Lakland Owners Group #57

[Tom P]

okay all you LOG devotees.........

up to the best offer, i am willing to surrender the official LOG membership #1 spot......you know you want it! i know you want PM me your offers .....i am serious.......i dont need this number and i know one of you hard cores would love it in your signature......LOG member #1.......so lets make it happen.

You could just give it to Doude cuz its the right thing to do.........: )

 

[Holdsg]

Wow, never thought I'd see a secondary market in club member numbers.

 

[lomo]

okay all you LOG devotees.........

up to the best offer, i am willing to surrender the official LOG membership #1 spot......you know you want it! i know you want PM me your offers .....i am serious.......i dont need this number and i know one of you hard cores would love it in your signature......LOG member #1.......so lets make it happen.

1)I thought this was not an auction site and
2)

 

[nubs]

You could just give it to Doude cuz its the right thing to do.........: )

ummmm, that would be NO.

 

[MarkusBass]

Give it to Duck Dunn.

 

[roadkill2309]

Lots of birdeye would be overkill in combination with the inlays, so I'm happy.

Sorry, I missed this. I think you're right. I usually like dots in figured fretboards and blocks in plain ones, but the touch o' Birdseye works in this case.

 

[McBassHead]

Thnx. And yes, worth the upgrade. Having picked up a JO recently with the Standard pickups, I can hear The difference. The standards are really good pickups, don't get me wrong, but there is a distinctive openness to the chis that just does it for me and my ears. As always, YMMV.

I have a question for you. I found that I had to raise my action one full turn on the set screws in order to minimize buzz even though mine was Pleked. I play fairly aggressively with my fingers. Did you have to mess with yours?

 

[Mr Matt]

okay all you LOG devotees.........

up to the best offer, i am willing to surrender the official LOG membership #1 spot......you know you want it! i know you want PM me your offers .....i am serious.......i dont need this number and i know one of you hard cores would love it in your signature......LOG member #1.......so lets make it happen.

You could just give it to Doude cuz its the right thing to do.........: )

or even better...

Give it to Duck Dunn.

Dunn for #1!

 

[Holdsg]

I have a question for you. I found that I had to raise my action one full turn on the set screws in order to minimize buzz even though mine was Pleked. I play fairly aggressively with my fingers. Did you have to mess with yours?

I always adjust my action, whether its a new or used bass. I actually detest fret buzz and am willing to have a higher action as a result.

 

[McBassHead]

I always adjust my action, whether its a new or used bass. I actually detest fret buzz and am willing to have a higher action as a result.

Ok cool. I don't feel so bad now.... Great bass, isn't it?

 

[GregC]

I have found that Lakland's BEM has less and less eyes on it...

Yep, definitely something I've seen over the years both in basses I've owned and in other's pics. It's something that can be improved upon, especially considering the price of a US these days.

I agree that the Birdseye on recent Lakkies has been less impressive, and frankly unbecoming for a bass that costs north of four grand. I noticed the same thing on a recent Mike Lull, though; I wonder if there's a supply issue or something.

I, too, wonder if it's a supply issue. I've gawked at more than my share of high-end basses, not just on this site but in person at Bass Club Chicago and GTGs here and in NYC--I've yet to see any basses, whether Lull, Sadowsky, Nordy, etc., that have anywhere near the BEM content of those early US Lakies. That was a high bar that may be very difficult to meet now.

Jes, I visit the Sadowsky thread and their site to look at the pretty basses --honestly, I see very little BEM in the pics of the NYC models and none in the Metros. Is your experience similar?

P.S. Minor technical point: Using Bass Central as a reference, no Lakies hit the four grand mark for street price unless you add blocks, burl, etc. to a 94 model or HB.

 

[GregC]

As for the weight, for the price, I would demand a chambered body. Lull does it as a matter of course for appreciably less money. It's also a big part of the weight on Sadowsky basses. Roger Sadowsky clearly stated that chambering was the solution to the increasing weight of the wood he was getting for his bodies. At this point, it's a no-brainer.

When ordering a new US Lakland, you can ask for them to wait a bit for a lighter-weight body. FWIW, I've found most four-string US Laklands to come in between 8 and 9 lbs.

Looking at the numbers on Sadowsky's site, chambering surely makes a difference. The weights of the Metros are pretty close to those of Skylines, although the Metros seem to fall in a tighter range.

 

[lomo]

When ordering a new US Lakland, you can ask for them to wait a bit for a lighter-weight body. FWIW, I've found most four-string US Laklands to come in between 8 and 9 lbs.

Looking at the numbers on Sadowsky's site, chambering surely makes a difference. The weights of the Metros are pretty close to those of Skylines, although the Metros seem to fall in a tighter range.

Yeah-as far as Sad goes it's all about the chambering. For some other consistently light basses (like Elricks) it's more wood choice and slim a body thickness. Before scratching my itch with the eBay find, my plan was to wait until I recharge my Paypal account and order a new 5594, which is why I called Lakland. They told me just what you posted....that they can use the lightest body they receive around the time of production. I would have gone that route but ended up getting the identical bass I'd have spec'd minus body color for 1500 less. If it's truly under 9 lbs (as the seller told me) I'll be a happy thumper! I cannot wait. Tomorrow after work I'll drive from Montreal back to upstate NY and it'll be waiting for me

 

[afzoomie67]

One of you has to have a Lakland 55-01 and a video camera.. can someone make a good vid of it? I know the Lakie website has 44-01 clips and 55-94, and there are a couple vids on YouTube, but no full out review.

 

[Royce Hayes]

I have found that Lakland's BEM has less and less eyes on it...

I actually prefer the look of very precise, straight-grain necks. They show more attention to how the wood is shaped and then cut. BEM is only chosen because of its appearance, but this neck was chosen by its location in the larger piece of maple and was cut accordingly. You are getting the strongest and most stable piece of maple possible. Lakland may have changed because they feel it creates a superior and stronger neck.

Just a guess and an opinion.

Here's what I'm talking about on my Decade. Incredible neck with no BEM except on the fretboard dots. Looks like true craftsman thought about it and made it. The wood grains are evenly spaced and very straight. That's not an accident. Anyone can cut a piece of birdseye with lots of eyes on it.

Also, isn't birdseye maple the result of a tree fungus? I don't remember where I heard that, but maybe that's why I'm not crazy about it. Just doesn't look as strong.

 

[carlis]

Also, isn't birdseye maple the result of a tree fungus? I don't remember where I heard that, but maybe that's why I'm not crazy about it. Just doesn't look as strong.

Yea-- you are right! but I'm referring to the birds' eye maple used as fingerboard only.
I believe most Lakies come with quarter-sawn "rock" maple neck instead of BEM.

I agree with your point that BEM is too crispy to be made a strong neck.

 

[Royce Hayes]

Yea-- you are right! but I'm referring to the birds' eye maple used as fingerboard only.
I believe most Lakies come with quarter-sawn "rock" maple neck instead of BEM.

I agree with your point that BEM is too crispy to be made a strong neck.

Good point. BEM is expensive and has a place as a decorative item. Just don't want it on the part of my bass that is under tension.

 

[carlis]

Jes, I visit the Sadowsky thread and their site to look at the pretty basses --honestly, I see very little BEM in the pics of the NYC models and none in the Metros. Is your experience similar?

Actually, a number of NYC have BEM boards.
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And all are densely figured, reminding me of those Lakland's back in the 1990s.

 

[roadkill2309]

Jes, I visit the Sadowsky thread and their site to look at the pretty basses --honestly, I see very little BEM in the pics of the NYC models and none in the Metros. Is your experience similar?

P.S. Minor technical point: Using Bass Central as a reference, no Lakies hit the four grand mark for street price unless you add blocks, burl, etc. to a 94 model or HB.

I don't see many BEM boards over at the Sad site either, but I have seen a few. There's one up right now, but it's not a master-grade piece, so maybe it's not a fair comparison.

There wouldn't be any in the Metros. That line offers zero fancy woods or chambering. Or customisation.

Good point about the pricing. I haven't priced one in a while, so I guess my impression was off.

 

[JEDI BASS]

Also, isn't birdseye maple the result of a tree fungus? I don't remember where I heard that, but maybe that's why I'm not crazy about it. Just doesn't look as strong.

Nope, birdseye is NOT from a fungus, that's burl I believe.

Yea-- you are right! but I'm referring to the birds' eye maple used as fingerboard only.
I believe most Lakies come with quarter-sawn "rock" maple neck instead of BEM.

I agree with your point that BEM is too crispy to be made a strong neck.

EBMM has used birdseye for necks and boards for many years w/ no issues. I've had several and still have a couple all birdseye necks, one of which is my stiffest ever, but that's more due to the steel reinforcement bars which I prefer over carbon. Quartersawn is considered more stable, but w/ reinforcement bars and a good moisture barrier, any quality maple blank (birdseye, flame, etc) can make a strong neck.