Gotoh tuners with
Hipshot Xtender
5-piece
maple neck
with fanned
frets
into the body, it features individual saddles
for each string, and the strings are held in
place by a pin that slides into the hole in the
ball end of the string. Reportedly, the benefit of the latter feature is that it minimizes
stress points on the string and makes it easier to remove strings after breakage. Other
special Z3 features include a compound-angled headstock, a Hipshot Xtender key
for the 5th string, and a brilliantly devised
magnetic battery compartment. Throw
in a Neutrik locking jack and heavy-duty
mounting bolts, and you have an instrument built for durability and performance.
rotary selector to engage different pickup
combinations. Position 1 solos the bridge
pickup, position 2 activates the two pickups
closest to the bridge, position 3 turns on
the outer pickups (J-bass style), and position 4 solos the neck pickup.
Don’t Fret About Fanning!
“How does it play?” When fellow bassists
inspected our review model, every one of
them asked that question. They are not
alone, for this inquiry is discussed in bass
chat rooms across the Internet. The fanned
frets may look daunting, but they really
aren’t. As with any new instrument, playing
the Z3 entails an initial period of adjust-
ment during which you recalibrate muscle
memory for the new set of measurements
and spacing. I’ve spent many years playing
away from the neck to allow muscle memory
to take effect. There were occasions when I
missed notes, but I didn’t find it to be any
different than adjusting to a 35" scale bass
with standard fret positioning. By the second
day, I felt more confident playing the fanned
frets and the Z3 actually began to feel more
comfortable than the basses in my collection.
Good Things Come in Threes
(and Sometimes Fours)
The Dingwall Z Series consists of three
models—the Z1, Z2, and Z3. The only difference between the three is the configuration of Dingwall’s Super-Fatty pickups. The
Z1 uses two pickups with spacing similar
to a 1960s Jazz bass, while the Z2 clusters
the pickups toward the bridge for a punchy,
Music Man StingRay-like tone. The Z3 is
loaded with three pickups and combines the
positions of the Z1 and Z2 basses for the
best of both worlds. The Super-Fatty pickups match well with the included 3-band
Glockenklang preamp, which enhances the
tone in active mode, and provides a treble
cut in passive mode. Each pickup is also
wired with a series/parallel switch.
While some basses use a blend control
between pickups, the Z3 uses a 4-position
By the second day, I felt more confident playing the
fanned frets and the Z3 actually began to feel more
comfortable than the basses in my collection.
basses with a 34" scale, and I found it took
very little time to feel at ease with the varying scale lengths of the Z3.
To get comfortable with the fanned frets,
I stood in front of a mirror in a natural
playing position and gradually slid my hand
from the halfway point all the way up the
neck, which allowed me to watch the positioning of my fingers over the fanned frets.
Surprisingly, my technique did not require
much adjustment as I transitioned from the
lower register to the upper part of the fretboard. After a few minutes of this, I looked
Out of the Practice Room . . .
If I had to describe playing the Z3 in two
words, I would say “balanced” and “
versatile.” The ergonomics are excellent. On
a strap, the bass doesn’t shift, regardless of
whether it’s at an angle or played horizontally. And the weight is evenly distributed,
too—I never felt back pain or shoulder
strain while playing it. I’ve never been
a big fan of thin necks, but the neck on
this bass—which is tung-oiled and thinly
coated with polyurethane—felt smooth,
fast, and very comfortable.
