Dingwall Effigy HEADLESS bass - Pre-Order Deposit
UPDATE: The Effigy queue for 2026 is full at this time. Please "purchase" this $0.00 item (no payment needed) if you wish to reserve a place in the queue for an Effigy, which will be built in 2027 or later.
The wait is over!
For the past several years, the most highly requested addition to the Dingwall lineup has been a headless model. Like everything else he does, Sheldon spent considerable time creating a revolutionary design that takes some of the greatest ideas from other successful builders and then adds his own improvements on top, making something altogether new, patent-worthy, and nothing short of COMPLETELY AWESOME!
John Fox Bass has several of these on order already. Purchase this DEPOSIT item to indicate your commitment to purchase an Effigy as soon as they start producing them. This first batch will be painted finishes only. (No X-Tops at this time, no transparent stains or bursts. See the list of 5 paint options at the bottom of this page.) Please indicate your desired Paint color, number of Pickups, and Preamp option in the comments when you check out. Exact delivery date is TBD, but my best guess at this time is that the first batch may start shipping in the mid to late Summer of 2026.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT PRICING: The final selling price for this model is not known at this time. In order to determine the pricing, Dingwall first needs to build a few more in order to measure the build time. So it will be several more weeks before the price is known. The current best guess estimate is that the price may turn out to be somewhere between the price of an Afterburner II and a Z, which means somewhere between $4,500 and $5,500 for a 2 pick-up model, and about $300 more for a 3 pickup model, and then $500 to $650 more for an optional preamp.
Here is a quick video demo and recording of this bass in action!
The prototype bass in this video and these photos has a Neve preamp and FD3 pickups.
Here are the specs I am aware of at this time:
Dingwall collaborated with ex-F1 engineer Federico Pecci, to create a lightweight and compact tuning system based on the Dingwall minimalist bridge.
Features a modern update of the original inlay design from the very first Dingwall ever made.
Includes a patent-applied-for extendable wing system on the back of the "headstock" to enable hanging the bass from a stand or wall hanger.
Features a patent-applied-for tool-free string locking system that uses the pressure and friction of a cam mechanism to securely lock the strings at the headstock with the simple flip of a lever. (Note: Sheldon said he is currently working on refining the appearance of the levers to make them even smaller and more low profile.)
The body is thinner toward the neck and gets thicker toward the bridge, reducing weight while maximizing sustain and maintaining balance. This feature was inspired by the design of marimba tone bars, thinner in the center for resonance and thicker at the ends for sustain. (We did a resonance test - Sheldon plucked the B string while I had my hand on the body near the bridge, and the bass was vibrating like a jackhammer, unlike anything I have ever seen before in ANY bass, absolutely incredible!)
Build Options
Pickups: Choose 2 (bridge+neck) or 3 pickups; choose Super Fatty II (default) or FD3 (upcharge)
Paint: Available in painted finishes only. (No stains or bursts.) SCROLL DOWN to see complete details below for the list of 5 different types of paint and their respective prices.
Preamp: Choose passive (3 knobs), or active with a Darkglass or Neve preamp, and choose whether or not to add Series/Parallel toggle switches for each pickup
Those are the only options to choose from at this time. For mechanical stability, the only wood options that have been tested are: alder body, maple neck and wenge fretboard, so those are mandatory.
Based on the number of inquiries I have already received, I anticipate that the demand for these will be HUGE. If you know you will want one of these, I suggest getting in the queue early to minimize your wait time. I would not be surprised if the queue grows to 3 to 4 years fairly quickly.
If you place a deposit and then cancel and decide not to purchase a bass, your deposit will be refunded per our Refund Policy. (The $14.80 Payment Processing Fee will not be returned.)
John Fox Bass ships for free to the Continental USA, and ships worldwide with attractive discounted shipping rates available.
Choose from these five (5) different PAINT Options (no transparent stains or bursts at this time):
1. Dingwall Standard Solid Colors - $0 Street Price:
Black, Vintage White, Ferrari Yellow, Ferrari Green, Surf Green, Shell Pink, Celestial Blue, Sonic Blue, Fiesta Red
2. Metallic/Candy Colors - $515 Street Price (as seen on the D-Roc Custom and Lee Sklar models)
Metallic Blueberry, Ducati White, Candy Black Cherry, Dark Candy Purple, Candy Red, Chrome Blue, Pelham Blue, Burgundy Mist, Candy Tangerine, Dark Candy Green, Black Gold, Ari Gold, Bronze Age, Metallic Charcoal
3. ColorShift - $620 Street Price - click here for the options
4. SuperShift - $1,125 Street Price - click here for the options
5. Custom Colour - $685 Street Price - [NOT AVAILABLE FOR 2026 ORDERS] - Colormatch to any solid paint color you'd like. You must supply a sample photo. Any guitar photo or other photo is fine, or you can find a color on this page.