Lakland US Basses in the UK

[thodrik]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1471629408' post='3114653']
You could pick up an Am Del for around £1000 6 months ago.... the price bombed.
I don't see how these Elites are any different.
Looks like a classic Fender re-badge 'trick'... as with a CS. Same parts as an Am D.

And if that is correct, then this is very dodgy, IMO.
[/quote]

I tried a couple of Fender Elites a few months ago and thought they were a marked improvement on the previous Deluxe models. The fit and finish was spot on and the pickups and EQ were a lot better.

Still, I think that the Fender active EQ systems are still a good piece behind Sandberg, Lakland and Sadowsky. For £1700, yeah that is probably a reflection of the normal 'upwards' price increases.

Laklands are great basses. Not sure I would pay £2000 grand for a passive Fender style bass when I know that if I tried enough I would find a Fender that would play just as well for half the price.

I do like the active Laklands too, but when it comes to 'really expensive active Fender Jazz' designs I will choose Sadowsky (and have done so...twice)

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1471597149' post='3114258']
I have owned a US Lakland since 2003 and done near on a thousand gigs with it. It feels, plays and sounds perfect.

I also own an Am Std Fender which in 2 years has done 3 gigs. It sounds and plays well. It's not a bad bass in any respect but up against the Lakland there's no competition.
[/quote]

A mate of mine is a full time pro player, no teaching etc, he has a wall of fantastic basses but his us Lakland 55-94 gets all the gigs, to me the 55-02s feel a little less finished off than my 2010 Ray 5 and the 55-94s feel like a luxury Stingray to me, hard to describe but I find them just as molan describes above. If I could only have one bass it would be a 55-94, all the fun of my Rays (which have pickup switching as 5 stringers) but with the jazz pickup options I use from my Jazz 5. Proper working mans (persons!) bass.

[peteb]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1471631294' post='3114666']


A mate of mine is a full time pro player, no teaching etc, he has a wall of fantastic basses but his us Lakland 55-94 gets all the gigs, to me the 55-02s feel a little less finished off than my 2010 Ray 5 and the 55-94s feel like a luxury Stingray to me, hard to describe but I find them just as molan describes above. If I could only have one bass it would be a 55-94, all the fun of my Rays (which have pickup switching as 5 stringers) but with the jazz pickup options I use from my Jazz 5. Proper working mans (persons!) bass.
[/quote]
Wasn't that their original selling point for the 55-94 & 4-94 - nothing fancy, just a deluxe stingray / jazz hybrid for working pros??

Always fancied one...

Edited August 19, 2016 by peteb

[M@23]

[quote name='thodrik' timestamp='1471629980' post='3114658']


I tried a couple of Fender Elites a few months ago and thought they were a marked improvement on the previous Deluxe models. The fit and finish was spot on and the pickups and EQ were a lot better.

Still, I think that the Fender active EQ systems are still a good piece behind Sandberg, Lakland and Sadowsky. For £1700, yeah that is probably a reflection of the normal 'upwards' price increases.

Laklands are great basses. Not sure I would pay £2000 grand for a passive Fender style bass when I know that if I tried enough I would find a Fender that would play just as well for half the price.

I do like the active Laklands too, but when it comes to 'really expensive active Fender Jazz' designs I will choose Sadowsky (and have done so...twice)
[/quote]

This is exactly my findings too. I actually really liked the Elite Jazz V. It was all good. Personal prefs aside, the pre was just a little bit vanilla. I was happy to pay the extra for Sadowsky too and as much as I liked the Elite, I'd pay the difference again and again.

[stingrayPete1977]

I guess so peteb, I think they've nailed it! Mind you there are plenty of pro still rocking a Ray 5 on high profile session gigs, Lee Pomeroy and Lauren
Taniel spring to mind.

Edited August 19, 2016 by stingrayPete1977

[Misdee]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1471535503' post='3113802']
I just don't think they offer anything significant for the money. Do you get a nice flame/birds eye roasted neck? No. Do you get extremely rare and interesting nitro colours etc? No. Boutique high end pickup? No.

I understand these will be well made, but they just don't seem to be much more than a decent American Standard Fender.

Although Sadowsky basses are more money, that is where I would go. That or a Fender Custom Shop. Even 2 Maruszczyk basses instead, and they'd be pretty much at the top of their range like a lightweight body.
[/quote]
[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1471536189' post='3113811']
I've just had a look at the 5 string Musicman style basses....wow, serious money. I thought there might be a really high end top or expensive looking semi trans finish/figured wood grain.....
[/quote]

It's worth mentioning that these basses are all from Lakland's "budget" USA-made range. They are made in the workshop in Chicago, but with more basic appointments and limited options compared with the more expensive full-spec American-made basses.

The Lakland USA-made full-spec models offer all the things you say are missing from these ones, but especially post-Brexit, you will pay a premium for them in the UK.

In terms of comparison, I've got a Fender American Standard Jazz Bass and P Bass and they are nice basses, but my USA Lakland PJ trounces them in terms of overall quality and playability. It is the most expensive instrument I've ever bought but it was worth every penny. Quite frankly it's in a different league.

'I'm not particularly keen on most fancy high-end boutique basses, but USA Lakland are a notable exception. They are solid and consistent workhorses. Add to that they offer something a bit different with their own custom pickups and hardware, and you can see why so many bass players enjoy them so much.

Edited August 25, 2016 by Misdee

[NJE]

Lakland US basses are very high on my 'to try' list. I have a Lakland Skyline 55-02 which was bought as i needed a solid 5 string active bass after selling some of my more expensive kit. I am not a massive Lakland fanboy by any means, it was bought because it fits teh musical situation at the moment and it was bloody cheap for the spec.

I find the Skyline models considerably better than offerings from other companies that cost a lot more. I have been left incredibly underwhelmed by 2k Sadowsky Metros and Fenders and I was desperate to love these instruments when I played them. I still crave a Fender CS, I am definitely a fender fanboy, but cant find a decent one after 5-6 attempts.

If the US Laklands are even 10% more refined than the Skylines, then I cant see how anyone would say they are overpriced compared the the stupid amount Fender charge for CS stuff and how much Sadowsky charge for Metro basses. I would take a skyline over a Sadowsky Metro any day, mine is even on a level with my old Overwater basses.

Some of the finest bass players talked about on these forums have and still do use Lakland US basses, even though they have other high end endorsements, which must mean something. It just surprises me that a lot of people say how overpriced they are and 'not worth the money' when they have never even played one in the flesh. I tried £3000 worth of secondhand Alleva Coppolo once, I put it down after about 2 minutes, dull as dishwater IMO but I would never have made that assumption without playing one first.

[Machines]

I think the 'overpriced' accusation is based around their generally understated looks.

[NJE]

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1472212140' post='3119478']
I think the 'overpriced' accusation is based around their generally understated looks.
[/quote]

Yeah fair point I do get that to a certain extent, some of them don't look like 2k worth of bass.

[Machines]

Like this US one for £2500:

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=160805301291007

Compared to this Skyline for half the price:

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=10030310482629

[wateroftyne]

Or [url="http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=160805301289007"]from this[/url] to [url="https://public-peace.de/index.php/bass-guitars/maruszczyk/jake/4-string/1963-jake-l-4p-black160143"]this[/url], for nearly a third of the price, probably built with similar care & attention...

[Musicman20]

That's exactly what I mean! The 2 comparisons above provide perfect examples.

[Machines]

G&L I see as guilty of this too but without the crazy prices. I know their custom shop does some cool paint jobs but most of the instruments they spit out are very dull.

[project_c]

[quote name='thodrik' timestamp='1471629980' post='3114658']


I tried a couple of Fender Elites a few months ago and thought they were a marked improvement on the previous Deluxe models. The fit and finish was spot on and the pickups and EQ were a lot better.

Still, I think that the Fender active EQ systems are still a good piece behind Sandberg, Lakland and Sadowsky. For £1700, yeah that is probably a reflection of the normal 'upwards' price increases.

Laklands are great basses. Not sure I would pay £2000 grand for a passive Fender style bass when I know that if I tried enough I would find a Fender that would play just as well for half the price.

I do like the active Laklands too, but when it comes to 'really expensive active Fender Jazz' designs I will choose Sadowsky (and have done so...twice)
[/quote]

This is a matter of opinion. I had a Sadowsky which I got rid of because I didn't like the tone at all, it was bass-heavy and scooped with very weak mids, and I found the vintage tone control made very little difference to the overall character of the tone. For someone playing slap, or for people who love a scooped tone, sure - but for straight-up fingerstyle it just didn't have what I was after at all. The build quality was indeed flawless and it was a nice looking bass, but i much prefer the 2011 Deluxe Jazz I replaced it with, I love the preamp in that thing, the mid control is pretty much perfect and the build quality is at least as good as the Sadowsky. It's had one setup in the last 5 years, it's just a good bass. People say the output is quieter than other basses, which is true in passive mode, but I don't know of a situation where that would be a problem, you need to adjust gain for whatever bass you're playing. In active mode it's the perfect J tone for me, passive Jazz characteristics with a bit of a mid boost. Maybe it's a one off and I got lucky but I never get why people didn't get on with the USA Deluxe series, they get far too much of a hard time.

[Misdee]

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1472215360' post='3119523']
Like this US one for £2500:

[url="http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=160805301291007"]http://www.guitargui...160805301291007[/url]

Compared to this Skyline for half the price:

[url="http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=10030310482629"]http://www.guitargui...=10030310482629[/url]



[/quote]
[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1472215828' post='3119535']
Or [url="http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=160805301289007"]from this[/url] to [url="https://public-peace.de/index.php/bass-guitars/maruszczyk/jake/4-string/1963-jake-l-4p-black160143"]this[/url], for nearly a third of the price, probably built with similar care & attention...
[/quote]

The Skyline comparison is a valid one, I suppose you would have to play them both and see if the American bass is worth the extra money. As the saying goes, "you pays your money and takes your choice". I've played a few Skylines over the years and, for the most part, they were nice basses. The full-spec US Laklands are however, a very different proposition. How these "budget" US Laklands compare I have no idea.

As for the Maruszczyk, I have no idea how it would measure up against a US Lakland. All I would say is that if you like them then that is sufficient, but not all basses that appear externally similar are in fact equal.

Edited August 27, 2016 by Misdee

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Misdee' timestamp='1472324092' post='3120397'][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3]As for the Maruszczyk, I have no idea how it would measure up[/size][/font][/color][/quote]

Very well, I imagine, unless US Laklands are sprinkled with ground unicorn horn or something.

[Misdee]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1472216480' post='3119543']
That's exactly what I mean! The 2 comparisons above provide perfect examples.
[/quote]

If I might say, my friend, you seem preoccupied with largely irrelevant and superfluous details. Flamboyant colours and nitro finishes are not what separates a run of the mill instrument from a superior quality one. Besides which one man's "boring" is another man's "elegantly understated".

[Musicman20]

[quote name='Misdee' timestamp='1472324697' post='3120400']


If I might say, my friend, you seem preoccupied with largely irrelevant and superfluous details. Flamboyant colours and nitro finishes are not what separates a run of the mill instrument from a superior quality one. Besides which one man's "boring" is another man's "elegantly understated".
[/quote]

In your opinion. Personally, I love interesting pastel colours such as surf green and sonic blue. Black? Nope.

Let's be honest, you should be looking at details in a bass, especially £2300. It's all in the details.

Edited August 28, 2016 by Musicman20

[leroydiamond]

[quote name='Cairobill' timestamp='1471531395' post='3113742']
Yup - I tried a very nice JO skyline years ago that was very high quality. But I played a US DJ4 recently that was just outrageously good. Really, quite ridiculously good
[/quote]
Is that US DJ4 for sale anywhere?

[Misdee]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1472324219' post='3120398']
Very well, I imagine, unless US Laklands are sprinkled with ground unicorn horn or something.
[/quote]

The ground unicorn horn is reserved for the Deluxe US models, I think. My point is that just because a bass may externally appear similar, it doesn't necessarily make it a comparable level of quality. Otherwise why not save yourself some money on your Maruszczyk and go for one of these:
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3655160.htm?CMPID=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59161|cid:611964854|agid:35816374571|tid:pla-125531282725|crid:118127450171|nw:g|rnd:551713021227815912|dvc:c|adp:1o29

inexpensive, bright colour, ticks all the boxes.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Misdee' timestamp='1472495988' post='3121595']
The ground unicorn horn is reserved for the Deluxe US models, I think. My point is that just because a bass may externally appear similar, it doesn't necessarily make it a comparable level of quality. Otherwise why not save yourself some money on your Maruszczyk and go for one of these:
[url="http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3655160.htm?CMPID=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59161|cid:611964854|agid:35816374571|tid:pla-125531282725|crid:118127450171|nw:g|rnd:551713021227815912|dvc:c|adp:1o29"]http://www.argos.co....|dvc:c|adp:1o29[/url]

inexpensive, bright colour, ticks all the boxes.
[/quote]

Is that a rebadged US Lakland?

[Misdee]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1472328789' post='3120426']
In your opinion. Personally, I love interesting pastel colours such as surf green and sonic blue. Black? Nope.

Let's be honest, you should be looking at details in a bass, especially £2300. It's all in the details.
[/quote]

Absolutely. Its all about details. Lakland's aim with these basses was to offer a bass at a lower price point whilst still giving the important construction details that elevate the US-made models over the Skyline. Whether they have succeeded, I've no idea. You would have to sit down and play and compare them. Regarding the UK retail price, that is dictated as much by the exchange rate as it is by all the other factors involved in its production. It would be very interesting to know if this is a pre or post Brexit price. I suspect that post Brexit we will all be left with a sour taste in our mouths when it comes to the price of US-made instruments. All of them are going to cost a bit more than they are actually worth. Lets face it , we were paying over the odds before the Brexit debacle, and now we are all sunk. It would be no problem to get a US Lakland in any of the colours you fancy, but you are looking at spending closer to four grand than the 2,300 quid you are currently balking at. Don't just blame Lakland though, blame Boris, Nigel et al.

Regarding the colour choices, you may be averse to black, but all bass makers will tell you that it is a perennially popular choice. This has been brought home to me this weekend watching footage on tv from Reading and Leeds with my grandson. Band after band with black guitars and basses. And lots and lots of beards!

Edited August 29, 2016 by Misdee

[Misdee]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1472496182' post='3121599']
Is that a rebadged US Lakland?
[/quote]
No, Fender Custom Shop.

Edited August 29, 2016 by Misdee

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Misdee' timestamp='1472497512' post='3121615']
It would be very interesting to know if this is a pre or post Brexit price. I suspect that post Brexit we will all be left with a sour taste in our mouths when it comes to the price of US-made instruments.
[/quote]

FWIW, I investigated getting a US Lakland just over a year ago. They were extremely expensive then, and that was for a stock item. The mind boggles what the cost would be for a custom.

[EBS_freak]

What you have to remember is - a lot of makers want to be able to advertise they have a custom shop... but there's more profit in production models... so they'll charge over the odds to try and get them to go with the production offerings by pricing a lot of people out of the market.