Fanned Frets? Fret Not.

I have recently been spending some time with the Dingwalls that are currently in stock and wanted to share how impressed I am with these basses. I realize that many players have a major hang-up with the fanned fret design of these instruments because I once fell victim to the same type of prejudice myself. Even though bass players, as group, are very forward-thinking and tend to be open to new ideas and technical improvements in bass gear, there is something about the "visual impact" of the fanned fret system that really throws a lot of us for a loop. I can tell you though, as can thousands of happy Dingwall owners, that you should not be apprehensive about playing a bass with fanned frets.

First and foremost, if you look at how the frets are aligned from the 3rd to 15th frets, the angle is very close to being parallel. When you consider that only a slight initial adjustment is necessary with respect to the extreme lower register (which disappears after a few minutes of playing), the system becomes very easy to use. Personally, I was extremely skeptical...until I actually tried my first Dingwall. That skepticism evaporated almost instantaneously. I routinely hear similar statements from other Dingwall owners. Most Dingwall enthusiasts will tell you that virtually no adjustment was needed to adapt to fanned frets and that they felt very comfortable within just the first few minutes of trying their first Dingwall. This coincides with my own experiences. In addition, Sheldon Dingwall's commitment to quality and value are right in step with the overall approach that we take to gear at Blueberry Hill.

If you have been thinking about purchasing a Dingwall, or are just curious and would like to learn more about these unique instruments, check out a great review of the Dingwall Super J in the November 2006 issue of Bass Player magazine.