Do it!! I love my Combustion, it’s my #1 bass. It’s is very comfortable to ‘wear’, doesn’t dive at all and I really like the tone - particularly the parallel tone, it kicks. But the bass is also pretty versatile, I can mess around with it and get a sound that works with pretty much any song.
Others have mentioned neck dive issues on other basses - I have a Spector (not a MS), that dives. Not crazy dive, but enough that you are aware of it…I find it annoying. It’s also a very heavy instrument, so not particularly comfortable to play for a long session. I did look at a Spector Dimension before buying the Dingwall, but a) it dives and b) preferred the more modern look of the Dingwall. I also prefer the rounded off pickups on the Dingwall; the angled, angular ones in the Spector jar with my sense of the aesthetic.
While I have an Ibanez EHB bass, it’s not a multiscale. I’d be interested to try their MS ones, but again I’m conscious of the angled, angular pick ups! That said, I do love the overall look of the EHB line, I guess it’s back to something that looks modern!
Anyway, the Dingwall rocks!! Buy one, @GGWAW!! I’d only sell mine if I were buying the new JT signature, but I can’t justify that to my CEO/CFO/wife
Seriously. To me they are more or less the pinnacle of what I would want in a multi-humbucker bass. More than F-bass, more than Fodera, for me they are the top.
I’m with you, @howard. I’d sell all the others I have before I sold the Dingwall.
While I’d like a JT Signature (I think Duran2 are fantastic, so it would be a sop to my fan-boy status ), frankly, I don’t need one as the Combustion is all I actually need.
I can’t remember when I firsts saw one, obviously not long after I stared the B2B course, but I remember thinking wow! Then having watched some reviews / comparisons between a Dingwall, the Spector Dimension and the Ibanez EHB MS basses, and having a go on one, that was it…!
My wife and daughter do think my pink Ibanez EHB1000S is prettier though
The craftsmanship would be higher but they would be less what I was looking for.
This is also assuming an Afterburner or custom rather than a Combustion. Combustions are great but if comparing to FBass I would want a custom or Canadian-made.
The 2 Dingwall I like and considered are the Leland Sklar and Super P. None of the shop have them, sadly.
Have not tried the F bass yet but the Fodera collection of @booker_t I played at the last SoCal meet were just AMAZING! Especially the YinYang. The Jazz and P were ones of the best version of their respective models.
When I pick up a Fender even the Ultra they feel good to great but they feel assembled and not made. The Fodera definitely feel made. I feel the same on my EBMM Cutlass bass.
When I played with the Combustion I was a bit surprised that there’s no option to select all 3 pickups, overkill? Absolutely but it would have been a kickass super chunky tone, similar to Warwick $$ I imagined.
Remember that the Combustion is their (still outstanding) lower end line, manufactured in China. They are still a cut above, but not to the level of the Afterburners and Customs, which are made in their own shop in Canada.
I was out of town Thursday night and having some drinks at dinner. I had my self convinced that the next day I was going to go buy another Dingwall. I have a D-Rock 5 now. I felt differently when I woke up Friday! I need to sell one of my Jet skis before I buy another bass!
True, but also remember that the Combustion shares a price point, and holds its own against some pretty rarified company. The screen shots are from the local music shop, I filtered on bass guitars between £2,300 and £2,600.
Regarding the pick-up selection, I’ve read on Dingwall forums of people customising them to give them different options. I’ve also listened to a podcast with Sheldon Dingwall, where he’s talked about the basses being ‘pre-EQ’ed’ - string length, pick-up, pick-up selection etc. - to cover most needs. What I found interesting regarding the new JT Signature is that, on the face of it, the pre-amp has less adjustment than you would normally expect, from memory, lows and mids only. But apparently, it kicks!
The D-Roc and Combustion basses are made in China, but are then shipped to Canada for finishing. Or one can order a Canadian made bass, but they are the stuff of dreams, über-expensive and have a looong wait time.
In the U.K., a Chinese made, Canada finished Combustion is about £2,500 new and £1,600, second hand. I’ve seen second hand custom shop Dingwalls on Reverb for £5,000+
Crazy expensive for China made stuff, but I know that the quality is awesome at the end anyway. Also the finishing process must be time consuming and it’s done at a cost.
I really like Dingwall basses even if I really don’t see myself playing such a bass. I’m just perfectly fine with a P, personnally, so I somewhat don’t look too much at other stuff for myself. But Dingwall’s are some of the coolest modern basses in my opinion.
), frankly, I don’t need one as the Combustion is all I actually need.
