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Lakland Owners Group #69

If Lakland intended for us to use the bass in passive mode they would ship it with the preamp gain more balanced. But those pickups are so low output it seems they need a preamp.

That said, has anyone recorded a preamp comparison with the LH3 pickups?
 
Hello Lakland Owners,
I have a few questions about the Skyline 44-64 Vintage P. How are these compared to the Fender P’s? Are the necks similar to the vintage Fender P’s (Nut Size)?

Thanks

I have a number of vintage Fenders and a number of Skyline and USA 44-64. I greatly prefer the Laklands - better truss rod access, better balance on a strap, more even and dead-spot free tone, a stiffer and more reliable neck with a more comfortable feel, and a much better bridge design. Overall, a well-done upgrade on a classic design that retains the charm of the original. I still play both, depending on what the expectations of the gig are. When we’re talking about a good example, a USA Lakland P is one of the very best out there.

The USA 44-64 neck is closest to the vintage Fender 1.75” neck. The Lakland USA neck is thinner and easier to play, and has an oil finish. Very comfortable. This can be a plus or minus depending on the player. The Skyline 44-64 has a neck closer to a 70’s P and has a satin-type finish.

Fender and Lakland offerings are within the same ballpark tonally, but the components are a little different, which will affect the tone a little. The stiffer neck and heavier bridge design deviate from standard Fender and do affect sound. That said, the sonic differences are within a measure of 10%. I don’t hear night and day differences that would make me toss a Lakland in a dumpster, but there are others that think otherwise and will let you know about it. Over and over and over and over. A guy who is a purist may grind you for SEEING you play a Lakland 44-64 on a Blues gig. If he HEARS you play a Lakland 44-64 on a Blues recording, he probably will not know it’s not a Fender.

Ultimately, you have to try both in-hand to get a full picture of how you like them. There’s no wrong choice - it comes down to what will work best for you and you circumstances.
 
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Does anyone have pix of both a 44-60 and DJ-4 side by side (front and back if possible)?
@cymbop - That's a gorgeous bass! Congratulations!
Not many Lakland stock photos made public - I have asked. Here is 55-60 vs DJ4
FC7EEFA4-361A-4058-AE56-E73B63880CB1.png
 
20220808_210213.jpg
So... I'm a little late sharing this, but this happened back at the end of June..
I'm liking how it feels in my hands the more I play it. I'm used to the J style necks of my Duck Dunn and D Lakin JO..
I'm not 100% sold on having an on board EQ, as I'm used to passive, but I dig it enough to not worry about it..

I need y'alls string expertise, please...
This came with rounds, no clue what brand, Sweetwater said they're 45-100, which is fine, I normally use a lighter gauge...
I want flats, like on my other basses... BUT... I'd like to keep the brightness like these rounds have... what would you folks suggest that has a lighter gauge available?

For comparison, I have LaBella 760fl's on my Duck, and the JO came with Chromes, my first experience with Chromes, and I like them... my first JO that I had to sell several years back had Sadowsky Blue Lablels.. I liked those really well on that bass..

So, whatchya got?
 
I faintly recall that the DJ body design is a standard J-Bass profile on the left-hand (top) of the body, and has a downsized and modified bottom horn and overall profile.

I think the DJ can be described as a stretched J-Bass. Like a square that is stretched on two opposite corners to become a rhombus or parallelogram, so it ends up being longer side-to-side but narrower top-to-bottom.
 
View attachment 4776503 I normally use a lighter gauge...

I want flats, like on my other basses... BUT... I'd like to keep the brightness like these rounds have... what would you folks suggest that has a lighter gauge available?
40 - 95 EBMM Cobalt Flats. Lightest set they make, but still plenty of tension. And, they sound amazingly roundwound-ish. They're on all my favorite basses.
 
I did it. And then I undid it. :D

Same! When I realized that passive mode is whisper-quiet, I lost interest in it... not that I got the bass for its passive tones. Good to have in case of emergency, I suppose.

I wouldn't have minded extra switches up front for frequency selection; they can be fun to change for different styles, but the factory setting for the preamp's output is too sensible. A little hotter than my passives so I can dial the balance in and crank a little bit for the occasional lead.
 
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View attachment 4776503 So... I'm a little late sharing this, but this happened back at the end of June..
I'm liking how it feels in my hands the more I play it. I'm used to the J style necks of my Duck Dunn and D Lakin JO..
I'm not 100% sold on having an on board EQ, as I'm used to passive, but I dig it enough to not worry about it..

I need y'alls string expertise, please...
This came with rounds, no clue what brand, Sweetwater said they're 45-100, which is fine, I normally use a lighter gauge...
I want flats, like on my other basses... BUT... I'd like to keep the brightness like these rounds have... what would you folks suggest that has a lighter gauge available?

For comparison, I have LaBella 760fl's on my Duck, and the JO came with Chromes, my first experience with Chromes, and I like them... my first JO that I had to sell several years back had Sadowsky Blue Lablels.. I liked those really well on that bass..

So, whatchya got?

I'm a big ol fan of GHS Pressurewounds and, more recently on a Mustang PJ, Brite Flats (which are actually groundwounds). Between those, if you like the punch of light-gauge rounds with minimal string noise and insanely smooth handling, I'd look into Pressurewounds in particular. I have .040-.096 lights on my 50s Classic P and it spanks, but also delivers mellowness if I ease up.