The Afterburner Series is one of the most affordable basses from our custom shop, and while we have continued to refine our production techniques, the underlying concept has remained the same. The ABII is the flagship of the Afterburner line. It features a semi-hollow walnut body with an exhibition-grade walnut top.
At the core of the ABII’s design lies a semi-hollow body carved from walnut, which both reduces the weight (the average weight of an Afterburner II is a super low 8.75 lb) and increases the resonance thanks to strategic tone chambers throughout the body.
Having experimented with many different neck laminations, we found a 5-piece maple construction to be among the most reliable. Years of experience have proven this design to be highly stable. We also offer a 5-piece wenge neck as an option. “A wenge neck will be roughly 50 grams heavier than maple,” says Sheldon Dingwall. “The tone is similar to maple, but with a slightly snappier response.”
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 stainless 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
