Has anyone experienced a Dingwall Super J? How did you like it? did you like the sound/tone of it? how does it compare to other dingwall models?
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Dingwall Super J, comments on tone/playability/feel/anything else relevant to bass?
- Thread starter rob_the_bassist
- Start date
1. Yes
2. Damn fine jazz bass - yes, very.
3. No complaints - I love good jazz basses.
4. Very different. Sounds like a jazz vs a typical soap barred active bass. Apples and oranges.
2. Damn fine jazz bass - yes, very.
3. No complaints - I love good jazz basses.
4. Very different. Sounds like a jazz vs a typical soap barred active bass. Apples and oranges.
do you feel that after playing a fanned fret instrument, it is hard to go back to a fretless non-fanned fretboard?
The Groove Shoppe has one. I played it and it sounds like a jazz bass on steroids. You can get a nice smooth tone or a real growly aggressive tone out of it. It doesn't do the vintage thing but who would buy a Dingwall for the Vintage thing anyway. The neck is one of the most comfortable necks I have ever played. I am a P guy but it is a great bass.
Just my 2 cents
Just my 2 cents
Not at all. Take 5 minutes to get used to from the 15th fret up. I guess, if you do a bunch of crazy chordal stuff beyond might take a few hours to weeks to adjust.
ok cool, i'm just worried my intonation on the fretless would be hampered by the use of a fanned fret bass
Benjamin Strange
Commercial User
- Dec 25, 2002
- 9,737
- 310
- 49
- Disclosures
- Owner / Tech: Strange Guitarworks
My two main instruments are a modified Dingwall Super J and a modified Steinberger XM2 fretless. I have no problem going back and forth between the two.
Previous to the Dingwall, I never cared for Jazz basses. I felt that the necks were too thin and the tone was too grindy - yet the Super J has become one of my main gigging basses. The neck is super comfortable, and the tone isn't grindy at all. The tone isn't as vintage sounding as my friend's 70s J, but it's got more low end and sounds smoother.
Complaints? The tone is a little too smooth, and I feel could stand a bit more midrange. I had to add a string tree to the headstock as the two high strings didn't have enough tension across the nut (Sheldon Dingwall has told me they have fixed this - mine's a very early version). The finish is perfect, and very strong, so it won't wear in and look like a beat up old Jazz bass 20 years from now (if you're into that sort of thing). The seams on the plys in the neck can be felt, which is most likely just the wood swelling a bit in the New Orleans humidity (this can be fixed with some sanding, I just haven't gotten around to it).
All in all, I'd have to say it's a damn fine bass. I've already managed to gut the electronics and replace it with a single toggle switch, and added the string tree, but I can't see doing much more to improve it. It balances well, sounds good, looks killer. My only concern at this point is that I will have to do a fret job on it at some point in the not too distant future, and I've never done a fanned fret job before. Honestly, once the frets are dead, I may just ask Sheldon for a fretless neck to replace this one. Simply a great instrument, and I don't think you can go wrong with one.
Previous to the Dingwall, I never cared for Jazz basses. I felt that the necks were too thin and the tone was too grindy - yet the Super J has become one of my main gigging basses. The neck is super comfortable, and the tone isn't grindy at all. The tone isn't as vintage sounding as my friend's 70s J, but it's got more low end and sounds smoother.
Complaints? The tone is a little too smooth, and I feel could stand a bit more midrange. I had to add a string tree to the headstock as the two high strings didn't have enough tension across the nut (Sheldon Dingwall has told me they have fixed this - mine's a very early version). The finish is perfect, and very strong, so it won't wear in and look like a beat up old Jazz bass 20 years from now (if you're into that sort of thing). The seams on the plys in the neck can be felt, which is most likely just the wood swelling a bit in the New Orleans humidity (this can be fixed with some sanding, I just haven't gotten around to it).
All in all, I'd have to say it's a damn fine bass. I've already managed to gut the electronics and replace it with a single toggle switch, and added the string tree, but I can't see doing much more to improve it. It balances well, sounds good, looks killer. My only concern at this point is that I will have to do a fret job on it at some point in the not too distant future, and I've never done a fanned fret job before. Honestly, once the frets are dead, I may just ask Sheldon for a fretless neck to replace this one. Simply a great instrument, and I don't think you can go wrong with one.
thanks a lot, i appreciate the response.
i am looking into a super j 5 string with rosewood fingerboard and white perloid blocks. that would totally kick..
but i'm very glad that going back and forth between the two (fanned fret and fretless) isn't a problem.
i am looking into a super j 5 string with rosewood fingerboard and white perloid blocks. that would totally kick..
but i'm very glad that going back and forth between the two (fanned fret and fretless) isn't a problem.
To me, the pups are slightly scooped. I turn up the mids on my amp a bit and it sounds right - a bit less "smooth".
natselection,
I have a Dingwall ABII that is my main fretted bass and also have several fretless basses (conventional 34" scale). No problem switching between (as long as you put in enough practice time on the fretless).
I know I wouldn't want to tackle a fanned fretless, lines or not.
I have a Dingwall ABII that is my main fretted bass and also have several fretless basses (conventional 34" scale). No problem switching between (as long as you put in enough practice time on the fretless).
I know I wouldn't want to tackle a fanned fretless, lines or not.
You shouldn't have any problem Natselection going back and forth between FF and parallel. Of course you won't want to play parallel basses after you go fanned. I bought a Fanned Fretless ABII-5 after I bought an ABII-5. I sold all my parallel fretted basses.
Benjamin what's up with your frets? You just got that bass w/in the last 1.5 years IIRC.
Benjamin what's up with your frets? You just got that bass w/in the last 1.5 years IIRC.
Playing a fanned fretless is not as hard as you might think. Incredible mwah in the bridge position w/the Aggie bass boosted. You can also get a cool stand up type tone when plucked over the end of the neck.
I'd like to retrofit the bridge PU's to MachII's for more lower mid presence similar to an SR5.
Benjamin I think you would benefit from a MachII bridge PU in your SJ.
IMHO and IME the Super J nails the 60's thumpy J sound and then some (vintage area here but definitely not dated or boring). It is very easy to play and very consistent tone-wise. It's really apples and oranges compared to the rest of the Dingwalls.
Benjamin Strange
Commercial User
- Dec 25, 2002
- 9,737
- 310
- 49
- Disclosures
- Owner / Tech: Strange Guitarworks
Well, I play music for a living, and usually our sets are about 4 hours long, so I put a lot of wear on my frets. They are fine for now, but I imagine I will have to refret it before too long.
I've installed a MachII in the bridge - it does sound great. The overall sound of the Super J is a little scooped, but I don't have any major complaints. It's a great bass.
I don't own a Dingwall, but think the P/J Super J I tried is the best bass I've ever played. The P-bass tone was simply fantastic, and I got used to the fanned frets in about 20 seconds. It's the only boutique J-type I've tried that, IMO, exists on an entirely different plane of excellence than my Fender. And it was no problem to switch back to the parallel fret basses, though they felt primitive in comparison! I really wish I'd bought it, especially with the price increase since then (summer 2006).
I requested stainless steel mando frets on my last 2 ABII-5's but Sheldon wouldn't do it. That's why my 2nd ABII is a fretless.
Did you notice more lower mids in the machII?
Benjamin Strange
Commercial User
- Dec 25, 2002
- 9,737
- 310
- 49
- Disclosures
- Owner / Tech: Strange Guitarworks
I requested stainless steel mando frets on my last 2 ABII-5's but Sheldon wouldn't do it. That's why my 2nd ABII is a fretless.
Did you notice more lower mids in the machII?
Yes, it certainly has more low mids, but I think it's still lacks a bit of bite and growl like other Js have. The neck pickup is especially scooped sounding, and seems to lack a bit of character. I'm going to try to fool with my pickup heights today and see if I can coax some more tone out of them.
