Lakland Owners Group #56

[roadkill2309]

The American Fenders are fantastic instruments. I would never blankly tell someone to choose a Skyline over a US Fender as they are different enough that one might appeal to you a bit more than the other. The quality is comparable but I would give a slight nod to the US Fender. Plus the fender has an alder body which i prefer.

HOWEVER

The American Deluxe Jazz is active and I prefer a passive instrument. Plus the JO5 has vintage wound pickups and is $400 or more cheaper. Because of this the JO5 would won out in my book.

+1

 

[Tat2dHeart]

Here's mine:

What made you go for a maple fretboard?

We have sisters! LOL. When I bought this bass, I played three other Laklands that day (and a whole boatload of other basses) and bought two (the other wasn't a Lakland). Of the four Laklands I played, this is the one that gave me the highest WP-Factor, so she's the one I wasn't leaving without. Of the other three, one other had the maple fretboard and the other two were rosewood, I think. It all came down to the sound though (and the WP points).

Welcome! Great color choice

Thank you. Although it wasn't my first choice for color, the sound more than compensates and the color has grown on me quite seriously. This little baby won't be leaving my collection anytime soon.

Dayum nice quilt. Nice quilts always get to me

Thanks. Me, too. My acoustic bass has an awesome quilt, too.

me too....love quilted tops!!! especially deep "swimming quilts" I call them....have sold a few too many of these in my day!

They're seriously purty, ain't they? LOL

 

[JEDI BASS]

Hello brothers, i'm about to buy a Joe Osbourne 5 strings Skyline, and wanted to hear your thoughts about this basses, how about the construction? you can put American Deluxe fenders next to a JO Skyline regarding Construction quality? Thankyou very much!

I would play both basses before buying if you can. I've purchased a CIJ, MIJ, and an MIA Fender since their quality went up in/around 2008.... the Japanese Fenders necks, fretwork, fit n finish are excellent and IMO as good or better than the Skylines I've had/seen. The MIA Fender exceeds what I have seen in Skylines. Although, I must say that Lakland pickups and preamps are better than stock Fender guts.

 

[GregC]

glad you were! where and whom?

I was watching a friend's band in Rogers Park at the International Pop Overthrow festival, which takes place every year at this time. They book some fun bands. My friend (who is a drummer--go easy on him) and his buddies play some really good power pop.
Link Removed

 

[GregC]

I would play both basses before buying if you can. I've purchased a CIJ, MIJ, and an MIA Fender since their quality went up in/around 2008.... the Japanese Fenders necks, fretwork, fit n finish are excellent and IMO as good or better than the Skylines I've had/seen.

I know MIJ Fenders get a lot of love around TB, but I've never understood it myself. I had a Geddy for a week or two in '07 before I returned it--the tuners were wonky and it sounded too bright to me (maybe the Badass?). I then bought a used Skyline DJ. That was my first Lakland and I was off to the races. I've also played a bunch of Fender '51 RIs and found the neck finish plastic-feeling; the tuners on those were generally wonky as well. The MIA Fenders definitely took a step up in quality in 08, but I don't care for the sound of their pickups, particularly on the Ps.

 

[metron]

What do you folks have for pickup height on the 55-94?

 

[macribas]

What do you folks have for pickup height on the 55-94?

Check the LOG site for Carl's setup video:
Link Removed

 

[Johnny Alien]

What do you folks have for pickup height on the 55-94?

Invalid Link Removed

On tha above linked page there is a link to a pdf that has pickup height specs on it. I am not sure if this has what you need because I can't open it right not but if memory serves (which it rarely does) this has that info on it.

 

[BassAgent]

Yaaaaay new group!

 

[ShowKing]

i noticed Lakland has been using new knobs on their basses recently.

old:
Link Removed
Link Removed

new:
Link Removed
Link Removed

seems to have a more "cone" shape with the white marker raised and pointed.
anyone know anything more? just thought i'd share my observation.
also notice the bridge springs on the 55-69 tetsuyas.
the new ones aren't black springs anymore.
also for your interest, that's a fretless birdseye maple 55-69!

 

[roadkill2309]

Thank you. Although it wasn't my first choice for color, the sound more than compensates and the color has grown on me quite seriously.

Now, the *proper* answer there would have been 'Well, I'd heard that bassists with taste and refinement tend to choose amber, so I figured I should make a gesture in support of a classier world.'

 

[Tat2dHeart]

Now, the *proper* answer there would have been 'Well, I'd heard that bassists with taste and refinement tend to choose amber, so I figured I should make a gesture in support of a classier world.'

LOLOL. You've seen my posts. I really struggle with "proper."

And amber is so close to yellow and orange, which just don't really fall into my preferred color range. They're just so darned far away from black, yanno?

 

[roadkill2309]

LOLOL. You've seen my posts. I really struggle with "proper."

And amber is so close to yellow and orange, which just don't really fall into my preferred color range. They're just so darned far away from black, yanno?

I spent a good two decades wearing. *only* black, even after I stopped the whole 'Robert Smith lookalike' thing. My wife essentially tricked me into colour. Now, I have a real thing for orange, but only really as an accent colour. Amber's really just a form of transparent orange.

 

[metron]

Check the LOG site for Carl's setup video:
Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed

On tha above linked page there is a link to a pdf that has pickup height specs on it. I am not sure if this has what you need because I can't open it right not but if memory serves (which it rarely does) this has that info on it.

Thanks, found it!

 

[Tat2dHeart]

I spent a good two decades wearing. *only* black, even after I stopped the whole 'Robert Smith lookalike' thing. My wife essentially tricked me into colour. Now, I have a real thing for orange, but only really as an accent colour. Amber's really just a form of transparent orange.

Black has been my favorite color for almost 40 years. I don't see that changing anytime soon. Where I do vary from that is shoes. I love me some colored shoes. There's just something awesome about a bright red stiletto peeking out from beneath a pair of black pants. Or super-hot bright blue peep-toe pumps with a little black dress. Or....see - there you have me headed down the path away from proper again....

 

[RumbleBeeAL]

Or....see - there you have me headed down the path away from proper again....

Carry on... This is a safe place, right?!!

Will Ferrell's Safe Place confessional in Old School <--Click here!

 

[roadkill2309]

Black has been my favorite color for almost 40 years. I don't see that changing anytime soon. Where I do vary from that is shoes. I love me some colored shoes. There's just something awesome about a bright red stiletto peeking out from beneath a pair of black pants. Or super-hot bright blue peep-toe pumps with a little black dress. Or....see - there you have me headed down the path away from proper again....

Honey, I work at a fashion magazine. You ain't said nothing improper yet...

EDIT: and you're probably going to loooove this whole triple-damned colour-blocking trend. Me, I see my amber Lakland as a block of colour, so I figure I'm all, like, trendy...

 

[MarkusBass]

He he he!

 

[Tat2dHeart]

Honey, I work at a fashion magazine. You ain't said nothing improper yet...

EDIT: and you're probably going to loooove this whole triple-damned colour-blocking trend. Me, I see my amber Lakland as a block of colour, so I figure I'm all, like, trendy...

Colour-blocking? I see a Queen's English spelling there, m'dear. I suppose you could consider a slash of amber across all black to be colour blocking, but then I'd be forced to at least once ask the questions that you'll struggle to answer......either because you're afraid to or because you can't stop laughing......


Does this bass make me look fat? Are you sure it doesn't make my butt look big?

 

[JEDI BASS]

I know MIJ Fenders get a lot of love around TB, but I've never understood it myself. I had a Geddy for a week or two in '07 before I returned it--the tuners were wonky and it sounded too bright to me (maybe the Badass?). I then bought a used Skyline DJ. That was my first Lakland and I was off to the races. I've also played a bunch of Fender '51 RIs and found the neck finish plastic-feeling; the tuners on those were generally wonky as well. The MIA Fenders definitely took a step up in quality in 08, but I don't care for the sound of their pickups, particularly on the Ps.

I don't care for Geddy J basses.... necks too skinny. I was referring to my CIJ '51 P (which is pre 2008 and bought used w/ SD p'up) and my new 70's P which I just received less than a week ago. Stock tuners work fine, necks are among my favorites to play.... finish feels fine to me. 70s P p'up sounds as it should, but like I said, Lakland pups are superior in my opinion.