I have a Combustion 5 string, and love it! As others have pointed out, they are expensive, and I saved my money for 2 years to get it, but man was it worth it! Best versatile bass tone hands down.
I made the same choice earlier this year and could not be more pleased with the instrument. It plays beautifully and I feel inspired to pick it up and play all the time.
@@johangericke1492 Do you mean like string buzz? No, I haven't had any noise issue. It's just like playing a standard bass after a short time to get used to it.
I have the 5 string of this bass. I generally just leave the batteries out and use the passive switch as a mute control when I'm practising or in the studio, the batteries go in for live use but I really only use the active eq to tweak and - just like you said - fatten up the bridge pickup on its own. FYI I think it's the funkiest bass I've ever played - it's killer for disco and funky bass work. Absolute belter. Sure, it's a rock monster but don't think it can't boogie with the best.
It's all relative. The Canadian models can easily be double this or more depending on cosmetics. It's a lot of bass for the money when you consider an American P Bass can cost the same and that design hasn't changed since 1957.
@FunkyMonk6 final set up and QC is still done in Canada. And you can always buy a full Canadian model if you don't like the idea of paying Chinese workers.
@FunkyMonk6 they are made using US/Canadian wood and parts that are shipped to China for assembly, then shipped back to Canada for final QC. So quality is every bit as good as a Canadian bass, you're just dodging first-world labor costs and some of the more expensive design features (compound radius neck and the intricate D-Roc head shape for example). These basses are not mass-produced Chinese crap, you get what you pay for in China just like everywhere else in the world. If you're not willing to pay the entry price that is fine, demand is already too high for these and for good reason.
@@ileutur6863when did he ask about where the materials came from, or where the set up is done? He wasn’t outsmarted at all. None of that changes the fact that it’s made in China. Same money as a MIA Jazz Bass. I know what I’d rather invest in
I have a 5 string Combustion NG2 I was ready to trade for a Fender Jazz V. Then I said hell let me play this thing in passive mode, which I’ve surprisingly never done, and now I love it. Something about the dark glass preamp that doesn’t sound right to me. Going to take the battery out on mine as well, thanks for the tip 😂
My made-in-China DRoc from Dingwall is one of the best instruments I've ever played and that is why I wanted it so badly. I wonder how many of the commenters who don't want a Chinese-made instrument also have iPhones, which could also be said to be overpriced and are made in China; I simply don't think "made in china" is the automatic enemy of quality when you're dealing with high levels of design consideration and quality control. Hopefully Dingwall's also got an ethical op over there as well.
I’ve only heard great things about Dingwall’s build quality. They also do the quality testing and finishing of the import basses at their shop in Canada. Some people don’t realize thats included in the price tag. They’re not mass producing these overseas and shipping them straight to a retailer.
I'm a passive bass kinda guy. Dingwall active basses have a VERY cool feature I've never seen on any other bass; The active and passive settings are near perfectly balanced volume wise. You do not need to change any settings, it is an on the fly tone option with the flick of a switch.
Bruh you’re sleeping on other basses then. More manufacturers have basses that don’t have volume difference between active/passive setting. For example: look up the Human Base BaseX.oc bass guitar with Delano pickups and glockenklang preamp. No volume difference between active/passive operation
@@adityabali1939 I prefer passive basses. Doesn't make much sense seeking out active basses for an obscure feature I never knew existed. Cool to know that's not just Dingwall though.
Absolutely love my NG3! It was well worth the wait and saving for it, it’s one of them basses you most likely can’t just go try out before you buy it, so you just have to take a chance, I highly recommend Dingwall! I can get Warwick thumb tones, stingray tones Jbass tones and P bass tones and passive is so powerful as well! All around a great bass and nice and light weight the middle and bridge pups together is in series so it’s definitely the most powerful combo of the others that’s the only downside like he said, I do wish all the positions were just as powerful
Exactly. I have a Combustion V and it blows everything I ever played out of the water. When I got mine, I sold every other bass I owned within 6 months. They just weren't getting any more playtime.
I’ve been lucky enough to play one, and forget the “import” woes. The build quality on these things are actually quite impressive, nothing about it feels “import” like a lot of cheaper instruments do.
I like them so I have two. 5-string NG3 in Ducati White and 6-string Combustion in Ultra Violet without pickguard. However, I had to spend a couple of months to find the lightest 6-string Combustion possible, because for some reason almost all of them in 2023 run are about 5 kg and the weight can vary between 4.4 to 5.1 kg. I also noticed that NGs are lighter because they have alder instead of ash, and they can weigh even less. 4.2 kg for a 6-string is nice. So they don't choose the wood based on weight at all. Sometimes the top wood patterns are funky as well. That is what you get with serial instruments. If not a waiting list, I would definitely prefer an ABZ. FYI It looks like the pickup position graphic overlays are messed up in the video. The correct layout is: 1) Bridge only 2) Bridge + Middle in series (I don't know why they call it MM style, I always thought MM should be in parallel wiring) 3) Bridge + Neck in parallel 4) Neck only
You can usually find a dealer that has one on order but isn't to the point where final specs are selected, so you can "jump" the line. I waited 9 months for my D-Roc custom. It sounds thunderous and looks metal AF but now I want a "normal" Dingwall as well. Thinking about a 3 pickup ABZ with the Glock pre. Also waiting on some real reviews of the John Taylor Combustion, which they say will have a 5 string and recessed bridge. Not holding my breath though because it took years for the Hellboy to start showing up after it was announced.
Holy fuck!! Beautiful bass all around awesome… I have alwAys been an Ibanez fan (I am also very partial to the Jackson Kelly … my absolute favorite!) but I may have to get me one of these basses!
I think it's a good example of how the bass stands on its own just find without needing to add the Darkglass buzzsaw to it. At least for these classic metal riffs he's playing.
I haven't played metal with mine for a month now lol Honestly they work for metal really well but also work for every other genre The FD3-Ns can be a bit harsh at times though but not a big deal at all
How much of the tone is down to the external preamp you’re using? I have an NG2 but it doesn’t have the growl you’re getting….should I get a preamp pedal or is the dark glass capsule too clean versus EMG?
I disagree. Getting the bass built in China gets a couple of thousands dollars off of the price. This model is not even on the same level as some other basses. I've played American made basses that were less than this.
Each bass spends 2-6 hours at Dingwall's HQ in Canada having the bass set up and making any final adjustements. Every single Dingwall I've played has been perfectly set up and is one of my most stable basses. Being made in China has nothing to do with the final quality. Quality control is what matters more. I've played three USA made Gibson Thunderbirds and they've all be horrible to play and need too much work to get them in order on a bass that's over $2k.
It's got a warm rickenbacker like sound to it, but I don't know can it handle jazz and that type of gig ?. I think it has a strong rock vibe, for real. I think probably better off with a Jazz bass if you need more versatility. Makes a fine rock axe, but I would be all about a Rickenbacker if I played in some type of Rock band, for sure. This seems like a bass for heavier, more evolved music, which is going to suit most of you just fine. I stopped thinking about music about terms of heavyness, more about feelings and emotions and stuff, I think it's more how you play, not what you play. Take Joe Dart, bassist he has mastered playing anything and making it sound good, it feels good, anything in key and on time, and that's it. This is the secret that seems unobtainable only until you get rolling, develop your bag of tricks over time and your hands get faster, stronger when you keep practicing, it's going to hurt like heck. Cause you're not trying to be a mediocre bassist, right ?. He plays by ear I think, what he is doing seems easy for him cause he practiced like a demon, in all the keys so it does not matter, his stamina is off the charts cause that stuff actually hurts to play for 5 minutes. There's also not any unexpected chord changes in his music, they do a lot of transitions. Speed can be applied at any time but character comes after speed, not usually before, so musical flare is it's own trait to have besides speed.
I love the sound and look but like for what it is its way too expensive. Its a Chinese bolt on neck, it shouldn't be anymore than $1500. Everything else about it is a 10 tho
Always interested me, but I have yet to touch one. I think I have a hard time pulling the trigger on an Made In China product for around $2,500. For those that have them, how’s the fit and finish on them? Is it $2,500 worth or more like $1,200?
I’ll answer as objectively as I can but, being a left handed player, I do have more limited experience. I played my Schecter riot 4 before purchasing the combustion 5 and the Schecter is about $1,100 or so and I feel like it plays really smooth and predictable. I’d say that schecter plays a bit above its price bracket for sure. When I started playing the dingwall, I immediately noticed how much better it played and how much easier everything was to do. I got the dingwall as a way to learn 5 string but on a good instrument but I find myself not even playing my Schecter much anymore. I wouldn’t say the dingwall is twice as good for twice the price (it rarely works like that) but it plays significantly better than the riot 4 which I had zero complaints with. The banjo frets are honestly awesome!
You can get a poverty-spec ABZ for about a grand more if the only option you add is the preamp of your choice. I think that is the play if you don't want to support China any more than you have to. It's really the cosmetic options you don't need that run the price of the customs into the stratosphere. And all in-stock customs will of course have ridiculous stuff like reverse-burst constrast layer x-tops and full wenge necks because the more expensive the bass, the greater the profit to the dealer. My custom is easily the nicest bass I own, but I will be the first to admit we are well into the realm of diminishing returns here.
As i understand it the materials are sent to China, the body and neck are cut, and its assembled using US and Canadian parts, sent back to Canada for final setup and inspection. The fit and finish, on my Ng3 is perfect, they are worth every dollar
I have a Combustion and a D-Roc (both made in China), they are easy much better than my USA-made G&L and Fender. The fit and finish on the Dingwalls is superb.
So much whining about China in the comments. If the materials aren't cheap chinese and the factories aren't the same ones Squier and Harley Benton are made in... why does it matter where the bass is built? How does that lessen the engineering that goes into this bass? Maybe if our countries cared more about supporting local production, we wouldn't be letting China make all of our stuff.
The people whining about China are the same people who won't pony up for a Canadian bass either. People just love to hate on Dingwall. I guess you know you've made it when the detractors come out in droves.
@@57precision I mean don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of China and the shit they do, but their economic success is all thanks to our economic failings. We shouldn't blame 1st world workers for costing more, we should blame companies for choosing cheap labor instead of having their CEO live in a slightly smaller mansion.
@@ileutur6863 I think that is the root of why these basses are so polarizing, as evidenced by the toxic comment section. The Combustion/NG is the most expensive "Chinese" bass on the market, and people just cannot reconcile that. It doesn't even matter if it's good (it is), if it's Chinese and costs this much people are going to be mad about it. The way these basses are made is quite polarizing. I don't think Sheldon lives in a huge mansion, and he seems to be a stand-up guy. He's just a smart businessman who came up with a way to get his boutique basses into the hands of more customers without sacrificing quality. The imports are at least a grand cheaper than the cheapest Canadian model, which is very significant. My big problem with it is the carbon footprint of shipping materials to China and back just for one bass.
@@TheBassChannel The Dingwall website has a white background on the images, probably threw my brain off as you overlayed them. Apologies for the fuss !
Its amazing.. it truly is. That they can manufacture something in mass quantities in China and charge so much for it.. The problem is after the pandemic everyone increased prices. And kept them there.. So people are stuck getting ass raped.. Lets face it man... That bass will not hold up any longer than a 500 bass if the 500 one is taken care of well.. Does it sound good.. sure . Everything does post eq and production lol..
@@57precision my only exp with Ibanez is my srh500f which is beautifully made and has exceptional sound. I've played a sr505e and fanned fret bass which were also exceptional.
QC is still very high, they're made by skilled and appropriately paid luthiers, not sweatshops lol. And they all come back to Canada for finishing touches and final QC inspection
Overpriced, and made in China. Total pick me energy from anyone who plays it. And my upgraded Mexican Fender sounds as good or better. If i see someone playing one, i immediately think "pretentious"
Awesome thumbnail... Try to know some things about the bass before you press record next time. Not sure how you mixed up the pickup selections... Disappointing video. :(
@@KevTCC because it sounded like you may have thought the same as other commenters and were referring to which pickups were showing on vs off being wrong. black is on and white is off in these graphics
@@davedixon2167 No that's not what I thought. You don't have to even know how the bass wired to see the problem with the presentation. Watch the video instead of trying to read my mind. :) Long time subscriber here. This video was about the thumbnail and should just be deleted.
