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Hey guys, I need a five string and have been looking at the 55-01 or 55-02's. Any good reasons to just get the 55-02 over getting the cheaper 55-01 and upgrading the electronics?
Very different animals even when upgraded.
The 55-02 can get aggresive but is clean and pure with a wide range of tones.
The 55-01 upgraded, to me, is very aggressive. Not as many sound options as the 55-02, but no slouch either. Its a thicker sound.
I have both and either are a great choice. I have a 55-02 for sale in the classifieds that I'm sure I'll regret selling.
The 55-02 can get aggresive but is clean and pure with a wide range of tones.
The 55-01 upgraded, to me, is very aggressive. Not as many sound options as the 55-02, but no slouch either. Its a thicker sound.
I have both and either are a great choice. I have a 55-02 for sale in the classifieds that I'm sure I'll regret selling.
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From viewing YouTube demos I really like the tone from the 55-02. Any differences between your Bart setup vs the Lakland electronics in the newer ones?
See below. I've had both.
The Barts freq centers have deeper lows and more boost and cut control on the lows and highs.
The LH3 has more boost/cut on the mids.
To me, you can really hear the difference. Both are different flavors of good. I prefer the mid scoop on the Barts.
The Barts freq centers have deeper lows and more boost and cut control on the lows and highs.
The LH3 has more boost/cut on the mids.
To me, you can really hear the difference. Both are different flavors of good. I prefer the mid scoop on the Barts.
IvanBassist
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The 55-02 is so flexible. Aggressive Bridge tones. Fat, warm neck tones. And everything in between. The blend knob is brilliant. So much better than a 5 position switch. Get a used 55-02, it's probably cheaper than trying to upgrade a 55-01, and upgrading the 55-01 probably wouldn't get you to the 55-02 anyhow.
My lovely 55-02:
A month ago, I was going through the same decision process - looking at Lakland 55-01 and 55-02 vs Fender Jazz vs Sire, etc. In the end, I settled on a used Lakland 55-02.
I did make a few changes to the controls -- I replaced the Volume pot with a Bourns linear taper (still push/pull to retain the passive/active capability). I just prefer a linear taper for a more even ramp of the volume. I also did part of the LH3 mod you may have seen on the internet - added a 25K ohm resistor to the mid terminal of the Midrange pot, and a 10K ohm resistor to the Bass and Treble mid terminals. The mid frequency DIP switch is set for 600 Hz, and the gain trim pot was adjusted for these changes.
It sounds great and the variety of tones you can get out of that bass is really remarkable -- it's like having 3 or 4 basses in one. On top of that, the 35" scale makes for a very solid low B.
I did make a few changes to the controls -- I replaced the Volume pot with a Bourns linear taper (still push/pull to retain the passive/active capability). I just prefer a linear taper for a more even ramp of the volume. I also did part of the LH3 mod you may have seen on the internet - added a 25K ohm resistor to the mid terminal of the Midrange pot, and a 10K ohm resistor to the Bass and Treble mid terminals. The mid frequency DIP switch is set for 600 Hz, and the gain trim pot was adjusted for these changes.
It sounds great and the variety of tones you can get out of that bass is really remarkable -- it's like having 3 or 4 basses in one. On top of that, the 35" scale makes for a very solid low B.
I'd say the only thing that would make it better is if there could be a sweepable mid frequency control (versus setting it with the DIP switch). I have two other basses that have a sweepable mid frequency control and it is a nice feature.
Now that it's been a few months, has anyone had a chance to try out the new J-Sonic basses? I'm looking for a new 5 string, and was interested in seeing how it'd compare to my DJ4. More specifically, how different the Chi-sonics are to standard Jazz pickups (mine are Aeros). I know the sonics are inspired by Bisonics, but I wasn't sure how close they made it.
I don't like using the bass preamp eq. I use a flat eq, and only adjust blend. So doesn't effect me. And again, the mid eq is adjustable.
I have an Eden head with 3 bands of semi parametric eq. I recommend getting an amp head with semi parametric eqs. Very nice to have.
The chi-sonics have more sizzle to them than the vintage Hanson/Lakland pickups. It's a noticeable difference that many people like, including me.
They are in the same sonic territory of the darkstar/bisonic, but not quite the same. I've never found a pickup that properly emulates the Darkstar, other than Curtis Novak's faithful reproductions.
That being said, if running with a preamp, the highs can be very subtle. I've run them passive and think they have a more sizzle that way. With the Bart NTMBs you have to boost the highs to get sizzle.
IMO they sound best passive.
I just placed my order today for one of these.
Lakland Skyline Darryl Jones 5-String - White Pearl, Maple
Pros for me are string spacing and 35" scale. Pretty easy on the eyes too! Let the waiting games begin.....
Lakland Skyline Darryl Jones 5-String - White Pearl, Maple
Pros for me are string spacing and 35" scale. Pretty easy on the eyes too! Let the waiting games begin.....
I have a 55 02 with the old barts inside. It depends what you are upgrading the 55 01 with ?
But if I were you I would get a 55 02 with barts. For me even though you don't have more options - which we never use them all - you'll get the tone of the jazz pickup that cuts the mix better than a soapbar. On any bass I had, the more options I had, the less I used. I usually have one or 2 sounds I would use.
Now LH3 vs Bart : I would say go for Bart! I mean it depends what kind of sound you like to hear and what genre of music you play. Funk, Groove, RNB etc go for Bart. Bart is more versatile in my option. If you play jazz, rock, pop, blues you can have LH3, it's fine. Because also those bart pups and preamp are no longer available it makes it wanted and rare. Whereas you can upgrade with a LH3 at any time. My recommendation is get an old Bart 55 02 that you can upgrade later on with LH3 if you want.
Below is a thread with a sound demo LH3 vs Delano. Delano sounds way better for me on this one than LH3. Now that's just my opinion not the absolute truth.
New Pickups/Preamps for Lakland 44-02
Let me know what you think after this.
But if I were you I would get a 55 02 with barts. For me even though you don't have more options - which we never use them all - you'll get the tone of the jazz pickup that cuts the mix better than a soapbar. On any bass I had, the more options I had, the less I used. I usually have one or 2 sounds I would use.
Now LH3 vs Bart : I would say go for Bart! I mean it depends what kind of sound you like to hear and what genre of music you play. Funk, Groove, RNB etc go for Bart. Bart is more versatile in my option. If you play jazz, rock, pop, blues you can have LH3, it's fine. Because also those bart pups and preamp are no longer available it makes it wanted and rare. Whereas you can upgrade with a LH3 at any time. My recommendation is get an old Bart 55 02 that you can upgrade later on with LH3 if you want.
Below is a thread with a sound demo LH3 vs Delano. Delano sounds way better for me on this one than LH3. Now that's just my opinion not the absolute truth.
New Pickups/Preamps for Lakland 44-02
Let me know what you think after this.
I had one of those at one point. Awesome bass! You're gonna love it!
Hey everyone. I just got this new Trans white USA 44-64 yesterday. My first US made Lakland, and it is very rad indeed. The neck is super fast compared to my '63 Fender American Vintage Reissue P bass which is, or was, my main player. The fretwork is perfect. Super low action across the board, and I play with have a pretty heavy hand. Its the first bass I have played where even when I play hard, there is no buzz at all. Every note rings open and clear. I'm pretty excited on this bass, and am already thinking about getting another US 44-64. I still love my Fenders but this one is something else in build quality and playability. Its just about the ultimate P Bass.
