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Fender or Lakland

T

theleteri

Aug 9, 2008
79
3
#1
i have been shopping for a new bass for some time now. i originally wanted the Shecter Stiletto Studio4 because of the neck-through body and the active electronics (and it is pretty :) ) but after reading stuff on here and talking to other players a neck-through and active electronica don't necessarily mean that it is better.

i have been playing everything i can get my hands on and playing them all on the same rigs at the same eq levels. i have ruled out all Schecters except the 004 (because they sound too similar to my Dean Edge Q) and even that one is beeing pushed out by the 2 main contenders:

Lakland Darryl Jones 4
Fender Marcus Miller 4

both have great tone and playability but i dont have $2200 to buy both so i must choose one. i know my pros and cons and i am torn so i would love to hear all of your pros and cons.

thanx for the help!
 
#2
Hmmmm.....


You've got quite a choice to make there. I'll go ahead and pick the Lakland since they have some of the nicest necks I've ever played. What you need to do is go to a place like Sam Ash that would have both of them and compare the two through the same amp. I mean, you can ask us and we'll tell you what we like and why we like it but in the end you're the one taking it home.
 
#5
i have played both on the same rig as well as on my rig and they definitely have different sounds. i think my biggest problem is getting over the fact that having active electronics is not necessary.

i think the fact that the mm can go active and passive is what is keeping it in the running. the neck is nice but i like the satin finish of the dj better. the tone of the dj is much more distinct where the mm sounds like a bright version of the j bass. also the mm is much heavier.
 
#6
I have played both and I feel the DJ has a much nicer neck and looks better overall....also - you CANNOT beat Lakland service - not that you should need to use it - but even if you want to upgrade pickups etc....they are GREAT to deal with!

I love my DJ but found myself "sliding off the neck" of the MM - the neck seemed WAY thinner!

Good luck!
 
#7
theleteri said:
i have played both on the same rig as well as on my rig and they definitely have different sounds. i think my biggest problem is getting over the fact that having active electronics is not necessary.

i think the fact that the mm can go active and passive is what is keeping it in the running. the neck is nice but i like the satin finish of the dj better. the tone of the dj is much more distinct where the mm sounds like a bright version of the j bass. also the mm is much heavier.
Click to expand...
Sort of like you answered your own question. If you can get past the mental block of having active electronics, the DJ sounds like the much better option.
 
#8
capnsandwich said:
What you need to do is go to a place like Sam Ash that would have both of them and compare the two through the same amp.
Click to expand...


I actually did just this today (except I was playing a regular Fender Jazz, not a MM) and I'll be completely honest, I felt that the Lakland was horribly overpriced after that. (mind you this was a MIM Fender) The Fender simply felt better in every respect, the neck, the body, and the weight were all better on the Fender. Electronics can be changed, the body and neck can't without making a whole new bass effectively, plus the array of effects and modeling processing available today allow you to tailor sound however you like it. I just wouldn't be able to justify the extra spent on the Lakland. (probably not an MIA for that matter though)

So that probably tells you it's all a personal preference and leaves you either disregarding my opinion or being more confused than before. Basically I agree with his advice as to actually try both, but I don't agree with his choice, it all boils down to what you want. Just make sure you really want what you're getting before the purchase is final.
 
#9
go buy lakland darryl jones. its better than new usa fender jazz basses or marcus miller series.
i dont know why jon118 didnt like it all. perhaps the one he tried had bad workship ? dunno. dj is better. until u have some real 70 or 60s jazz bass there.
of course its taste, but in quality lakland leads.
 
#10
That is a hard decisn and I am glad I am not you. I had a MM for a few years and it really didn't thrill me. It was heavy and with the eq choices I felt it did 1 sound well...Miller's. I don't particularly care for the DJ because the neck seams too thin and the body cut bugs me. I can say after years of looking for the perfect J bass my Lakland Skyline JO5 is the ticket and I'll be playing this long after others get sold. It is a perfect instrument in feel/tone/workmanship and anything else you want to add to this list.
 
#13
If you decide to go with MM take it to a repair guy and have a concentric V/passive Tone added so when it is in pasive mode you have a tone control so you can get stock J bass sounds. I use my JO by itself for most things but when I need an active sound I plug it in to a Sadowsky outboard pre and get the active J sound.
 
#14
I've played a number of MMs over the past few years, and they all sound great. I actually like the look of the pickguard, and pickguard with sunburst finish is stunning.

That said, after playing a DJ, I would have to say that I prefer it. It sounded better, and played better than the MM. Lakland quality is simply top-knotch, and they are great folks to deal with should the need arise.
 
#19
I sold an Elrick Classic 5, got the MM, had that for maybe a month, and ended up with a '62 RI Jazz. I'm going to purchase a Lakland in the next month.

The MM bass is cheap to me. It sounds very fake. Keep in mind the mass production thing w/Fender, whereas Lakland you're getting more than that, Skyline or USA.

I'd go with the Lakland, they're way f'in cooler. :D


tom

edit: not to mention the skin wearing off my thumb and collecting on the back of the neck. Very annoying.
 
#20
These were the exact same basses I was toggling around in the brain until I had played both for extensive times in the shop. The MM was pretty sweet ( the preamp wasn't the best but could easily be changed ). That was my first test. Then I went and tried out the DJ4. It was unbelievable. It sounds great, play great, looks great. What else is there? You can guess which one I own now.
 

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