Dingwall’s Afterburner I boasts intelligent design, a flexible electronics package and real tonal character. The alder body, solid bolt-on neck join, paired with the company’s tried-and-tested pickups, combine to deliver a bass that is a step forward from the ABZ. These basses really are the complete ‘plug in and play’ package for bassists from all walks of life, both onstage and in the recording studio.
Select from passive or active electronics, 4, 5 or 6-strings, 2 or 3-pickups, swamp ash or alder body woods and take your pick from a range of available finishes.
The Afterburner I shares the same styling and solid construction as the ABZ, which makes for a nicely balanced, manoeuvrable instrument that’s immediately playable. The alder body is paired with a five-piece maple neck. “We’ve experimented with many different laminations and have found five-piece maple construction to be among the most reliable,” says Sheldon Dingwall. “Years of experience have proven this design to be extremely stable.”
The fingerboard is wenge, which comprises of alternating layers of hard and soft grain. The hard grain lends the tone a top end similar to ebony, while the softer grain adds the warmth of rosewood. The headstock features unique counter bores that, combined with our custom tuners, allow for a proper break angle at the nut. “The design goal was to utilize a flat headstock design,” says Sheldon. “The only problem was that a flat headstock needed a string tree to create a proper downward angle at the nut. It took some creative thinking and custom-made tuners to solve this problem in the most elegant way possible. Our specially made Hipshot Ultra-lites are even lighter than the originals.”
FDV pickups are the standard pickup in our Afterburner model. They are a continuation of the FD line of pickups that were developed by Sheldon Dingwall and Glenn McDougall of Fury Guitars, but feature Alnico V magnets instead of Neodymium. The standard passive system includes volume, tone and the versatility of our Quad-tone switching system, with the option of series/parallel toggle switches for each pickup. We also offer Darkglass and Glockenklang 3 band preamps.
The bridge is a sleek design that’s fully adjustable and fits the style of the Afterburner perfectly. Having reduced the complexity of the saddles to a minimum, we then designed a unique base plate system to hold them rigidly in place. Using st
ainless steel riser screws and a tough Teflon coating ensures long-term corrosion-free performance.
We collaborated with Hipshot to modify their Ultra-lite tuners, which now feature a shorter notched tuning peg. This allows for a proper downward angle at the nut for maximum sustain on a flat-style headstock without using string trees. A side-mounted Neutrik jack socket completes the Afterburner’s hardware.
Dingwall strings have been meticulously tested to maximize performance and deliver a tone that blends effortlessly with any style of music. We were the first company to design strings specifically for multi-scale instruments. Available in both nickel and stainless steel, our strings provide an even tension for optimal balance, letting you experience the warmest highs and the tightest lows possible.
Note: basses are shipped with Dingwall Nickel Strings
