Lakland Basses... just in general

[trothwell]

I was recently at one of the nicer music shops in my region (still out of town, but close-ish), and played several Precision basses.

Of the Fenders, the markedly best one -- best feel, best sound -- was an American Vintage 1960.

But maybe just every so slightly not quite as good, in my opinion, was a used Lakland Precision-style bass. I was super impressed. And it was even from their more budged-friendly "Skyline" series.

I feel like I've sampled a random Lakland bass before and was similarly impressed. (Probably also a Skyline, as I vaguely recall.) But I don't come across them very often in person, so they really have't been on my radar much.

Thoughts in general? Are these routinely as excellent as the couple of samples that I've stumbled upon?

 

[michael_t]

I've just asked for this to be moved to "Basses" for you.

 

[jeff62]

The answer is yes, Lakland is superior (IMO) to Fender products. My two American Lakland basses are much better in feel and build quality than my Fender custom shop bass.

 

[3bc]

I’ve owned 3 lakland basses and they’ve all been excellent. They’re “cheap” basses come from the factory plek’d with great action.

 

[Blues Bass 2]

I've had two Lakland Skylines , a Joe Osborn 5 with Fralins and a John East pre and a 5502 . Both were as good as it gets for me quality wise . The JO was awesome but it weighed 12.5 pounds and was just too heavy . The 5502 was around 8 pounds and played like butter . I didn't like the Barts , too polite sounding but a great bass overall .
Nothing but great respect for Laklands ,

 

[trothwell]

I've just asked for this to be moved to "Basses" for you.

Thank you!... Where did I post it? :-/ I meant to put it here...

 

[trothwell]

Thank you all for the affirming comments! I guess the real crux of my question -- which has been answered -- is yes, I should expect this level of quality from Lakland in general, I don't necessarily need to drive back 2 hours tomorrow to pick up that one particular bass that I tried out. I'll get one later.

 

[5StringBlues]

Not so great lakelands are out there but from what I've seen in the past 30 years they are few and far between.

 

[michael_t]

Thank you!... Where did I post it? :-/ I meant to put it here...

Strings.

 

[jerry]

I have a few Skylines and they are fine basses, my only gripe is the weight and if I was still a young man I wouldn't be bitching about that either.

 

[bassfran]

If you dug the Skyline (and they are good) just wait’ll you get hold of a US model bass.

 

[Gecko 5]

I've owned MANY Laklands. 20-25. Mostly Skylines. 3-4 US. It's been a while.
This past July I bought a US 4-14/4-94 from their "In-Stock" on their website.
Got it on a Wednesday, returned it Thursday.
Absolutely the worst bass I've ever purchased.
TERRIBLE fretwork, 2 dings in the top that were not mentioned.
They sent me a return label.
When I inquired about the status of my refund 4-5 days after they had the bass back.
My sales person (not naming names, as I THOUGHT this guy was a "friend") told me my refund would be "minus shipping"
I freaked out!! The next day I emailed the owner and was told I would get a full refund, which I did.
Never again...

 

[GreyBeard]

I have a Lakeland 5502 and I also have a Fender Ultra Jazz V. Now the 5502 is a 35" scale with a wider neck and string spacing so they they play quite a bit different. The 5502 however has a much more solid feel and the tone is cleaner and more focused. This is apparent when played both plugged in through an amp and when unplugged. imho the skyline 5502 is a superior bass to the American Fender. I still play my fender along with my MM and G&L but, I think the 5502 is the best sounding and constructed of all my basses. I've played an American Lakeland and it was superior to the 5502 but it wasn't a great difference and they sounded exactly the same.

 

[BassAgent]

I've owned 5 Laklands, of which I still have three. Especially the USA basses are of exceptional quality. My USA Joe Osborn (now called the 44-60) is hands down the best Jazz Bass I've ever owned. Its 5-string brother is equally as brilliant. I bought a Skyline 55-02 a few weeks ago, just for fun. Used it at a gig last weekend and it served perfectly. So easy to setup. Such comfortable necks. The only Lakland I didn't connect with was my 44-64 (formerly known as the Bob Glaub signature) which felt too smooth for me. A Precision shouldn't be smooth.

 

[FearNoEvil65]

I've owned MANY Laklands. 20-25. Mostly Skylines. 3-4 US. It's been a while.
This past July I bought a US 4-14/4-94 from their "In-Stock" on their website.
Got it on a Wednesday, returned it Thursday.
Absolutely the worst bass I've ever purchased.
TERRIBLE fretwork, 2 dings in the top that were not mentioned.
They sent me a return label.
When I inquired about the status of my refund 4-5 days after they had the bass back.
My sales person (not naming names, as I THOUGHT this guy was a "friend") told me my refund would be "minus shipping"
I freaked out!! The next day I emailed the owner and was told I would get a full refund, which I did.
Never again...

Interestingly I remember a guy bought that bass right after you did, I think he posted on Facebook, Bass Upfront. I think we both asked him to chime in after he'd had it a while to see if he liked it and he never responded. I think if he loved it he'd have talked about it. Bummer!

 

[retslock]

But maybe just ever so slightly not quite as good, in my opinion, was a used Lakland Precision-style bass.

Sorry, the pedant in me kicked in.

 

[JazznFunk]

Yep. They are as excellent as your experiences have proven, and punch above their weight in terms of value in terms of the Skyline series. I've played early USA examples, and I currently own 6 Skylines, all from the early/mid 2000s. The only -02 series bass I have is my 44-02 Deluxe, the rest are -01 series basses (including a very early 2003 55-01 Fretless), and I love them all. Gigged extensively, put through their paces live and in the studio, and zero issues with neck stability, setup issues, or electronics. Lakland customer service is also top-tier, no matter which instrument(s) you own. Sound engineers have always been very complimentary toward their sound as well. I see people complaining about weight with the Skylines, but my 44-02 Deluxe clocks in around 8lbs, and even my 55-01 fretted clocks in just under 9lbs. A lot has changed though in terms of wood availability vs demand, so that could explain why they might be trending heavier in general. IMO, you can't go wrong with a Lakland though.

 

[SteveC]

I've said it many times. If I weren't playing and loving my Roscoe basses, I'd probably be playing Lakland.

 

[DWBass]

I've owned several Laklands. My (modified) 55-01 has been a mainstay for well over 15 years now!

 

[chris_b]

So far I've owned a US 55-94 and a Skyline 55-01 and 55-02. All fantastic instruments.

I gigged the 55-94 for 14 years, but the 10+lbs, became too much for me to carry around on a gig.

If Lakland came up with a Superlight range I'd have one (or two) in a heartbeat.