Designed in collaboration with Epica bassist Rob van Der Loo, the latest addition to the Dingwall Custom Shop artist roster truly embodies the personality and stylistic range of the player who helped design it. A tone machine on steroids, it comes fitted with an onboard distortion circuit, so there’s no need for pedals, effect modeling, or bass amp tinkering – it can be made to rip into any band mix with the turn of a control. Other features include a sleek D-Roc body and a carved top that creates the illusion of anodised aluminium.
The body follows the D-Roc template, with a sizable cutaway to allow extended access to the upper-range frets. It’s built using Fijian Mahogany, and the top has been carved to create the illusion of brushed or machined aluminum, catching stage light with shifts in colour, while the sculpted contours and wenge neck and fretboard add a modern, aggressive edge — a bass that looks precision-engineered from solid metal, yet resonates with the warmth of handcrafted wood.
“Sheldon and I wanted to come up with a continuation of the Limited Edition Hellboy,” says Rob. “But the concept for the fluted top has taken it much further than I ever imagined. A lot of people still think we’ve used some kind of special paint to get that effect, but it’s all carved. It looks incredible on stage.”
The controls follow the same layout as the D-Roc Standard, with volume and tone and a four-way rotary pickup selector, but with an extra push/pull facility on the volume pot and an extra distortion level control. With the volume control up, the bass remains passive and the Darkglass circuitry is inactive, but push the volume control down and the full might of the drive circuit is unleashed. The amount of distortion added to your signal is controlled from the drive control – the options are extensive, based on your tone and how you utilise the three FDV pickups.
A set of Hipshot Ultralite machineheads reduce the weight and improve overall balance, while stability comes courtesy of the Dingwall Minimalist bridge, which is ideal for bassists who don’t want to worry about adjusting their intonation. Pick players will also appreciate the smoother bridge profile, designed to keep your hand comfortable and injury-free. Extra touches include a recessed jack socket and the easily removed magnetic plate covering the battery cavity.
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.
