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Lakland 55-94 vs. G&L L-2500

H

HeddieMurphy

Mar 1, 2010
20
0
#1
Can anyone offer some comparisons between these two basses?

I'm restricted by distance to any places that sell these basses, so I can't test them out in person, but I have a connection with a dealer of both brands who can get me either.

It seems like negative comments are few and far between for both basses. I love the sounds the players I've heard play these basses get. Does anyone have any advice on whether or not its worth the price upgrade from the L-2500 to the 55-94?

Any comments are appreciated.
 
#2
They're different sounding instruments, so can't really comment on whether or not the price difference is worth it.

The G&L is a much more aggressive sounding instrumet. The one I owned always seemed to play well in a live mix, and many folks commented on how great it sounded. Lots of bottom, but a great growly mid that really gave it a presense. It's not an instrument that I'd likely record with though. That aggressiveness was also hard to tame.

The Lakland is a 35" scale so it plays a bit different. Much more versatile instrument than the L2500 IMO. Great tone all the way around. A bit smoother compared to the G&L, but the Lakland electronics can get aggressive also. If you want to cover the tones of a jazz, precision of stingray, this is the instrument to own. Of course it's not an exact copy of the sound, but pretty close. I never felt out of place with the Lakland since it could do so much. That's not true with the G&L. Though I always loved it the tone personally, there were times where I thought it wasn't the ideal choice.

Both are great options. Personally I would get the Tribute or Skyline models in either.
 
#3
YEah, tonally they are quite different so it would be hard to really say whether or not you would prefer one over the other.

Spec-wise as pointed out above the Lakland has a longer scale length and I also believe that the string spacing is tighter on the G&L. So it might come down to one of them being less comfortable for you to play.

Perhaps try going for a used 55-02. They pop up here on the classifieds pretty quickly and if you don't like it you could always sell it for what you paid (since you got it used). Also if you liked it alot and wanted to upgrade to a US model you could get your money back out of it.
 
#5
Just a quick addition to Eublet's comment. I've been doing some recording with a 44-02 and it's quickly becoming my favorite recording bass. It goes to tape (I mean disc) beautifully.

/rick
 

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