CameronJ Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 (edited) About a week and a half ago I acquired my first Dingwall. A Super PZ5 - the Z apparently denotes the optional Swamp Ash body but from now on I’ll just call it a Super P. I’ve deliberately waited a little while before writing this review as I didn’t want the thrill of New Bass Day to cloud my judgement and result in an overly gushing writeup. Having said that... This bass is a real keeper. Dingwall have taken a good hard look at the classic P bass and really made it their own, whilst absolutely honouring the things which made the original so great. The body shape is totally familiar but it’s a few millimetres thinner than you’d see normally, with a few subtle contours and carves which all shave the weight down. Oh and the Swamp Ash helps too. These body adjustments and the Hipshot Ultralite hardware all add up to making this thing a seriously light instrument at 7lbs 14oz. The electronics are all Dingwall’s own - with the tone of the pickup being modelled on (I believe) one of Sheldon Dingwall’s favourite Precisions, but with a Neodymium magnet for a hotter output. The “Tone Fusion” knob does something I’ve never seen before in a passive circuit: it has a centre detent and turning it anticlockwise has the expected result of passively rolling off treble. Turning it clockwise of the detent introduces a passive mid cut! I’ll admit to using the “traditional” side of the knob much more frequently than the “fusion” side but it’s a very cool feature and kind of psychologically fools me into feeling like I have an active instrument. This knob was actually quite noisy (crackly) in use at first but all that was required was a couple of squirts of contact cleaner in the pot. Totally smooth and crackle-free now, though I was a little worried at first! Now here’s the part some people will be waiting for. Fanned Frets. On the Super P and Super J series basses, the scale of the fan is actually less extreme than on Dingwall’s more “metal-oriented” models. 32” to 35” rather than 34” to 37”. The angle of the fan remains the same, it’s just the overall scale which is reduced by 2 inches. The upside to this is that you can use any brand of long scale strings on the Supers. Great stuff. The neck is maple with a pau ferro fingerboard and it feels lovely. The finish on the neck seems to be somewhere between satin and gloss but it’s incredibly light in feel and doesn’t impede playing speed at all. This particular bass was made in 2012 though so this finish probably started out more on the satin end of the spectrum. I’ve owned passive PJs, active PJs, an active PM and and active P but, absurdly, this is my first ever passive p-only bass...and it is glorious! Edited February 28, 2019 by CameronJ 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 (edited) It’s one of the finest versions of the humble p bass you can get. It’s immediately familiar yet a revelation in its modernity. The neck is sublime and the rolled edges just feel so good like it’s been played for 50 years, you could play it for hours at a time and the modern radius is reminds you you can tap, slap and chord at will with no worries of the bass itself getting in the way. I’ve just sold one and it was my main bass for about 4-5years. I’d have another in a heart beat and even though fanned fret 4 strings aren’t a necessity I’d love to try a 4 string version just to experience what the neck feels like. Mine was a 5’er too. If anyone get’s the opportunity to play or own one don’t hesitate. Enjoy your new bass. It looks lovely! Edited February 28, 2019 by krispn 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 I was the lucky man who bought that black/maple model from @krispn just over a fortnight ago... and ditto to most of what @CameronJ says! I've been playing it almost exclusively to get back my 5-string chops (previously owned a G&L L1505 for a couple of years), and I'm finding I use much more of the neck. I have a bad habit of playing down the money end unless I need to go higher; now I find I'm living around the 7th-10th frets but making frequent excursions up and down whenever I like. I'm getting to know the whole fretboard more thoroughly than I ever have before. The neck is pretty wide near the body end, but the bass is still very easy to play. I've put on EB Cobalt flats rather than my usual Chromes, which allows me to pop a few notes here and there (e.g. in We Are Family). I took it out on a covers gig last Saturday, and it really did the business, to the extent that I got compliments form the keyboard player. @CameronJ - love your Steely Dan cover. I see you use the same floating thumb technique as me - nice one! Here are a couple of crappy phone pics: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 (edited) Hope you get a lot of pleasure from the newest member of your herd Cam! And nice little video - thanks for posting that. I've lost track of what you now have, bass wise, and what you've moved on other than that it's building up a to mightily impressive collection! You'll need to remind me at some point Edited February 27, 2019 by Al Krow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealting Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 You guys already know I love my Super P - the ultimate modern P bass IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 Nice video! I really must get round to trying a Super P or J at some point. Never heard a bad demo of either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crioline Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 Hi, i'm french bassmann (sorry for my bad speaking, i'm helping whith google transale ^^) What rope pull does it take? 40-125 ; 45-130 ; 50-135 ? without regulating the truss rod..? Best regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 A super p will take normal strings the low b is a 35” scale so no special requirements needed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burno70 Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 Lovely looking - and sounding bass! Everything I like about a P is in that tone. Nice playing too! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 (edited) The thing to remember about the super p is that it’s the way it feels and plays which is the wow factor - putting the fanned frets aside it’s under 4kg for a 5 string it’s immensly playable and comfortable. It sounds familiar sure but then it’s even across all strings no dead spots, the multi scale means each string ‘feels’ good under the fingers, the tension of each string feels balanced and comfortable. Make no mistake it’s a wonderfully built instrument. Edited February 28, 2019 by krispn I wasn’t gushing enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 So you quite like it then ? 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 Well I just sold one but yeah. It’s the best 5 string I’ve owned and like I said I’d love to try the 4 string version and a Dbird too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 1 hour ago, krispn said: The thing to remember about the super p is that it’s the way it feels and plays which is the wow factor - putting the fanned frets aside it’s under 4kg for a 5 string it’s immensly playable and comfortable. It sounds familiar sure but then it’s even across all strings no dead spots, the multi scale means each string ‘feels’ good under the fingers, the tension of each string feels balanced and comfortable. Make no mistake it’s a wonderfully built instrument. This is it, the response is so even that you can play notes on the E and B strings right up on the 10th fret without it sounding all bloaty and OTT - something which could not be said of my previous 5-er. @krispn - I've actually taken the action down on the lower strings, as I play with quite a light RH touch. Such an easy playing experience! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronJ Posted February 28, 2019 Author Share Posted February 28, 2019 Thanks for the comments guys! I have to add that somehow the Super P is easier to play without looking at the fingerboard vs my other non-fanned fret basses. This took me by surprise but I reckon the fan is actually compensating for my HUGE hands - I’m 6’8” believe it or not so I guess the fan of my own fingers is more pronounced than most and the frets on the Super seem to just “fit” me. Particularly in the area between the 3rd and 9th frets. @JapanAxe, your Super is a beauty! Love it. And yes, floating thumb is king for me, along with raking when descending strings. Although I’m working on cleaning up my raking as it isn’t always clean/consistent! @Al Krow this is why you should enable signatures currently I’m on the Super P, Yamaha BB735A, MTD Kingston Super 5, Sandberg VM5 and Sandberg Electra VS4. A mighty herd indeed, although I fear something may have to go at this stage...and it might have to be the Sandy VM! Pains me to say it but the Dingwall and Yammy totally fit the bill for me in terms of 5 string P basses...although the VM has flats on it which offers a very different playing experience. I may change it to a good set of rounds before I make any hasty decisions. @fretmeister, if you’re anywhere near Bass Direct you should give one a go! I actually didn’t try the Super before buying it but I’d tried a few other Dingwalls (Combustions and NGs) so knew I’d get on with the ergonomics. I believe BD are expecting a shipment relatively soon which should include more supers but at the moment they have a rather nice looking Super J in stock loaded with 3 pickups! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 1 hour ago, CameronJ said: I believe BD are expecting a shipment relatively soon which should include more supers but at the moment they have a rather nice looking Super J in stock loaded with 3 pickups! People seem to be pre-ordering a lot of their incoming Dingwalls even before they arrive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronJ Posted February 28, 2019 Author Share Posted February 28, 2019 12 minutes ago, JapanAxe said: People seem to be pre-ordering a lot of their incoming Dingwalls even before they arrive! Yeah it looks like half of their incoming Dingwalls are already spoken for! Crazy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 Funny you're getting to the same conclusion on which of your basses to keep / let go. I put flats on my Sandberg too, as the last thing. And then it got sold. Yammys are just ridiculously good value aren't they. Aside over - as you were everyone, back to Dingwall fawning 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassApprentice Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 1 hour ago, CameronJ said: currently I’m on the Super P, Yamaha BB735A, MTD Kingston Super 5, Sandberg VM5 and Sandberg Electra VS4. A mighty herd indeed, although I fear something may have to go at this stage...and it might have to be the Sandy VM! Shame you didn't say it might be the Super 5, I'd be all over that 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealting Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 @CameronJ If your hands are that big, maybe you should try a long scale Dingwall too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronJ Posted February 28, 2019 Author Share Posted February 28, 2019 32 minutes ago, Al Krow said: Funny you're getting to the same conclusion on which of your basses to keep / let go. I put flats on my Sandberg too, as the last thing. And then it got sold. Yammys are just ridiculously good value aren't they. Indeed. In my current stable of three 5 string P variants, it’s just getting the least playtime. If you can get your hands on a 735a, do it. I know you’ll love it. 11 minutes ago, BassApprentice said: Shame you didn't say it might be the Super 5, I'd be all over that 😂 I very briefly considered putting that on the chopping block but then I played it again and remembered why I bought it in the first place. Such a great bass! 7 minutes ago, therealting said: @CameronJ If your hands are that big, maybe you should try a long scale Dingwall too! Funny you should say that - I’ve been eyeing up the ABZ in the classifieds! Once Dingwall release the 5 string D Bird Standard (I.e. cheaper model) I’ll be in real danger... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 Never knew there was a Dingwall model that took regular strings - even more appealing now. Nice review. There’s a great SBL podcast with Sheldon Dingwall - worth checking if you haven’t already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealting Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 3 hours ago, Drax said: Never knew there was a Dingwall model that took regular strings - even more appealing now. Nice review. There’s a great SBL podcast with Sheldon Dingwall - worth checking if you haven’t already. There are two, the Super J and Super P. Had a matched pair of both and they are glorious. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronJ Posted March 2, 2019 Author Share Posted March 2, 2019 That SBL video with Sheldon is great. Learned a lot about him. I now have GAS for a Super J and a D-Bird 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 Although they’re not the only company, one of Dingwall’s greatest achievements is to make well-balanced and very light instruments that still sound great. If you step back 20 years or so it was almost unheard-of to find a 5- or 6-string bass weighing less than 4.5-5Kg. I’ve not owned one but played a few, and although I haven’t found one that I liked enough to buy, they sure felt great to wear and play, and if my Ibby SR3006e needs any company, Dingwall would be very close to the top of the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 That D Bird is such a well designed rework of a classic! I was very close to ordering the import version a while back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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