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Dingwall Z3 5 string bass
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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None indicated
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10.0
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Description:
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Novax fanned scale (37" B - 34" G)
Dual density ash body
Double top facing (quilted maple top on wenge facing) on both body and headstock
Maple neck (3 piece - graphite reinforced)
Wenge fretboard with abalone bars (a la Lee Sklar)
24 Banjo frets
3 Super Fatties pickups
Special wiring circuit
Volume, pickup blend pot, mid, high, bass
Aguilar OP-3 preamp (18V)
Active/passive switch
Mid frequency selector
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Author
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fullrangebass
Registered User
Registered: May 2005
Location: Europe
Posts: 3606
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Review Date: Sat August 30, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Regal tone to cater all users. Most versatile bass ever
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Cons:
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None
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Sheldon Dingwall needs no introduction in the world of bass. His basses have been amongst the very few being constantly on the cutting edge of the electric bass, in terms of design, ergonomics, playability and, most important, TONE.
His current models are the Super J 4 (and Super PJ 4), Super J 5, the AB I, the AB II, the Z1, the Z2, the Z3 and the Prima Artist
The Z1 is the forefront of the Ash/maple reverent tonal approach. The Z2 is the Dingwall approach of the MM bold tonal statement (and then some). So the Z3 would be as easy as adding the Z1 with the Z2; NOT
Sheldon has utmost respect for himself, his designs and his customers. He never allows anything to exit the workshop that may not satisfy him 1000% as a player and customer.
Not resting on his laurels, Sheldon had been on the works for the Z3 design for more than 3yrs before the Z3 release, always trying to improve on the already true, tried and tested designs of his Z1 and Z2.
Getting down to the actual Z3 that I hold in my hands:
It is a custom work along the lines of Sheldon’s incredible pieces of functional high end art. Many details have been requested by me but I’ve allowed Sheldon to take initiative and mutually, so he could create another unique bass.
The wood choices, for the Z3 design, follow my Z1’s and Z2’s line of woods: a dual density ash body, with a double top: a wenge under-top and a quilt maple top. The neck is a 3-piece graphite reinforced, two-octave, 24 (banjo) fret maple neck with wenge fingerboard. The fingerboard has abalone bars arranged in an arc (a la Lee Sklar) with an abalone D inlay on the 12th fret. Side abalone markers aid visual reference as well as a touch a luxury. Last but not least is the double veneered matching headstock. Very classy and elegant touches indeed. I did not want a B string de-tuner, so that was an option I did not materialize.
Many other options are available regarding the top and fingerboard woods as well as markers. Hardware wise, I went with what Sheldon suggests for his Z and Prima models (have not experienced any problems from my 10yrs as a Dingwall customer, as well as I have not experienced anything better in any other of my 60+ high end basses, so here it goes)
Now, getting to the electronics: One would think that Sheldon would just route a Z2 pickup configuration, add the neck pickup route of the Z1 and…viola the Z3. WRONG. Sheldon was working on a new set of pickups to take another bold step forward in the pickups front: the Super Fatties. Though they look slim in the eye (compared with the FD’s), but they sure don’t sound thin tone-wise. They come from the J front of pickups: nicely defined mids with big bass and great highs. There is another trick under the hood: They are switchable between parallel and series. The preamp still stays the same: Aguilar OBP-3 (with switchable mids and active/passive option too)
A major difference compared with previous Dingwall electronics setup is the removal of the BluEQube from the circuit (a circuit that was removing some of the lovely sparkling highs to achieve a more “traditional” bass tone). The reason for this removal is the switchable state of the pickups achieving the same tone in the series setting.
My FRB Z3 has few tricks under the hood, yet I will only elaborate on what goes on in the “production” model. My FRB Z3 is capable of achieving every bit of the production Z3 options, yet it has more options than one could imagine or care to reveal.
The controls are 5 pots [Vol (being a push/pull doubles as a passive/active switch), 4-pos rotary switch, highs, mids, bass) and 3 switches [parallel/series switching for each one of the pickups].
The 4pos rotary switch allows choosing the following:
Pos 1 (most counter-clockwise): Bridge pickup solo-ed
Pos 2 (next one): the bridge and middle pickups in series (a la MM)
Pos 3 (next one): The bridge and neck pickups in parallel configuration. And finally
Pos 4 (most clockwise): the neck pickup solo-ed.
So we have four options in a very easy configuration. Each of the four options serve as a platform to achieve more tonal possibilities (by using the parallel/series switching for each pickup). And that’s without even going active or to the EQ section.
Next step in the review is the real world test: How does it really feel and sound?
No doubt, the Z3 feels and plays great, strapped or sitting. Top notch design and construction results to perfect ergonomics and playability (I have yet to encounter a Dingwall that doesn’t feel great and I’ve owned close to 30 while I’ve played close to 40 Dingwalls for sure).
And the TONE?
The Z3 is really a different step compared with the Z1 and Z2, the main reason being the Super Fatties pickups. The tone is different, more mid perfect and mid orientated. The lows are big and clear (it’s a Dingwall, of course) and the highs are more singing with more body but less high-end analysis that becomes apparent when playing the very low notes on the E and B strings (compared with the FD’s, that is). What about the mids? If you think of a dreamy J tone and raise the bar few notches up then you have the tone of the Super Fatties. The switching possibilities increase the tone potential to nearly endless possibilities (esp if you go into active and use the EQ).
Initially, the Z3 was offered with seven switching possibilities (the 4pos rotary switch and switching possibilities for the neck and mid pickups). Now that all 3 pickups offer parallel/series settings, the possibilities are 12 (!!!). The combinations fit a variety of applications (most players don’t need more than 4-5 of them, while some others will be in heaven by using many more or even all of them).
A rough guide of the tones available:
Pos 1 (most counter-clockwise): Bridge pickup solo-ed may be J style or hot J style
Pos 2 (next one): the bridge and middle pickups in series (a la MM) with four options: Sweet (both in parallel), Bright (bridge in series and middle pickup being in parallel), Punchy (bridge in parallel and middle pickup being in series setting) and Growly (both in series)
Pos 3 (next one): The bridge and neck pickups in parallel configuration, with another four options available: J combo Sweet (both in parallel), J combo hot bridge (bridge is in series and neck is in parallel; bright tone), J combo Punchy (bridge is in parallel and neck is in series; punchy) and J combo hot/hot (both bridge and neck pickups are in series). And finally
Pos 4 (most clockwise): the neck pickup solo-ed with another two options: Sweet J (parallel setting) and Fat J (series setting).
Does the new Z3 make the Z1 and Z2 obsolete? No way. The Z1 and Z2 have more growl and clarity in the bass and treble regions while the Z3 has more pronounced mids, more body in the notes, but less high end definition when playing the very low notes on the E and B strings.
I’ve rehearsed, gigged and recorded with my FRB Z3. I can only say it was worth the wait and the price
Well done Sheldon
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Life not understood (apprehended) is life not truly lived.
First you need to feel what you want to be, and then you need to be what you want to feel
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fullrangebass
Registered User
Registered: May 2005
Location: Europe
Posts: 3606
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Review Date: Wed April 29, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 0
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Pros:
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Most versatile tone ever!!!
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Cons:
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None
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Following my original review of the Z3, my only reservation was the relatively reduced clarity of the B and E strings compared with my other high-end Dingwalls (relating to the original Super Fatties pickups). Very full and nice tone but not up to the standard of the other Prima Artists or Zs that I own (hands on personal experience is the most valid variable when comparing).
Sheldon Dingwall took notice of the remark I made and evolved the design of the SF pickups. I only replaced the old SF pickups with the new design last weekend and I was pleasantly surprised. The singing mids of the original SF pickups were combined with the clarity and amazing detail of the Prima Artist pickups. The result is a breathtaking freshness of mid-detailed singing tone with the added trademark Dingwall clarity of the low notes.
The Z3 has immediately risen to the top 5 list of my Dingwall (and not only Dingwall) herd
Well done Sheldon for delivering the most versatile and most tone satisfying bass. Thank you
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Life not understood (apprehended) is life not truly lived.
First you need to feel what you want to be, and then you need to be what you want to feel
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