The Lakland Decade came stock with Dark Stars from the time it was first produced until a few months ago.
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Unimpressed with Lakland
- Thread starter kirkm24
- Start date
Thanks for the info!
I can admit when I'm wrong in assuming something before I check the facts.
But I still wonder how you could compare a bass loaded with Darkstars to a Fender Jazz bass.
Does your Jazz have Darkstars as well?
I just bought a Skyline Duck Dunn. Im not blown away by it but Im also not let down. I can see why some people find them underwhelming. There is a lot of hype for Lakland. Its easy to get caught up in it. My Dunn is a solid player. It sounds like a refined P Bass. Thats why I bought it.
With Lakland, I think it's all about what you like in a bass. One thing that I appreciate about Lakland is the neck profile. It's perfect for my hand, nice and flat but not too flat. That so happens to be a big thing for me when I look for a new bass. It's got to have a nice neck profile. So I think that if you're looking for refined Fender kind of qualities then you might be pleasantly surprised but if you're looking for something else you might disappointed. It's all subjective.
One thing that I didn't mind was the neck profile of one of the Laklands that I tried.
Kind of reminded me of my EB Stingray crossed with my old Charvel Fusion IV.
I think it was the Bob Glaub model.
The jazz style Laklands that I tried were OK, but nothing that compared to the Fender Jazz that I ended up getting.
Kind of reminded me of my EB Stingray crossed with my old Charvel Fusion IV.
I think it was the Bob Glaub model.
The jazz style Laklands that I tried were OK, but nothing that compared to the Fender Jazz that I ended up getting.
I will answer this by looking at your initial statement below:
You have assumed above that the Lakland is emulating a Fender Jazz and conclude the Fender Jazz does better at emulating itself (which I would assume to be a no-brainer anyway). But the Lakland does not have Fender pickups, does it. It uses different woods, which produce different harmonic resonances---in short, the Lakland does not make any attempt at emulating a Jazz, other than, perhaps, appearance. That is where the similarities end.
Your conclusion is based completely on the assumption that the Lakland is an imitator, therefore the conclusion is valid, if your initial assumption is correct---which of course, it is not.
I made no such assumption about a Lakland imitating a Fender and doing a better job of it---my intention was not to remark that one was better than the other. I am saying I like the sound, playability, look (in other words, everything) of my Decade over the Jazz I once owned. And that both are quality instruments.
Guys say the new pickups (ChiSonics) sound better than the Darkstars. I am willing to try these out, realizing others may be going for a different sound than I. I assume both are super sounding, the question remains is it the sound for me? But if I like the DS's better, I am not going to assume the Chi's were meant to be an imitator---I know they weren't.
Well, this is better---it is the neck profile that you didn't like on the other? What quality problems did you see in the Lakland, or was it more the neck profile, weight, tone, that don't quite fit you? Those are very important things to weigh in choosing a bass, but to imply that its quality is poorer because it doesn't have the right fit for you is being unnecessarily negative.
+1.
I had some different basses that I enjoyed playing very much. I recently took delivery of an Indonesian JO5 with Chi-Sonics that was plek'ed at and shipped directly from Lakland. I don't know what it is about it, but it simply plays easier and sounds better than any bass I've ever owned, including some high end brands that cost far more than the Lakland.
I didn't buy it to be a higher quality version of something else, I got it because I wanted the tone of a Lakland with Chi-Sonics. And I am as happy as can be with it.
The first Lakland I tried was one of the originals and wow, was it great. I've received a few Skylines directly from them and they did have some fret sprout. Great players but with their sales pitch and reputation, I wouldn't think I'd receive something like that from them. I've also played some real dogs from them. That said, every company is going to have some issues. That's where customer service comes into play. Generally I've been happy with Laklands CS but the last time I needed them they were unaccommodating.
They have a great rep but I think you need to try before you buy. Nobody is immune from the occasional lemon and even if you are, you can't please everyone all the time.
They have a great rep but I think you need to try before you buy. Nobody is immune from the occasional lemon and even if you are, you can't please everyone all the time.
sturmvogel answered your question above about his comparison. As for me, my Skyline DJ has the stock Aero pickups on it (they now come with Lakland's in-house pickups). I was looking for a straight-up jazz bass, and I found the best one for me. FWIW, TBers with far more experience and chops than me have called the Skyline DJ the best bass they've played under $2000.
I'm curious as to which Lakland models you tried, and which were US and which were Skylines.
I've owned three Skylines.
Glaub.
J.O.-4
Hollowbody.
All were sweet basses.
But to me, the Hollowbody is the best.
Well worth the $$$$$.
BTW, I own five basses, three of them Lakland Skylines. The two non-Laklands have had fret sprout, the Laklands haven't.
That said, I agree that sprout says pretty much nothing about QC. Some folks related earlier that they've seen very high-end basses with sprout.
That said, I agree that sprout says pretty much nothing about QC. Some folks related earlier that they've seen very high-end basses with sprout.
I have two Laklands that I gig with regularly in rotation.
I'm an "old school" player. I grew up with Fender basses.
I've got a Skyline JO bass - the first ever to be fitted with Dark Stars and a DPLE-II which is essentially a custom Skyline Dunn with a single DS pickup.
Every time I play them I'm blown away by the quality of these basses. I just cant find anything wrong with them.
Fred
I'm an "old school" player. I grew up with Fender basses.
I've got a Skyline JO bass - the first ever to be fitted with Dark Stars and a DPLE-II which is essentially a custom Skyline Dunn with a single DS pickup.
Every time I play them I'm blown away by the quality of these basses. I just cant find anything wrong with them.
Fred
Hi It's not fair to any brand of bass if the action hasn't been set up properly. I was able to testdrive many Laklands at a dealer that keeps them set up and ready for sale. I will be purchasing a Daryl Jones 4. I will also tell you to be aware that there are some very very heavy Lakland basses. I picked up a Joe Osbourne and I said ***, this is not a copy of a 60's jazz..it weighed a ton (heavy ash), heavier than any vintage 70's ash Fender that I've played. Find a dealer with stock, and if you do order one over the phone get them to tell you the weight!!
JAUQO III-X
Inactive
The Lakland Skyline(when made in Korea) series weight does vary but that seems to not be the case since the Skyline series is now being made in Indonesia.
I disagree...he was just stating his opinion (which - I believe is still allowed in this country).....there - now I have said somehting that MAY get this thread locked
Disagreement is a good thing......makes things happen!!!
On his pont though, I have to say that Laklands are usually higher quality and more consistent than Fenders of similar price points....
It doesn't really matter honestly. Everytime I pickup most any Fender I can't help but wonder why so many people still buy them at all, but apparently folks like them so no big deal. And when I hear someone else playing them, I often think they sound great. But then I think that about Lakland basses also. I'll personally take a Lakland any day. But I've liked a lot of basses that some folks don't like, and disliked others that people seem to rave over.
But in general, I hate this "real deal" argument that folks use in favor of Fender. It's extremely weak and short-sighted. There are a lot of Fender "clones" out there, but each has a different nuance. Some of them are fantastic, others not so much. Even Fender has changed their own Jazz bass a bazillion times over the years because even they realize there is room for variation that folks will like. How many different variations do they offer on the Jazz bass right now? There really is no "real deal" anymore even inside Fender, unless you consider the name on the headstock to be that. If so, go forth and be happy with it, but it's condescending and arrogant to suggest that others don't have the real deal just because they prefer Lakland, Lull, Sadowsky, or whatever else.
But in general, I hate this "real deal" argument that folks use in favor of Fender. It's extremely weak and short-sighted. There are a lot of Fender "clones" out there, but each has a different nuance. Some of them are fantastic, others not so much. Even Fender has changed their own Jazz bass a bazillion times over the years because even they realize there is room for variation that folks will like. How many different variations do they offer on the Jazz bass right now? There really is no "real deal" anymore even inside Fender, unless you consider the name on the headstock to be that. If so, go forth and be happy with it, but it's condescending and arrogant to suggest that others don't have the real deal just because they prefer Lakland, Lull, Sadowsky, or whatever else.
Hey, what's up Jason?
It's kinda sad that Fender clones produce better "Fenders" than Fender itself. I just got myself a Lakland Skyline DJ4. To me at least, it exhibits more Jazz spirits than some Fender Jazzes that I've tried out. By the way, the SB-2 you'd sold me is still my number one. It seriously cuts through the mix.
To the original poster, I have a Bartolini-equipped Skyline 55-02. The sound is nice, and has a good sound variety, but it didn't have the agressiveness I was looking for. So I think I can understand when you stated that you could not dial in your tone. It plays very well though. It has a very fast neck for a 5 string, and the B string is very articulate. So I got rid of the Music Man style Barts pickup and replace it with a Nordstrand MM5.4. So now I have a bass with an aggressive sound that plays very nice. To me it plays better than a Stingray 5.
Hey, man. Glad you're digging the SB-2! I wish I had lots of money cause I would have kept that bass! Beautiful, and I miss it!
I hear what you are saying on the 55-02 with Barts. The Lakland electronics provide a bit more bite and bark to the tone, which is an improvement for me at least. I can still see how some would love the Barts, especially if you're going for that warm, slightly muffled hip-hop type of vibe. That said, I feel the Lakland electroncs can get you there just as well. But glad you found a pickup replacement you like!
