Lakland Owners Group #69

[Johnny Alien]

Yeah if I had one that didn't seem like it wanted to turn I would take the neck off make a note as to where its currently at and then remove the truss nut completely, lubricate it with a tiny bit of grease or vaseline, and then see if that makes it move a little easier.

 

[Rycebag]

Every Skyline I gave ever owned was a 4mm. Is it possible that it's never been turned previously? Sometimes for that first time it will crack free.I might be inclined to remove the neck to get a clear look and straight on access if that is giving you trouble, and help find the best fitting wrench.

Interesting. Does it take the type of Allen wrench that has a ball at the end of it?

 

[Stranger Danger]

Interesting. Does it take the type of Allen wrench that has a ball at the end of it?

No

 

[Jeff Roller]

Anyone who wants to skip the line for a new Carlo, I will be listing mine soon. The gear purge continues....this is way too nice of a bass to sit at home, and my gigging days are coming to a close!

 

[Stranger Danger]

Anyone who wants to skip the line for a new Carlo, I will be listing mine soon. The gear purge continues....this is way too nice of a bass to sit at home, and my gigging days are coming to a close!

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That’s a beauty

 

[nervous]

It's called Aztec Gold...

That picture, under whatever LED light color was on at the time, does the true color no justice at all.

 

[nervous]

....and.....????

Well thanks for asking. It's been a very long time since I think I played a fretless live. And honestly, that may have never actually happened. Memories and clouds being what they are. But I was really wanting to at least get this one out, plugged in at volume and hear it, even if only for a sound check test or some simple song we do that wouldn't get me into too much trouble. I was concerned. But I was pleasantly shocked at how well it went. Perhaps I am a marginally better player than I was 8-10 or more years ago when I had my last FL, but the minimal practice I did at home to get reacquainted paid dividends. Yes there were some minor cock-ups, as there also always are with my fretted basses but I did not embarrass myself nor did anyone else in the band even notice (I think...). If I hadn't pulled it off or if it was a sweaty palmed disaster I probably would again think twice about keeping a FL in the mix, but like having one great golf shot in a round of 18 holes, I am now emboldened to press on with this adventure!

A couple things of note on the bass itself. It came to me with fairly GHS Pressure wounds installed, with which I am not that familiar but are a very popular FL choice. I like them and will keep them but their tension seems to have the truss rod adjustment just shy of maxed out. I don't know how these compare to a standard set of rounds, i.e. the basic Lakland Nickels 45-128 set, but it's thr first Lakland that has ever gotten close to that truss rod limit. Now that adjustment is fine with perfect relief currently but a higher tension set of anything might not leave enough room for adequate adjustability. But that may never occur anyway. Just an observation.

Another setup quirk I found was the inability to sting heights to my usual and preferred 5/64" low to 4/64" high. I run out of saddle lowering adjustment at 6/64". The bass plays well so it's not the biggest concern, but it is in my head. In fairness this has been consistent of about every Skyline I have owned but the bottomed B and G saddles woudl almost always yield the 5/64" and 4/64" that I like. Normally this is a simple shim issue to mildly change the neck angle so I installed a .015 shim on the FL and while that gained me a bit of saddle adjustability it then introduced some unwanted string buzz around the 15th 'fret' and up. So out that came and I am back to where I started and not wholly unhappy, just bothered a bit by that lack of adjustability. It seems that there was not sufficient additional fingerboard thickness to offset what would have notmally been the fret height on a bass that was originally built to be a fretted bass. The answer is probably a simple maple 1/32" full thickness, non-tapered, neck pocket shim that would raise the neck uniformly and allow the saddles to have a greater range of adjustability. Maybe I will play more with this at the next string change, if that happens at all.

Lastly, there was an interesting difference of output between the FL and my DJ5's. Both of my DJ5's have stock Lakland pickups and an Audere basic 3-band Jazz preamp. The FL has the stock Chi-Sonic pickups and an Audere Pro-JZ3 4-band Jazz preamp. So I expected the output to be equal, but the FL was noticeably lower and required an amp volume adjustment with every change over. So that is something I need to look into a but deeper as well. Are the Chi Sonic pickups a lower output than the Lakland Jazz pickups?

 

[Rycebag]

Every Skyline I gave ever owned was a 4mm. Is it possible that it's never been turned previously? Sometimes for that first time it will crack free.I might be inclined to remove the neck to get a clear look and straight on access if that is giving you trouble, and help find the best fitting wrench.

I think I need a right angle wrench that has a shorter side (so it can fit in the small space where the truss rod whole meets the body), and a longer than usual side that provides enough torque in order to get it to turn.

 

[Bass Ape]

I think I need a right angle wrench that has a shorter side (so it can fit in the small space where the truss rod whole meets the body), and a longer than usual side that provides enough torque in order to get it to turn.

Yes, you will need a right angle allen wrench. A straight wrench will not sit properly in the truss, it's a surefire way to chip your pickguard (if you have one) or strip the truss nut head.

 

[Bass Ape]

Also, IIRC that the skylines have a double truss, so do not be afraid to give it a tug. It's common for Truss Rods to make scary cracking noises when freed for the first time in a long time. I recently had a bass that needed the strings removed from the headstock before I could get the truss to turn. Made a hell of a lot of noise but now turns without as much pressure needed.

 

[Rycebag]

Also, IIRC that the skylines have a double truss, so do not be afraid to give it a tug. It's common for Truss Rods to make scary cracking noises when freed for the first time in a long time. I recently had a bass that needed the strings removed from the headstock before I could get the truss to turn. Made a hell of a lot of noise but now turns without as much pressure needed.

huh… I didn’t know they had double truss. Does it still function the same as a single? I’m assuming that clockwise (turning the wrench to the right and away is tightening it), and counterclockwise (turning to the left and towards the body) is loosening / adding relief? I have a skyline 4460 from 2008 as well. Anyway, for my 4464 LE, I have ernieball power slinkies on it. Thinking I may need to unwind the strings a bit to get the truss to move.

 

[nervous]

Also, IIRC that the skylines have a double truss.

Can anyone with definitive knowledge confirm this? I read in another older post that "Skylines have a simple single action rod". I also read that they have dual action rods. This is very important info as I once had a Spector with a DA that I was unaware was a DA and I 'gave it a tug' and the rest was very sad history. The sound still haunts me. First and only rod I ever broke and a very, very expensive lesson in knowing what you're working with.

I have sent Brian an email on this.

 

[Bass Ape]

Brian will confirm. Best to wait for his reply.

 

[MattLplaysBass]

Can anyone with definitive knowledge confirm this? I read in another older post that "Skylines have a simple single action rod". I also read that they have dual action rods. This is very important info as I once had a Spector with a DA that I was unaware was a DA and I 'gave it a tug' and the rest was very sad history. The sound still haunts me. First and only rod I ever broke and a very, very expensive lesson in knowing what you're working with.

I have sent Brian an email on this.

No wonder you’re nervous…

 

[nervous]

Brian will confirm. Best to wait for his reply.

Well we have our answers:

Q) Are Skyline truss rods single or dual action?
A) The Skylines used to be single action, but for the last 7 or 8 years, they're all been dual.

Q) So from around 2015 for the Skyline transition?
A) right

Q) USA the same or all dual?
A) The Skylines are dual action and the US models are single action.

Q) Is there an obvious or visible way to tell SA from DA?
A) Loosen the nut. If it comes off, it's single action. If it doesn't, it's dual.

 

[nervous]

No wonder you’re nervous…

A well earned moniker I can tell you that!

 

[macribas]

Can anyone with definitive knowledge confirm this? I read in another older post that "Skylines have a simple single action rod". I also read that they have dual action rods. This is very important info as I once had a Spector with a DA that I was unaware was a DA and I 'gave it a tug' and the rest was very sad history. The sound still haunts me. First and only rod I ever broke and a very, very expensive lesson in knowing what you're working with.

I have sent Brian an email on this.

Well we have our answers:

Q) Are Skyline truss rods single or dual action?
A) The Skylines used to be single action, but for the last 7 or 8 years, they're all been dual.

Q) So from around 2015 for the Skyline transition?
A) right

Q) USA the same or all dual?
A) The Skylines are dual action and the US models are single action.

Q) Is there an obvious or visible way to tell SA from DA?
A) Loosen the nut. If it comes off, it's single action. If it doesn't, it's dual.

Thanks! I'm curious on why the DA truss rod on your Spector broke. If it was DA, shouldn't it be able to move more than a single-action truss rod?

 

[Johnny Alien]

I assume that because its dual action and that was unknown that when it got to the point where it would no longer loosen nervous cranked it harder assuming that it will loosen until it comes off. But being dual access that was not the case and it snapped. I have a friend that builds guitars and he said he sees that more often than you would imagine. People know to stop tightening when it won't move anymore but they aren't aware that it might apply the other way as well.

 

[Rycebag]

Well we have our answers:

Q) Are Skyline truss rods single or dual action?
A) The Skylines used to be single action, but for the last 7 or 8 years, they're all been dual.

Q) So from around 2015 for the Skyline transition?
A) right

Q) USA the same or all dual?
A) The Skylines are dual action and the US models are single action.

Q) Is there an obvious or visible way to tell SA from DA?
A) Loosen the nut. If it comes off, it's single action. If it doesn't, it's dual.

Cool. I’m assuming both my skylines (2008 and 2010) are single action truss.

 

[nervous]

Thanks! I'm curious on why the DA truss rod on your Spector broke. If it was DA, shouldn't it be able to move more than a single-action truss rod?

As I recall the relief would not come into spec and the overall action was miserable. And I sometimes don't have the best temperament, especially when I get really aggravated with something and in this case compounded by the thought I have been sold a bum bass. So I continued applying force until it was excessive and it simply snapped off at the nut. I believe I was forcing it into additional relief where had I been aware and gone in the opposite direction I could have been pulling that neck into the correct relief. One of my dumber moments to be sure.