Nightmare NBD - Dingwall NG3

MackieFX

MackieFX

Experienced
I was so excited to receive this, on inspection my heart was broken - gone see what the shop says


Paint chip in truss cavity
Worn/scratched frets
Neck pocket tolerance

IMG_20210615_120737.jpgIMG_20210615_120751.jpgIMG_20210615_120756.jpgIMG_20210615_120836.jpgIMG_20210615_120841.jpgScreenshot 2021-06-15 at 14.00.02.png
 
Last edited:
I lightly polished a fret with a fret rubber and it removed some surface scratches and shined up quite nice. There are still some flat 'looking' frets but there is no buzz/dead notes going on. I might end up just keeping this.
 
The paint chip or the body fit, I wouldn't sweat, but the fret scratches were
pretty bad. What was the price point on this? If it was a high end, then yes,
QC was amiss. If it plays & sounds good, just go with it. But agreed, QC isn't
what it used to be.
 
Bummer about the flaws but mine has the same issues and it’s wonderful to play and sounds great! Dingwall has some voodoo going on as they can be set up with low action without buzz and are easy to play with those low frets. Absolutely amazing instruments!
 
I just did a quick search of Dingwall basses and it looks like the cheapest ones on the used market are around $2k. Knowing that, personally I would return the bass and have a replacement sent out. That neck pocket, the fret finish, and the paint chip are all untenable things to receive on a new $2k+ guitar(to me). Now if you got it refurbished or used for a great price and don't mind dropping it off at the tech for some repairs that's understandable but if it's new this really sucks. I'm sorry that you got such a poor Dingwall and hope that the seller works with you to make it right.
 
jljesse said:
I just did a quick search of Dingwall basses and it looks like the cheapest ones on the used market are around $2k. Knowing that, personally I would return the bass and have a replacement sent out. That neck pocket, the fret finish, and the paint chip are all untenable things to receive on a new $2k+ guitar(to me). Now if you got it refurbished or used for a great price and don't mind dropping it off at the tech for some repairs that's understandable but if it's new this really sucks. I'm sorry that you got such a poor Dingwall and hope that the seller works with you to make it right.
Click to expand...
Yeah I paid €2000 for this - Ill know tomorrow how the seller is going to proceed. It was a reputable shop so I hope it gets sorted
 
That is disappointing. I know that instruments will vary, and are unique. If that's a used or refurb instrument, it will have some imperfections. If it's new (even if it's a "B" stock model), there is no excuse for that kind of sloppiness. All of my instruments are used. I use them. They have minor scuffs, dings, and fret wear. But when I bought my $3K Strandberg as a brand-new guitar, I had every right to expect it to arrive in immaculate condition, with perfect frets, and a perfect setup. And it did. And now it's a used guitar that I've slobbered and sweated on :) But if I ever sold it, I'd provide excruciatingly detailed photos of every possible imperfection as an act of transparency to the buyer. If those imperfections on your bass were not disclosed, then the seller acted dishonorably (to put it politely).
 
MackieFX said:
The shop got back to me this morning, they offered me a return and exchange or refund - Ive asked them to order me a brand new one as this was obviously a display model or something
Click to expand...
I'm happy to hear this. Please post pics and first impressions when you receive the replacement.
 
I really love the dingwall sound (best DI sound ever) but I´ve heard from a couple of owners and big name studio producers that they were very surprised at how "cheap" they felt.
 
That kind of fretwear is 100% normal on (used) Dingwalls, FYI. In fact, it's pretty normal on multi-scale basses as a whole. It was a big "controversy" when more people started getting into them and thought it was a problem. Lots of hot heads from owners, and multiple people (Sheldon Dingwall among them) stepped in to steer things in the right direction. The initial wear like you see will show up quickly, but, the frets are fine.

The rest of that looks like someone, somewhere, tried to do their own "setup" on it and failed miserably. I've owned multiple Chinese Dingwalls (and presently own 6 Canadian made ones), and none had any issues like that, though mine all came straight from the shop in Canada, they didn't hang around for random people to play etc. The Canadian ones are a step above.

I'm curious, too, about what someone means by "feeling cheap". My initial assumption is they are somehow thinking due to their lightweight (often, but not always), that they are somehow "cheap".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom