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USA Lakland Owners: Any Problems Getting Really Low Action?

L

lefty007

Jan 19, 2004
3,455
84
Miami, FL
#1
UPDATE: This thread was updated on post #34. Make sure you read that one before making any wrong assumptions. Thanks.

Long story alert.

I purchased a new 55-94 from Bass Central. I already have a 55-94 and I was looking for another one that would be a bit lighter than mine.

Upon receiving this new 55-94, I tried to set it up with low action, as I do and achieve on all my basses (see my profile), and noticed that the action was nice and low from the 1st to the 12th fret, but then it got much higher from the 12th-14th fret to the 22nd fret. Upon eye-balling the neck I noticed there was some sort of slope from the 12th fret to the end of the neck, explaining how the action was higher. I played with the truss rod and saddles, but it was apparent to me that the neck had some kind of defect or twist. The neck angle was also a bit different than my older 55-94, also in part explaining (to me) why the action was higher than normal (to me). I usually set up my action at 1/32" at the 12th fret, and I can do this on common basses, such as a current USA P-Bass, or a Carvin B5, and these basses have not been worked by a tech. I have had two other Laklands besides my current one, and they both had the lowest action you can imagine.

I sent the bass back to Bass Central, and they tell me there is nothing wrong with it, and that the bass is within Lakland tolerances.

Now, not to be know-it-all, but I've owned about 80 basses and been setting up my instruments for quite a while, so I kind of know what I'm doing.

I contacted Lakland, and in sum, they approximately said, well, if Bass Central says there is nothing wrong with it, there is nothing wrong with it, and that not all basses are exactly the same and I've been lucky to get basses that I can adjust to my liking in the past. And because the bass is back at Bass Central, is really up to them if they want to send it back to Lakland for an evaluation. (Bass Central had been waiting on Lakland to tell them what they thought about this situation, but after 3 days of waiting, I went ahead and returned the bass - Then when I spoke to Lakland, they mentioned that they had seen the e-mail, but didn't have time to react. ). I can't even order a new Lakland because it is not guaranteed that it would be any better than the one I just tried. They mentioned that neck defects are very rare.

I like both Bass Central and Lakland, and have great respect for both. But I'm baffled. So, darn, am I the only low-action freak that is not satisfied with even one of the most recognized brands in the market? Do I have unrealistic expectations trying to achieve 1/32" action on a Lakland, even though I've been doing it for years on countless basses?

Any Lakland lemons out there?
 
#2
Interesting story. I've owned 3 USA Laklands and 2 Skylines and all of them were close to perfect in everyway, but I'm sure there always that chance that bad one may turn up. You should of took some pics of the issues and posted it for us to see. I'm sure you next Lakie won't be that way. They're just great basses.
 
#5
Chrisk-K said:
1/32" = 0.79 mm. Is it a typo? Most bass manufacturers recommend action of 2 to 2.5 mm at the 12th fret.
Click to expand...

Not a typo. Just measured my stock 2008 P-Bass with TIs. To be exact, 4/64" on the E strings (I guess that's 2/32", but it could go lower), and 2/64" on the rest of the strings, while pressing on the 1st fret, so the nut height is out of the equation. I get no buzzing whatsoever. I guess my plucking is light.
 
#6
you target is extremely low action. i usually run between 6/64" and 8/64" at the 19th fret, with the nut out of the equation. i'd say you got lucky on the other basses and you play super light.

your basses would be buzzing like crazy with me playing them, and i play light as well...

good luck...
 
#8
lefty007 said:
Not a typo. Just measured my stock 2008 P-Bass with TIs. To be exact, 4/64" on the E strings (I guess that's 2/32", but it could go lower), and 2/64" on the rest of the strings, while pressing on the 1st fret, so the nut height is out of the equation. I get no buzzing whatsoever. I guess my plucking is light.
Click to expand...

And do you get any sound out of your basses?

2/32 is unreal IMO...
 
#11
Sounds like they cut a little extra fall off near the heel. Is it really an issue? You aren't a solo artist doing tapping or whatever, so unless it's a nit to pick, I think I'd just let it slide.

Course, I cant even afford a 55-02, so we come from very different points of view.
 
#12
Probably not abnormal or outside the range of what you're going to find with something made out of wood. I use a very low action too and usually have to grind or sand something down at some point in my setups to achieve it even on high quality instruments.

My L2000 for example I've been gnawing on for the 10 years I've owned it to get it completely on the gnat's a$$. It had a little "ski jump" in the middle of the board, that finally prompted me to sand wood off the heel of the fingerboard, and then cut the grooves in the bridge saddles with my nut files to get the action to run the way I want (virtually totally flat board). Now it's perfect, but that's after literally years of chewing on the thing.

My Carvin Bunny also has a little bit of a ski jump in the center of the fingerboard, even tho it's obviously well within Carvin's specs in terms of flatness of the board (and it's not as bad as my L2000 was). Fortunately, I think the only intervention it's going to need is taperwound strings to get the action down that extra little bit that I want even tho the bridge saddles are bottomed completely out.

In short, it's made of wood and with wood tolerances of a few thousandths will send you to the rubber room if you're that exacting. I can be, but to preserve my mental health, I've stopped trying to be. I.e. I'm leaving my Carvin alone after I put the taperwounds on it, it plays just about perfect the way it is now with a slightly higher action that I'm used to (and the truss rod taking out as much action as it can)...

If it's really off, i.e. you really have a steep dive on that heel, yeah I'd probably insist on another instrument or neck. But if it's a thousandth or two, probably normal....

LS
 
#13
Interesting.

My own Lakland (a skyline, though) that I bought new from Bass Central also had a ski slope on the fretboard, straight out of the box.

Lakland refused to cover it in their warranty, but offered to look at it if I shipped it to them on my dime. They were honest enough to state in advance that they might end up not being able to do anything about it.

I didn't want the trouble of having to point fingers, so I ended up going to san francisco to get a fret job that cost over $200.

Luckily, it's perfectly fine now.
 
#15
I did get a refund, but I'm out $80 in shipping (and Bass Central was nice enough to waive the 5% restocking fee they normally charge for returning instrument). I just find perplexing that a $3200 instrument - and specially a Lakland - would not be perfect, and my Fenders, my $400 used Carvin, my Korean Rogue Beatle bass, and many of the 80 basses I've owned have mostly had good board and frets straight from the factory, which allowed me to set up the action just fine.

In all honesty, I was expecting Lakland to pick up the bass from Bass Central and investigate, but they are too "swamped" to take care of something like this, and because Bass Central is saying there is no problem with the bass, then I have no case.

EDIT: Bass Central refunded the original shipping charges.
 
#16
lefty007 said:
I did get a refund, but I'm out $80 in shipping (and Bass Central was nice enough to waive the 5% restocking fee they normally charge for returning instrument). I just find perplexing that a $3200 instrument - and specially a Lakland - would not be perfect, and my Fenders, my $400 used Carvin, my Korean Rogue Beatle bass, and many of the 80 basses I've owned have mostly had good board and frets straight from the factory, which allowed me to set up the action just fine.

In all honesty, I was expecting Lakland to pick up the bass from Bass Central and investigate, but they are too "swamped" to take care of something like this, and because Bass Central is saying there is no problem with the bass, then I have no case.
Click to expand...

All brands make lemons here and there...
Lakland's reaction wasn't as expected.
Miami to Orlando through FedEx Ground would cost you 40 bucks insured. Just saying...
 
#19
lefty007 said:
I did get a refund, but I'm out $80 in shipping (and Bass Central was nice enough to waive the 5% restocking fee they normally charge for returning instrument). I just find perplexing that a $3200 instrument - and specially a Lakland - would not be perfect, and my Fenders, my $400 used Carvin, my Korean Rogue Beatle bass, and many of the 80 basses I've owned have mostly had good board and frets straight from the factory, which allowed me to set up the action just fine.

In all honesty, I was expecting Lakland to pick up the bass from Bass Central and investigate, but they are too "swamped" to take care of something like this, and because Bass Central is saying there is no problem with the bass, then I have no case.
Click to expand...

Not to tweak the noses of the boutique guys again, but, ;)... This is why it's good to not spend $3200 on a bass made out of wood if you can possibly help it. Unless you have the luthier right there in your pocket to help protect the investment, Just Say No to the zillion dollar bass.

That's why I'm a Carvin fanboi these days - if it's a little out of spec for me, I'm not as worried about taking my nut files and wrenches to it and grind on it a bit to make it play the way I want because I didn't spend the farm on it. Tho to be honest, my Bunnies aren't far enough out of adjustment for me to take hammer and saw to them right now, but my L2000 definitely was. And the L2K is one of the best Fenders you can buy.....

But if I'd bought the Anthony Jackson currently being fought about in another thread on here, I'd be back at fodera yesterday either raising hell about the ski jump, or returning it and getting my 24 large refunded.

Not knocking the Lakland, just noting that with a chunk of wood, thousandths of an inch can lead to the rubber room especially if the investment of $ is high. So the easiest way to mitigate that is Just Say No to hocking the house, wife and kids to buy the thing....

edit: PS - I also highly recommend some basic luthier tools too, like a set of nutfiles and a radius block suitable to your bass's radius. If you play fretted, it's probably also good to get some basic fret dressing tools too. I did the heel setup on my L2000 with just a sanding block from the hardware store. Bad idea - I was lucky and it came out ok, but no way I'll ever do a fingerboard dress again without a correct radius block. But a set of good tools can really help you get your bass setup the way you want. Even high quality basses are usually off straight out of the factory....

LS
 

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