I had talked a lot over the past nine or ten months about buying a retirement bass. I had leaned a lot towards Sadowsky, but price hikes that have made virtually all Metroline models over $4K really soured me on going that route. Fret Nation had the John Taylor Dingwalls on sale for $2,245, and I said that will work.
When I first got the bass, I was super impressed by the build quality. I have not owned a bass this nice since I used Ken Smith and Modulus basses back in the Nineties. The finish of the neck and the fretwork, plus the hardware are top notch. There is no need to upgrade anything on this instrument. It is a bit over 9lbs and pretty comfortable to wear on a strap or carry in its case.
The 37” scale has been very manageable. I am not 100% used to the fanned frets, but I will get there. Up to the 20 fret, I find all five strings equally accessible. Between 20-24 frets, the A, D, G, string most easily accessible. B&E can be more of a challenge. I think my post 65 gut expansion is the biggest culprit.
The sound is wonderful! The rotary pickup selection is the best system I have ever used. The single bridge pickup, faux Stingray, and Jazz tones are excellent. The single neck pickup setting will not satisfy P-bass aficionados, but it will be OK for the less demanding.
This is my ride off into the sunset bass. That’s really cool because I am tired of looking, plus I have found myself really self conscious checking out gear amongst so many great players who could be my grand kids when I go to GC.
Last edited:
