Has TB moved on from Lakland?

[Geri O]

I think G&L has really come on string in the past few years.

That’s one way to put it...

 

[DJ Bebop]

Sadowsky and Dingwall, in my observations, are two brands that most guys here lose their minds over...

 

[Steve88]

I'm a big fan of Lakland basses. My 55-94 sounds fantastic and is easily the best feeling best I've ever gotten my hands on. The neck finish and shape is somehow just perfect for my tiny hands. It can take a stupidly low setup and still be playable. It was expensive but I have no regrets selling a few pretty nice basses to buy it.

My Skyline 55-60 is no slouch either.

I also owned a white pearl Skyline DJ5 (sold and long gone) that I kind of regret selling, but it always felt a little to flashy for me.

 

[Nephilymbass]

Hey guys, I’ve just recently become active again on Tb after many years. Boy it seems things have changed in the bass world. When I first started to be very active here about 10 years ago it seemed that Lakland got a ton of love, (me too, Lakland fan here). But now there are so many other bass brands that quite honestly I’d never even heard of before until starting to browse around the threads again recently.

So I guess the point of this thread is....What’s the bass brand craze that everyone seems to be into these days?

BTW I still love all my Laklands, but always down for trying new bass brands that people really like.

To be honest I’ve never played one. Like many other big brands (cough G&L) they have very poor distribution in my area so I’ve never touched one. With some less common brands I’ve owned like my Dingwall and the conklin I used to have I did get to try the exact bass or a very similar model for sale used before hand. Heck Ive even played NS design and Roscoes in stores. But I really have no idea if I’d love or hate Lakland.

 

[Pickebass]

Having been on TB for some time, I've seen the craze over a brand and bought most of them. I've had a few Laklands and can say they were all great instruments. They were really one of the first to mix the Stingray and Jazz pickup and make it commercially viable. They fixed most of the issues Fender owners complained about. What's changed is there are more competitors doing the same thing. Sires are the new favorites, about a year before that it was Bass Mods. Basically, we're always looking for a better Fender clone, but in many ways Fender has upped its game. So for many it's a question of if you you want Fender on the headstock.

The short scale thing seems to be coming around... we'll see how long that lasts

 

[Al Kraft]

To be honest I’ve never played one. Like many other big brands (cough G&L) they have very poor distribution in my area so I’ve never touched one. With some less common brands I’ve owned like my Dingwall and the conklin I used to have I did get to try the exact bass or a very similar model for sale used before hand. Heck Ive even played NS design and Roscoes in stores. But I really have no idea if I’d love or hate Lakland.

I've played a few and thought they were nicely made and sounded good. I just find my Warwicks and MM Sterling to feel more comfortable to play. Once we're talking this level of quality in an instrument, I suspect many of us make the final decision on brand based on how easily an instrument plays with our preferred technique(s).

 

[Roger W]

Do you feel the 44-60 is worth the price tag?

That's a hard question. It's worth the price tag to me. I bought a Sweetwater demo model of a classic series 44-60 for something like a $300 mark down. Still expensive for a J bass, but it's the best J bass I've played and the only one I kept. It won out over a Fender Player, Fender American Professional, and G&L.

 

[Johnny Alien]

Lakland definitely had a much bigger presence on TB years ago. It got to the point that it seemed about a third of the active posters here claimed to have endorsement arrangements with Lakland, even if the claims were not based in truth. One had to wonder how Dan made any money if he was really giving away all these basses or selling them at artist prices to “endorsees”.

I am one of the active posters that actually did have an endorsement with Lakland. I can tell you that IF he was every giving basses away it wasn't to anyone at my level. That said Dan did have to sell the company so I am not sure hw was ever really making money while he was running things.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

Many years ago I tried out a 55-94 at my local music store. I wasn’t even a 5-string player at that time, and I instantly wanted to buy it on the spot.

I didn’t have the funds and I didn’t want to jack up a credit card. That 55-94 is close to the top of my personal “The one you let get away” list.

I was just browsing the prices on a new 55-94 a few nights ago. I don’t see myself ever being able to afford a new US-made model, unless I win the Powerball Lottery.

 

[bigjames]

I feel like everyone’s been talking about the Baader-Meinhoff phenomenon lately.

Since I learned what this phenomenon is, I am seeing it everywhere.

 

[EmuBass]

Many years ago I tried out a 55-94 at my local music store. I wasn’t even a 5-string player at that time, and I instantly wanted to buy it on the spot.

I didn’t have the funds and I didn’t want to jack up a credit card. That 55-94 is close to the top of my personal “The one you let get away” list.

I was just browsing the prices on a new 55-94 a few nights ago. I don’t see myself ever being able to afford a new US-made model, unless I win the Powerball Lottery.

The Indonesian made Låkis are far from cheap, but still excellent value. Give them a try!

 

[Al Kraft]

The Indonesian made Låkis are far from cheap, but still excellent value. Give them a try!

I have no firsthand knowledge in this specific instance, but will say that many countries around the world have excellent artisans, access to quality wood/parts, and a history of premiere woodworking/luthier skills. I try to buy American when I can, but often times the highest quality product (which may also be a good value depending on exchange rates) comes from other countries.

Additionally, as American companies source parts globally (even when assembly is in the US) and frequently operate with internationally oriented business models that work best for their world wide distribution and servicing, I'm not sure it always holds that manufacturing moved from eth US means lower quality. Once again, I like supporting US manufacturing and US based companies whenever I can. However, my primary focus is quality.

 

[BurningSkies]

Don’t know why , but this Lakland makes me drool...

View attachment 3998776

Cool color and vibe, but that mismatched grain being that bold would drive me a bit nuts.

 

[Matt R]

Graphite Guitar Systems - GGS
Jerry Dorsch's basses from Oakville WA.

Still love my old Lakland basses.

 

[bofus]

Mike Lull is always popular.

I assume everybody knows that Mike Lull passed away in Feb of 2020. Yet another reason 2020 sucks.

 

[selowitch]

I assume everybody knows that Mike Lull passed away in Feb of 2020. Yet another reason 2020 sucks.

I had not heard that. What a pity! RIP.

 

[SzunaP]

My two dream basses have always been a Lakland US P Bass and a Sadowsky NYC 5-string Jazz Bass. I was blessed to be able to buy the Lakland last year, and the Sadowsky this year. Both have met, if not exceeded, my expectations. I did change the pickup in the Lakland, because I didn’t care for the stock Lakland/Hanson pickup, but the bass is superb!

I'm in same situation; I was in big dilemma for months, cant decide between 55-94 and Sado M5-24 - both was my dream bass...finally I chosen Sadowsky, mainly the 34" FB which I prefer.
Last year I tried a NOS Indonesian built 55-02, after I sold a Cort GB75 - both of them had significant fretwork issues by factory, not finished/QC quite thorougly I think. The Cort was newly bought, I had to take it to luthier to filing , but I thought it's ok for a cheap axe. But for a Lakland it was a surprise, and disappointment for me.

 

[SJLee]

I haven't moved on. Still have my Bob Glaub I purchased over 11 years ago.

 

[Low Main]

I always enjoy seeing and reading about various hot bass brands as they appear. Then I go play my late 70's / early 80's Ibanez, Yamaha and G&L basses.
And also early Korean Skylines and early CR Spectors.

 

[ad9000]

Laklands are still great instruments - I love mine and still use them often, but after introducing a lot of innovative models in the early to mid 2000's (JO, DJ, Glaub, Hollowbody, Duck Dunn, Scheff, Decade, etc.) they kind of reached a point of stasis after Dan Lakin's departure. They have a few interesting newer designs in the current lineup (Hollowbody 30, Decade 6, Geezer Butler) but they're mostly offering renamed and slightly tweaked versions of models from the earlier line.