This Dingwall Afterburner II with bubinga facing is currently my "number one" instrument. Dingwall takes the Afterburner model to the next level with exotic woods and an active Aguilar preamp. This particular bass also features the signature "bearclaw" scroll and tone chambers.
As with the Afterburner I model, the quality, fit and finish are top notch and truly a credit to the excellent work of Sheldon Dingwall and his crew. This bass features a walnut body wood with a premium bubinga top, 5 piece bubinga neck and a wenge fingerboard. However, because of the tone chambers, this bass still weighs about the same as the ABI model, below 8.5 pounds.This model builds on the Afterburner I model by adding active electronics. The electronics package in this instrument includes an Aguilar OBP-1 preamp (the latest version has a Glockenklang preamp). There is an active/passive switch with hybrid treble (active boost and passive cut) and the bluEQube switch. Controls provided are: volume, pickup selection (bridge pickup only, both pickups in series, both pickups in parallel, and neck pickup), BluEQube and treble. The tonal characteristics are extremely flexible and provide amazing versatility. Yet despite the seeming complexity, it's very easy to dial in a wide range of usable tones from extremely aggresive and growly to downright sweet and jazzy.
This has quickly become my favourite bass due to its versatility, light weight and tonal consistency. Dingwall scores another five stars out of five.
