Undated, Modernized, and Punching Well Above Its Price Point, the New Dingwall SP1 Puts a New Twist on an All-Time Classic

“The SP1 is the most comfortable and lightweight P-style bass I’ve ever played. Tonally, it delivers everything you’d want from a classic Fender-style instrument while maintaining the punch and focus that defines a Dingwall instrument.” – Jacob Umansky, Intervals.

The SP1 is the latest addition to Dingwall’s ever-expanding Ready To Play line and, as the model name suggests, combines elements of Leo Fender’s iconic blueprint with some of the innovative features for which founder Sheldon Dingwall is now famous, including the company’s customary multi-scale fingerboard, custom hardware, pickups, and electronics, and the Novax Fanned-fret system.

“The concept behind the fanned frets is that by positioning an instrument’s nut and bridge saddles at opposite angles, what you’re doing in effect is giving each string its own scale length; longer for the low strings and shorter for the higher,” says Sheldon. “This means that each string can be set to its optimum tension when tuned to pitch – and that means a better sounding bass that’s easier to play, record and mix.”

Aside from the multi-scale design, visually, the first thing you’ll notice about the SP1 is the pickguard, which started out as a series of hand-painted designs that have since been digitised and UV printed. Each one is slightly transparent, so the colour of the body also effects the aesthetic.

Select 4- or 5-strings, and from Metallic Black, Vintageburst, Dark Candy Green, and Ducati Pearl White finishes.

The controls are also worth explaining. This is a versatile system that quickly allows you to set the exact tone that you want. Firstly, it’s passive, so there are no batteries or EQ boost, but the quality of the tonewoods, construction and electronics mean that there’s absolutely no need for them.

The front control is volume and at the back is a passive tone control. Between these is the notched Quad-Tone pickup selector. In its first position, this selects the front pickup alone; one click on is the front plus the back pickup in series, then in parallel; and finally, the back pickup on its own.

“The pickups were the last piece of the puzzle. We really had to step outside of traditional pickup design, but the end result has been so successful that we’re now using the same concept in our Custom Shop.”

“I don’t think it’s coincidental that the bassists who first recognized Dingwall’s potential were session guys who needed a versatile instrument that could deliver a studio-quality sound, be comfortable to play and remain straightforward to use. The SP1 ticks all of those boxes.”

In other words, the SP1 is a professional workhorse that will appeal to the broadest possible audience, satisfying vintage and modern tastes alike, and providing quality and value, while acting as a new standard-bearer for Dingwall Guitars as a whole.

“I loved the SP1 from the very first note,” says Blind Guardian bassist Johan van Stratum. “The pickup configuration, the colour scheme – it’s just awesome. I love everything about it.”