my fretting hand, so playing a 37" scale fan fretted instrument is simply out of the question. But, I do currently play an ibanez ehb 1505 and am very interested in getting the ehb 1505ms. It's only a 35" scale which, for my pinkyless situation, would be much more manageable. 37" is absolutely wonderful for drop tunings on the B string. Since I don't drop my B, 35" should be just fine for me. Just my humble thoughts
No not really. I've discovered that it is considerably more confusing, and takes learning time, to adapt to a regular 5 string bass from a regular 4 string bass. The thing people do, that is they're used to regular 4 string, and then jumps abruptly to a 5 string FANNED FRETS, and then blames the fanned frets for throwing them off. If you go from regular 4 string to a fanned fret 4 string you wouldn't notice a thing. 1-3 minutes tops. I do switch back and forth without problems.
ok, I've played a dingwall fanned fret and found it not a great experience, but you have 100% sold me on that bass. I want it. Now. please. But 5 or 6 string please. I'll wait.
Every video Ian puts out is great, but I love when he just gets to nerd out about gear. XD Great video. Great bass. The only thing that I don't like about fanned frets ist playing chords in the higher registers because it forces my fretting hand into weird positions. But that could just be my own shortcoming.
Every time I watch a video detailing all there is to love or hate about a Dingwall I find myself plunging deeper into my pockets to own one of these awesome instruments. Such a versatile look and sound. Gimme gimme gimme!!!!
I have aa NG3 and I had the exact same experience with the low F ( and C on the B string). It was annoying but after a little time I have gotten used to it and absolutely love my Dingwall. I would definitely recomend everyone try one. Great video Ian!
I have a Kiesel Thanos fanned 5 string, love it, had to get used to fretting the low C on the B string just like Ian talked about with the low F on this bass, but the scale length is overall shorter than a Dingwall and now I find it just as comfortable if not more comfortable than my Sire V7 5 string... and I really love that bass too
The fun part with Dingwall is ponying up 3g for your combustion only to realize you now own the Squire of the line. I now lust for a Canadian super P. Trippy dynamic ability. The difference between digging in and caressing is dramatic tone wise. Prefer it on passive setting, and yes... it eats up drop D tuning.
P.S. I have had a Darkglass microtubes pedal in my signal chain for a long time. On my other basses, it adds some subtle grit. The unholy teaming of Dingwall and Darkglass is a thing. It is a completely different pedal when Im using my Dingwall. The digging in snarl is off the charts and my sustain is literally endless. I have had to modify how I end songs while playing it or I FAR outlast everyone else's last note DRAMATICALLY.
P.P.S. Negatives: Still adjusting to how it sits in the mix. The band sounds WAY bigger, but my notes seem a smidge less distinct compared to my jazz. The spot the fanned frets get me is up in the cutout area. The note you are going for on the G string is a half step over from the dot you are looking at. A few chords are a bit tricky in that part of the neck too. Essentially a non-factor playing live though, that cut out section has notes not even ON my jazz neck. No actual song parts up there.
Just piling on to say that it took much less than a day to get used to my Ibanez multi-scale (the incredibly poetically named EHB1265MS 🙂 -- which is also an incredibly beautiful bass, and sounds *so good*). Fascinatingly to me, when I look at the fretboard when I'm playing, the frets look "normal"... but if I stop playing and concentrate, I can see the lean. I may have a weird brain.
Well, I'd like to try one, never tried a multi scaled bass or guitar. The only thing I wouldn't like may be the "unregular" distance between frets when you jump from one string to another, for octaves for instance, or with the nut, but.. I'd like to try anyway !
I’m gonna be making a bass later this year (i’m a woodworker) and it’ll be fanned fret dingwall-scale bc they sound so good. Just wish there was more content online that wasn’t metal (would love some r&b)
What a gorgeous bass! I had no idea what a Dingwall bass was and what fanned frets are, until now. This bass sounds amazing. I had my heart set on a 4 string MM Stingray HH special, because they're relatively local (and, well, it's an amazing instrument), but this give me some food for thought on shape of the body, finishes, and the way that I think about the bass guitar format. I really liked the format of this video. The call opener was hilarious. Great work! Fun and informative.
I've never had the chance to play a multiscale bass but I really want one. I love how solid and clear the low end is. I love playing 5 string basses but hate how crappy the low B sounds on most of them out there so I am sure I will end up getting a multiscale bass eventually.
My 6-String NG3 sounds Awesome, but: 1. A little bit Heavy 2. Only one Truss Rod (for a 6-String?) I Wish and i waiting for a Dingwall SL Super Light. The 4 String D ROC is less Heavy and looks awesome. Thanks
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*PLEASE READ* - They're back...🙄 It's come to our attention that there are some commenters on our videos who are trying to scam our subscribers with offers of free gifts and message requests. None of these comments are official or from us. We will never reach out via the comments of a social media channel. We're doing our best to remove the comments and flag the accounts in question!
Apparently they have something special for me. 😂
Me as well. Dammit! Got my hopes up.
I think they're using your logo too: youtube.com/@T.e.l.egramofficialScottBass
(In case you want to block them ☝️)
This is widespread. I’ve had the same message from … @ Telegram profiles on a couple different pages now. This is truly a scam and something needs to be done
As a Dingwall owner they are SO much more than that darkglass sound I hope more people show them off as well as Ian did
Well said. I actually dig mine mostly for the P bass (middle pup ) tones
Bridge pup does nothing for me, at least not yet (in my journey so far). Same with the bridge and middle. The “all 3” is sweet with the right gain.
Love it. DROC on!
I'd like to know what is the, ", dark glass sound, and why is it theirs,? I find their products kind of underwhelming, and not just because I bought 3 of their amps and every one of them had to be returned because of a defect (I even bought two different darkglass amps), but also because their overdrive sounds thin and too digital sounding, and because they tend to stick a lot of stuff on there you don't need or have elsewhere already, like an eq, or a headphone jack, or a blend knob,, etc, so they can charge $300 - $500 for an over praised distortion pedal. I don't even think there is a dark glass sound, I think everyone plays a $4,000 bass thru them and that's the sound you are hearing. Darkglass doesn't call it the dark glass sound, they call it the modern bass sound in an attempt conflate their brand with modern sounding bass guitars like dingwall, to make you think your bass is obsolete without dark glass products. I have an aftershock pedal from source audio that can pull off every sound dark glass sells on their product line and more, but I don't even prefer that, id rather have a Sana Amp or a tone hammer as far as pre amps go, but I get decent amplified sound already with my rickenbacker and Mesa TT800.
@@buckemptier that was a really long winded way of saying you don’t like the way dark glass products sound
dingwall basses come with dark glass preamps from the factory, hence the association between dingwall and “the darkglass sound”
at least that’s how i see it anyway
@@buckemptier im ordering a sans amp fly rig to go with a dingwal d roc 5 i have on order :)
Oh big surprise, your bass sounds so much more than your bass,
I think you're biased haha but that's alright,
The only thing I hate about a Dingwall is that I don’t own one. I might have had a longer list but this video made me forget about whatever I thought I was thinking about Dingwall basses. Excellent work, excellent bass and excellent points of information about fanned frets🎉❤
You can order one from Bass Central and just make payments and you get it when it’s paid off. Just a lil tip that’s how I got mine 🤘😎
@@bassimprovjams3772 you’re a bad influence 😆 I love mine. Best p bass tone I’ve ever heard. Well put together and plays easy.
@@captainchunk4078 😂😂😂 I said the same thing one of the best P bass tones ever!! I want that 6 way rotary for the true musicman tone like lowend Lobster did!
@@bassimprovjams3772 you’re a bad man for planting that seed. Great idea. That way you at least get a jazz bass too! I just played some Sabbath. Oooofff. Suits you sir!
@@captainchunk4078 😂😂😎🤘 exactly homie!!
I think that Rio by Duran Duran should absolutely be in Ian's "Bass Albums" series 😍
Good call
@@IanMartinAllison 🔥🧡
Absolutely
YES, PLEASE!!!
This is actually the first video that convinced me that a Dingwall could deliver a warm, thumpy sound. Amazing.
Watch lee sklar if you want to hear more subtly dingwall tones
Thanks for the advice, good tones indeed, better than those thin, cold, (dark)glassy ones I hear everywhere else.
I had never heard of Dingwall in 2006 when I saw one hanging in a local music shop. I was just getting back into playing bass after a long hiatus and I wanted a 5-string. My first 5-string was a Fender and it had a flabby B-string. I vaguely understood that a longer scale length like 35-inches might fix that problem. When I saw the Dingwall and found out the B was 37 inches, I was sold immediately. I bought two Dingwalls that year, a third the following year, and then a fourth custom-made Dingwall many years later.
I’ve played a Dingwall for years and love it. The only complaint is that the first time I tried an entry level Combustion I thought it was great - then I tried a top end Z. It was way more great.
If you try a Combustion and love it just buy it. Don’t try anything else. Close your eyes and run out of the store with your new bass. Don’t look back.
Loved the Protest the Hero mention! Arif left the band for a while now so Cam McLellan recorded most of the bass lines in Palimpsest, including the line of "All Hands".
Thank u for the correction!
I love that these basses proof themselves to make a difference (sound, playability, aesthetics) without failing and that Dingwall helped to spread fanned frets to other brands… which helps to have choices!
Yes, no matter what one says, Dingwall are now the yardstick which all others are being measured against. Whatever you say, Dingwall is the company with most and longest experience on fanned frets. However, they made them like luxory sports cars and priced thereafter. You don't need a Dingwall in order to get a fanned frets bass. LTD/ESP makes great ones too, at around the same price as Combustions, and they are a more hefty build. I've owned one too.
Ian, I am not seeing anything I hate about Dingwall basses....EXCEPT THE PRICE!!!!! Wish they would make a sub $1000 model with fan frets so us mortals can own one! They have China operations so they could potentially do it...but at the cost of quality. One of the big reasons they have to sell for so much is the supply chain to make in China, ship back to Canada for inspection, then shipped out again to dealers and consumers. All that costs money!
You can get a used Ibanez btb605ms under a 1k
One of your “hates” about chords is actually one of the things I love about my Dingwall. Yes, chords are a little trickier, but the fan frets on the upper register make for some unique voicing and stretches that I wouldn’t be able to make on a regular bass!
Hey guys - Dave from The Bass Channel here; I have had shoulder and wrist problems off and on for a few years, so I was living exclusively in medium and short-scale land for awhile. UNTIL I discovered the Dingwall DRoc, and had to grab one. It's my #1 now, and it's not even close - just effortless to play even with the extra stretch on the low E. Hell, I had a 5-string Dingwall back in the early '00s but I didn't bond with that one NEARLY as much as the DRoc 4. Loved this video, love that bass!
I owned a Dingwall NG3 and sold it to buy a car, and honestly I miss it so much, it played and felt so well under my fingers and this is without an amp. With an amp, I didn’t even feel like I needed any pedals to adjust the sound like my Darkglass Compressor or EQ or Noise Gate etc., it just sounded insane. Now I play a Ibanez 5 string fan fret, it’s one of the older ones from like 4-5 years ago but it’s just not the same, get yourself a Dingwall man, that’s still my dream bass
My main bass is an Ibanez EHB1506MS with a SRMS806 as backup. It was really surprising how quickly a multi-scale bass felt comfortable. I expected it to take days or weeks. It felt natural in under 5 minutes.
I have an SRMS805, and most people I've let play it have a lot more trouble getting used to a 5 string than with the frets
Ian, once again, you knocked it out of the park with your overview video of the DRoc. This video should be mandatory viewing for anyone with interest of hearing/seeing the Dingwall DRoc in action.
Cheers Tony!
Due that extended Rio play-through was amazing and I love Jealously so much, too! Such a great video and Sharon was in it to make it even better! My first multi-scale was a Dingwall Combustion 5 string and I still love playing anything rock or metal on it or anything.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Dingwall 5/3 Combustion and desperately want a 5 string D-Roc in vintage burst. That being said, one thing I never see mentioned is the need to modify the right hand (plucking) technique. I find I have to move my hand forward as I move toward the higher pitched strings, basically following the path of the pickups, in order to keep a consistent tone across the strings. Otherwise, it's as if I'm plucking closer to the bridge in the G string and closer to the middle on the B string. It took a bit of getting used to, and there's really no way around this when making leaps across octaves, but I was not happy with the tone until I figured this out.
That being said, I occasionally pick up my other basses because I feel bad for them watching me play the Dingwall all the time, but I always go back. There's just no comparison.
I have a fifth hate for you: Picking close to the bridge. As you move to the D and G string you risk hitting the bridge with your picking fingers unless you compensate and move diagonally down the strings.
Agree. That took some getting accustomed to, especially on a 5-string. That said, the Loves outweigh the Hates by a lot, IMHO!
We recently saw Duran Duran in NYC and John Taylor was using Dingwall Basses. They just sounded amazing and he is so great. Great concert if they come your way.
For those of you familiar with the Kubicki X Factor bass.. that E string with the string extender open to the low D really sounds amazing.. the longer string length does have an impact on the sound.
Great demo video to the host 👍
Please do a lesson on the Rio bass line. Please!
John Taylor actually plays a Dingwall these days.
He had one on NYE.
Yes he does!
I still loved his Kubicki
Only thing I hate about it is that it's a 4-string. I have an '82 MIA (as all 82's were) Fender Jazz that has the same neck profile as the '65 Jazz I bought in 1966 (was stolen in 1976 with all my touring gear), but has a white-bound all maple neck with 70's era pickup spacing. It just has the best sound and is soooo comfortable to play. So I don't need or want a 4-string. HOWEVER, I would really LOVE a Dingwall 5-string!
I SOOOOOO covet that bass.
Watching this I managed to knock the aesthetics off your Hate list... because I could agree with anyone who says the shape is unlovable, but then we'd both be wrong.
Then the chord thing - I'd work to get over it. So now only have to get over 03, 02 and 01.
Well... If you want weird - I play Chapman Stick, so feeling the nut? is a big MEH!
I always fret heavily because I'm a self-taught, terrible bassist LOL. That's binned point 02.
I don't have a point 01 either.
Excellent video, BTW. Thank you Ian... your enthusiasm makes me want to be playing bass from dawn 'til dusk.
One of the things I would put on my hate list is the lack of string selection choices. I have an Ibanez EHB10005MS bass, and fortunately, the scale length is still short enough I can use "normal" long scale strings. The Dingwall (which I would still love to own one) goes as long as 37" for the low B string, and you have to find strings long enough to accommodate that. Dingwall does sell strings for their basses, and I hear their strings are very good, but I do have a preference that I wouldn't be able to use with a Dingwall.
Ian, can't believe you stopped before the bridge on Rio.
I own an NG-3 and even though I do play metal
I actually play pop or funk most of the time with that dingwall clean tone in the jazz position
And I swear to god I would never trade this bass for any other brand in the world
guys, I just love watching your videos. the energy and enthusiasm you have is so addictive. also you bounce off each other so well.
Please don't stop making your videos. you are an inspiration.
Can we just say what an awesome video this is? Ian bringing the good stuff to SBL! Killer review, killer playing , funny… all the things i enjoy with the Ian Scott combo.
I'm an OG and have owned a Dingwall ABII for like 18 years with a short intermission. The first one I owned was unbelievable. Beautiful curly top and back killer action and tone for days. Due to some financial challenge I was forced to sell. As soon as I could I bought another used ABII. I currently own theis one and sadly it just doesn't have any "mojo" like the first one. No matter how hard I try I can't seem to connect and get what I want out of it. This brings up another observation about basses. I found Fender basses new out of the box of the same model can vary widely in the "mojo quotient". I wasn't expecting this from a Dingwaii.
One last thing that I have never seen mentioned about fanned frets: If you stretch the strings it depends on your position on the fretboard and the direction of your stretch to deternine the amount of stretch needed for the desired amount of pitch change. Think about it.
I'm one of the weenies that found about them more recently with the metal players using them. But I immediately fell in love with the concept. I have a 4 string jazz bass and low notes are a no go with this. A 5 string fanned fret bass is the dream. The clarity they have is perfect for anything and everything. And they also look awesome as well. They take the classic guitar shape and turn it into a sports car. But it's expensive so owning one is many miles down the road.
I have a 10th Anniversary Combustion 5st, and I can testify that you can do ANYTHING with this bass!!! I use it almost exclusively on my party band, covering from rock to country, pop, disco, etc... I found it very responsive to the right hand technique, and that B string is deeeep and powerful!!! It's a little bit intimidating at first, but you get used to it easily, and it not as difficult to play at the lowest registers, even for a 5.6' guy like me!! I've known a lot of guys who tell me "but that's a bass for metal!", but in 5 min the change their minds... And with the upgrade possibilities and pickups configurations, I think there's almost no genre you cannot play with this baby!!!
Thanks for the reminder about how ripping those Duran Duran basslines were.
I love the look of a multiscale bass (or guitar for that matter, ever since I first encountered Charlie Hunter). I’ve never played one, though. I need to get my hands on one!
Absolutely loved this 😄I picked up an NG2 several years back and it's truly a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-all like you've demonstrated. The ergonomic, intonation, and tension advantages make a truly timeless bass - whenever I think about getting a new one I first have to get past my "well, I already have a Dingwall" pause. Dozens of shows and thousands of hours of playing later and it still looks new. Plenty of amazing instruments out there, but these check all the boxes for me.
I hate that it took me so long to buy one and I hate that so many reviews gives the metal outlook. They are dynamic and crystal clear.
I played an Ibanez fan fret bass for a while and my #1 thing was that strings which were long enough were hard to come by and usually a lot more expensive because of this
Dingwall makes/sells their own strings online. Yes, granted they're a bit pricier than a standard 45-100 set.
I have the same issue, found super-long scale strings for the low B
@@TheProgGuy The Dingwalls used to be very hard to come by in Sweden until last year so when I played I’d order D’addario’s extra long string sets from Germany.
I love that I have all the Dingwall goodness that Ian mentions, in a more practical body shape that flies under the radar in my Canadian ABZ-5. I love that it fits in a regular Fender case, that it offers vintage 2-pickup passive tones with that trademark clarity and definition. I also love the battle-axe ruggedness in a bass that ways just under 8lb. The ONLY thing I hate about it, is that it was just $1,800 in 2013, and the same spec in 2023 would be somewhere between three and four grand.
I love that Sharon answers the phone…”Sup, loooooooser!” and Ian’s, slightly phased look, is classic. Great stuff!!!
I would not be disappointed if there were daily videos…just saying.
I have a Kiesel Vanquish multiscale 5. Love the bass, but my one hate is you can't use standard strings. There are a few special brand of strings you have to use due to the long B string scale length.
Worst thing about my Dingwall is just using the upper register and the frets not aligning with the markers because of the extremity of the fan, but that’s a pretty minor adjustment for the tone and playability
Man, once you start playing that Rio bassline you JUST! CAN'T! STOP! 🥳 So good... 😎
I honestly have no hate for the multiscale... I love the look, I love the feel, i love the tone...
Ok there is one thing, It's kind of bummer having to get the longer strings to fit my 37 inch Dingwall
Best part of this video - Ian Martin Allison. Second best part was the bass line to Rio! Holy!! Man, that grooves! This was a joy to watch. As someone who has seen these basses around the internet world but never picked one up or wanted one, this was a good education on fanned frets. Thanks!
Another topic regarding especially Dingwalls, not other ff brands. Their use of thin mandolin frets. That's why some people detects "inharmonics" in the upper range of the thicker strings on a 5 string ff bass. The upper harmonic content overshadows the fundamental because the "stop" that the small fret makes isn't sufficient enough to stop the string vibrating beyond the frets stop or witness point. On a grand piano, the thicker the string the dampers that stops them strings from ringing are both broader in dimensions (along the strings length) and often consists of three or more dampers too. It's the same when you dampen the strings with just one finger at your picking hand. The thick B-string doesn't stop vibrating until you use at least 3 fingers to stop it. The harmonic node (naturally) is at a too wide point along the string. Same with the frets and the actual bridge saddle. The small point of the small frets is just not sufficient enough. The longer scale you have on a string, the harmonic node point is longer along the string, you can get quite approximate with it, and not have to nail it exactly by thousands of a millimeter. I would love to if Dingwalls came with thicker frets (not just taller). I feel those small frets are bit sluggish, when pressing down and releasing the fingers. There's some video of a guy trying the D-roc out, and he demonstrates the "buzz" that occurs when lifting his fingers off of the G-string which has normal scale (34 inch) on the fanned fret bass. It's always a short "prft" when lifting off any finger. So this had nothing to do with fanned frets as such, but the fret size.
Maybe tapered frets? They go thicker as they go down under a thicker string. The thicker the string, the more mass and fatter/wider fret? But at the end of the fret at under the g-string, it's thinner? :-)
I do have very much experienced this on other basses too. On some fret spots the string resided on a needle, so to speak, and the result is a dead spot (ringing only at an octave above). As fast as I filed the fret down to a more flatter/wider level, that "dead spot" or "one-octave-above" ringing totally disappeared and it was like all the other frets and strings ringing. Fundamentals. Of course, one had to calculate and take into account that all other frets followed suit, so this particular pesky fret didn't come out levelled lower than the others. The thing is that this has very little to do with Fanned Frets as such but Dingwalls only. Regular basses with super thin frets are just as bad. It is especially heard very clearly when doing slides and glissandos from the first few frets till one fret avobe the 12th fret. It dampens and the tone dies out and the resulting decay is 4th or 5ht harmonic only at no volume at all. Thicker/wider frets keeps the tone all the way up.
It is the problem when some people tries out a Dingwall for the first time, and first time a fanned fret bass. They think those inharmonics here and there are due to the fanned frets design, while it's not. It's because the thin mandolin frets. So they diss the thing from the get go.
Own a NG-3. Love how easy it is to play, the thin frets. Also love the sound.
I dislike the fact that my string choice is limited. I'd love to use some Elixirs on it, but I couldn't find long scale version.
I just got an Ibanez EHB1505 MS Blue....Fantastic! No problem adjusting after a few days of practicing my bands songs on it. Very surprised and more confident in my level of playing!
That blue Dingwall is gorgeous and you crushed it on RIO.
I own an Ibanez EHB and a BTB, both multiscale and there is absolutely nothing I dislike about it. They're my favorite instruments to play just for the feel of the strings!
One thing I hate is finding strings that fit my multi-scale 5 string. Only Extra-Long will work for that B string.
That ending... The disrespect! We need to organize a search party or something.
MWAHAHAHAHAH 😈
The one thing I noticed about multi-scale is that the natural harmonics (7th and 5th fret) take a little more play time to find. They aren't always directly over the fret so you gotta kind of find em. Other than that I can hardly wait to get my first one... Already gonna set it up to be my C# standard/Drop B bass. dUg Pinnick type tones will be heard in the greater Detroit area.
How do you go about setting it up to tune in drop B, like what strings do you use and do you need to file the nut down? I found these strings that are made for drop tuning, I want to tune my 4 string rickenbacker as BEAD. Im wondering if you are using these strings r if you are using strings from 5 string,, and if you have to file the nut or make other adjustments.
@@buckemptier I've got a 35" scale that I tune to C standard and use .110 to .055 strings on. I did have to open the nut a bit for that. I'm thinking the same strings should work for a multi-scale for drop B. As for having to switch from C# to drop B, Hipshot drop tuners are so worth the money. I have them on two of my basses and will most likely add them to more.
As for tuning a Ric to BEAD you really are gonna have to go with 5-string gauge strings and open the nut to accept them. Ric's are a shorter scale (33 1/2? I could be wrong on that). But having a shorter scale means less mass so you have to compensate with heavier strings to keep tension. Longer scales have more string mass so you can use lighter gauge strings and still keep a decent amount of tension.
More Sharon please her prog rock bassline video was off the chaingang!!!! Thank you guys for being so generous with your giveaways, I hope that whomever is lucky enough to win one cherishes it for a lifetime.
Loved this video! I only thing I hate about a Dingwall is that I can’t put a wedding ring on it.
+1 for the John Taylor reference and rocking one of Duran Duran‘s greatest jams! Cheers!
I don't understand the hate for the fanned fret system. If you've ever played one you'd get the idea pretty quickly but on a 5 string it's the best sounding and feeling to me. I have other 5 strings that are high end basses but the B is floppier on them and less articulate than the Dingwall. I love it, I play it mostly these days 99% over all of my other 4 and 5's. Although, I'm about to swap out the preamp for a John East MMSR preamp that will give me much different tonal capabilities that I like over the DarkGlass Tone Capsule.
I really tried hard not to like these. Great job showing it with different music. Great video! Thank you. I’ll have to check one out now.
Why are the pickups so closely spaced? Wouldn't it be better to put the neck pu closer to the end of the fretboard? Seems like that would give more distinct tones.
I've only played two multiscale basses, both ibanez - a short scale headless, and the blacked out iron label one. I didn't like either experience. The short scale felt like a toy and the iron label was better but nothing remarkable.
But I'm kind of obsessed with Dingwall's now after a long time of being meh about them. For me it was when I was recently laying down a track on my Sire V10, and the low B was just not doing what I needed it to do. I used to have a Lakland 55-02 with the 35" scale and that was a true pleasure to play...So I can only expect that the Dingwall 's 37" B string will solve all my problems, right?! The only question is which one do I get, and how many strings?
By the way, great video and playalongs! Doesn't the guy from Duran Duran play a dingwall now?
Even though I *am* a metal guy, I had this image that all it was good for is that "modern" scooped bass tone. Thanks to Ian, I'll be getting this bass with 5 strings soon!
I have 2 multiscale Kiesels, both are 5 strings. It was surprisingly easy to get used to the multiscale. And the low B is nice and clear. The only difficulty I have is playing the first 2 frets on the G & D strings; sometimes my finger lands too close to the nut.
Thank you for yet another great video Ian. As a Dingwall ovner I find that the Dingwall´s have far better sustain and harmonics than my other basses. I find slapping the fender jazz bass is more natural for me, but other than that the Dingwall has been my workhorse since 2010.
So you need to make a video like this one on all the basses you are giving away.🤩
Ian your playing is just exquisite! What I hate about fan fretted multi scale basses is that I don't own one .
It’s very hard to get the ultra long scale strings sometimes
My peeve with fanned fret basses is that if you spend a lot of time on them, the next time you pick up your fretless you are all over the place trying to re-calibrate on the fly. Slight adjustments in muscle memory really matter on a fretless.
The transition from standard to fanned frets is, as you say, easy, and barely noticeable for most of the neck, but fretless basses are much less forgiving.
You could argue that the solution is to buy a multiscale fretless, but that way madness lies. They exist, but I've never seen one in the wild, and I think I know why. If you already play a standard fretless you will be so incredibly out of tune at first, that it will be like learning intonation all over again, only with a way more complicated set of shapes to get used to. Once you did finally master it, muscle memory would have so reset as to render all standard scale fretless basses unplayable without another period of adjustment.
The only thing I don't like about multi-scale basses is restringing them. Finding strings long enough (especially for 5-string basses) isn't as easy as walking into any local guitar shop and grabbing a pack off the rack. I know Dingwall sells their own strings, which tend to be a bit pricey, just as their basses.
The three things that have stopped me from buying a Dingwall are:
1) the price
2) limited availability (which also increases used market prices)
3) what I imagine to be very limiting sting options/ availability. You can't just swing by the shop and pick up a new set when you need em, you can't use any of the strings you have stashed for any of your other basses (unless they're also Dingwalls)
But for real I've been contemplating one of these since long before they were popular.
That's the only thing holding me back. No shops around here have them and they're expensive. If I had the money and lived closer to a place that had them I'd already have a dingwall. It would fix all my low string problems with my jazz bass. When I'm able to get one I will definitely get it. The flab is horrible on normal 4 string basses.
@@13_cmi Just order strings online? just buy a few packs while you're at it and you will always have me at home you're gonna need em eventually anyways.
I love that my 5 string Dingwall has the same string tension across all the strings. So many 5 string basses have floppy B strings.
So true!
I dunno but build a bass, win a school could be a cool contest for some 🤷♂️
So. Here in the UK there are a few retailers of Dingwalls, but sadly, none where I live (Liverpool) I have been checking out the reviews and videos on the Combustions and the NG3's for about 18 months now, but wasn't sure if one would be for me. Back in November I was in Birmingham at a Nightwish concert and realised that I was closer to real live Dingwalls than I was at home, so I called up Bass Direct. They said they had some in stock and I could pop in and try one out. When I got there, Ash, set me up with two basses, an NG four string and a combustion five. My Ideal version would be the NG3/5, but they didn't have one in. Impressions. First off, lighter than I was expecting (both 4 and 5 string) the fit and finish on these chinese models seemed to rival my USA Fenders ( pleasantly surprised ) My Fenders are strung with 45-125's. Ash said the Dingwall had 45 - 128's on it. Similar but they felt so different to play. The tension seemed to be less on the Dingwalls compared to my Fenders and the string to string feel was very even and felt easier to play. The array of tones out of both of these basses was amazing. After about 45 mins I left Bass Direct and told both my daughters that we were walking back to Liverpool, as I had to sell the car to buy a Bass! In conclusion, I wanted one before I played one. Now after playing a Dingwall I MUST get one! (Some serious GAS going on) So, have to let one of my Fenders go to fund part of the Dingwall purchase. ( working on it ) Thank you Scott, Ian and Sharon for this and other amazing, informative videos you do. Keep up the great work. Thanks also to Ash and the guys at Bass Direct for letting me get my hands on their Dingwalls! :) There will certainly be a Dingwall in my future
I had to file the bottom corner of the nut on my Ibanez EHB1005-SMS to soften it because of contacting it when fretting C on the B string. Now I never notice it. Haven't really had trouble with short fretting down neck. I find the angle of the frets up neck to be much easier to use. I agree the first fret on B and E are the biggest challenge on a multi-scale.
You just made my day playing PTH ❤
The thing I truly hate about the D-Roc is that I can't use an angled jack without risking it popping out. Otherwise I love my D-Roc bass
I love the note definition you get with the longer scale length, especially on 5 strings. I never much cared for that low B, and personally I haven't really wanted or needed it much. Playing around on a multiscale 5 (with good pickups, which I feel is a necessity for low-b-basses) I noticed that the low b is as usable as the e string was on a normal bass. Getting that low, big, growly rumble feels amazing when it's not super floppy. It allows you to actually hear which note is being played :)
That's the most beautiful bass i have seen in years...love the sound
I absolutely dig my combustion 5.
As stated it’s so clear and powerful with the EMG preamp and fd3 pickups.
I had the opportunity to play a friends ABZ and yep, got one on order.
The Chinese made are excellent. The Canadian made are out of this world. I knew from the first 3 notes of playing the ABZ I was going to buy one.
I’ve never experienced that level of want with any instrument and I’ve been fortunate to own a number of amazing basses over the years.
Yes it does take a little time to get used to the fanned frets but your hands and muscle memory adjust to it.
I remember the first time I played a Dingwall, it messed with my brain for a good 15 minutes, I didn't quite like it at first. Though the more I played it at the old Bass Northwest, the more the idea grew on me. Still have yet to own one though. The DRoc is such a classy design!
I’m a diehard Stingray player… having said that, I played a Dingwall once in a shop…. and it came home with me. It’s an early AB1 and I do wish the neck was thicker more stingray like but there’s no denying it’s an amazing playing bass 🙌🏻 I can’t see myself ever selling it.
Everything I needed to know about this bass. Thanks. John Taylor demo = bonus.
You defined my problem. I have play the NG3 5string differently than my Stingray 5 because of "shallow fretting" I can man handle the Stingray's neck but the Dingwal is wider with a different radius so it requires finesse... I'm working on my technique because the tone is worth it.
This was amazing! The tone, the guitar, songs, playing... and the explanations.
This video makes me want to find somewhere to try out this bass! I’d buy it outright, but that seems insane.
Holy crap, I feel like I need to go learn that Rio bass line right now. So cool! And sounded amazing on that bass (and with Ian playing, of course)!
I know, right??!! I was thinking the same thing! I love that bass line even though my wife is a giant Duran Duran fan-girl (she'll eviscerate me for butchering the lines with my "style", but oh well). Happy learning!
For me, I have absolutely no use of my pinky on my fretting hand, so playing a 37" scale fan fretted instrument is simply out of the question. But, I do currently play an ibanez ehb 1505 and am very interested in getting the ehb 1505ms. It's only a 35" scale which, for my pinkyless situation, would be much more manageable. 37" is absolutely wonderful for drop tunings on the B string. Since I don't drop my B, 35" should be just fine for me. Just my humble thoughts
It's nice to hear the bass in a song context!
How do you if you need to switch back and forth with 34-inch basses, particularly fretless? Will you be very confused? Or you could adjust?
No not really. I've discovered that it is considerably more confusing, and takes learning time, to adapt to a regular 5 string bass from a regular 4 string bass. The thing people do, that is they're used to regular 4 string, and then jumps abruptly to a 5 string FANNED FRETS, and then blames the fanned frets for throwing them off. If you go from regular 4 string to a fanned fret 4 string you wouldn't notice a thing. 1-3 minutes tops. I do switch back and forth without problems.
She’s never going to give up that Dingwall.
ok, I've played a dingwall fanned fret and found it not a great experience, but you have 100% sold me on that bass. I want it. Now. please. But 5 or 6 string please. I'll wait.
Every video Ian puts out is great, but I love when he just gets to nerd out about gear. XD Great video. Great bass. The only thing that I don't like about fanned frets ist playing chords in the higher registers because it forces my fretting hand into weird positions. But that could just be my own shortcoming.
Every time I watch a video detailing all there is to love or hate about a Dingwall I find myself plunging deeper into my pockets to own one of these awesome instruments. Such a versatile look and sound. Gimme gimme gimme!!!!
I have aa NG3 and I had the exact same experience with the low F ( and C on the B string). It was annoying but after a little time I have gotten used to it and absolutely love my Dingwall. I would definitely recomend everyone try one. Great video Ian!
I have a Kiesel Thanos fanned 5 string, love it, had to get used to fretting the low C on the B string just like Ian talked about with the low F on this bass, but the scale length is overall shorter than a Dingwall and now I find it just as comfortable if not more comfortable than my Sire V7 5 string... and I really love that bass too
The fun part with Dingwall is ponying up 3g for your combustion only to realize you now own the Squire of the line. I now lust for a Canadian super P.
Trippy dynamic ability. The difference between digging in and caressing is dramatic tone wise. Prefer it on passive setting, and yes... it eats up drop D tuning.
P.S. I have had a Darkglass microtubes pedal in my signal chain for a long time. On my other basses, it adds some subtle grit.
The unholy teaming of Dingwall and Darkglass is a thing. It is a completely different pedal when Im using my Dingwall. The digging in snarl is off the charts and my sustain is literally endless. I have had to modify how I end songs while playing it or I FAR outlast everyone else's last note DRAMATICALLY.
P.P.S. Negatives:
Still adjusting to how it sits in the mix. The band sounds WAY bigger, but my notes seem a smidge less distinct compared to my jazz.
The spot the fanned frets get me is up in the cutout area. The note you are going for on the G string is a half step over from the dot you are looking at. A few chords are a bit tricky in that part of the neck too. Essentially a non-factor playing live though, that cut out section has notes not even ON my jazz neck. No actual song parts up there.
Man, I love every single song you played ! And the bass is AWSOOOOOOME, GOD !
Thanks, my brain just exploded, was so nice to watch 🤯🤯🤯🔥🤘
Just piling on to say that it took much less than a day to get used to my Ibanez multi-scale (the incredibly poetically named EHB1265MS 🙂 -- which is also an incredibly beautiful bass, and sounds *so good*). Fascinatingly to me, when I look at the fretboard when I'm playing, the frets look "normal"... but if I stop playing and concentrate, I can see the lean. I may have a weird brain.
I want to try one. I’ve been playing a G&L 2000 for forty years.
Well, I'd like to try one, never tried a multi scaled bass or guitar. The only thing I wouldn't like may be the "unregular" distance between frets when you jump from one string to another, for octaves for instance, or with the nut, but.. I'd like to try anyway !
I’m gonna be making a bass later this year (i’m a woodworker) and it’ll be fanned fret dingwall-scale bc they sound so good. Just wish there was more content online that wasn’t metal (would love some r&b)
What a gorgeous bass! I had no idea what a Dingwall bass was and what fanned frets are, until now. This bass sounds amazing. I had my heart set on a 4 string MM Stingray HH special, because they're relatively local (and, well, it's an amazing instrument), but this give me some food for thought on shape of the body, finishes, and the way that I think about the bass guitar format. I really liked the format of this video. The call opener was hilarious. Great work! Fun and informative.
I wish this particular bass had a six way selecter for adding a jazz bass situation with pickup 1 and 3 and for soloing the neck pickup.
There are after-market 6-way switches available, and can be wired in for any combos you want! Pretty common mod for the three-pickup Dingwalls. 😁
I've never had the chance to play a multiscale bass but I really want one. I love how solid and clear the low end is. I love playing 5 string basses but hate how crappy the low B sounds on most of them out there so I am sure I will end up getting a multiscale bass eventually.
My 6-String NG3 sounds Awesome, but:
1. A little bit Heavy
2. Only one Truss Rod (for a 6-String?)
I Wish and i waiting for a Dingwall SL Super Light.
The 4 String D ROC is less Heavy and looks awesome.
Thanks
Good points dude! Thanks for your contribution 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻