Great job on the review. Very nicely balanced presentation. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the bass. Have the store email sales or tech and we'll send out a replacement saddle. I assume you'd only need to replace the E-string saddle? Regarding all the transportation. That's a very good point. I'm sure there are lots of locally sourced woods that could be used but I'm not sure customers would support woods they are not familiar with. It's normal for small companies in North America to warehouse and setup their basses in North America. It's really hard to keep an eye on quality control from a distance. I've made a note of the finish polishing up and will see if we can address that with the factory.
Thank you for checking out my work! Regarding the saddles, I actually got an email while editing this video that they're getting replacement saddles from your shop soon, so that's being taken care of :) And yes, all the transportation feels to me like a necessary evil at this point since the woods used on my bass are definitely top tier in their resonance and stability and unlike anything I've seen before on other "import" models. The satin finish polishing up was almost expected, but it just happened a lot faster than I anticipated. I know a lot of satin finishes do that, but I own a satin finished Warmoth bass that has seen a lot of use from previous owners and me but it still shows no signs of polishing up. Maybe that's something you might want to take a look at if you haven't yet! Lastly, an enormous thank you for the design of this bass! It's really superb.
Brother, can you clear up the 4th pickup position after the mod? So now you have Bridge+Middle/Middle/J configuration.. and what’s the 4th? Also you didn’t need to swap out any of the electronics right? Just rewire? Thank you!
There's no 4th position! I couldn't figure out any that I needed so now I've only got three :) The original pickup switch is soldered to a PCB so it's not easy to rewire. I had to buy a new 3-position rotating switch and solder it.
Finally an independent review who at least takes up the small nitpicky things cons, and idiosyncrasies on really, all basses. Especially with the comparison of T-bird and D-bird. And the don of neck diving basses, the T-bird. Dingwalls from China are expensive enough to be a stickly and pricky for such things. Now Dingwall, has a lot of other basses that do not neck dive, at all, without a strap, both 5 strings and 6 strings. D-bird neck dives alot without a strap, sitting down. Luckily they have changed the strap button further inwards to the back of the body, but meaning you can only use the Dunlop straplok mechanism. Also regarding special sets of strings. I wonder why Dingwall hasn't gone on to headless basses, because if they would do that with the 5 string at 37" scale low b-string regular long scale set would fit in without having to hunt down special extra extra long scale sets, while it is just low B string that poses a problem. I have measured, they will fit in like it is nobodies business and you clamp down the low B exactly where it doesn't taper out. Regular scale. This beats me big time. I like nuanced and tempered reviews, who brings up cons as well as pros. Like this one. One small nitpicking with "3-stuck-together" pickups is like there's very little room for the pick to move, if you pluck your bass with a pick. The pickguard (scratch plate) would be better placed on top of the middle pickup to protect it form pick scratches. I'd rather have the 2 pickuped versions with the middle one removed. There's very little difference between tones sticking them all together like that. For fingering/finger pluck it may make sense, or doesn't get int the way, but definitely for picking.
I actually haven't had any issues with neck dive on my D-Roc, even without the strap! The pickup placement is a bit troublesome for pick players, but at least they're covered :) I also think that the pickups actually have loads of different tones in them, even though they're right next to each other. In the end I wouldn't have it any other way 😄
Re: headless. I saw an interview with Sheldon where he said they were looking at it right before covid hit. With all the factory shutdowns and such it got shelved. I don’t know if they are once again looking at it or if it’s now on permanent shelf. I like the idea of headless, but I also LOVE my Hipshot de-tuner. Years ago Fury guitars, which was also in Saskatoon, made a drop D tuning bridge for the Tornado bass.
@@WorbyBass Also I've heard that they had problems with 6 string basses "reach" for the tuners at the headstock. Sheldon got the idea that one should keep the headstock but without tuners and just stick the ball ends in there and let the rest go down to headless tuners behind the bridge at the body end. Win-win as you probably would get rid of neck dive too. Like Kubicki basses did, does, but with a larger headstock still.
My D Roc standard was bought on offer at £1200 and what an instrument it is. The pick up tones are versatile...fan frets made no difference to me ..I have the purple/blue colour flip and it always gets comments on how cool it looks. The hardware is top quality. The gig bag is utter quality. The only issue I really have with mine is when I am loading out at the end of a gig I put away my Jazz in hardcase..explorer in hardcase and always have to check the Dingwall is in its case...it's that light...😂😂 However I am recovering from a broken left shoulder and though my jazz is my go to bass...I wouldn't have been able to finish some of the gigs without my Dingwall.... I've had mine for about a year and love it...highly recommended. Great vid. ...oh the only thing I can't get my head round...I have xtenders on all my basses....the smoke chrome hardware on mine looks killer but you can't get an ultralight in smoke chrome only black.... Even Dingwall can't get them.... Come on hipshot get it sorted ...
this is the most real wold review ive seen on the dingwall bases. really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on it on both pros and cons. also your mod on the pup figuration is quite interesting. i also rarely use my bridge pup and yours is something to consider if i ever get one of these 3 pup beauties (in the distant future lol) so for clarification you only have 3 positions? (bridge&mid in series + middle solo + outer in parallel) ? what was the 4th if you had one?
Thank you! Yeah I only have those 3 positions. If I had to choose a 4th one it would propably be either the neck pickup solo or outer pickups in series!
The bridge is the hipshot copy they all tear the hands like no others. I saw that there is some BABICZ monorail version that looks really strange but is not fighting with your hands.
Yeah the Babicz seems like a great option, but it costs a ton and is not a drop-in replacement. Luckily Dingwall sent me a set of their newer saddles which are much more rounded and should fix the issue :)
Really good review! I have an Ng2 and have torn the skin on the little finger so many times on the saddle that I now have built up super thick skin there. haha did not know that you could order new more rounded parts. I was in the process of filing them myself but it has not happened.
Haha, I know that feel 😅 Maybe you still can get those changed? I think Dingwall offers a 3-year warranty period so it might still be in that :) And thanks! 💜
Thank you! These might be the best tones I've gotten out of any bass :) I think they wanted it to have more of a traditional TB-sound and feel, hence the all pickups on mode
Thanks for this very thorough review. All bass overviews should have all the angles you've thought to add - the things we all find out usually after we buy a new bass. The D-Roc is quite unique for sure. Thanks from the Canadian East Coast.
I demonstrated this same thing at 15:02 with an Ibanez EHB for someone who didn't understand why it was headless, and the same thing happened to my instrument... except it fell forward straight into a desk. I had never been more heartbroken in my life, and I was dumped by my highschool girlfriend a month after graduation. 😂😂😭 Great video, by the way! Yes, my Ibanez has a crater in it the size of the Grand Canyon.
How you finding the upper fret access now that you have had more time to get used to it? Something that guys can get accustomed to and be able to reach the notes they need (at moderate speed) without having to call upon some new super hand powers? xD
Honestly I haven't ran into that too much. Sometimes when trying to play a solo I have to reach some strange positions to get the notes I want, but not too often. Live I tend to live below the 14th fret.
i got a korean one like in the 2 digit serial number. IT's wierd because everywhere it says it is made in china on internet and their website but its clearly written Korea behind mine. Its a bit different like the nut and bridge is totaly different but its the 5 string version and same exact color and im so satisfied and my band too love it mroe than my 5 string p bass. It's such an impressive tone coming from a passive bass its so awesome.
Hey man! I have a black d-roc standard. The only problem with this is that the neck pocket is not perfect so I had to adjust the neck screws a little to make the neck in line with the instrument's center line. I have a question for you. Did you just modified stock pickup selector switch or replace it with new one? I'd like to get rid of the middle pickup soloed to get neck and bridge together. Also, I live in Kazakhstan and this bass was 1368.9 euros for me and I'm super happy with it! And I also use DR Strings 120-60))) great playing, great sound! Good luck to you!!!
What a great review! Not a lot of people make an accent on the cons 🙂 I tried NG2 some years ago and have my own opinion about this bass 🙂 I even did a comparison test. Dingwall isn't a panacea I have to say 🙂 Btw thanx again for your review mate! 👍
Thank you! I honestly think this bass solves a lot of problems with the traditional designs a most modern basses still use. It does have its own minor issues as well but that's just to be expected, no bass is perfect :)
I enjoyed your review, but I disagree with some of your criticisms. It's obvious that this is not a 24 fret two-handed tapping kind of bass. It's a money-fret bass with killer tones and looks, so expecting unrestricted upper fret access is probably not realistic. Dingwall makes plenty of models for that style of playing. As far as the matte finish becoming polished by your arm, that's just what matte finishes do. In the same way that a gloss finish can become matte with wear, so does a matte become glossy. The only difference is it's not so easy as throwing some polish on it to restore the original matte finish. I just look at it as a sign that you're doing what you're supposed to do with that bass...playing it.
Thanks for checking out my work! I actually kinda agree with your criticisms here. I don't really expect every bass to have unrestricted 24 fret access - I actually don't own any basses that go past 21 frets - but having the neck joint extend all the way to the 13th fret is really unusual and something that needs to be said :) And yes, most matte finishes become polished fast and it's almost to be expected but the speed that this happened surprised me. Bear in mind that I've only owned this bass for a few months and I also do have other basses that I play. That being said, Warmoth makes a satin finish on their bodies that unbelievably doesn't get glossy at all! The sunburst bass I own has seen at least three earlier owners and has been with me since early March and it still shows no signs of polishing.
I don't unfortunately, but here's what I've got: All pickups wired in series internally Pos. 1: Bridge & Neck in Parallel Pos. 2: Bridge & Middle in Series (doesn't sound good but haven't gotten around to change it) Pos. 3: Middle solo
Dude, how are all the commenters saying how amazing this review is and how they bought one?? 75% of this review is about all the negatives...I actually don't want one anymore. Thanks for talking me out of it lol!
Hahah I don't think this was a negative review but a positive one while also being realistic about the flaws in the instrument 😄 If it helps, I've now used this for a bit under two years and it's my go-to bass
@@Paajanenae Obstructed upper range access and hitting the pickups are two major deal breakers. Looking at Kiesels now :) Would have liked to hear more sound samples too. Thanks anyway!
@@mcdeepend Hahah yeah I can see how those can be annoying! I've chosen to deal with these for the tones and playability these instruments offer, but hope you find what suits you! 🙏
These days both 5 and 4-string standards are made in china. For a period the 5-string D-Roc Standards were made in Korea, but that changed last year. In addition to my own MIK 5-string I've had the chance to set up a MIC 5-string and there wasn't any differences.
I really love how much you've covered in this video ! so informative and detailed. This motivates me to make more great review videos too, and is a good reference.
Moro! Hyvän ja kattavan arvion teit ja on mukava kuulla muidenkin mielipiteitä tästä kyseisestä bassosta. Itselläni on tuo sama basso blue to purple-värisenä ollut käytössä nyt noin 9kk ja on kyllä ehdottomasti paras basso jolla olen koskaan soittanut💪 Soundipaletista olen löytänyt jokaiseen tarkoitukseen sopivat soundit, mutta oma suosikki on juurikin keskimikki yksinään. Ainut asia jota olen säätänyt omasta on tuo mainittu mikkien korkeus, jotka olivat kiinni kielissä, niinkuin tuossa sinunkin yksilössäsi. Soundtoolsista ihmettelivät, että eivät joutuneet säätämään siitä yhtään mitään, kun se saapui Kanadasta ensin heille ja siitä sitten minulle. Omistin aiemmin Gibson Thunderbirdin ja jos vertaa sitä D-Rociin, niin ne ovat aivan eri planeetalta mitä tulee soitettavuuteen, ergonomiaan ja soundien monipuolisuuteen. Thunderbirdissäkään ei tahdo ylettyä ylemmille nauhoille kaulaliitoksen ja kaulan kiinnityskohdan takia, mutta en ole kokenut sitä ongelmaksi, kun en käytä itse niin korkeita nuotteja omassa soitossa. Omasta mielestä Thunderbird on mallina hienoin bassomalli ikinä, mutta Dingwall on vienyt sen toiselle tasolle D-Rocin kanssa. Ei muuta kuin kovaa soittoa🤟
Kiva kuulla muidenkin kokemuksia! Tätä on tarvinnut kyllä hämmästyttävän vähän säätää, mitä nyt kaularautaa silloin tällöin virepelleilyiden takia. Ehdottomasti muotoilultaan ja tyyliltään aivan huippuinstrumentti!
@@Paajanenae Kyllä, juurikin näin ja omasta mielestä Thunderbird- mallinen basso on parhaimmillaan plektralla soitettuna kunnon säröllä varustettuna ja mahdollisimman alhaalla hihnassa roikkuen😎
I'm just starting to learn about Dingwall and from what I understand they are a Canadian Company. I noticed a made in China sticker on the back of the head stock. Did Dingwall sell or are they a Canadian Company still and all manufacturing is done in China? Thanks for the review!
Dingwall has essentially two series of instruments, the Import series which are made in China or Korea (depending on the model) from American raw materials and go through a full fretjob and setup at the Dingwall factory in Canada. Those include the NG2 & NG3, Combustion models, the D-Roc Standard and some signature models, prices range from 1600-2900€. Then we have the Custom Shop series which are entirely made in Canada with a lot of customisation options. The models include the Afterburner, D-Roc Custom, Z, Lee Sklar and the Prima Artist. Prices start at around 4000€ and only go up from there.
Excellent review. I've ordered a blue/Purple colorshift. Could your perhaps share the wiring diagram for How to solder the selector to get rid of the "all on" mode, and get the outer pickups, neck/bridge like you did? Kiitos from Ruotsi
Glad you like it! If you want to do the mod yourself, the easiest way to achieve that would be to order a Dingwall 3X switch from a dealer that stocks those. I believe Bassdirect at UK has had those. I had mine done custom so I can't unfortunately help with that :)
Mainitsit että käytät DR:n kieliä tässä bassossa. Mites tuossa 5-kielisessä D-rocissa, löytyykö DR:ltä riittävän pitkiä kieliä siihen? Omassa NG2:ssa vähän aiheuttaa harmia dingwallin alkuperäiskielten valitettavan huono saatavuus.
DR:ltä saa Hi-Beamsia Extra Long -pituudessa joka piisaa viitosiinkin, mut ite kyllä preferoin nykyään Dingwallin kieliä hinnan ja soundin puolesta ihan satasella. Ei se oo sen vaikeempaa kun tilaa Thomannila 5 settiä niin saa ilmaset postit. Soundtoolsin tapa hoitaa Dingwallin maahantuontia on kyllä yksi farssi.
Okei! Katos vaan, nyt on tullut thomannillekin kieliä. Joku aika sitten bass buddha oli tyyliin ainoa missä noita oli varastossa, Soundtoolsissa ei oo aikoihin noita näkynyt.
@@villetuukkanen USA:sta saa myös tilattua Paysonin kieliä, ne ei jää mitenkään hirveen kalliiksi jos ottaa esim 4 settiä lähetykseen. Muistaakseni laskeskelin et 42€/setti
Joo oon noista kuullut, ootko päässyt ite kokeileen? Joskus noita oon miettinyt niin saisi vähän paremmin optimoitua kielet eri vireisiin, vaikka aika moneen dingwallin omatkin taipuu.
Great review, I appreciate a lot, that you also cover ecological aspects, which are often overlooked in reviews. In fact I try to avoid to buy anything from China these days. On the other hand the look and sound of this thing is attracting me a lot, especially the classic, somehow timeless design in combination with modern features. So I could use it for Metal, Classic rock and even Pop without looking too misplaced. On the other a new Ibanez BTB Multiscale or a Spector looks very specific Metal. The only thing I missed in the review was a sound-example with finger style.
Thanks a lot! I don't bring up environmental issues a lot since, well, I think it's a bit hypocritical to bring out those issues while being part of the influencer marketing machine designed to sell more gear, but the way Dingwall imports are built is on a whole new level in its inefficiency. The products are great though. I don't usually do a lot of fingerstyle in demos because I suck at it :)
@@Paajanenae Haha, yes, you are a part of the machinery, one last thought about the Dingwall: As a customer I am also shocked by the price-tag. I am not expecting a bass to be so expensive, when it was almost completely made in China. Dingwall is following the same route as Strandberg.
@@DirkRadloff I get that, but on the other hand we as customers really need to get over the "country of origin equals quality" way of thinking 😄 More often these days you get what you pay for, regardless of the country it's built in. It also means the workers are (probably) paid a bit better as well.
Been thinking about getting a D-Roc. However I had a NG3 in aquamarine for 2 years and really didn't like it. I had consistent issues such as the battery cover falling off every gig i played which i eventually lost, the B string saddle just kept slipping which in turn snapped multiple B strings & a personal complaint was the pickups as i didn't like the lack of natural lows on them. I upgraded to an Ibanez BTB605ms which is a fantastic instrument through & through. So my biggest question is this, is the D-Roc much different from the NG series? Cheers!
I had the same issues with my NG3 and all of those problems were solved by moving on to my D-Roc 5. With the D-Roc the pickups are a bit closer to the neck, giving them that natural thick low end with Dingwall grind. And the 5-string D-Roc has their newest solid bridge which solves a lot of the problems with their single saddle bridges.
@@Paajanenae That's good then! I'm glad there's more Bass on the D-Roc pickup configurations. But I am also glad I'm not the only one who was having similar issues with the NG series because I did for a while think mine was the lemon of the batch. And I didn't realise they changed their bridge designs, I've been out of the Dingwall 'circle' since jumping ship 😂, but it's definitely made me consider one a bit more
Great job on the review. Very nicely balanced presentation. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the bass. Have the store email sales or tech and we'll send out a replacement saddle. I assume you'd only need to replace the E-string saddle? Regarding all the transportation. That's a very good point. I'm sure there are lots of locally sourced woods that could be used but I'm not sure customers would support woods they are not familiar with. It's normal for small companies in North America to warehouse and setup their basses in North America. It's really hard to keep an eye on quality control from a distance. I've made a note of the finish polishing up and will see if we can address that with the factory.
Thank you for checking out my work! Regarding the saddles, I actually got an email while editing this video that they're getting replacement saddles from your shop soon, so that's being taken care of :) And yes, all the transportation feels to me like a necessary evil at this point since the woods used on my bass are definitely top tier in their resonance and stability and unlike anything I've seen before on other "import" models.
The satin finish polishing up was almost expected, but it just happened a lot faster than I anticipated. I know a lot of satin finishes do that, but I own a satin finished Warmoth bass that has seen a lot of use from previous owners and me but it still shows no signs of polishing up. Maybe that's something you might want to take a look at if you haven't yet!
Lastly, an enormous thank you for the design of this bass! It's really superb.
I can’t wait to get a Dingwall, and I’m a guitarist 😬
Well, that's a next level way of making sure your customers feel heard! 🤘 You rock!
Brother, can you clear up the 4th pickup position after the mod?
So now you have Bridge+Middle/Middle/J configuration.. and what’s the 4th?
Also you didn’t need to swap out any of the electronics right? Just rewire?
Thank you!
There's no 4th position! I couldn't figure out any that I needed so now I've only got three :)
The original pickup switch is soldered to a PCB so it's not easy to rewire. I had to buy a new 3-position rotating switch and solder it.
Finally an independent review who at least takes up the small nitpicky things cons, and idiosyncrasies on really, all basses. Especially with the comparison of T-bird and D-bird. And the don of neck diving basses, the T-bird. Dingwalls from China are expensive enough to be a stickly and pricky for such things. Now Dingwall, has a lot of other basses that do not neck dive, at all, without a strap, both 5 strings and 6 strings. D-bird neck dives alot without a strap, sitting down. Luckily they have changed the strap button further inwards to the back of the body, but meaning you can only use the Dunlop straplok mechanism.
Also regarding special sets of strings. I wonder why Dingwall hasn't gone on to headless basses, because if they would do that with the 5 string at 37" scale low b-string regular long scale set would fit in without having to hunt down special extra extra long scale sets, while it is just low B string that poses a problem. I have measured, they will fit in like it is nobodies business and you clamp down the low B exactly where it doesn't taper out. Regular scale. This beats me big time.
I like nuanced and tempered reviews, who brings up cons as well as pros. Like this one. One small nitpicking with "3-stuck-together" pickups is like there's very little room for the pick to move, if you pluck your bass with a pick. The pickguard (scratch plate) would be better placed on top of the middle pickup to protect it form pick scratches. I'd rather have the 2 pickuped versions with the middle one removed. There's very little difference between tones sticking them all together like that. For fingering/finger pluck it may make sense, or doesn't get int the way, but definitely for picking.
I actually haven't had any issues with neck dive on my D-Roc, even without the strap! The pickup placement is a bit troublesome for pick players, but at least they're covered :) I also think that the pickups actually have loads of different tones in them, even though they're right next to each other. In the end I wouldn't have it any other way 😄
Re: headless. I saw an interview with Sheldon where he said they were looking at it right before covid hit. With all the factory shutdowns and such it got shelved. I don’t know if they are once again looking at it or if it’s now on permanent shelf.
I like the idea of headless, but I also LOVE my Hipshot de-tuner. Years ago Fury guitars, which was also in Saskatoon, made a drop D tuning bridge for the Tornado bass.
@@WorbyBass Also I've heard that they had problems with 6 string basses "reach" for the tuners at the headstock. Sheldon got the idea that one should keep the headstock but without tuners and just stick the ball ends in there and let the rest go down to headless tuners behind the bridge at the body end. Win-win as you probably would get rid of neck dive too. Like Kubicki basses did, does, but with a larger headstock still.
My D Roc standard was bought on offer at £1200 and what an instrument it is. The pick up tones are versatile...fan frets made no difference to me ..I have the purple/blue colour flip and it always gets comments on how cool it looks. The hardware is top quality. The gig bag is utter quality. The only issue I really have with mine is when I am loading out at the end of a gig I put away my Jazz in hardcase..explorer in hardcase and always have to check the Dingwall is in its case...it's that light...😂😂 However I am recovering from a broken left shoulder and though my jazz is my go to bass...I wouldn't have been able to finish some of the gigs without my Dingwall.... I've had mine for about a year and love it...highly recommended. Great vid. ...oh the only thing I can't get my head round...I have xtenders on all my basses....the smoke chrome hardware on mine looks killer but you can't get an ultralight in smoke chrome only black.... Even Dingwall can't get them....
Come on hipshot get it sorted ...
Never expected such a sad review.
I think I will trade that DRoc for my Jackson JS... It sucks too, but doesnt sound that good as that Droc.
Is the outro music a song that can be found anywhere? Super groovy!
Thank you 🥰 It's not public yet, it's the ending for one of my old demos
One of the coolest body shapes around imo
For sure! Clean lines and a sporty look. I'm not that fond of the 5-string version's looks for some reason tbh
Was really wanting a d-roc, and this has been the best review.
Thank you so much! 🙌🥰
That bass looks phenomenal,
It is!
I have a custom D-Roc 4 and it's by the best bass I've ever played. I love everything about it.
Congrats! Getting a custom D-Roc would be the dream 😍
this is the most real wold review ive seen on the dingwall bases. really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on it on both pros and cons.
also your mod on the pup figuration is quite interesting. i also rarely use my bridge pup and yours is something to consider if i ever get one of these 3 pup beauties (in the distant future lol)
so for clarification you only have 3 positions? (bridge&mid in series + middle solo + outer in parallel) ? what was the 4th if you had one?
Thank you!
Yeah I only have those 3 positions. If I had to choose a 4th one it would propably be either the neck pickup solo or outer pickups in series!
The bridge is the hipshot copy they all tear the hands like no others. I saw that there is some BABICZ monorail version that looks really strange but is not fighting with your hands.
Yeah the Babicz seems like a great option, but it costs a ton and is not a drop-in replacement. Luckily Dingwall sent me a set of their newer saddles which are much more rounded and should fix the issue :)
@@Paajanenae for free? nice....
Yeah, my dealer got them for me as a warranty fix.
This is probably the most practical and hence useful bass review I have ever seen. And I've seen a few. Respect!
Oh wow, thank you so much! 🥰
I was considering it but I hate those specific strap locks so it’s a no for me.
Really good review! I have an Ng2 and have torn the skin on the little finger so many times on the saddle that I now have built up super thick skin there. haha did not know that you could order new more rounded parts. I was in the process of filing them myself but it has not happened.
Haha, I know that feel 😅 Maybe you still can get those changed? I think Dingwall offers a 3-year warranty period so it might still be in that :) And thanks! 💜
Killer video! I have 5 string version and agree with you on most things.
I like the pickup option mod you did. Not sure why those are not the standard for this bass. Great playing.
Thank you! These might be the best tones I've gotten out of any bass :) I think they wanted it to have more of a traditional TB-sound and feel, hence the all pickups on mode
Thanks for this very thorough review. All bass overviews should have all the angles you've thought to add - the things we all find out usually after we buy a new bass. The D-Roc is quite unique for sure. Thanks from the Canadian East Coast.
I demonstrated this same thing at 15:02 with an Ibanez EHB for someone who didn't understand why it was headless, and the same thing happened to my instrument... except it fell forward straight into a desk. I had never been more heartbroken in my life, and I was dumped by my highschool girlfriend a month after graduation. 😂😂😭
Great video, by the way!
Yes, my Ibanez has a crater in it the size of the Grand Canyon.
Oooffff that stings 😂 Though the first dings always hurt the most, after that it's just road worn, right? 😆
@@Paajanenae Yessir! I just hoped any damage would have happened in a much cooler way. 😆
Low riders are amazing
How you finding the upper fret access now that you have had more time to get used to it? Something that guys can get accustomed to and be able to reach the notes they need (at moderate speed) without having to call upon some new super hand powers? xD
Honestly I haven't ran into that too much. Sometimes when trying to play a solo I have to reach some strange positions to get the notes I want, but not too often. Live I tend to live below the 14th fret.
Get a Zon, way better bass!
i got a korean one like in the 2 digit serial number. IT's wierd because everywhere it says it is made in china on internet and their website but its clearly written Korea behind mine. Its a bit different like the nut and bridge is totaly different but its the 5 string version and same exact color and im so satisfied and my band too love it mroe than my 5 string p bass. It's such an impressive tone coming from a passive bass its so awesome.
Interesting! From what I understand there have been several iterations of the original Combustion series, why not with these as well.
this man is simply BEST reviewer on the market. Its like review + relax + ASMR + culture
Wow, thanks! I'll be making more D-Roc related videos soon 💜
Vittu miten douppi riffi alussa!
Doupit riffit on mun forté 😎
Can you please confirm that a 5 string set of DR Hi Beams are wound long enough to fit a 4 string D-Roc in BEAD?
Yes! Any standard DR set is enough for 4-string Dingwalls. I use Lo-Riders personally
Strings @ 1:53
Nice review. Can you achieve à justin chancellor tone with this dingwall?
The second pickup position is a great starting point for that, definitely possible!
Hey man! I have a black d-roc standard. The only problem with this is that the neck pocket is not perfect so I had to adjust the neck screws a little to make the neck in line with the instrument's center line. I have a question for you. Did you just modified stock pickup selector switch or replace it with new one? I'd like to get rid of the middle pickup soloed to get neck and bridge together. Also, I live in Kazakhstan and this bass was 1368.9 euros for me and I'm super happy with it! And I also use DR Strings 120-60))) great playing, great sound! Good luck to you!!!
Hey fellow D-Rocker! I replaced the stock selector with a new one. The Dingwall selectors are wired on a PCB so there's pretty much no modding that.
Con 5 lol
You got over your "Dingwall aversion"? Do you mean you got a job xD
Price was just one of the many reasons!
Amazing demo man! Hope I can play one of these beutiful Dingwalls one day :D
You should! Luckily they're becoming more and more common :)
What a great review! Not a lot of people make an accent on the cons 🙂 I tried NG2 some years ago and have my own opinion about this bass 🙂 I even did a comparison test. Dingwall isn't a panacea I have to say 🙂 Btw thanx again for your review mate! 👍
Thank you! I honestly think this bass solves a lot of problems with the traditional designs a most modern basses still use. It does have its own minor issues as well but that's just to be expected, no bass is perfect :)
I enjoyed your review, but I disagree with some of your criticisms. It's obvious that this is not a 24 fret two-handed tapping kind of bass. It's a money-fret bass with killer tones and looks, so expecting unrestricted upper fret access is probably not realistic. Dingwall makes plenty of models for that style of playing. As far as the matte finish becoming polished by your arm, that's just what matte finishes do. In the same way that a gloss finish can become matte with wear, so does a matte become glossy. The only difference is it's not so easy as throwing some polish on it to restore the original matte finish. I just look at it as a sign that you're doing what you're supposed to do with that bass...playing it.
Thanks for checking out my work! I actually kinda agree with your criticisms here. I don't really expect every bass to have unrestricted 24 fret access - I actually don't own any basses that go past 21 frets - but having the neck joint extend all the way to the 13th fret is really unusual and something that needs to be said :)
And yes, most matte finishes become polished fast and it's almost to be expected but the speed that this happened surprised me. Bear in mind that I've only owned this bass for a few months and I also do have other basses that I play. That being said, Warmoth makes a satin finish on their bodies that unbelievably doesn't get glossy at all! The sunburst bass I own has seen at least three earlier owners and has been with me since early March and it still shows no signs of polishing.
Calm down Dingwall fanboy
Great and fair review! The kind of review that would be more frequently welcome on UA-cam 👍 And your tone is still a killer one!
Thank you! I have a few reviews in the works and this is really something I like doing, so expect more! Hopefully soon :)
Fascinating review. Thanks.
I've been GASing for one these for a while now. :)
I can give you the green light :) Apart from the upper fret access it's a superb instrument that forever ruined any other offset-style bass for me!
I’d love to know what your signal path is. Love your tone.
Thanks! I'll put a video out soon describing it in more detail, but for now you can find the pedals I use on any of my other videos :)
@@Paajanenaethanks, this is the first vid I’ve seen. I followed.
Hi, can you please share your wiring diagram if you have it?
I don't unfortunately, but here's what I've got:
All pickups wired in series internally
Pos. 1: Bridge & Neck in Parallel
Pos. 2: Bridge & Middle in Series (doesn't sound good but haven't gotten around to change it)
Pos. 3: Middle solo
@@PaajanenaeThank you
Dude, how are all the commenters saying how amazing this review is and how they bought one?? 75% of this review is about all the negatives...I actually don't want one anymore. Thanks for talking me out of it lol!
Hahah I don't think this was a negative review but a positive one while also being realistic about the flaws in the instrument 😄 If it helps, I've now used this for a bit under two years and it's my go-to bass
@@Paajanenae Obstructed upper range access and hitting the pickups are two major deal breakers. Looking at Kiesels now :) Would have liked to hear more sound samples too. Thanks anyway!
@@mcdeepend Hahah yeah I can see how those can be annoying! I've chosen to deal with these for the tones and playability these instruments offer, but hope you find what suits you! 🙏
@@Paajanenae played the Combustion at NAMM today and that’s the one for me 🤘🏼
Where are the d-roc standards made?
These days both 5 and 4-string standards are made in china. For a period the 5-string D-Roc Standards were made in Korea, but that changed last year. In addition to my own MIK 5-string I've had the chance to set up a MIC 5-string and there wasn't any differences.
Nice review.
Nice review! Although, when the bass tipped forward I nearly had a heart attack! 😄
Good review. Great tone! Are you using a distortion or overdrive pedal? Very heavy!
Waiting on my D-roc to come in. Have 2 other Dings. Thanks for the review.
I really love how much you've covered in this video ! so informative and detailed. This motivates me to make more great review videos too, and is a good reference.
Just got my DRoc,. Love it
Superb!
ahhhhh en ymmärrä mitään bassoista mutta nautin alusta loppuun
Kamarunq ei katso instrumenttia :--D
Moro! Hyvän ja kattavan arvion teit ja on mukava kuulla muidenkin mielipiteitä tästä kyseisestä bassosta. Itselläni on tuo sama basso blue to purple-värisenä ollut käytössä nyt noin 9kk ja on kyllä ehdottomasti paras basso jolla olen koskaan soittanut💪
Soundipaletista olen löytänyt jokaiseen tarkoitukseen sopivat soundit, mutta oma suosikki on juurikin keskimikki yksinään.
Ainut asia jota olen säätänyt omasta on tuo mainittu mikkien korkeus, jotka olivat kiinni kielissä, niinkuin tuossa sinunkin yksilössäsi. Soundtoolsista ihmettelivät, että eivät joutuneet säätämään siitä yhtään mitään, kun se saapui Kanadasta ensin heille ja siitä sitten minulle.
Omistin aiemmin Gibson Thunderbirdin ja jos vertaa sitä D-Rociin, niin ne ovat aivan eri planeetalta mitä tulee soitettavuuteen, ergonomiaan ja soundien monipuolisuuteen. Thunderbirdissäkään ei tahdo ylettyä ylemmille nauhoille kaulaliitoksen ja kaulan kiinnityskohdan takia, mutta en ole kokenut sitä ongelmaksi, kun en käytä itse niin korkeita nuotteja omassa soitossa.
Omasta mielestä Thunderbird on mallina hienoin bassomalli ikinä, mutta Dingwall on vienyt sen toiselle tasolle D-Rocin kanssa.
Ei muuta kuin kovaa soittoa🤟
Kiva kuulla muidenkin kokemuksia! Tätä on tarvinnut kyllä hämmästyttävän vähän säätää, mitä nyt kaularautaa silloin tällöin virepelleilyiden takia. Ehdottomasti muotoilultaan ja tyyliltään aivan huippuinstrumentti!
@@Paajanenae Kyllä, juurikin näin ja omasta mielestä Thunderbird- mallinen basso on parhaimmillaan plektralla soitettuna kunnon säröllä varustettuna ja mahdollisimman alhaalla hihnassa roikkuen😎
i just ordered the 5 string blue to purple shift :D i played the 4 yesterday and felt great.
Congrats on the NBD someday soon! The colorshift paints look so cool in pictures I've seen 🤩
@@Paajanenae its apparently over a year wait lmao but yeah cant wait
@@cavetroll666 Oh damn, I heard they are jam packed right now but that's really something 😅
@@Paajanenae i live in canada and im tempted to just fly to Saskatchewan and offer cash to speed the process up XD
@@cavetroll666 Hahaha, nice one :DD
Great video, thanks so much. Love the look and sound of this bass.
What a piece of art
It truly is! I love how Dingwall treats their lines
I'm just starting to learn about Dingwall and from what I understand they are a Canadian Company. I noticed a made in China sticker on the back of the head stock. Did Dingwall sell or are they a Canadian Company still and all manufacturing is done in China? Thanks for the review!
Dingwall has essentially two series of instruments, the Import series which are made in China or Korea (depending on the model) from American raw materials and go through a full fretjob and setup at the Dingwall factory in Canada. Those include the NG2 & NG3, Combustion models, the D-Roc Standard and some signature models, prices range from 1600-2900€.
Then we have the Custom Shop series which are entirely made in Canada with a lot of customisation options. The models include the Afterburner, D-Roc Custom, Z, Lee Sklar and the Prima Artist. Prices start at around 4000€ and only go up from there.
@@Paajanenae Very cool! Thank you so much for the info.
Excellent review. I've ordered a blue/Purple colorshift. Could your perhaps share the wiring diagram for How to solder the selector to get rid of the "all on" mode, and get the outer pickups, neck/bridge like you did?
Kiitos from Ruotsi
Glad you like it! If you want to do the mod yourself, the easiest way to achieve that would be to order a Dingwall 3X switch from a dealer that stocks those. I believe Bassdirect at UK has had those. I had mine done custom so I can't unfortunately help with that :)
@@Paajanenae Allright! Thanks for the pointer! Cheers
Mainitsit että käytät DR:n kieliä tässä bassossa. Mites tuossa 5-kielisessä D-rocissa, löytyykö DR:ltä riittävän pitkiä kieliä siihen? Omassa NG2:ssa vähän aiheuttaa harmia dingwallin alkuperäiskielten valitettavan huono saatavuus.
DR:ltä saa Hi-Beamsia Extra Long -pituudessa joka piisaa viitosiinkin, mut ite kyllä preferoin nykyään Dingwallin kieliä hinnan ja soundin puolesta ihan satasella. Ei se oo sen vaikeempaa kun tilaa Thomannila 5 settiä niin saa ilmaset postit. Soundtoolsin tapa hoitaa Dingwallin maahantuontia on kyllä yksi farssi.
Okei! Katos vaan, nyt on tullut thomannillekin kieliä. Joku aika sitten bass buddha oli tyyliin ainoa missä noita oli varastossa, Soundtoolsissa ei oo aikoihin noita näkynyt.
@@villetuukkanen USA:sta saa myös tilattua Paysonin kieliä, ne ei jää mitenkään hirveen kalliiksi jos ottaa esim 4 settiä lähetykseen. Muistaakseni laskeskelin et 42€/setti
Joo oon noista kuullut, ootko päässyt ite kokeileen? Joskus noita oon miettinyt niin saisi vähän paremmin optimoitua kielet eri vireisiin, vaikka aika moneen dingwallin omatkin taipuu.
@@villetuukkanen En oo vielä testannut mutta aikomuksena olisi!
Great review, I appreciate a lot, that you also cover ecological aspects, which are often overlooked in reviews. In fact I try to avoid to buy anything from China these days. On the other hand the look and sound of this thing is attracting me a lot, especially the classic, somehow timeless design in combination with modern features. So I could use it for Metal, Classic rock and even Pop without looking too misplaced. On the other a new Ibanez BTB Multiscale or a Spector looks very specific Metal. The only thing I missed in the review was a sound-example with finger style.
Thanks a lot! I don't bring up environmental issues a lot since, well, I think it's a bit hypocritical to bring out those issues while being part of the influencer marketing machine designed to sell more gear, but the way Dingwall imports are built is on a whole new level in its inefficiency. The products are great though.
I don't usually do a lot of fingerstyle in demos because I suck at it :)
@@Paajanenae Haha, yes, you are a part of the machinery, one last thought about the Dingwall: As a customer I am also shocked by the price-tag. I am not expecting a bass to be so expensive, when it was almost completely made in China. Dingwall is following the same route as Strandberg.
@@DirkRadloff I get that, but on the other hand we as customers really need to get over the "country of origin equals quality" way of thinking 😄 More often these days you get what you pay for, regardless of the country it's built in. It also means the workers are (probably) paid a bit better as well.
Complains about the transportation of materials, yet still buys it.
It's possible to acknowledge the negatives in something while still participating in it 😄
@@Paajanenae - we are human after all, 👍
Been thinking about getting a D-Roc. However I had a NG3 in aquamarine for 2 years and really didn't like it. I had consistent issues such as the battery cover falling off every gig i played which i eventually lost, the B string saddle just kept slipping which in turn snapped multiple B strings & a personal complaint was the pickups as i didn't like the lack of natural lows on them. I upgraded to an Ibanez BTB605ms which is a fantastic instrument through & through. So my biggest question is this, is the D-Roc much different from the NG series? Cheers!
I had the same issues with my NG3 and all of those problems were solved by moving on to my D-Roc 5. With the D-Roc the pickups are a bit closer to the neck, giving them that natural thick low end with Dingwall grind. And the 5-string D-Roc has their newest solid bridge which solves a lot of the problems with their single saddle bridges.
@@Paajanenae That's good then! I'm glad there's more Bass on the D-Roc pickup configurations. But I am also glad I'm not the only one who was having similar issues with the NG series because I did for a while think mine was the lemon of the batch. And I didn't realise they changed their bridge designs, I've been out of the Dingwall 'circle' since jumping ship 😂, but it's definitely made me consider one a bit more
@@Ieuan_Nicholls03 Yeah the D-Roc 5 was the first model with the nee bridge, since then they've also offered it in the John Taylor model as well.
@@Paajanenae well the more you know hey! but thank you for your honesty
For the $ get an older Zon, it’s night and day. Quality and sound is much much better.
You lost me when I saw the "Made in China" sticker on the back...good luck and rock on!