active preamp in lakland dj5?

[jassbass]

Hi can this be done without cutting into it too much.has any done it before?thanx

[obbm]

John East sells a J-Retro that is on the same curved control plate as the DJ5 and it just drops straight in.

[ikay]

John East does a drop in preamp for the DJ that fits with no mods - http://www.east-uk.com/index.php/bass/j-retro/dj-retro.html

[jassbass]

Are they any good.2 or 3 band eq?thanx

[obbm]

Excellent. 3-band with swept mid. Very popular and used by many top players.

[jassbass]

Looks like what I want.just need to save up.is it easy to fit.i have no skills or knowledge in this area lol.?thanx

[jassbass]

Has any one on here dropped ooe into a dj5?

[GreeneKing]

Not done a DJ5 but John's pre's are excellent and a solder less fit too. Top quality.

[BassBunny]

I've done the standard and de-luxe J-Retro in a a Blade Jazz and a Bacchus and they are dead easy. Difference is amazing.

[obbm]

Both DJ5 and a DJ4.

Edited March 7, 2014 by obbm

[Dingus]

[quote name='jassbass' timestamp='1394183144' post='2388728']
Are they any good.2 or 3 band eq?thanx
[/quote]

They are fantastic- one of the best on the market at any price- and they are what Lakland themselves offer from the factory if you want to order a bass with a fitted preamp.

The J -Retro's are relatively easy to fit, but if you are a complete novice to doing such jobs or( like me) , not very handy with such things , it would probably be a good idea to get an experienced guitar technician/repairer to fit it for you. It shouldn't cost much by virtue of the fact that it is an easy retro-fit and you would have the reassurance of knowing it was installed and working properly.

[jassbass]

Im gonna get one as soon as I have the cash.i love the look and feel of my dj5,just miss active preamp to much.was goin to trade for an actiive 5 string but this option looks great

[jassbass]

Wow nice basses

[obbm]

[quote name='jassbass' timestamp='1394201959' post='2389106']
Wow nice basses
[/quote]

Thanks. Sadly all gone to new homes now. That was 2007.

If you have any questions at all about the J-Retro give John East a call. He's a great guy and will talk you through it all.

[Dingus]

[quote name='jassbass' timestamp='1394201874' post='2389105']
Im gonna get one as soon as I have the cash.i love the look and feel of my dj5,just miss active preamp to much.was goin to trade for an actiive 5 string but this option looks great
[/quote]

In that case the East J-Retro is a fantastic option and should give you exactly what you are after. They sound amazingly good and are really nicely made from top quality components, too. If you want to go active, it is the perfect choice for that bass.

[mikegatward]

And if you happen to pick up a used J-retro, i think I have a DJ-retro control plate knocking around somewhere. it's very easy to transfer the gubbins onto another plate

[jassbass]

I'll look for a used one,but havnt seen one yet

[MikanHannille]

Not a Lakland but I have a j-retro on my jazz bass. Dead easy installment. Mind you I have no knowledge at all when it comes to electronics but I've managed to do it myself within 30 minutes (not used to fiddling with the wires).

[White Cloud]

The East is an excellent option, but can I offer an alternative?

My main gigging bass for a few years was a DJ4. I did not want to fit onboard elecs so I purchased an outboard Sadowsky preamp. This setup sounded sublime.

I'm not saying this is a better option than fitting the east...but it is a different perspective.

[jassbass]

Ive thought of an outboard aswell .i know its another option.thanx

[mcnach]

The J Retro (and DJ Retro) is an awesome preamp, and really easy to install... no soldering needed either. A 5 minute job.

[jassbass]

Think im gonna get one next month.does any one know wheres the cheapest place to get the dj retro?thanx peeps for advice and help

[leroybasslines]

I've got a Lakland 55-60 with a J Retro on. It's a perfect union! I love it.

One tip - when I installed as described in East's clear instructions, it initially sounded terrible and nothing worked as it should. I emailed John East - the legends of his amazing customer service and replying personally to all enquiries are all true! He sorted me out immediately: Lakland wire their pickups the other way around from standard Fender instruments (as you can probably tell, I have no clue what I'm talking about here). All I had to do was swap the wires the opposite way around from the way given in the instructions. As the preamp has solder-free installation, it was easy to do and it works perfectly.

Why not get it direct from East? Unless you can get a used one - I've seen them occasionally on here. Put a shout out on the Items Wanted forum - you might get lucky!

[jassbass]

Thanx.so it does make a big difference?i havnt a clue about installing one.but going to give it a go.just cant wait til I have enough cash to get one.do I need the dj retro rather than a j retro?thanx

[Conan]

[quote name='jassbass' timestamp='1394446997' post='2391305']
Thanx.so it does make a big difference?i havnt a clue about installing one.but going to give it a go.just cant wait til I have enough cash to get one.do I need the dj retro rather than a j retro?thanx
[/quote]

They make a MASSIVE difference! I had one in my Marcus Miller J (now traded) and the amount of tonal control offered by the preamp was simply incredible - almost too much unless you use it very carefully and spend time learning to get the best out of it.

If you get one and don't fancy installing it yourself, try Howard the Bass Doc. He'll do an excellent job at a very reasonable price! Local too!