The Super J is our reinvention of a classic J-style bass. The look and feel lean towards the traditional Fender design, however the tone and quality are everything you’d expect from a Dingwall. We all know where the inspiration comes from, but it takes a sympathetic hand to turn that outline into a bass that feels even better against your body. Available in 4- or 5-strings, with active or passive electronics, and a range of finishes.
Available in: 4 or 5-strings, 2 or 3-pickups, active or passive electronics, and take your pick from a range of available finishes
As soon as a Super J is in your hands you can be in no doubt: this is an instrument that has been built right. The maple neck feels instantly playable and the whole bass just comes alive in your hands the moment you pick it up. Finely crafted from top-notch timbers, the Super J offers a slightly thinner body to reduce weight and provide a bit more resonance. Swamp ash is also an option for those who would like a little less mid-presence in their tone.
Another distinctive feature is the headstock scallop, which serves two functions. It reduces headstock mass slightly, and it defines a three-dimensional Hot Rod style flame on the bottom edge. Many players complain about the head-heavy balance of a traditional bass guitar. We decided to do as much as possible to reduce the weight of the headstock, while subversively keeping it as traditional looking as possible
Of course, there’s more to a great bass than its wood, and the Super J is no less innovative in its hardware. The Hipshot Ultralite tuners are already very light weight, but we made them even lighter by shortening the string post. By countersinking them into the headstock and designing a shape that causes the string to sit as low as possible, we also eliminated the use of string trees. This further reduces weight and improves tuning stability.
“In total we managed to shave off roughly 100 grams,” says Sheldon Dingwall. “It doesn’t sound like much, but it makes a huge difference in the way the bass balances.
The double expanding truss-rod style is one of the industry standards. However, our installation method – taught to us by Glenn McDougall of Fury Guitars, involves gluing the truss rod into the neck under almost 1000-LB of pressure. This creates a coupling of steel to wood, increasing both sustain and harmonic content.
Whether you’re digging Jaco-style octave runs, Billy Sheehan-esque tapping licks or some no-nonsense John Paul Jones-type riffing, our custom-made pickups can handle it. The pickups are our own custom neodymium units, designed to work in harmony with the rest of the instrument. Not only are the full pickup tones glorious, but the mixed settings are effective and wide-ranging enough to take on all manner of styles.
The standard passive system includes volume and tone controls, with the added versatility of our Quad-tone pickup selector. We also offer series/parallel toggle switches for each pickup, as well as a choice of onboard active preamps.
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
