The SP1 is the latest addition to the Ready To Play series and draws much of its inspiration from the Custom Shop Super P.
The original goal was to create a more affordable instrument that combined elements of Leo Fender’s iconic basses with some of the innovative features Dingwall basses are now famous for, including the signature multi-scale fretboard.
Body and Neck:
Dingwall made the body profile thinner, resulting in a lightweight body with a more solid tone. The body is made of alder, while the bolt-on neck is crafted from a single piece of maple. The maple fingerboard is flawlessly finished, with a nicely rounded profile and 22 banjo frets.
Electronics:
The SP1 is passive, so there are no batteries or EQ boost, but the quality of the tonewood, the alnico pickups, and the overall construction mean they are absolutely unnecessary. The front knob controls volume, and the rear knob is a master tone control. Between them is the Quad-Tone Pickup Selector. In the first position, fully clockwise, it selects only the front pickup; one click clockwise engages the front and rear pickups in series, then in parallel; and finally, the rear pickup alone.
Hardware:
The Dingwall Minimalist bridge features a custom-made riser system designed to offer greater flexibility when adjusting the action. If you play with a heavy hand, instead of raising the individual bridge saddles (which can put strain on the strings and cause premature breakage), you can raise the entire bridge assembly. That way, you can switch between high and low action simply by adjusting the shims, leaving the saddles solely for fine-tuning and intonation. The tuners are lightweight, open-gear designs, and there’s also a bullet string retainer to help maintain a proper break angle over the Graphtech nut.
Features:
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the bassists who first recognized Dingwall’s potential were session musicians who play and record bass day in and day out. These players need a versatile instrument that can deliver a studio-quality sound, be comfortable to play, and remain straightforward to use. The Dingwall SP1 checks all those boxes, and you can expect to see a lot more of them around in the future.” – Sheldon Dingwall
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