LAKLAND Darryl Jones Jazz bass

[funkle]

[quote name='funkle' post='92998' date='Nov 22 2007, 08:59 PM']Quick question - has anyone been able to play the USA Darryl Jones version to compare it against the Skyline version?

Pete[/quote]

Answer to my own question.

Was in Tokyo recently and played a USA DJ4 with a maple fretboard.

Didn't sound better than my bass. The woods were nicer - nice birdseye on the maple neck that my bass doesn't have - and the tuners worked much more smoothly (Hipshot instead of Hipshot licensed tuners). Not sure if it had graphite stiffeners in the neck though; the neck appeared to be a 3-piece instead of the 1-piece construction of the Skylines. Think the pickups were Lakland instead of Aeros too. Think I prefer the Aeros.

Overall, though, in spite of being built better, it certainly didn't seem worth paying 3x as much as what I paid to have one.

Pete

Edited January 7, 2008 by funkle

[OutToPlayJazz]

From all the glowing praise I've seen on this server & it's predecessors, I'd say a Lakland DJ isn't just the mutt's nuts, but in fact, the whole mutt & his immediate family!

[Owen]

Undoubtedly very fine. Personally I could not get with the stark white binding on the neck and the pointy bit at bottom horn of the scratch plate. It did not go well with the bottom horn of the bass. I DO realise that I am extraordinarily shallow. The black sparkly with matching headstock was very fine indeed. I could not get on with the body shape. I guess that I am too old to change. Why did I sell 2 x JO5s? Still not sure.

[silverfoxnik]

I have a DJ5 in LPB that I bought last year from P-T-P and it's a lovely bass.. One of the best and most authentic 5 string Jazz basses around!

[mikeh]

I've loved the DJ's I've tried. Even though I love the Bongo would swap in a flash for a DJ

[martthebass]

[quote name='mikeh' post='115993' date='Jan 8 2008, 12:22 AM']I've loved the DJ's I've tried. Even though I love the Bongo would swap in a flash for a DJ[/quote]

DJ4 or 5?

[mikeh]

[quote name='martthebass' post='116477' date='Jan 8 2008, 07:46 PM']DJ4 or 5?[/quote]

Either lol

[funkle]

Agree about the comments re: this bass being one of the best Jazzes about.

I've sat down and played every Jazz I could find over the last few years - Sadowsky (NYC/Tokyo - they just don't float my boat for some reason!! heretic), Bacchus (great basses! and good value for money), Modulus VJ (great Jazz basses, but upper fret access a problem with the traditional body shape), Celinder, Fender (duh!), Hamer Cruise (still own one - VERY well built for the cash - better than many high end basses!), Lull (nice, but didn't do much for me), Pensa, Blade, Pedulla (nice), Peavey (yes! Peavey), Status, the old Trace Elliot T-Bass, the list goes on further....

Long story short, for the money, the DJ4 is a very very good instrument. One of the first Jazz clones to really deal with the issue of upper fret access well. I just wish the neck was 3-piece + graphite stifffeners as standard, as I worry about warpage of 1-piece necks in the longer term. If it had that also it would be absolutely stellar value.

Still considering trying to get a DJ4 in black finish/rosewood board to compare sonically against the white finish/maple board one I've got.....

Pete