Lakland 5-76

[MikeBass]

Well, I just aquired a 5-76 (for the interm) and all I will say is it's pretty much the answer to my dreams for a Music Man with wide spacing.
Let's not get into the siscussion as to why MM has their head in places to dirty to discuss to do this themselves- I don't get it either........

Anyway, prior to me getting it, it was sent to Lakland for a once over and to have the new Lakland pre-amp installed.
It still has the Basslines pick-up in it BTW. So I don't know how it sounded like with the old pre-amp.

The switching is exactly like a SR5- parallel, single, series on the pick-up.
Not exactly sure where the EQ points are, but the mid has a bunch of DIP switches and it's currently set at 600hz (which from what I understand is pretty close to MM) .

I had the chance to A/B it next to a SR5 at the Bowlus GTG.
Now, first off, the SR5 was ash with rosewood and mine is alder with maple (sweet birdseye fingerboard BTW) so before anything went down, we knew there would be a difference of some sort. Plus the Lakland is 35" scale (FWIW- I'm not 100% convinced 35" scale makes all that big of a difference).

But for all practical purposes, and to everyone there, it captured the sound dead nuts.

And in typical Lakland fashion, the build quility is about as good as it comes, the B string is sick sounding and it plays like a greased pig in zero gravity on teflon coated glass.

I scored a great deal on it (Thanks KJung!!! ) as well.

I guess the reason they discontinued this model (before the MM guys race in and say "Look, they didn't sell so Lakland stopped making them thats why MM won't do it").
When put next to the 5-94 (the two pick-up model: J/MM) for something like $100-$150 more you get, well, two pick-ups= more tonal options, it didn't fare to well.

Heck, I would have bought the other model as well!!

I kinda forgot how nice and soild Laklands are. This thing is bad as hell!!!!

It may be going away to take care of some business, but if I could swing it, I may keep it.
We'll see............

 

[tombowlus]

Mike:

That bass was killer. It could dial in a much wider range of killer tones than I would have initially suspected. You tend to make any bass sound good, but I really liked that one.

Tom.

 

[MikeBass]

Mike:

That bass was killer. It could dial in a much wider range of killer tones than I would have initially suspected. You tend to make any bass sound good, but I really liked that one.

Tom.

Thanks Tom!

I'm a Jazz Bass guy, but I have a soft spot for that Music Man type of sound.
I've said it before, if MM would have made the SR5 in wider spacing, I would have been playing them as much as a Jazz.

That one is nice though! And I have a few people who are lining up if/when I move it.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Mike, does bass sound good on funky stuff? I know Ken said it really had a rock bass sort of tone. I'm guessing the Lakland preamp brought it around.

 

[xparis001]

if you ever want to sell that bad-boy, please consider me first in line! she'd have a good home next to my 2 55-94s.

also, i hear the pickup is further from the bridge than a 55-94. could you measure it? I'm curious.

as to the basslines, that my friend is the best kept secret in the lakland family. it turns the 55-94/76 basses from a versatile, articulate high end bass to a stingray killer!! my blue one has basslines in it, and I'd never sell it.

 

[TrooperFarva]

I don't know, you claim to have this bass, and yet, there are no pictures of this bass, so I'm just not sure I believe you

 

[jivetkr]

I'll never understand MM's tight string spacing. I would definitly own one by now if they offered 19mm spacing.

 

[tombowlus]

I don't know, you claim to have this bass, and yet, there are no pictures of this bass, so I'm just not sure I believe you

Got yer back, Mike (and no, not in the Mike Winnen Brokeback Mountain way... ):

 

[roadkill2309]

Wow. Was this a limiited-edition run or is it something you can custom order? I've never seen one of those before... Or even heard of it.

 

[trainyourhuman]

THat bass was totally killer. Plays itself - one of the best setups I've played.

I was thinking about snagging one in trans white - too bad for me they aren't made anymore...

 

[xparis001]

Got yer back, Mike (and no, not in the Mike Winnen Brokeback Mountain way... ):

IMG I want that bass!! seriously.

 

[MikeBass]

if you ever want to sell that bad-boy, please consider me first in line! she'd have a good home next to my 2 55-94s.

also, i hear the pickup is further from the bridge than a 55-94. could you measure it? I'm curious.

as to the basslines, that my friend is the best kept secret in the lakland family. it turns the 55-94/76 basses from a versatile, articulate high end bass to a stingray killer!! my blue one has basslines in it, and I'd never sell it.

Here's the deal on these basses.
The pick-up is in the exact MM position. Where-as on the the 5-95/94, the MM pick-up is actually closer to the bridge to place the rear coil in the 70's Jazz position.

Thats why the 5-95/94 never quite sound exactly like a MM. But you can get a damn good Jazz sound out of it.

That distance is about 1/2" -3/4" difference. And we all know what a big difference a 1/2" makes when talking Jazz Bass rear pick-up placement in 60's vs. 70's.

And like I said in my first post, they stopped making these a number of years back.
I wish that photo showed the birdseye on the neck- it's sick!
I'm gonna swap out the pick-guard for a pearl-oid white one. I placed a blank on it the other day and it makes the neck jump out a bit more, and dresses it more up a bit too.

Thanks Tom for backing me up with the photo!!!

Dr. Cheese: This thing is a funk monster like any Music Man is.
But throw the switch in parallel (I think!) and it really sounds like a beefy big ass P Bass. And for rock, that setting would kill. I like the more smoother series (again, I think!) setting myself and this is where that MM flavor really shines.

Rock bass, I guess, but it really drips funk and likes to be slapped!
It has a real aggressive tone, so I could see where maybe Ken could say that, but I used it last night with a soul/MoTown/R&B gig. And it sounded great.

End all of basses??? If it's a Music Man with wide spacing you want, this model it it.

I have a Valenti on it's way (the TB/Mikebass one) that has J/MM pick-ups, but the rear pick-up is in the exact MM position like this, but with the added bonus of a J in the neck position.

There is a line forming for this thing!!!

 

[Phantasm]

I have a Valenti on it's way (the TB/Mikebass one) that has J/MM pick-ups, but the rear pick-up is in the exact MM position like this, but with the added bonus of a J in the neck position.

There is a line forming for this thing!!!

I'm very curious to hear what you have to say about the Valenti given your great review of the Lakland!

 

[MikeBass]

I'm very curious to hear what you have to say about the Valenti given your great review of the Lakland!

I like this bass.
Does it make me go "Oh My God, the "Quest is over!!!!".
I dunno. Does it ever really end!???!!?

I only have and had two basses that did/does that to me.
1) My old 70's Jazz. Had it forever. Modded to hell and back.
2) My Fodera Matt Garrison 5 which I had to sell last year.

Besides those two basses, nothing has ever had that "thing" to me.
Sadowskys come DAMN close though!! And this Lakland is pretty stinkin' nice!

BTW- it was one year ago yesterday that I got sick (for those who know what was/is going on)

 

[Bryan316]

I see a Low Down Sound amp back there...

 

[iamlowsound]

I like this bass.
Does it make me go "Oh My God, the "Quest is over!!!!".
I dunno. Does it ever really end!???!!?

I only have and had two basses that did/does that to me.
1) My old 70's Jazz. Had it forever. Modded to hell and back.
2) My Fodera Matt Garrison 5 which I had to sell last year.

Besides those two basses, nothing has ever had that "thing" to me.
Sadowskys come DAMN close though!! And this Lakland is pretty stinkin' nice!

BTW- it was one year ago yesterday that I got sick (for those who know what was going on)

Did you ever find out what it was that made you sick and are you better yet?

lowsound

 

[MikeBass]

I see a Low Down Sound amp back there...

Yeah, but it got crushed by the Berg IP 15 stack that I was playing through (as did most other amps there).
WHEW!!!!
That thing was nutty!!!!

 

[Bryan316]

Did you ever find out what it was that made you sick and are you better yet?

lowsound

??? What happened Mike?

 

[MikeBass]

Did you ever find out what it was that made you sick and are you better yet?

lowsound

EEK!!
Not to derail too much, but here's the "short" story:
I had a small "stroke". Not really a stroke or even a TIA, but a slight decrease in blood flow- but it falls in the same family. Not enough to cause any damage or show on a MRI. This was just enough to cause my speech to go and right side to feel tingly.
This also caused some old seizure activity to pop back up from a closed head injury I had when I was 17. Which is not uncommon.

So the result was very slight, underlying seizure activity- on going or continuous if you will.

So, meds and more meds. Some worked for a while then piddled away, and now they seem to have everthing working in the right direction.

BTW, I'm only 38.

Now, enough of that. Back to basses!!!

 

[Bryan316]

Allright. Back to basses.

MORE PHOTOS! Whore your axe out to the internet.