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DJ5 Neck question

coreyfyfe

coreyfyfe

Supporting Member
Nov 19, 2007
9,822
6,112
boston, ma
#1
I asked this in another thread a while back and didn't get many responses, so I'd like to try and get a broader base of opinions.

Currently my only 5 string is a Sterling 5 which is a great bass, but I'm a passive kind of guy and was hoping to get a more "raw" sound out of the bass than it appears to be capable of. That said, I've been considering moving to a DJ5, but as I can't find one locally to test drive, I have been a bit hesitant.

How would you describe the neck on the DJ5? My main bass is a 78 fender jazz, and ideally, I'd like something that had a familiar kind of comfort. What is the DJ5 profile like? Radius? Finish? Fretboard edges? The sterling 5 neck is more of a wide-flat style, but it fits pretty comfortably in your hand, so I certainly could go for something a little chunkier, but nothing too meaty. I'm not looking to play a log....

Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
#2
Hi Corey,

You picked the wrong day to ask this question. All the DJ info has been taken down at Lakland.com. Apparently Darryl Jones is no longer a Lakland endorser.

That said, I can tell you the DJ5 neck profile is a little different from other Lakland 5-string necks. I remember it has a compound radius. Compared to a normal Fender Jazz, it's wider and a little thicker with the same string spacing.

I've got fairly small hands and it's very comfortable to me. The thickness is very similar to my Squire '50s P bass. Thickness at the nut isn't a whole lot different either.

I hope that helps.
 
#4
Hey.

I really like mine, but just found out that DJ is no longer an endorser.

Apparently, he's gone to another brand (Not sure which one).

The neck is very comfortable and, unlike other necks with a gloss finish on the back, mine almost never feels "sticky".

Mine also has very good fretwork and amazing inlays.

It's a bound neck that looks and feels very comfortable. I love the way it plays.
 
#5
I believe the compound radius was 10" to 13"...I found the neck a little "chunkier" than the other Lakland 5er necks. the DJ5 is the ONLY neck that is different.

if you want GREAT passive tone, the DJ growls with the best of them (IMHO)....
 
#6
In a conversation I had with Dan Lakin a while back he told me, at least at the time, Lakland really only had one neck shape for all 5 strings. I could be wrong, but that's my recollection.

I owned a DJ5 for a while, and even with my large hands I felt the neck was too chunky for my taste. It seemed to exaggerate the extra inch in scale. By comparison, for example, I've found Roscoe and MTD necks to be quite a bit slimmer at 35".

I've played basses with a 36" scale and actually felt more comfortable on some of them than I did on the DJ5.

This is my recollection, and I can already tell there are people who disagree with me. Of course, would you expect anything different?
 

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