Going to try new 55-02 CIK with Barts soon. Looking forward to get it. ;-)
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Received my new 44-02 today. Delivered to my office. Brian took excellent care of me. Right out the box, plays very good and feels light weight. Will post pics and more accurate weight later!
Congrats! A black pickguard will look stunning on that. I have a 44-02 in natural but with a rosewood fretboard and added a tort pickguard. It really compliments it nicely. Is this your first 44-02? Let us know what you think. Since I got mine it’s been my main player and sadly my DJ-4 has been gathering. dust
Not my first rodeo with this pickup configuration. Had an early 4-94 that had Bart pup and pre. New 44-02 takes me back to that era but with a slightly different twist. With my current amp and cab I can get the tones I want and then some.
Loves me a blonde bass!! WOOT!
FWIW, my last Fender U.S.A. Jazz was a blonde….but my Skyline bests it.
FWIW, my last Fender U.S.A. Jazz was a blonde….but my Skyline bests it.
Hey there Lakland peeps.
I'm curious if any of y'all have played/owned a Lakland JB and a G&L JB enough to weigh in on any differences. have a G&L and love it, but there's a passive Lakland JB for sale here in the TB classifieds that has me curious.
I'm not looking to replace my JB, as much as maybe get a backup.
Id love to hear any thoughts from someone who's A/B'd these basses.
I'm curious if any of y'all have played/owned a Lakland JB and a G&L JB enough to weigh in on any differences. have a G&L and love it, but there's a passive Lakland JB for sale here in the TB classifieds that has me curious.
I'm not looking to replace my JB, as much as maybe get a backup.
Id love to hear any thoughts from someone who's A/B'd these basses.
I traded a couple basses in to get my 44-60 Vintage J, one of which was a USA G&L Option Order JB. The JB was a great bass. It had a dead spot that I couldn’t get rid of though and couldn’t work around. There are definitely differences between them, especially the necks. The Lākland is thinner at the first fret but a little thicker at the 12th. The JB is a little more like a C to D profile even though the sell it as a medium C. G&L always has some sort of finish on their necks. Mine was satin. The Lākland oiled finish is the smoothest finish I’ve ever had. One thing I really didn’t like about the G&Ls (all of the USA ones) is the dual action truss rod and the fact they adjust at the headstock. I prefer heel adjustments. I also prefer single action truss rods, which all Lāklands have. Lākland is also a smaller company with great customer service. G&L is harder to get customer service out of, but it isn’t like Fender where it’s non-existent.
In terms of build quality, overall finish quality (frets, feel, etc), playability, and tone, Lākland is the winner in my book. G&L is a close second though. I’ve played about every passive jazz style bass out there from every high end brand and this is my conclusion.
Now, if you’re comparing a Tribute to a Skyline, I’d say it’s a no brainer to go with the Skyline. Although they’re mass produced, they’re finished in Chicago and they are great basses. You’d have a hard time finding a better quality bass in their price range.
Thanks man, this is exactly the kind of input I needed to hear.
Great details for me to think about.
I'm closer to trying out a Lakland now, for sure.
Follow-up question though: was going from G&L to Lakland like, say, going from an Honda to a Mercedes?
Or would it be more like going from an Acura to a Mercedes?
I know, I know, no analogy is perfect, but maybe you get my drift.
Your question is asking about diminishing returns. The difference between a $200 bass and a $1000 bass is huge. They’re worlds different. The difference between a $2000 bass and a $4000 bass isn’t nearly as much as the previously mentioned difference. The difference does exist and it isn’t negligible. Both Lākland and G&L are known for making some of the best basses on the market. Lākland does a better job at it as they’re a true custom shop type of facility while G&L is really starting to get into the business of mass production. The US Series Lāklands are 100% finished by hand (US Classic Series basses are PLEKed). No PLEK machine, just tons of time spent making the necks perfect. G&L no longer PLEKs their instruments. They’re also finished by hand but they do leave some rough edges. To be fair though, comparing a US Series to a US G&L isn’t apples to apples. I’ve heard great things about G&L custom shop basses. I have never played one or even seen one in person though. Those would probably be a more fair comparison to Lākland US Series. That being said, to fall in line with your analogy, I’d say it’s the difference between an entry level luxury car to maybe an AMG S550 Pullman. You’ll get a ton of bang for your buck out of that Acura TL, but that 550 is going to offer a better experience. Hopefully the analogy doesn’t hold true from the maintenance aspect. Lol
Just took delivery of a Gator Vintage Vibe 2U case for my Eden amp, so took a beauty shot of my music corner. Think it turned out quite nice.
Peace,
SoundSupport
Peace,
SoundSupport
Wow - that's a bigger step up than I thought!
I'm not sure I'm ready to step up, but dang, such a good deal on one here on TB.
Thanks again for your thorough answer.
This info/insight really helps.
2ndBassGuitar
Commercial User
- Jan 17, 2008
- 1,250
- 1,692
- Disclosures
- Dealer for Phil Jones Bass, Lakland, Brubaker Basses, Maruszczyk Instruments
Those look killer. When I bought my 44-60, the dealer had a white and a sea foam green Skyline 44-64s in stock. I didn’t play either of them, but I’ve played 44-64s before. They’re killer basses. The jazz profile neck is perfect on them.
Echoing: Lakland customer service much better than G&L. I often wonder if G&L really wants to be in the business sometimes.
Fwiw, I have owned several import Laklands and my current is a DJ5. I have a USA JB5 and honestly one gives up nothing to the other. They are both incredibly good and capable instruments. and I think I only prefer the DJ5 because of familiarity. G&L makes fine instruments and IMHO the differences in my case are non-existent. I would be 100% happy with either. for a long time That said I may move the G&L along simply because the DJ5 get's all the work because I worry about it less in crappy bar environments simply because it has more honest wear and the JB5 is like new. A USA Lakland may tip the scales but that's a 2X dollar proposition in many cases.
My comparison is between a US Series 44-60 and an Option Order JB. There’s about a $2k difference there. I’m not really comparing like basses, but I think you’d be happy with either. The JB is a great instrument for the money. Lākland takes it to the next level though with their US Series. Like I previously mentioned though, diminishing returns are real. The difference between a $200 bass and a $1000 bass is much greater than the difference between a $2000 bass and a $4000 bass. I could only imagine something in the $6k to $10k range… I’m not saying they’re not worth that money, but diminishing returns are real.
Still acclimating to my new 44-02. Both it and my 44-01 weigh 8.4 lbs.very happy with weight and playability. Have not touched the dip switches for mid EQ points yet. LH3 pre and pups are definitely different than Bart pre/pup as I remember. Will change to strings of my choice, then do very small setup adjustment. Thanks again Brian for great service!
I've really fallen for my 44-02. I pulled out my DJ-4, which was my main bass for over a year, to give it some playing time and it just seemed so thin sounding. The 44-02 is just so full and punchy and I love the slightly larger neck. Plus it's a pound lighter than my DJ-4, which now when I pick up, seems so heavy.
Rainy day here on Long Island, so I got some good playing time in. Here's a photo, just because.
