Lakland 55-02, LH3 preamp - dip switch settings

[mcnach]

I just bought a 55-02.
I'd normally get a Stingray 5 string, because I have already establish that that's the sound I prefer. UNfortunately they only make them with ridiculously narrow string spacing... so cannot own one.
The 55-02 does not do a Stingray sound because the MM pickup is at the wrong spot, too close to the bridge. It's more of a muscular Jazz, which is cool, but not a Stingray.

The pickup has a switch to choose from either of the two coils, or full humbucker.
I like the full humbucker (fat Jazz, lots of bottom), but the single coil fartherst from the bridge has a "snap" that reminds me slightly of a Stingray. It would not pass for one, but... it has a bit of the character that I like in Stingrays.

Then I decided to look at the preamp switches. These control the centre frequency for the mids control. It was set at 900Hz. I was not in love with what it was doing, and my mind toyed with the idea of a John East MMSR.
I tried it higher (1100Hz). No, too thin.
I tried the lowest setting: 275Hz. Ah! Now that was interesting. Very chunky! It sounded great at home. Not sure it would work well in a band setting, it may be a bit too muddy... I don't know.
Then I tried the 600Hz, which is the default setting when new. That was excellent. With the single coil, boosting bass a bit above the centre detent, and a bit of treble too... the "Stingrayness" became a bit more clear. Then a bit of mids (at 600Hz), and I was in familiar territory.
No, not a Stingray... of course not. But... you can definitely hear some of that sound in there.

I'm going to be away from this bass for a while now... so I'll continue my experiments another time... and I just found that you can select frequencies between those four, by using pairs of switches.

I cannot be the only one who has experimented with the centre frequencies of this preamp.

So, what is/are your favourite setting(s)? And why?

[BigBeatNut]

275 definitely, boosted to 1-2 o'clock , maybe 3 if I'm boosting bass a little too. Nice and fat.

[chris_b]

My 55-94D pre dates the dip switches.

I run the pickup selector in the middle and boost the bass and mids. Gives me a full, fat, warm and punchy tone through all my amps and cabs.

ps
I have the original Bartolini pickups and pre amp installed.

Edited January 7, 2015 by chris_b

[BigBeatNut]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1420627642' post='2651388']
My 55-94D pre dates the dip switches.
[/quote]

My 2005 55-94D does have a bart pre like yours, but it also has (a different set of) dip switches. That one is set at 250.

[chris_b]

My Lakland was made in 1997. A very early 5er according to Dan Lakin.

This is the best Lakland I've played and I've tried a few, including an even earlier one (serial no 17) an ex Pino bass, at the Bass Gallery last year.

These are just amazing instruments.

[1Bassfreq]

I can't find anymore settings other than the ones on the back of the control plate cover; I didn't use any of those settings, instead I just put number 3 and number 4 in the up position, and number 1 and number 2 in the down position and that combination/setting sounds great to MY ears, better than the original/default setting.