Fender vs Lakland 50's P bass

Flaky Tuna · #1 12-31-2011, 08:57 PM

I recently had the pleasure of playing the 60th anniversary ed. Fender P. It's funny because I play a Wick Streamer PJ, but as soon as I played the Fender, it felt most like "my bass" than anything I've tried, prior. Granted I've played mostly jazz type basses in the past, so I'm not seeing alot of the spectrum.

Anyway, this bass is killer. Great bright P sound, beautiful body. I saw that Lakland is offering competing models (44-51), and they look and sound nice. Has anyone gotten their hands on either, or both? What's your take?

Happy New Year

basspraiser · #2 01-02-2012, 04:22 PM

I have played a couple of 44-51s (US models) and they are AWESOME!!!

the neck feels so good and the sound is vintage!

Flaky Tuna · #3 01-02-2012, 04:24 PM

Did you play the model with the P pup or the single coil?
Thats good to hear about the neck.

Gord_oh · #4 01-02-2012, 04:28 PM

markus, calling markus to this thread.

MarkusBass · #5 01-02-2012, 04:44 PM

Hey Tuna! I have the first production US 44-51 and love it like no other!

It has a vintage wound single coil pickup. This thing sits sonically just right. great P bass tone with a little extra crisp top that really helps with note definition. Neck is my favorite Lakland neck. Nice, round and substantial. This combined with the extra girth of the slab body, I feel adds to it tone. Up with the tone knob, and all kinds of sizzle, tone halfway..super thick and great mid texture. Burpy at the bridge, and super tubby at the bottom of the fretboard. Really a versatile bass. This is much closer to the original 51 than the Fender 60th version.

tekdiver500ft · #6 01-02-2012, 05:21 PM

That thing is gorgeous, too!

Damn, now I'm getting G.A.S...

JEDI BASS · #7 01-02-2012, 05:36 PM

I had the VERY first Lakland '51 which started the uproar to begin production, bottom right in pic

Build quality was fantastic in every way! I can't speak for the pickup though since mine had a p'up built by the builder at Lakland, which wasn't comparable to what Lakland/Hanson now makes. I replaced it w/ a split Fralin '51 p'up and the bass came to life. It never saw any gig time w/ my bands and wasn't the sound I needed, so I let it go. I have Fenders and they're great too. But Laklands play like buttah.... ALWAYS. If you have the coin, go LAKLAND.

Johnny Alien · #8 01-02-2012, 06:06 PM

The 60th Anniversary should not be compared to the 44-51 it should be compared to the 44-51M or the Skyline 44-51. The 44-51 should be compared to the 51 Reissue Fender. With the split coil I happen to like the Fender vintage wound pickup when compared to the NeoPunch in the Lakland. I am still befuddled that Lakland does not make the vintage wound pickup the stock pickup in the 44-64 or 44-51. That aside you would need to play them to decide. I would say build quality is fairly equal between the Skyline 44-51 and the 60th Anniversary and if I was given the choice for the money I would take the US built bass that has a little bit of built in collectability. If I was looking in the higher price bracket the US Lakland with the single coil looks like an amazing bass. For that price you could also check out the Fender Custom shop 51 Precision

Flaky Tuna · #9 01-02-2012, 06:08 PM

oh man. I really don't have the money for this beast, but then maybe I'll get lucky while I'm saving up, and spot one used on the classifieds.

I wish there were more sound clips of this thing. I'd like to hear it with a pick.

dedpool1052 · #10 01-02-2012, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JEDI BASS

I had the VERY first Lakland '51 which started the uproar to begin production, bottom right in pic

man thats purty. does that thing have BEM block inlays? pure class, IMHO.

Johnny Alien · #11 01-02-2012, 06:14 PM

Also since Lakland already had a Skyline precision bass with a NeoPunch they really should have made the Skyline with the single coil pickup. If they did I would probably have one in my house already.

paradog · #12 01-02-2012, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkusBass

Hey Tuna! I have the first production US 44-51 and love it like no other!

It has a vintage wound single coil pickup. This thing sits sonically just right. great P bass tone with a little extra crisp top that really helps with note definition. Neck is my favorite Lakland neck. Nice, round and substantial. This combined with the extra girth of the slab body, I feel adds to it tone. Up with the tone knob, and all kinds of sizzle, tone halfway..super thick and great mid texture. Burpy at the bridge, and super tubby at the bottom of the fretboard. Really a versatile bass. This is much closer to the original 51 than the Fender 60th version.

Can I get one in Orange?

MarkusBass · #13 01-02-2012, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tekdiver500ft

That thing is gorgeous, too!

Damn, now I'm getting G.A.S...

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by paradog

Can I get one in Orange?

Sure can!

JEDI BASS · #14 01-02-2012, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dedpool1052

man thats purty. does that thing have BEM block inlays? pure class, IMHO.

Yep, birdseye. Thanks

sigmafloyd · #15 01-02-2012, 11:50 PM

A more fair comparison price wise would be to compare it to a fender custom shop.

Mastermold · #16 01-02-2012, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkusBass

Hey Tuna! I have the first production US 44-51 and love it like no other!

It has a vintage wound single coil pickup. This thing sits sonically just right. great P bass tone with a little extra crisp top that really helps with note definition. Neck is my favorite Lakland neck. Nice, round and substantial. This combined with the extra girth of the slab body, I feel adds to it tone. Up with the tone knob, and all kinds of sizzle, tone halfway..super thick and great mid texture. Burpy at the bridge, and super tubby at the bottom of the fretboard. Really a versatile bass. This is much closer to the original 51 than the Fender 60th version.

I think we talked (typed?) here about this bass last year after NAMM -- isn't this the one Lakland had at their booth? (If so I loved this bass but didn't mess with it much as it already had a sold tag on it!)

MarkusBass · #17 01-03-2012, 02:25 PM

Yep! This is the one! I already owned it.

Scott549 · #18 01-13-2012, 02:03 PM

I saw one of those Lakland '51s at a guitar shop in Chicago recently. It seemed well built, but the neck is less glossy than the Fenders and Squiers, and I think the trademark Lakland oval-shaped bridge looks a bit odd on it. I'm sure it's well made, though -- I respect Lakland as a company.

fourstringdrums · #19 01-13-2012, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Alien

Also since Lakland already had a Skyline precision bass with a NeoPunch they really should have made the Skyline with the single coil pickup. If they did I would probably have one in my house already.

Me too. They already have a split coil P, why make another just for the 51 aesthetics?

JEDI BASS · #20 01-13-2012, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott549

I saw one of those Lakland '51s at a guitar shop in Chicago recently. It seemed well built, but the neck is less glossy than the Fenders and Squiers, and I think the trademark Lakland oval-shaped bridge looks a bit odd on it. I'm sure it's well made, though -- I respect Lakland as a company.

Glossy necks look better IMO and may be a bit more stable during humidity fluctuations, but fingers tend to stick to glossy surfaces. Lakland's necks feel broke in like a vintage neck w/ the finish worn down, and are SO easy to move around on. I would say that the Lakland neck and fretwork is the MAIN reason for their success. Most highend bass builders either use satin or oil finishes on their necks nowadays, it just feels/plays better.

Oh, and I disliked the Lakland bridge but planned on "tolerating" it.... then I picked up my first Lakland (my avatar pic'd 55-94) from a seller in Nashville. I'd never played one but loved all the features: 35" scale, string spacing, birdseye maple, etc etc. After playing the first run, I was in love and the bridge shape became a sign of excellence :-).