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Thanks! I feel the same.
It's from 2003. Possibly the best Jazz I've ever played.
TL;DR: Acquired a second Joe Osborn bass, a Korean Skyline model, to leave in rehearsal room. Impressed by craftsmanship but wants to sand lacquer from neck for better grip. Looking for advice on process and materials. Considering adding Drop D tuner, wondering if Hipshot Xtender will fit without enlarging headstock hole. Need advice on adapter nut and finish options.
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After years of playing my Joe Osborn 4 string US Lakland and absolutely loving it, I finally acquired a second Joe Osborn bass, this time a Korean Skyline model from 2005 (the first wo digits in the serial #), to leave in our rather humid rehearsal room.
I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by the craftsmanship of the Skyline bass. It is second to none, with quality that is very similar to the US version. Of course, there are some differences in the materials used, such as no stacked pots, no quartersawn neck (and I'm not sure if graphite enforcement is included), no massive retro tuners, and the Skyline bass is also heavier. I have not yet changed the strings to compare the sound, but it's close.
However, one thing I miss compared to the US JO bass is the waxed finish on the neck. My question is, has anyone successfully sanded the lacquer from the neck? I would like to transform it into a hand-rubbed oil finish with a thin wax coating to make it similar to the US Lakland. The reason is that I sweat a lot and the lacquer slows me down, especially during gigs
From the Lakland's FAQ:
> Q. What recommendations do you have for maintaining the neck on my US made Lakland bass?
> A. The back of the neck is a hand rubbed oil finish with a thin wax coating. We recommend occasionally cleaning the neck with pure orange oil and reapplying a coating of clear paste wax or bowling alley wax. After applying the wax, allow to dry for five minutes then wipe off the excess. The wax can be scuffed with fine steel wool to produce a satin finish or polished to a dull luster depending on your preference.
I already have the Lakland-recommended Howard Brand Feed N Wax that I use on my US neck, which I could use to feed the wood after sanding the Skyline's neck. Any tips on the process would be appreciated.
Another question I have is about the Ultralite Hipshot tuning machines on the Skyline. I am interested in adding a Drop D tuner. Would the USA Ultralite® Bass Xtender 1/2" be compatible for this?
From the Hipshot support page:
>Our 1/2" Ultralite Xtender is designed to fit an 11/16" (17.5mm) headstock hole. However, we offer a special 5/8" adapter nut that allows it to work seamlessly with the Skyline.
I would prefer to avoid enlarging the headstock hole unnecessarily (so the change could be reversed anytime). Should I get the 5/8" adapter nut for this purpose? Do I understand it correctly that larger nut is removed from Xtender and replaced by smaller diameter 5/8"?
I noticed that there are chrome and shiny nickel finishes available. Which one is the closest to the brushed aluminum finish that the Skyline is equipped with?
And my final question is: Is it possible to determine the type of wood and pickups based on the serial number?
-------
After years of playing my Joe Osborn 4 string US Lakland and absolutely loving it, I finally acquired a second Joe Osborn bass, this time a Korean Skyline model from 2005 (the first wo digits in the serial #), to leave in our rather humid rehearsal room.
I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by the craftsmanship of the Skyline bass. It is second to none, with quality that is very similar to the US version. Of course, there are some differences in the materials used, such as no stacked pots, no quartersawn neck (and I'm not sure if graphite enforcement is included), no massive retro tuners, and the Skyline bass is also heavier. I have not yet changed the strings to compare the sound, but it's close.
However, one thing I miss compared to the US JO bass is the waxed finish on the neck. My question is, has anyone successfully sanded the lacquer from the neck? I would like to transform it into a hand-rubbed oil finish with a thin wax coating to make it similar to the US Lakland. The reason is that I sweat a lot and the lacquer slows me down, especially during gigs
From the Lakland's FAQ:
> Q. What recommendations do you have for maintaining the neck on my US made Lakland bass?
> A. The back of the neck is a hand rubbed oil finish with a thin wax coating. We recommend occasionally cleaning the neck with pure orange oil and reapplying a coating of clear paste wax or bowling alley wax. After applying the wax, allow to dry for five minutes then wipe off the excess. The wax can be scuffed with fine steel wool to produce a satin finish or polished to a dull luster depending on your preference.
I already have the Lakland-recommended Howard Brand Feed N Wax that I use on my US neck, which I could use to feed the wood after sanding the Skyline's neck. Any tips on the process would be appreciated.
Another question I have is about the Ultralite Hipshot tuning machines on the Skyline. I am interested in adding a Drop D tuner. Would the USA Ultralite® Bass Xtender 1/2" be compatible for this?
From the Hipshot support page:
>Our 1/2" Ultralite Xtender is designed to fit an 11/16" (17.5mm) headstock hole. However, we offer a special 5/8" adapter nut that allows it to work seamlessly with the Skyline.
I would prefer to avoid enlarging the headstock hole unnecessarily (so the change could be reversed anytime). Should I get the 5/8" adapter nut for this purpose? Do I understand it correctly that larger nut is removed from Xtender and replaced by smaller diameter 5/8"?
I noticed that there are chrome and shiny nickel finishes available. Which one is the closest to the brushed aluminum finish that the Skyline is equipped with?
And my final question is: Is it possible to determine the type of wood and pickups based on the serial number?
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I have had similar questions answered by emailing Lakland directly. They have been good about answering any questions that they have the answers for or letting me know that they don't have a record for it. Although Talkbass is often a great source of quality information from the helpful players here.TL;DR: Acquired a second Joe Osborn bass, a Korean Skyline model, to leave in rehearsal room. Impressed by craftsmanship but wants to sand lacquer from neck for better grip. Looking for advice on process and materials. Considering adding Drop D tuner, wondering if Hipshot Xtender will fit without enlarging headstock hole. Need advice on adapter nut and finish options.
-------
After years of playing my Joe Osborn 4 string US Lakland and absolutely loving it, I finally acquired a second Joe Osborn bass, this time a Korean Skyline model from 2005 (the first wo digits in the serial #), to leave in our rather humid rehearsal room.
I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by the craftsmanship of the Skyline bass. It is second to none, with quality that is very similar to the US version. Of course, there are some differences in the materials used, such as no stacked pots, no quartersawn neck (and I'm not sure if graphite enforcement is included), no massive retro tuners, and the Skyline bass is also heavier. I have not yet changed the strings to compare the sound, but it's close.
However, one thing I miss compared to the US JO bass is the waxed finish on the neck. My question is, has anyone successfully sanded the lacquer from the neck? I would like to transform it into a hand-rubbed oil finish with a thin wax coating to make it similar to the US Lakland. The reason is that I sweat a lot and the lacquer slows me down, especially during gigs
From the Lakland's FAQ:
> Q. What recommendations do you have for maintaining the neck on my US made Lakland bass?
> A. The back of the neck is a hand rubbed oil finish with a thin wax coating. We recommend occasionally cleaning the neck with pure orange oil and reapplying a coating of clear paste wax or bowling alley wax. After applying the wax, allow to dry for five minutes then wipe off the excess. The wax can be scuffed with fine steel wool to produce a satin finish or polished to a dull luster depending on your preference.
I already have the Lakland-recommended Howard Brand Feed N Wax that I use on my US neck, which I could use to feed the wood after sanding the Skyline's neck. Any tips on the process would be appreciated.
Another question I have is about the Ultralite Hipshot tuning machines on the Skyline. I am interested in adding a Drop D tuner. Would the USA Ultralite® Bass Xtender 1/2" be compatible for this?
From the Hipshot support page:
>Our 1/2" Ultralite Xtender is designed to fit an 11/16" (17.5mm) headstock hole. However, we offer a special 5/8" adapter nut that allows it to work seamlessly with the Skyline.
I would prefer to avoid enlarging the headstock hole unnecessarily (so the change could be reversed anytime). Should I get the 5/8" adapter nut for this purpose? Do I understand it correctly that larger nut is removed from Xtender and replaced by smaller diameter 5/8"?
I noticed that there are chrome and shiny nickel finishes available. Which one is the closest to the brushed aluminum finish that the Skyline is equipped with?
And my final question is: Is it possible to determine the type of wood and pickups based on the serial number?
Tangential to the post FYI, I only have USA models and I use the Orange Oil followed by Feed n Wax on the necks. If I'm playing a particular bass regularly, I do this about every 6 months and the feels is slick as can be. If I wait too long and the neck is starting to feel slightly rough, I'll give it a light once over with some 2000 grit sandpaper first. I stay away from the steel wool that some use because I worry about the pickup magnets inadvertently pulling in fragments of it or a piece finding its way into the preamp electronics and shorting something, but that's me, lol. With the oil/wax finish there's no hand sticking to it on a sweaty hot stage compared to the lacquer finish on other brands that I've used. The Lakland USA neck is the best IMO!
That makes us two who like the waxed finish
I completely agree. For sanding, I'd remove the neck from the body.
So the question is, has anybody sanded the lacquer off successfully? Can you recommend particular sandpaper or alternatives and provide tips on the method?
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I just did this @n3tcarlos and I didn’t get the 5/8” sleeve this time and had to route. I got me for another bass and the sleeve does in fact work well. Be aware that Hipshot doesn’t offer a brushed nickel to match your other tuners so it will look off u less you replace them all.
Which I just did, in black, to go with the blacked out bridge for my Skyline 55-01.
I decided against the 55-14 (which is why I didn’t have the skyline sleeve for this one) so it would finish out the yin (top) and yang (bottom) with my other 55-01.
I have yet to get a black jack plate but everything else is replaced. Bridge. Uogtaded knobs. Strap locks.
Ferrules.
And all five tuners with a double drop detuner.
Mostly set up. Just need to go through and complete intonation and she’ll be good to go.
Which I just did, in black, to go with the blacked out bridge for my Skyline 55-01.
I decided against the 55-14 (which is why I didn’t have the skyline sleeve for this one) so it would finish out the yin (top) and yang (bottom) with my other 55-01.
I have yet to get a black jack plate but everything else is replaced. Bridge. Uogtaded knobs. Strap locks.
Ferrules.
And all five tuners with a double drop detuner.
Mostly set up. Just need to go through and complete intonation and she’ll be good to go.
That looks so good, like it should have been that way from the beginning! Great job.
Agree!! Beautiful work!
Agreed. And happy I went this direction vs changing out the 55-14.
Oh, bummer. Well, the 55-60 uses a standard Fender jazz plate, so I'm sure you can easily get it.
Check out bestbassgear.com. Go to accessories and then passive harnesses. They have a plethora of options including the stack pot control plate your looking for. It may not be from Lakland but they seem to use quality components (Noble potentiometers, Sprague Orange Drop capacitors, and Switchcraft stereo jacks). I was looking into this as I'm considering giving my Skyline 44-60 an electronics overhaul but wanted a volume-blend-tone control layout.
This. And if you are used to the solderless aspect of the J-Retro, might want to consider a solderless harness such as Mojotone or Obsidian.
Lākland gets their pots from Allparts. I messaged Steve last year and asked him. Allparts CTS pots are great pots. They use the 250k/500k stacked pots. The caps they use are little green ones. I’m not sure what make they are but they’re .047 uF.
I copied and pasted this long ago from an old TB post, but this is the method:That makes us two who like the waxed finish
I completely agree. For sanding, I'd remove the neck from the body.
So the question is, has anybody sanded the lacquer off successfully? Can you recommend particular sandpaper or alternatives and provide tips on the method?
1. Mask off body, area behind the nut, near the heel and edges of fretboard.
2. Sand with 240 grit sand paper wrapped around a sponge so that it conforms to the shape of the neck.
3. Wipe clean with damp cloth
4. Sand with 400 grit sand paper wrapped around a sponge so that it conforms to the shape of the neck.
5. Apply orange oil and let it absorb for 15-20 minutes.
6. Wipe off excess orange oil.
7. Apply a good coating Howards Feed & Wax and let sit between 30 mins-1 hour so that it looks almost dry.
8. Wipe off excess feed and wax.
9. Use 0000 steel wool to smooth and buff the neck.
10. Use slightly moist cloth to remove the dust.
11. Repeat as necessary.
