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Not diggin’ the DJ4

#41
Chrisk-K said:
Return it and tell Sweetwater, “I guess the 55 point inspection is nothing but a marketing gimmick.”
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Lakland would have set the bass up to factory spec and Sweetwater would have confirmed it was still in spec. My experience with Sweetwater is that their service is top notch and I doubt they would have let a premium bass like a Lakland ship out while playing like crap.
The thing with set-ups is that they are personal. What Lakland and Sweetwater do is just make sure its within factory spec and has no issues. That's it. It's a starting point. Now, to get the set-up that feels the best for You and Your playing style, a reputable luthier or guitar tech will ask questions and will watch you play in order to get to an optimal set-up that is personalized for You and Your playing style. You can do this type of set-up yourself too, by making a small change, playing, small change, playing, until it's right for you. This can be a bit laborious but pays off. Unless you have the patience and skills to take your time, go slow, and make small incremental changes, take your bass to a REPUTABLE pro. It is $ well spent.
However, in spite of a great set-up, "if the bass don't fit, you can't commit".
 
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#43
Kipp Harrington said:
Yes... I payed $1,324. However, the "list" price (or should I say the MSRP) is actually $1,765.

Lakland Skyline Darryl Jones Signature - Lake Placid Blue, Rosewood
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True, but I don't regard the MSRP as a real figure since no one asks that much. Also, as an FYI, while Sweetwater won't give discounts as large as some other places, you can typically get 10% or more off the street price if you ask. I got about 15% off street on my Ampeg V-4B over the phone.
 
#45
I feel like most of the time the basses in these stores get neglected big time. It's very rare that I'll grab a bass off the shelf and the action isn't so high that you could put your whole hand under the strings! And it completely turns you off of a bass that you've been eyeing up. Just because of one bad setup or no setup at all. It turned me off of 5 string Fenders for too many years. I've always played other brands of "Jazz" basses because of it. Then I got one that was set up well. Now I love them. It really almost negates trying them out first. I've bought all my basses the last 5-10 years straight from the companies, sight unseen. And only maybe one time I've gotten one that just didn't work for me. I'd say you just move on from it. It's hard to fall in love with a bass after not liking it at all. I've found that if it's for you, you know it pretty well right away.
 
#47
Lakland necks are a love / hate thing. They are superbly crafted, but I don't care for them. Apparently you too. I prefer a smaller radius board, and generally Laklands don't fit that description. For me Warwicks are the same way. That's probably why so many others prefer those brands. Doesn't make either bad. Just that's what they are. It's the process of learning what you like. I have a feeling if you played a Stingray Classic or a 60's AVRI (or true vintage 60's) Jazz Bass, you wouldn't be able to put it down. Both have small radius necks.
 
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#50
two fingers said:
Yeah just take it back.

I briefly owned a Mike Lull 5 string with a Sadowsky preamp. It was a ridiculously well-made instrument. I tried everything to bond with it. I got a good setup done as well.

It just never felt right in my hands. So I sold it and never looked back. Too many basses out there to fight one you don't like.
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Yes, I helped a fellow TBer buy and ship a GORGEOUS five string fretless German Warwick Corvette from a pawnshop here in Dallas to Milwaukee. He told me to play it for a week. I played it for two days and shipped it. One of the finest instruments I’ve ever had my grubby mitts on, and I couldn’t gel with it for anything.
 
#52
My number 1 for the last 10 years has been a Lakland Skyline 44-02 Deluxe. Love the bass, obviously. Also, my action is what many consider very low.

I recently was in the market for a Jazz Bass. Played a Lakland DJ4 and a Skyline 44-06 (VJ, whatever it’s called) As well as, playing two American Pro Jazzes. One red with a rosewood finger board and the other the Limited Edition Shell Pink with a Rosewood Neck.

The DJ4 was great, low action, neck felt great, sounded great. Loved the bass. The other Lakland was solid, just didn’t spark anything for me.

Same with the Fender. The regular AmPro was a great bass, but I just didn’t Jones for it. The Shell Pink felt way better, warmer tone, and just did it for me.

I had a hard time debating the DJ4 vs the Shell Pink Fender, ended up with the Fender. Primiarly because it was different. Couldn’t of made a bad decision between the two.

Maybe you got a lemon? Maybe it’s the setup? Maybe it’s worth playing another one? I love Lakland as a company, but just like everything else, not every bass has done it for me.
 
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#53
BobKos said:
Lakland necks are a love / hate thing. They are superbly crafted, but I don't care for them. Apparently you too. I prefer a smaller radius board, and generally Laklands don't fit that description. For me Warwicks are the same way. That's probably why so many others prefer those brands. Doesn't make either bad. Just that's what they are. It's the process of learning what you like. I have a feeling if you played a Stingray Classic or a 60's AVRI (or true vintage 60's) Jazz Bass, you wouldn't be able to put it down. Both have small radius necks.
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This is definitely worth considering for the OP or anyone else trying to hone in on "the one". I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. I can manage with a smaller radius, but I cut my teeth on basses with fairly flat fretboards. It wasn't until maybe 8-10 years in that I started researching the radius of the boards on basses that have felt fast, smooth, and comfortable for me. They're almost all in the 10"+ category. That's not to say this is the only factor, but it helps to know some of the measurables behind the "feel" we prefer as a starting point...

As far as action is concerned though, I would be amazed if a proper setup couldn't fix this issue. My Lakland Skyline sets up lower than any of my other basses. Still, if the neck feel isn't right for you, there's not much that will change that.
 
#55
Mugre said:
I swear I'm not throwin' shade nor will I, but to feed a curiosity of mine about signature models, How much of your decision was because it's a DJ sig. model vs brand and feature set?
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Fair question, too. It's funny because I would assume it typically works in the way you're implying. i.e. A signature model sells well mainly because of the player who reps it, moreso than the specific specs/features. On the flip side, I've gotten questions about my Fender Adam Clayton Signature Jazz. "You a big U2/Adam Clayton fan?" Not in particular, but that bass ticked all the boxes I wanted. MIA Jazz, FB Radius, Alder/RW, blocks, single coils, string through, matching body/headstock. I'm not AC's biggest fan, but I love his preferred specs.
 
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#56
Kipp Harrington said:
Just got this bass a month ago. Not diggin’ it. Just doesn’t feel comfortable to me and I have tried setting this bass up the last few days and the action is unacceptably high... if I try to lower the sadlles (after adjusting the trussrod, I’m getting some buzz). Hopefully, it’s not too late to return it to Sweetwater. It’s been a little under 30 days since it was shipped. Going to actually play some Fender basses while I’m there (I live about 90 minutes from Sweetwater). Lakland builds a nice bass, but maybe I wasn’t meant for a nice bass. I enjoy playing my Squier PJ more than the Lakland. I feel really stupid purchasing this bass and finding out that it’s nothing special.

Any suggestions on what Fender’s to look at? I think I want to stick with a P bass body. i just don’t like the way the J bass pickups are positioned for my right hand playing style. Really frustrated with this situation.

Thanks for any input.
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Go back to Sweetwater and get another bass! I just bought 2 less expensive Short Scale basses. One was $200 and the other $650. Although nothing is wrong with either one but I bonded with the $200 bass and not the one for $650. Good Hunting!!
 
#58
Mugre said:
I swear I'm not throwin' shade nor will I, but to feed a curiosity of mine about signature models, How much of your decision was because it's a DJ sig. model vs brand and feature set?
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None at all. In fact, I really don't like the idea of purchasing a sig bass. I was in the market for a jazz-style bass and the DJ4 got rave reviews, across the board. I was considering the Geddy Lee (not the AM) jazz bass for the same reason. I thought a "smaller" neck would suit me a little better than a typical P-bass neck. I discovered that I didn't really like it. My Squier PJ has a Modern C neck (1.65" at the nut) and I prefer the feel of that neck over the jazz-style (1.5" at the nut). I also don't like the single coil pickup feel when I am resting my thumb on a jazz pickup. I only rest my thumb on the pickup when I am fretting the E, but it was uncomfortable enough for me to find it awkward. I am definitely leaning toward a P-style bass now. Just feels right.
 
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#60
Aw man, that sucks.
I know how much time and effort you put in to finding a case for it too!
As someone who has played a DJ4 pretty much exclusively for the last 11 years, I'm a bit mystified why it's not worked out for you.
The action on mine is consistently the lowest of any bass I see: A good friend (and better player than me!) had a G&L 2500 set up as well as it could be...still a higher action than the DJ4. He now has a custom made Maruszczyk P-bass...still a higher action than the DJ4! Same goes for another pal with a Sandberg.
I would say that you should go to Sweetwater and try another DJ4. If you don't bond with it, it might be because they have a VERY narrow nut. After a Squier PJ, it WILL feel weird!
Try a DJ4, then try this: Lakland Skyline 44-64 Custom P/J - Ice Blue Metallic - Alder
and try a bunch of fenders too. Take the afternoon, and whichever one speaks to you, take that one.

Lakland were overhyped a few years ago, along with all the other Fender clones (Lull, Sadowsky, Valenti, Nordstrand, Sandberg et al), but in the last 5 years Fender's QC has really improved and everybody's calmed down a bit.

Have fun at Sweetwater!
 

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