Today I tried a £4500 pound bass (and some others)

[LukeFRC]

So- I keep being attracted by the look and idea of jazz basses... and been thinking about selling something to buy one.
So having finished my uni hand ins I headed down to guitarguitar to try a few things.

well first of I played everything through some roland cube amp- which while good at what it does sounds nothing like a real amp!
So I tried... in order....
USA standard Jazz,
Lakland Jazz (does it have a real name?)
Geddie Lee Jazz
Squier Jag (the one with stacked knobs)
Fender (MiM) 60's reissue
and finally the Alembic they have in at the moment (new it was over 4.5k, they have it for 3k or so)

I suppose I could give a brief review... of them while I'm here...

USA standard Jazz- well built, ok sounding- actually nicer than others I've played.
Lakland Jazz (does it have a real name?)- big heavy thing, really heavy in a unwieldy way. My old T40 was heavier just but better balanced- hotter signal and quite bassy. Really did not like, not much refinement- very narrow neck though which was nice if you like that sort of thing.
Geddie Lee Jazz- ah the 70's position! much like a thinner funky sounding version of the USA standard- nice though felt good.
Squier Jag (the one with stacked knobs) - felt cheap but sounded good. stacked knobs are not for me as easy to knock
Squier VM 70's jazz - cheap feeling again, nothing to get excited about but I can't answer the question if the USA is really that much better....
Fender (MiM) 60's reissue- actually very nice. sounded pretty awesome
and finally the Alembic they have in at the moment (new it was over 4.5k, they have it for 3k or so) and yeah... pretty heavy but woo so well built- and nice to play- I found myself just playing random stuff cos it sounded so nice. Active blend I guess based on the way it blended together- and my guess is I got my first play with a filter based preamp- which was fun.
A really really really cool bass.

But, and the good news for me, is that nothing I played bettered the two basses I have currently (though the alembic was about on a level)

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1335898452' post='1637780']
Lakland Jazz (does it have a real name?)
[/quote]
Formerly Lakland Joe Osborn, now Lakland 44-60.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1335898723' post='1637787']
Formerly Lakland Joe Osborn, now Lakland 44-60.
[/quote]
cheers, it was an odd bass. I think I maybe just tried a bad version of it. It seemed well designed enough

[LukeFRC]

edit- they are selling it for £2500 not £3000

[bubinga5]

Luke those Geddy's have japanese pups.. really dont like them at all... The MIJ 75 jazz i have, with 70's position.... the US pups have a really thick tone to them... play one of them and you will want a one....imo

did they have any of the Suhr Jazz basses in Edinburgh?

Edited May 1, 2012 by bubinga5

[Conan]

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1335900161' post='1637815']
Luke those Geddy's have japanese pups..
[/quote]

Really? I thought they were US "vintage"?

[Judo Chop]

Dawsons have those Roland cubes for trying out basses on too, they're rubbish.

Edited May 1, 2012 by Jack Cahalane

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1335900161' post='1637815']
Luke those Geddy's have japanese pups.. really dont like them at all... The MIJ 75 jazz i have, with 70's position.... the US pups have a really thick tone to them... play one of them and you will want a one....imo

did they have any of the Suhr Jazz basses in Edinburgh?
[/quote]

No no Suhr jazzes- actually quite limited selection of basses by guitarguitar standards- but it is out of town and not that busy as other branches.
It sounded fairly similar to the US '75 RI's Ive tried- my FSR sounded thicker but had alder body too... I had one and sold it! I think maybe Jazzes aren't for me...
[quote name='Jack Cahalane' timestamp='1335901628' post='1637855']
Dawsons have those Roland cubes for trying out basses on too, they're rubbish.
[/quote] yep. daft selling technique!

[chris_b]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1335898723' post='1637787']
....Formerly Lakland Joe Osborn, now Lakland 44-60....
[/quote]

I don't know if they changed anything else when they changed the name, but the Lakland JO was an exact copy of Joe Osborne's 1960 Fender Jazz.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1335916836' post='1638173']
I don't know if they changed anything else when they changed the name, but the Lakland JO was an exact copy of Joe Osborne's 1960 Fender Jazz.
[/quote]
would make sense. (except the bridge!) I think if it had been 1kg lighter it would have been the best

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1335916836' post='1638173']
I don't know if they changed anything else when they changed the name, but the Lakland JO was an exact copy of Joe Osborne's 1960 Fender Jazz.
[/quote]
US models have stack knobs as standard, like Osborn's 1960. Skylines have V/V/T.

Originally, both had Lindy Fralin pickups but these were changed to Lakland's own Hanson pickups before the change of name.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1335916986' post='1638174']
would make sense. (except the bridge!) I think if it had been 1kg lighter it would have been the best
[/quote]
Sounds like it was a Skyline not a US then.

[wingnutkj]

FWIW I've found there to be a lot of variance in the weights of the Lakland Skyline basses I've tried. The Lakland Decade I tried in Guitar Guitar in Newcastle was very heavy indeed, but the one I ended up buying (Kenny's Music in Dumfermline) was fine. The one that's currently in the Glasgow Guitar Guitar is about the same weight as mine.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='wingnutkj' timestamp='1335948005' post='1638336']
FWIW I've found there to be a lot of variance in the weights of the Lakland Skyline basses I've tried. The Lakland Decade I tried in Guitar Guitar in Newcastle was very heavy indeed, but the one I ended up buying (Kenny's Music in Dumfermline) was fine. The one that's currently in the Glasgow Guitar Guitar is about the same weight as mine.
[/quote]
My Decade is just on 9 lbs which is fine by me.

[Chris2112]

[quote name='wingnutkj' timestamp='1335948005' post='1638336']
FWIW I've found there to be a lot of variance in the weights of the Lakland Skyline basses I've tried. The Lakland Decade I tried in Guitar Guitar in Newcastle was very heavy indeed, but the one I ended up buying (Kenny's Music in Dumfermline) was fine. The one that's currently in the Glasgow Guitar Guitar is about the same weight as mine.
[/quote]

I found Guitar Guitar Newcastle's stock of Laklands quite disappointing. Even the most expensive models felt very drab. It seemed liked you got a lot more for your money when you were buying new a few years ago.

[Gust0o]

Is the JO radically different to the DJ?

[Cosmo Valdemar]

What Alembic was it?

[lozbass]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1336049665' post='1640029']
What Alembic was it?
[/quote]
Probably this one:

[url="http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=px-EH127XF3195"]http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=px-EH127XF3195[/url]

Very few of these around - I haven't played Alembic's take on the J. There are a couple at American Guitar Centre in the UK at around £4300 (new) I think. I'm not sure if they have a filter based pre but would assume so. I really like the look and I'd be pretty sure that the build quality will be as good as it gets.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1336047744' post='1639981']
Is the JO radically different to the DJ?
[/quote]
Maybe not radically, and I've never played a DJ, but originally the JO had Fralin pickups in the 60s position and DJ had Aero pickups in the 70s position. The DJ is also a smaller and different body shape.

[gjones]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1335901623' post='1637854']
Really? I thought they were US "vintage"?
[/quote]

They are and sound very 'vintagey' and bassy when you change the neck on the Geddy to a rosewood one. It's the thin neck that gives the thin sound not the pickup. I know as I have one on my present Jazz and it changed the sound completely.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1336049665' post='1640029']
What Alembic was it?
[/quote] Lozbass was right.
[quote name='lozbass' timestamp='1336056988' post='1640248']
Probably this one:

[url="http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/bass_guitars_detail.asp?stock=px-EH127XF3195"]http://www.guitargui...=px-EH127XF3195[/url]

Very few of these around - I haven't played Alembic's take on the J. There are a couple at American Guitar Centre in the UK at around £4300 (new) I think. I'm not sure if they have a filter based pre but would assume so. I really like the look and I'd be pretty sure that the build quality will be as good as it gets.
[/quote]
Yeah should have said which one it was.
Filter pre with two way Q switch. Well built, really nice infact and brilliant at what it was doing- plays lovely.
Was a custom build when it was made I think... that much better than my (early) streamer? hmm prob about equal- but a much more neutral tone which would be good in a lot of settings.

Edited May 6, 2012 by LukeFRC

[dmccombe7]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1336341263' post='1644351']
They are and sound very 'vintagey' and bassy when you change the neck on the Geddy to a rosewood one. It's the thin neck that gives the thin sound not the pickup. I know as I have one on my present Jazz and it changed the sound completely.
[/quote]

I like the sound of my Geddy Jazz. Had no idea the neck would make that much difference though. Nice fact to keep in mind if I decide to buy another.
Now that you've pointed that out and i think about it the jazz basses I've always thought stood out a bit more and preferred have nearly always been Rosewood necks.

Whow ! thanks for that.

Dave