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Lakland 55-94 or Sadowsky UV 70 5 - Hard decision - Help :)

G

Gröt

May 1, 2008
42
0
#1
Hi !

I have now spent some months now just trying to decide
what 5:er i should buy. I have now come up with
these two.

Link Removed

http://www.station-music.de/images/bass/instrumente/sad_uv70mw5owht.jpg

I can´t afford both. They are different, they are, but what
would be...to you...more worth the money. :hmm:

The Lakland is a bit more expensive, but not that much.

What would be your choice and why ? :help:

Thx and i wish you all a good weekend :)

/Gröt
Gothenburg
Sweden
 
#2
I have owned them both and they are completely different animals as you are aware. Tell me what sound you are going for, what material you will play and etc and I would be happy to give you my suggestion. In general both have impeccable quality and both companies are at the very top in terms of customer service and support. Both are excellent instruments and do different things wonderfully. You can't go wrong with either but the Lakland will be more flexible if you need a variety of sounds. The Sadowsky is definitely all jazz bass which is not a bad thing unless you need other types of sounds. The craftsmanship and quality are definitely on par with each and is probably a bit of a toss up between the 2. I lean toward the Lakland because of the Flexibility but if I wanted strictly a jazz it would be the Sadowsky because it does that better than the Lakland IMHO. Tell us what you are looking to do with it....

BTW - As my Avatar shows I am a Lakland endorser so take what I say with that in mind!

Peace,

T
 
#4
love my laklands, but would get the sadowsky hands down. it's the pre's that do it for me. the build quality on par for each. it's all about sound really. also, do you want 35" or 34"....some people really wig out about that. if it's not a big thing, then choose with your ears.
 
#5
If it was up to me, I would get the American model before the foreign model, for resale value. So, I would pick the Lakland. Plus I would be able to afford an American Lakland berfore a American Sadowsky. Both are good basses, but the Lakland has more tone options.
 
#6
diglo said:
If it was up to me, I would get the American model before the foreign model, for resale value. So, I would pick the Lakland. Plus I would be able to afford an American Lakland berfore a American Sadowsky. Both are good basses, but the Lakland has more tone options.
Click to expand...

???? The Sadowsky is an American Model that is made for Sadwosky in Tokyo Japan. Are your referring to that fact? Resale is actually about the same for both in terms of percentage of retail they retain at resale. We agree about the tonal variety of the 2 but I just want to be clear about your other points. This is not meant as a diss or a challenge to you opinion just not quite sure what you mean about "foreign model". Thanks!

Peace,

T
 
#7
I'm sorry my friend, but I looked at the Sadowsky title wrong. I was thinking about the Metros. That's why I said foreign model, beacuse Metros are made in Japan. I still would go with Lakland for tone, but if you are looking for straight jazz tone, go with Sadowsky. Thanks.
 
#8
This might not be a huge issue for you... but the Lakland has a 35 inch scale and the Sadowsky has a 34. I have a 55-94 and had a M5-24 - I found the neck on the Sadowsky to fit my hand a little better. For me, the scale is not an issue - I' 50/50 on 34 and 35 inch scale... it is the girth of the neck that is more critical for me.

Dan K.
 
#10
The reviews on this thread are stunningly accurate. I have a 55-94 & I regularly play my friends Sadowsky. The tonal variations of the Lakland never fail to amaze me. IMHO it's largely do to the ability to split the bridge humbucker any of three ways and blend it with the neck pickup. For example running the rear coil of the bridge in combination with a 75% balance towards the neck pickup produces an amazning tone & there are countless others. The Lakland can sound like a Jass, Percision & Music Man passibly. Also the three band preamp allows some additional tonal variations that may not be possible with the Sadowsky's two band. The Lakland also has a tighter B string IMO.
The Sadowsky's advantage? It sounds flat out amazing and it's easier to play. I can play some things on the Sadowsky that are more difficult for me on the Lakland. I would choose the Lakland but if I owned the Sadowsky I would probably choose IT. I guess I'm not helping very much.:D
 
#13
pickles said:
You've narrowed it down to pretty much the best two 5-string basses money can buy IMO.
Click to expand...

I completely agree. My Sadowsky Metro J and Lakland 55-02 (with Lakland pu's and preamp) are the two best basses I have owned. After gigging both extensively I decided the Sadowsky tone worked better in the mix (although the Lakland was fantastic). I ended up keeping the Sadowsky but would still have both if my "budget committee" was more understanding.:) You really can't go wrong with either.
 

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