Dingwall Voodoo Prima ('96)

Voodoo Prima

This Dingwall Voodoo Prima was built in 1996 and I feel very lucky to have come across it.

This instrument features beautifully quilted and bookmatched maple facings over an American black walnut core. I love the "cello cut" on the upper edge. The Bartolini pickups are both P-type.

The electronics cavity houses a Bartolini preamp and the battery. Note the screws used to mount the massive aircraft-grade aluminum bridge block.

The craftsmanship is amazing! The attention to detail on this instrument rivals the best that I have seen or played. It features a 9-piece bolt-on rock maple neck with graphite reinforcements and features a pau ferro fingerboard. There are no "dead spots" to be found anywhere on this neck!

Yes, those are Sperzel locking tuners too! Sheldon spared no expense to outfit this instrument with the best parts available.

Each instrument is hand-signed by Sheldon Dingwall.

The obligatory art shot... note the Dingwall/Kahler bridge saddles and the Neutrik locking jack (the red tab). The attention to small details such as this are what set Dingwall instruments apart.

This bass leaves me with the mental image of Sheldon hitting a block of wood with a mallet for many, many hours to get it to sound just right. Sand it a bit, then hit it again. And again. The end truly justifies the means, yielding an instrument with perfect pitch, endless sustain and complete tonal consistency across all five strings. Yes, that is high praise indeed!

Mr. Dingwall's amazing talent as a designer, bassist and luthier is magnificently crystallized in the Voodoo Prima. This is an organic instrument that you can truly connect with on every level.