NBD: Dan Lakin JO

[gully_jones]

For this price you can get a US Made G&L. Are these better than US made G&L's?

My thought exactly

 

[Type-55]

You don't see much G&L luv here.
And there resale value indicates a bad investment.
They are well made.
Just check the classifieds.

 

[basspraiser]

Years ago I got USA 4-94 from Steve "Dude" Barr.
He was a Lakland dealer but it was a used bass. He did not order for inventory and was just selling it.
Probably got it as a trade in.
Got the bass and the truss rod was completely stripped out.
I called Steve told him what was going on and asked if he didn't check his inventory BEFORE SHIPPING? He said he would call Lakland.
I replied and said this is a used bass what will Lakland do? Way, way out of warranty.
Well the next day Carl or Dan from Lakland called me and wanted to look at the bass.
I shipped it. When Lakland got it they called back and said yeah the TR is stripped.
Dan PUT A NEW USA NECK ON THIS BASS FOR FREE yeah FREE. No CHARGE !!!!
He stands behind his products. Do you think Sadowsky, Lull ETC. would put a new neck on a 5 year old bass for free
that has a stripped TR? I don't think so.
Everybody should lighten up and give Dan a shot.

awesome....Dan always stood behind his product as do the current Lakland owners.....

I am looking forward to trying a few next weekend....

I was happy to see in the video in the other thread that B&B necks are available....wonder if he can do a B&B in a precision width.....hmmmmm

 

[basspraiser]

Years ago I got USA 4-94 from Steve "Dude" Barr.
He was a Lakland dealer but it was a used bass. He did not order for inventory and was just selling it.
Probably got it as a trade in.
Got the bass and the truss rod was completely stripped out.
I called Steve told him what was going on and asked if he didn't check his inventory BEFORE SHIPPING? He said he would call Lakland.
I replied and said this is a used bass what will Lakland do? Way, way out of warranty.
Well the next day Carl or Dan from Lakland called me and wanted to look at the bass.
I shipped it. When Lakland got it they called back and said yeah the TR is stripped.
Dan PUT A NEW USA NECK ON THIS BASS FOR FREE yeah FREE. No CHARGE !!!!
He stands behind his products. Do you think Sadowsky, Lull ETC. would put a new neck on a 5 year old bass for free
that has a stripped TR? I don't think so.
Everybody should lighten up and give Dan a shot.

awesome....Dan always stood behind his product as do the current Lakland owners.....

I am looking forward to trying a few next weekend....

I was happy to see in the video in the other thread that B&B necks are available....wonder if he can do a B&B in a precision width.....hmmmmm

 

[basspraiser]

Years ago I got USA 4-94 from Steve "Dude" Barr.
He was a Lakland dealer but it was a used bass. He did not order for inventory and was just selling it.
Probably got it as a trade in.
Got the bass and the truss rod was completely stripped out.
I called Steve told him what was going on and asked if he didn't check his inventory BEFORE SHIPPING? He said he would call Lakland.
I replied and said this is a used bass what will Lakland do? Way, way out of warranty.
Well the next day Carl or Dan from Lakland called me and wanted to look at the bass.
I shipped it. When Lakland got it they called back and said yeah the TR is stripped.
Dan PUT A NEW USA NECK ON THIS BASS FOR FREE yeah FREE. No CHARGE !!!!
He stands behind his products. Do you think Sadowsky, Lull ETC. would put a new neck on a 5 year old bass for free
that has a stripped TR? I don't think so.
Everybody should lighten up and give Dan a shot.

awesome....Dan always stood behind his product as do the current Lakland owners.....

I am looking forward to trying a few next weekend....

I was happy to see in the video in the other thread that B&B necks are available....wonder if he can do a B&B in a precision width.....hmmmmm

 

[basspraiser]

Sorry about the multi post guys....bad phone connection and hit reply too many times.... Ooops

 

[StayLow]

To be honest with you, when he sold the business a few years ago, I wondered if his attitude wasn't in part the reason he needed to sell.

It's been said by credible sources that generosity with give-aways to endorsees, etc. was a definite drag on revenues.

 

[hover]

You don't see much G&L luv here.

Those who know, know. The rest of their devotees likely are not TB'ers (people here seem to forget a whole lotta people in the real world couldn't give a crappola about TB...shocking but true...sorry to say), tho the majority of TB'ers who own G&L sing their praises. Point to be the negatives here associated with the brand. I'll wait.

And their (fixed) resale value indicates a bad investment.

Not everyone buys instruments as "investments" and their resale value is directly related to their share in the marketplace and what market will pay for used, and not an indicator to their quality.

They are well made.

Indeed they are.

Just check the classifieds.

Also read as "get yourself a kickass used bass for a steal".

 

[StayLow]

The "resale" argument is often dubious at best, or ill-informed. In what matters most - actual dollars - you'll lose more than a new G&L or Carvin costs when a high-end boutique goes from "new" to "used".

In context of these Lakin basses or others like them, essentially parts basses, off to a questionable start and with no market penetration (yet), don't bank on exceptional resale.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

The "resale" argument is often dubious at best, or ill-informed. In what matters most - actual dollars - you'll lose more than a new G&L or Carvin costs when a high-end boutique goes from "new" to "used".

In context of these Lakin basses or others like them, essentially parts basses, off to a questionable start and with no market penetration (yet), don't bank on exceptional resale.

Heck, you lose crazy $$ with ANY new bass. The last new bass I bought was 13 years ago and I do not plan on doing it again.

 

[basspraiser]

The "resale" argument is often dubious at best, or ill-informed. In what matters most - actual dollars - you'll lose more than a new G&L or Carvin costs when a high-end boutique goes from "new" to "used".

In context of these Lakin basses or others like them, essentially parts basses, off to a questionable start and with no market penetration (yet), don't bank on exceptional resale.

why do you say "parts bass"?????

these are NOT a bunch of off the shelf purchased necks and bodies slapped together in someone's basement...

the bodies and necks are spec'd out to Dan's design specifications and the pickups are custom as well.

yes...he used off the shelf hardware....but the SAME hardware or manufacturer is used by many "non-parts" bass companies.

resale value on any new product is iffy......don't buy one if that is your main concern....buy one if you like the bass...

I am ( hopefully) going to be trying a few thus afternoon...if United can get their act together and I can get back home from DC....and will decide if one will or will not eventually make it to my stable....

but I WILL NOT be considering resale value....

 

[wvbass]

why do you say "parts bass"?????

these are NOT a bunch of off the shelf purchased necks and bodies slapped together in someone's basement...

the bodies and necks are spec'd out to Dan's design specifications and the pickups are custom as well.

yes...he used off the shelf hardware....but the SAME hardware or manufacturer is used by many "non-parts" bass companies.

resale value on any new product is iffy......don't buy one if that is your main concern....buy one if you like the bass...

I am ( hopefully) going to be trying a few thus afternoon...if United can get their act together and I can get back home from DC....and will decide if one will or will not eventually make it to my stable....

but I WILL NOT be considering resale value....

+1 This is not a "parts bass." And a bigger +1 to not worrying about resale value. At least with a D. Lakin, you are only going to lose a few hundred dollars in resale value. Want to REALLY take a bath? Go by a new Pedulla, Alembic, or similar.

 

[basspraiser]

+1 This is not a "parts bass." And a bigger +1 to not worrying about resale value. At least with a D. Lakin, you are only going to lose a few hundred dollars in resale value. Want to REALLY take a bath? Go by a new Pedulla, Alembic, or similar.

 

[mongo2]

+1 This is not a "parts bass." And a bigger +1 to not worrying about resale value. At least with a D. Lakin, you are only going to lose a few hundred dollars in resale value.

Having sold mint condition US Laklands I owned from the first 50 made, I'm skeptical of that claim.

 

[wvbass]

Having sold mint condition US Laklands I owned from the first 50 made, I'm skeptical of that claim.

I don't follow you. What I meant was (and I am literally using the first thing I saw on ebay as an example) that a new Pedulla Rapture is $3795. There is a used one sitting on ebay right now for $1300 with no bids. The loss there isn't too far off from buying TWO D. Lakins and then giving them away.

When you buy a boutique bass, you are buying a dream, and the price reflects that. If you are lucky, you can find somebody else with the same dream and come out okay. More often than not, though, you don't find somebody that wants to buy a dream; you find somebody looking for a good, used bass. And then you take the hit. Taking a 50% hit on a D. Lakin is far better than taking a 50% hit on a Pedulla. That's all I meant.

 

[mongo2]

I don't follow you. What I meant was (and I am literally using the first thing I saw on ebay as an example) that a new Pedulla Rapture is $3795. There is a used one sitting on ebay right now for $1300 with no bids. The loss there isn't too far off from buying TWO D. Lakins and then giving them away.

When you buy a boutique bass, you are buying a dream, and the price reflects that. If you are lucky, you can find somebody else with the same dream and come out okay. More often than not, though, you don't find somebody that wants to buy a dream; you find somebody looking for a good, used bass. And then you take the hit. Taking a 50% hit on a D. Lakin is far better than taking a 50% hit on a Pedulla. That's all I meant.

Ahhhh, that wasn't clear in your post.

 

[davec]

I bought my son a old G&L L2000 heck of a bass, I played an SB-1 forever....

I am sometimes amazed at the homerizum of the TB world sometimes... There are ton's of great basses out there. Ton's
I think the one thing Wishbass has right is his thought that they are nothing more than paint brushes

BTW I know for fact there is a very positive review coming out in bass player very soon about the Lakin Basses, but hey it's not like its the only well made bass out there.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

I bought my son a old G&L L2000 heck of a bass, I played an SB-1 forever....

I am sometimes amazed at the homerizum of the TB world sometimes... There are ton's of great basses out there. Ton's
I think the one thing Wishbass has right is his thought that they are nothing more than paint brushes

BTW I know for fact there is a very positive review coming out in bass player very soon about the Lakin Basses, but hey it's not like its the only well made bass out there.

Just curious...what is "homerizum"?

 

[OnederTone]

I had a similar experience with a Lakland Skyline several years ago. Dan did right by me, and I'm sure his effort pushed him into the red on my particular order, after shipment and parts were all paid.

To be honest with you, when he sold the business a few years ago, I wondered if his attitude wasn't in part the reason he needed to sell. When you ship out new necks for people based on a two minute phone conversation, and do this often enough, your margins are going to take a hit, write-off or not. There are times when good customer service and good business acumen can run counter to one another.

You know, I gave Dan guff about the finances (that I really know nothing about other than what was published by a news valid source and extended by scuttlebutt) but you've got a solid point. Maybe he was in the red because he had such spectacular service. For that I commend him...

 

[davec]

Homerizum is a term I borrowed from the sports world. Example: The home them is great and the other team sucks!, because I can't accept the other team is talented as well. If they are then my team isn't the best.