Ben Kenney's Lakland

[mattygbass]

Side note: The Scheff (now discontinued) used the same body as the 4-94/44-02 series, but it also had its own preamp (a Fishman, I think).

Save up, Jordan! Used US Laklands can be had at pretty good prices sometimes.

the production scheffs use a bartolini, he may have had a fishman in his personal bass.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was 35 scale

his new LPB is a 35" the old one is not.

Scheffs have different pickup positions.

its bridge pup is closer to the bridge and its neck pup is closer to the neck. heres a pic of the fretless scheff i just traded to buffordbass for his DS'd Glaub, notice the regular jazz pups

 

[Johnny Alien]

Johnny Alien the blue bass in the pic is 34" scale.

Not according to Ben Kenney. Unless you know something about his bass he doesn't.

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[mattygbass]

i remember the blue one being 35" .and has joe barden pickups

 

[MarkusBass]

I would because he was recently talking about how he finally got an XS 35" 4 string Lakland.

Not to say that this ISN'T a 35" bass he just made it sound like the 35" was new to him.

I thought he had a few 35 scale Laklands.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Not according to Ben Kenney. Unless you know something about his bass he doesn't.

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I played a rare black XL5 series(35' 4 string). And during that same week I played the blue bass that was Ben's and at the time it wasen't totally finalized so there is a good possibility that when I played it it was 34"

 

[TheDialog]

How different will this bass sound to a later model American Fender Jazz?

 

[Johnny Alien]

I thought he had a few 35 scale Laklands.

I'm not 100% sure as I have not found a full listing of his basses. I know he has a bunch of JO's as well. His post just sounded like the 35" was a big deal to him so I assumed maybe he didn't have any other ones. Nothing I have is concrete.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

The first pic in this thread looks like the very rare original Willie Weeks sig model( 44-63) . It was passive, 34" scale. two single coils, with V/V/T lay out.

 

[MarkusBass]

I thought there was a Shoreline gold Lakland with single coil ChiSonics that was a 35 scale. Can't find the photo, but he used to have it on the home page of his site. I could be wrong though.

 

[Johnny Alien]

I thought there was a Shoreline gold Lakland with single coil ChiSonics that was a 35 scale. Can't find the photo, but he used to have it on the home page of his site. I could be wrong though.

I found this text on his site:

"That bass is a Lakland prototype. They built it with a 35″ scale and originally intended it to be strung with the lower 4 strings of a 5 string set (B,E,A,D). I tried it out because I wanted a bass with more tension on the strings for pick playing and drop-D tuning. I strung it up with flatwounds and tuned it to standard (E,A,D,G). The extra inch on the neck makes the strings considerably stiffer and it resonates like a piano. It’s very loud and very clear down to the lowest notes and has amazing definition in the lower frequencies. The pickups are passive Lindy Fralin single coil J’s. I prefer passive electronics in my basses. The strings I use are GHS Precision Flats 45-105. Lakland made 3 more of those basses and I plan on taking them on the road this summer with Incubus. Two of the new ones have Joe Barden pickups and one has the new Lakland Chi-Sonics."

So I have no idea what the one with jazz pickups looks like but it does sound like there is a 35" Chi-Sonic model.

 

[TheDialog]

How different does this bass sound compared to a later model American Fender Jazz?

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Lakland had made a few of the 35" 4 string xl models.

 

[Gecko 5]

I know Jason Scheff from the band Chicago has a 35" 4 string.











I'm just sayin

 

[mattygbass]

How different does this bass sound compared to a later model American Fender Jazz?

shouldn't sound much different , depending on pickup, string, and wood choice??

 

[TheDialog]

shouldn't sound much different , depending on pickup, string, and wood choice??

What's the appeal then to buy a more expensive US Lakland? I hope I don't start a war, I'm just curious as a Fender owner.

 

[GregC]

What's the appeal then to buy a more expensive US Lakland? I hope I don't start a war, I'm just curious as a Fender owner.

As the owner of three US Laklands (all bought used from TBers), I think that's a perfectly reasonable question. If we're talking fairly identical basses (P and J basses), I would say there are a few reasons to choose one over a Fender. First, the necks/fretwork are absolute butter--the best I've ever played, period. (Not that I think there's anything wrong with Fender's necks, by the way--I own one.) Second, more options for finishes, preamps, neck dimensions, blocks and binding, pickguards, etc. Third, great overall quality and fantastic customer service. Finally, if you play fives (I don't), the B string is phenomenal. I plan to order my first brand new US Lakland sometime this year.

 

[TheDialog]

For the same price I'm sure you could have all those options in the Custom Shop...
Fender also has numerous basses that have all the different options you speak of. I'm not a 5 string player. I play a '71 P and '05 J. I've owned 5 Fender Ps and 3 Js...the two I've kept play like butter haha.

 

[dannster]

I played a rare black XLS series(35' 4 string).

That must've been amazing! Did you have to run back and forth or did you have someone on the other end helping?

 

[GregC]

For the same price I'm sure you could have all those options in the Custom Shop...
Fender also has numerous basses that have all the different options you speak of. I'm not a 5 string player. I play a '71 P and '05 J. I've owned 5 Fender Ps and 3 Js...the two I've kept play like butter haha.

The Custom Shop, I'm sure--but I don't know how much they'd charge for a customized bass as opposed to the NOS/Closet Classic/Relic models they turn out. Also, I've found Lakland to be really approachable (granted, I live close by the shop ); I don't know what the Custom Shop experience is like.

With Fender's "regular" product line, it's true there are a bunch of models. But there are still a lot of possible combinations, between finishes/electronics/neck sizes/etc., that you can't get all in one bass from them as opposed to Lakland. And while MIA Fenders are really nice instruments, I haven't found any recent ones that match up to US Laklands. (My '83 '57 reissue P does come close, except for the neck dive.)

That's cool that you found a '71 P that rocks. Those suckers are pricey these days. I'm still hoping to find a mid-'60s P someday that blows me away, at a time when I can swing it. Hopefully, you'll get a chance to try out a US Lakland one day and see how it stacks up for you.

 

[Johnny Alien]

For the same price I'm sure you could have all those options in the Custom Shop...
Fender also has numerous basses that have all the different options you speak of. I'm not a 5 string player. I play a '71 P and '05 J. I've owned 5 Fender Ps and 3 Js...the two I've kept play like butter haha.

US Laklands are comparable to Fender Custom Shop. The relic/reissue series from Fender is a great bass and similar in quality but as far as I know they both cost about the same amount. At that point it would probably be specs and overall neck shape that would push you one way or the other.