Lakland Owners Group #69

[JEDI BASS]

So I received my new 55-02 last week. Here are a few photos. She plays and sounds amazing. Very beautiful Spalt top and the fretboard looks awesome. There is also a lite birds eye on the headstock and back of neck.

View attachment 3968756 View attachment 3968757 View attachment 3968758 View attachment 3968759 View attachment 3968760

So nice!! Pretty cool to see some speckles of birdseye on the Skyline necks.

 

[ODDBALL]

So nice!! Pretty cool to see some speckles of birdseye on the Skyline necks.

I was shocked to see the birdseye too. The bass from top to bottom is perfect. I’m very pleased with it.

 

[MaxSpinrun]

No, just generally dull. The bass I just got is an interesting beast. More honest wear than anything I've had, especially fro an only 8 year old bass, yet one of the best feeling and playing by far. But not cosmetically for the body or headstock, those are amazingly unmarred, except for some nice mild yellowing of the original finish, looking more vintage than white and new. Subtle but only obvious with the PG off. It is the neck wood that has some interesting finish wear and darkening in a few odd places, almost staining, that is perhaps caused by a previous owner being a bit aggressive with some attempt to scuff and dull the finish. Cleaning up and restoring the best I can and honestly it's not unsightly, perhaps even adding character.

And the Audere 3 band is a really good pairing. Always done the East but I am liking the Audere very much. The only feature it lacks is a passive/active push/pull option.

My Audere has an active/passive switch. It has options no longer available, such as a 6 position rotary Z mode selector. Agree it is a very good pre. Have a John East on order.

 

[MaxSpinrun]

It seems that the Plek, and the person(s) operating it, really know what they're doing. IME and from testimonials I'm seeing everywhere online, Skylines have never had better fretwork. I'll be buying more, once I get my wedding paid for next year.

You still need to play my Skyline JJ! Interested to see what you think about it.

 

[MaxSpinrun]

So I received my new 55-02 last week. Here are a few photos. She plays and sounds amazing. Very beautiful Spalt top and the fretboard looks awesome. There is also a lite birds eye on the headstock and back of neck.

View attachment 3968756 View attachment 3968757 View attachment 3968758 View attachment 3968759 View attachment 3968760

Congrats, that looks amazing, enjoy it.

 

[JEDI BASS]

You still need to play my Skyline JJ! Interested to see what you think about it.

I’ll play it at my next gig in Oak Ridge, same place I met you at, if you’re good with that?

 

[JEDI BASS]

I feel the same.

And here I am, just a few weeks later, EATING MY WORDS over this beauty!

I’ve always had a thing for CAR, rosewood, and matching headstock. You guys may remember me (around 10 years ago) taking the blocked neck off a CAR Korean Dunn and trading it for a plain rosewood Glaub neck, getting Pat Wilkins to paint the headstock CAR, and then selling it to Markus cause I couldn’t get along with the 1.75” nut width. Ugh! So dumb!

 

[Jamvan]

And here I am, just a few weeks later, EATING MY WORDS over this beauty!View attachment 3969691I’ve always had a thing for CAR, rosewood, and matching headstock. You guys may remember me (around 10 years ago) taking the blocked neck off a CAR Korean Dunn and trading it for a plain rosewood Glaub neck, getting Pat Wilkins to paint the headstock CAR, and then selling it to Markus cause I couldn’t get along with the 1.75” nut width. Ugh! So dumb!

Egads that is a beaut! I usually am not much for red Basses but this had me scurrying to find the last B Stock Lakland email as they have a CAR 44-51 available.

someone please go buy it quick so I don’t?!

 

[JEDI BASS]

 

[nervous]

Anyone have any tricks or techniques for polishing the pearl blocks on a DJ neck?

Well. Not too shabby

 

[russ_bass]

I was looking at 5 string Lakland basses and 4 string Lakland basses. Am I right that the 5 string ones (ie: 55-01, 55-02, 55-94) use 35" fretboards while 4 string ones (ie: 44-01, 44-02, 44-94)? all use 34" fretboards? If so, why the extra inch for 5 string? 'Scuse my ignorance but just wanting to understand why the difference.

 

[brushfirewolf]

I was looking at 5 string Lakland basses and 4 string Lakland basses. Am I right that the 5 string ones (ie: 55-01, 55-02, 55-94) use 35" fretboards while 4 string ones (ie: 44-01, 44-02, 44-94)? all use 34" fretboards? If so, why the extra inch for 5 string? 'Scuse my ignorance but just wanting to understand why the difference.

The 5s are 35” scale. Tightens up the low B. I don’t notice the extra fretboard length while playing but some say they do.

 

[russ_bass]

Okay - that makes sense. Thx.

 

[PraiseBassing]

I was looking at 5 string Lakland basses and 4 string Lakland basses. Am I right that the 5 string ones (ie: 55-01, 55-02, 55-94) use 35" fretboards while 4 string ones (ie: 44-01, 44-02, 44-94)? all use 34" fretboards? If so, why the extra inch for 5 string? 'Scuse my ignorance but just wanting to understand why the difference.

There are also 34” 5-string US Laklands. I also believe there are 35” 4-string US Laklands, but I could be remembering that incorrectly.

 

[ODDBALL]

Has anyone used DR Sunbeams on there 55-02? Do they fit strung through the body?

 

[Superbird]

I have DR high beams on my DJ5. Through body is fine. Trying a set of fat beams next.

 

[JEDI BASS]

Okay - that makes sense. Thx.

Many other high end builders use 35” scale to give a better B. MTD and Roscoe come to mind.

 

[JEDI BASS]

There are also 34” 5-string US Laklands. I also believe there are 35” 4-string US Laklands, but I could be remembering that incorrectly.

Yes, I’ve had a 35” 4 string US and I wish I’d kept it! They’re better for tuning down a half step and DADG, which I use frequently in my cover band. BEAD and CGCF are fun too!

 

[brushfirewolf]

Has anyone used DR Sunbeams on there 55-02? Do they fit strung through the body?

I use DR hi beams on all my basses and they fit just with plenty of extra length on my 55-01 when strung thru the body.

I assume they are the same length as sunbeams?

 

[ODDBALL]

I use DR hi beams on all my basses and they fit just with plenty of extra length on my 55-01 when strung thru the body.

I assume they are the same length as sunbeams?

I just looked on DR’s website. They are the same length. So the Sunbeams should be good on my 55-02.