Lakland 55-01 - A good choice as the first 5-string bass ?

I had a Korean, pre plek one. In a word, Yes.

this has been asked afew times, so be prepared for people to mention that. But as I have said before and don't mind saying again, they are well built, comfortable, and versatile, if a tad generic sounding. Great platform for mods and easily sellable if you decide it isnt for you. Not much to lose with that.

 

The 55-01 is a great choice for a first 5, especially if you're looking for wide string spacing. It's well-built and has an excellent low B, which is going to make the switch to 5 a lot easier by letting you really make use of that extra low string!

Mike

 

I've had over a half a dozen five string basses over the years. One of the two I've stopped at is my 55-01. It's a great bass for me. I've dropped Nordstrand Dual Coils into mine.

KO

 

+1

The Lakland 55-01 was my first 5 string bass, and I haven't been interested in 4's since. I can't think of a better 5'er to start on. In fact, I'd take one over several 5's that cost twice as much. It's completely gig-worthy, reliable, and has a fantastic B string.

 

One minor note, I had wiring problem with mine, the jack was kind of screwed up. It was an easy fix, but the wiring was not very clean and I had to re do a bit of it. I don't know aobut newer ones, but I have heard a couple other 01 owners have output jack issues.

 

Give one a listen first. The MK1 electronics are not everyones cup of tea, myself included. Some like them as they are clean and quiet for recording but a little too polite and bland for my taste. Also, myself and others have problems getting the string volumes to balance.

on the other hand the 5 string MK1 routes are a direct fit for nordstrand's if you don't dig the stock sound.

 

Yeah, they are a trifle plain, but the upside is versatility. Not for nothing, thats one of the reasons I got rid of mine, but in retrospect some Nordys might have been a better choice.