Dingwall John Taylor 5 String Seafoam Green

The John Taylor Signature model follows the formula of the limited edition Rio Dream Bass, barring a few design tweaks and the Metallic Black, Primrose and Seafoam Green finishes, as well as a new 5-string variant.

On top of stunning looks and flawless construction, each bass offers wonderful playability and tones that display a rare clarity and refinement. “John’s bass playing with Duran Duran really imprinted on me how a bass should fit into a band mix,” says Sheldon Dingwall. “His basslines have always had a special combination of energy and elegance.”

Like the Rio Dream Bass, the JT Signature has been configured to Taylor’s own personal specifications. “It all started when I was in Toronto about five years ago,” says Taylor. “A friend showed me a Dingwall bass on his phone. I loved how it looked and immediately said to my tech, ‘You’ve got to reach out to these guys!’”

As well as the ‘Rio Eye’ inlaid at the 12th fret, other specs include a lightweight Nyatoh body, a bolt-on Maple neck and a Pau Ferro multi-scale fingerboard. The headstock sports a “Rio-inspired” graphic which complements the body stripes, designed by longtime Duran Duran collaborator, Patty Palazzo. The customary Dingwall fanned-fret system facilitates the most appropriate scale length for each individual string. It’s a concept that’s applied across the entire Dingwall range.

The three Dingwall neodymium pickups are wired to a Quad-Tone pickup selector, a master volume, master tone and a 2-band active EQ that’s powered by a top-quality Rupert Neve Designs preamp. “Duran’s breakthrough single, the title track from 1982’s Rio, was originally recorded on a Neve console, so the history was already there,” says Sheldon. “But the team at Rupert Neve Designs absolutely nailed the tone.”

The master tone control will serve perfectly well if you’re in passive mode, but if you’re interested in Taylor’s tones you’ll stay in active mode, where the two-band boost and cut gives you an abundance of sonic options.

The JT Signature is fitted with an equally impressive accompaniment of hardware, including lightweight tuners and Dingwall’s ‘Minimalist’ bridge. Once you discover that the magnetic battery cover on the rear flips on and off with zero effort, you’ll wonder how you ever had the patience to unscrew the compartment cover on your old instruments.