Kev Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 (edited) Picked this up yesterday, Dingwall ABII, spalted maple burl top with walnut chambered body and walnut neck, superb instrument never played anything like it. Weighs under 8lb and its a real joy to play. I briefly owned a Z1 last month and I can't believe how much of an improvement this ABII is for me, despite it being a comparatively lower spec model. Stock photo from when she left Sheldon's wonderful hands for now but I'll get some fresh pics up soon. [url="http://s741.photobucket.com/user/Bassmankev/media/Mobile%20Uploads/ABII_5_Spalt_Maple_Burl_body_zpsqketqy7r.jpg.html"][/url] Edited April 25, 2014 by Kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Played one of these at Wazoo's place. Awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameronj279 Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 (edited) For when you get pictures up, assume this is my reply. Edited April 25, 2014 by Cameronj279 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPBass Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Sweet baby jesus and the orphans! Thats real stunner Kev. Top choice old bean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1398433741' post='2434090'] Played one of these at Wazoo's place. Awesome! [/quote] I played Wazoo's one at my place. Awesome! That is lovely Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myke Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Want! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikanHannille Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I owe me a pair of pants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Coffee Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Ive still never seen an ugly dingwall bass. Health to enjoy it. I loved my ABII but i dont have enuf money to have one as well as all the others I wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 That's absolutely stunning! The black hardware really suits it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 Cheers guys. I cannot say I have ever played a bass, owned or otherwise, that just feels so natural in my hands. Hate the cliché, but it really does play itself. Each of it's pickup settings offer something completely different and all are usable in their own way. Wonderful acoustic tone to the neck pickup solo'd and sounds great in passive too. Did I mention it was light? [URL=http://s741.photobucket.com/user/Bassmankev/media/Mobile%20Uploads/ABII_5_Spalt_Maple_Burl_front_zpsg6xvscuk.jpg.html][IMG]http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx59/Bassmankev/Mobile%20Uploads/ABII_5_Spalt_Maple_Burl_front_zpsg6xvscuk.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s741.photobucket.com/user/Bassmankev/media/Mobile%20Uploads/ABII_5_Spalt_Maple_Burl_zpsrfv9iyzj.jpg.html][IMG]http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx59/Bassmankev/Mobile%20Uploads/ABII_5_Spalt_Maple_Burl_zpsrfv9iyzj.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s741.photobucket.com/user/Bassmankev/media/Mobile%20Uploads/closeup_zps2jpd3k7c.jpg.html][IMG]http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx59/Bassmankev/Mobile%20Uploads/closeup_zps2jpd3k7c.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 [quote name='Kev' timestamp='1398468813' post='2434558'] Cheers guys. I cannot say I have ever played a bass, owned or otherwise, that just feels so natural in my hands. Hate the cliché, but it really does play itself. Each of it's pickup settings offer something completely different and all are usable in their own way. Wonderful acoustic tone to the neck pickup solo'd and sounds great in passive too. Did I mention it was light? [url="http://s741.photobucket.com/user/Bassmankev/media/Mobile%20Uploads/ABII_5_Spalt_Maple_Burl_front_zpsg6xvscuk.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s741.photobucket.com/user/Bassmankev/media/Mobile%20Uploads/ABII_5_Spalt_Maple_Burl_zpsrfv9iyzj.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s741.photobucket.com/user/Bassmankev/media/Mobile%20Uploads/closeup_zps2jpd3k7c.jpg.html"][/url] [/quote] You forgot to mention that it was set up by me. I set up all my basses in the same way, taking everything into consideration, action, neck relief, pickup height and saddle's intonation. I don't leave it until I am satisfied that everything is set up to the best, as I have explained to you in my email, since these neodymium pickups are so responsive even the slightest change in string height will affect how the pickup sound so you need to always adjust their heights every time you raise or lower the bridge saddles. I am glad you are enjoying the bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 While I had it here I did a neck swap to see what that bass looked like with the roasted maple neck and it did look pretty cool, have a look [url=https://flic.kr/p/mxqY1X][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/mxqY1X]ABII 5 Spalted Maple body with roasted maple neck[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/people/37058009@N00/]F. Camardo Photography™ © 2014[/url], on Flickr [url=https://flic.kr/p/mxqsX8][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/mxqsX8]ABII 5 Spalted Maple body[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/people/37058009@N00/]F. Camardo Photography™ © 2014[/url], on Flickr [url=https://flic.kr/p/mxseq3][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/mxseq3]ABII 5 Redwood with roasted maple neck[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/people/37058009@N00/]F. Camardo Photography™ © 2014[/url], on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted April 26, 2014 Author Share Posted April 26, 2014 [quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1398498397' post='2434638'] You forgot to mention that it was set up by me. I set up all my basses in the same way, taking everything into consideration, action, neck relief, pickup height and saddle's intonation. I don't leave it until I am satisfied that everything is set up to the best, as I have explained to you in my email, since these neodymium pickups are so responsive even the slightest change in string height will affect how the pickup sound so you need to always adjust their heights every time you raise or lower the bridge saddles. I am glad you are enjoying the bass. [/quote] I did, apologies! It is set up wonderful, perfect relief in the neck, just tweeked the action up a tiny bit to account for my heavy playing and raised the p'ups to accommodate, sounds wonderful Looks good with the roasted maple too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 Lovely looking thing that. Clearly too many strings, otherwise practically perfect in every way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 One of the very few basses I still have genuine GAS for is a Dingwall Super-P. I had a Z2 once. Loved the feel and quality but hated the tone. No choice but to love that 37" B-string. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 I didn't really enjoy the Z1 either, however this just sounds wonderful, have the Dingwall bug now for sure [URL=http://s741.photobucket.com/user/Bassmankev/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0089_1_1_zpst8znzoos.jpg.html][IMG]http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx59/Bassmankev/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0089_1_1_zpst8znzoos.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifi2112 Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Nice one Kev always fancied the higher spec'd ones but happy with my ABZ5. So what's the main diff between this & the Z1 that you say you didn't like (tone ?) woods & pups diff ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 It's really difficult to put a finger on a specific difference really. The Z1 had a solid ash body with maple neck and board, whereas this has a chambered walnut body, walnut neck and wenge board so very different woods, about as different as you can get within the Dingwall range. Different pickup models too, and a 2 band rather than 3 band eq. The neck profiles are slightly different too, as are the body shapes. As far as I have discovered so far, every difference from the Z1 is a good one for me, except perhaps the 3 band eq. The woods have a big impact on tone here, for sure, and being a Warwick fan I am already a huge fan of wenge fretboards. The inherent tone of the Z1 was too bright and snappy for me. Not so with this one I was tempted by an ABZ that was on here cheap a few weeks ago, but I'm a sucker for a fancy top wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny Walker Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Sick bass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 That Dingwall is stunning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 [quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1398438542' post='2434142'] I played Wazoo's one at my place. Awesome! That is lovely Kev. [/quote] I played Wazzos many, at his place and at a gig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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