So recently I picked up a Lakland 55-01 which is an awesome bass. I have had the bug to try a five since I'm pluckin country again and decided to find a good five. After some search I lucked into a Lakland.
I'm not a big fan of active basses but I'm finally understanding most of the active basses I have owned or played contained junk preamps.
So I posted on this forum for help on pre and pup ideas and PM'ed a few people for help. One was Double E who called me with info and is a great guy. He gave me some great advice and ideas.
Double E is a big Lakland guy and know's this instrument well. The other was rojo412 or Adam who is a bass wiring guru who has also has started recently building his own basses. Adam gave me more ideas then my feeble mind could comprehend with all the options of pre amps and pups for my bass.
Following Adam's advice I ordered a Aguilar OBP 2 for my Lakland for he felt with my style it would suit me best.
I asked if he minded installing it in my bass since he lives in the city just north of me. Adam (thankfully) said he would and we arranged a meeting last weekend to get the work done.
Last Saturday was an exhausting day for me but that evening I arrived at Adams home with the bass, pre and a few fine IPA beers Adam loves. After being welcomed in his home by Adam and his dogs I met his kind wife who was very patient with me being there so late on a Saturday night. After we grabbed a couple of the IPA's Adam and I descended to his workshop.
Adam calls his creations ACF Customs and he has quite an impressive shop tucked into his basement. I was like a kid checking out all the woods, parts, machine's and finally a couple of builds and partial builds he is working on.
We popped the tops of the cold IPA's and the master quickly got to work. It was amazing as I sat and jacked my jaw that he could concentrate at all on all the wiring and soldering required to install the pre.
He was quite gracious and very knowledgeable on basses and electronics. What looked like a bundle of spaghetti wires was one by one being soldered and installed in place by his skilled hands.
Adam continued to work and listen to my war stories and never missed a beat. We talked and laughed as we sipped our IPA's and he told me about his shop and how he hopes to start making basses as well as doing custom repair work.
He allowed me to play his Stratus custom bass he made by hand that was posted in the Luthiers forum here on TB. It's quite a bass, very quiet and sounds amazing. Its well built and plays like a dream.
I was highly impressed it was his first build and the tru- oil finish he had on it was something else. He also showed me the neck and body builds in his shop that are also on another thread on the luthiers forum here.
This guy knows his gear and has quite the talent. I informed him that he needed to keep working on his builds and get his name out there since he has the talent to do a complete custom build all from scratch.
It wasn't to long that Adam had my new pre installed and we tested it out. I must say it sounds 100% better than it did with the MK1 preamp. Adam set the intonation and gave it his final approval.
I want to thank Adam again for allowing me to come into his home and shop and for all the help.
He's a great guy who I am glad I got to meet and made a new friend. If your interested in any of his work contact him here on TB username rojo412.
This is the first time I have met anybody from here on TB and glad I met somebody as cool as this man. Thanks again Adam.
BTW.... how the heck do I turn this pic?
I'm not a big fan of active basses but I'm finally understanding most of the active basses I have owned or played contained junk preamps.
So I posted on this forum for help on pre and pup ideas and PM'ed a few people for help. One was Double E who called me with info and is a great guy. He gave me some great advice and ideas.
Double E is a big Lakland guy and know's this instrument well. The other was rojo412 or Adam who is a bass wiring guru who has also has started recently building his own basses. Adam gave me more ideas then my feeble mind could comprehend with all the options of pre amps and pups for my bass.
Following Adam's advice I ordered a Aguilar OBP 2 for my Lakland for he felt with my style it would suit me best.
I asked if he minded installing it in my bass since he lives in the city just north of me. Adam (thankfully) said he would and we arranged a meeting last weekend to get the work done.
Last Saturday was an exhausting day for me but that evening I arrived at Adams home with the bass, pre and a few fine IPA beers Adam loves. After being welcomed in his home by Adam and his dogs I met his kind wife who was very patient with me being there so late on a Saturday night. After we grabbed a couple of the IPA's Adam and I descended to his workshop.
Adam calls his creations ACF Customs and he has quite an impressive shop tucked into his basement. I was like a kid checking out all the woods, parts, machine's and finally a couple of builds and partial builds he is working on.
We popped the tops of the cold IPA's and the master quickly got to work. It was amazing as I sat and jacked my jaw that he could concentrate at all on all the wiring and soldering required to install the pre.
He was quite gracious and very knowledgeable on basses and electronics. What looked like a bundle of spaghetti wires was one by one being soldered and installed in place by his skilled hands.
Adam continued to work and listen to my war stories and never missed a beat. We talked and laughed as we sipped our IPA's and he told me about his shop and how he hopes to start making basses as well as doing custom repair work.
He allowed me to play his Stratus custom bass he made by hand that was posted in the Luthiers forum here on TB. It's quite a bass, very quiet and sounds amazing. Its well built and plays like a dream.
I was highly impressed it was his first build and the tru- oil finish he had on it was something else. He also showed me the neck and body builds in his shop that are also on another thread on the luthiers forum here.
This guy knows his gear and has quite the talent. I informed him that he needed to keep working on his builds and get his name out there since he has the talent to do a complete custom build all from scratch.
It wasn't to long that Adam had my new pre installed and we tested it out. I must say it sounds 100% better than it did with the MK1 preamp. Adam set the intonation and gave it his final approval.
I want to thank Adam again for allowing me to come into his home and shop and for all the help.
He's a great guy who I am glad I got to meet and made a new friend. If your interested in any of his work contact him here on TB username rojo412.
This is the first time I have met anybody from here on TB and glad I met somebody as cool as this man. Thanks again Adam.
BTW.... how the heck do I turn this pic?
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