Musicman Vs Lakland - Want a new 5 string

[Musicman20]

[quote name='vikunja' timestamp='1483661651' post='3209193']


A very good choice My first 5-string I had was a SR5, weak sound from the pickup and floppy B-string. Many years later I treated myself to a MTD 535. Better B-string, but too many dead spots on the fretboard. After that, my first Lakland, a 55-01. Cheap as hell, firm and articulate B-string and no dead spots! The pickups are OK, but for the price its a great bass!. Never looked back. Next 5-string I had was a Lakland USA 5-string JO and the last few years a Skyline 55-64 which actually has a even better fretjob than the JO, the bass basically plays itself.

I'm never changing 5-string brand again!
[/quote]

I would imagine there was an issue with the pickup, battery and setup on the Ray 5. I've tried many many Laklands, and whilst they make a fairly cool 35" 5 string bass, the Musicman 5 strings I've played always sounded MUCH tighter with more of a kick on the B string.

[Pinball]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1483694440' post='3209271']
I would imagine there was an issue with the pickup, battery and setup on the Ray 5. I've tried many many Laklands, and whilst they make a fairly cool 35" 5 string bass, the Musicman 5 strings I've played always sounded MUCH tighter with more of a kick on the B string.
[/quote]
I was thinking that, I'm on my 3rd fretted SR5 and 1st fretless and found all of them to be great basses. I only moved on from the first one because I wanted a different colour

[bubinga5]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1483694440' post='3209271']
I would imagine there was an issue with the pickup, battery and setup on the Ray 5. I've tried many many Laklands, and whilst they make a fairly cool 35" 5 string bass, the Musicman 5 strings I've played always sounded MUCH tighter with more of a kick on the B string.
[/quote] Yeah I've never heard an SR5 with a weak floppy sounding B string. On both the SR5 and the Lakland's I've owned every string has been articulate and the B strings have been the best of any price range because of the USA electronics involved. The Sei i owned actually had a weaker B string than both. Work that one out. All Instruments through the same amp/cab. I think the power of the Lakland and the SR5 are equal but just different sounding. Both are monstrously huge. I do applaud the SR5 because of its 34' scale for making such a great B.

[vikunja]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1483694440' post='3209271']
I would imagine there was an issue with the pickup, battery and setup on the Ray 5. I've tried many many Laklands, and whilst they make a fairly cool 35" 5 string bass, the Musicman 5 strings I've played always sounded MUCH tighter with more of a kick on the B string.
[/quote]

My experience is of course with just the one SR5, so purely objective. May get a SR4 in the future though Still, Lakland make great basses, both the Skyline range and the USA range.

[lowregisterhead]

[quote name='vikunja' timestamp='1483724623' post='3209637']
My experience is of course with just the one SR5, so purely objective. May get a SR4 in the future though Still, Lakland make great basses, both the Skyline range and the USA range.
[/quote]

Maybe a new thread of Lakland USA vs. Lakland Korea vs. Lakland Indonesia vs. Lakland Japan needs to be started... unless it already exists, of course...

[Sibob]

To be fair, I'm not sure how much of a B string is down to the 35" scale. My previous Xotic had a fantastic B and that was 34".
Before I got the 55-01, I tried a few Musicman SR5s:
2016 5H - Sounded horrible
2012 5HH - Nice but much less versatile than I had imagined
2006 5H - Sounded great

So, same as any bass, they all differ, some are great, others less so.
I'm very impressed with the 55-01 so far, at less than half the price of a SR5, it's a fantastic prospect. Even if I swap the pickups and the preamp, it probably comes in at about £800-£900 cheaper than a new SR5. This is what made up my mind after trying the 55-01 and enjoying it straight away (luck perhaps), whilst having mixed results with testing SR5s.

I think I'm done with SR5s for now, really going to get to know the Lakland, although would still like a nice SR4 one day

Si

[Orbs]

MM IMHO make some of the best basses out there, both in sound (which I agree is subjective), and engineering and fit etc, top quality stuff.....

[Sibob]

[quote name='Orbs' timestamp='1483903949' post='3211024']
MM IMHO make some of the best basses out there, both in sound (which I agree is subjective), and engineering and fit etc, top quality stuff.....
[/quote]

Perhaps, although another thread has highlighted that all Musicman Basses come factory fitted with a shim in the neck joint......which is a little odd to me. They do usually sound great though!

Si

[stingrayPete1977]

How many other basses have a shim too though, they are regarded as solid work horses even with the shim so it doesn't bother me, it must be there for a reason as it's not for saddle height issues?

[Sibob]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1483910332' post='3211113']
How many other basses have a shim too though, they are regarded as solid work horses even with the shim so it doesn't bother me, it must be there for a reason as it's not for saddle height issues?
[/quote]

Who knows, this certainly isn't a MM slagging, they're great mostly, just wasn't to be this time .
This thread has probably run its course I guess.
For those interested in my Lakland NBD thread, it's here:

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/297128-nbd-lakland-55-01/page__fromsearch__1

Cheers
Si

[Misdee]

I wouldn't see the fact that MM basses have a factory-fitted shim as being a sign of sub-standard quality, rather just how they approach building their basses. Loads of high-end basses routinely have shims, including, for example, Wal, Sadowsky and Roscoe, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Lakland regularly use shims too.

[chris_b]

Really? These basses are regularly using shims?

I wonder how you know that?

[stingrayPete1977]

I think the problem is that some people are using a shim to enable bridge changes and various bodge jobs possibly a whole slice of wood wedged in, whereas EBMM I think are fitting them to enable even better factory setup to allow for tolerances that can't be machined out, the ones that aren't fitting them on mass produced basses are just setting them up as good as wood allows rather than some special cnc process that alters to account for each neck.

[Defo]

For that budget I would be all over a Dingwall Combustion. The fanned frets DONT MATTER and the B is the only satisfactory one I have played.

[Musicman20]

The aesthetics of the Dingwall, and the concept of fanned frets, may unfortunately be something that would not be in the running for a player....obviously not all.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Musicman20

[Defo]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1484057181' post='3212277']
The aesthetics of the Dingwall, and the concept of fanned frets, may unfortunately be something that would not be in the running for a player....obviously not all.
[/quote]

Like most Dingwall players that's exactly what I thought until I played one. It's an odd experience but almost instantly you feel comfortable and those pickups are really responsive. Horses for courses....

[Misdee]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1484004665' post='3211968']
Really? These basses are regularly using shims?

I wonder how you know that?
[/quote]

I know that because over the years I have either read first-hand accounts or experienced it myself. Roger Sadowsky, for example, is on record as defending the use of shims as a perfectly legitimate guitar building technique with no detrimental influence on tone.
Wal basses were more often than not shimmed, too. That is back in the day, I'm not sure if Paul Hermann has the same approach.


My USA Lakland isn't shimmed, but I don't doubt that Lakland would have shimmed it had the action not gone low enough when it was assembled. What else could they have done except throw the body away? Most vintage Fenders that people pay a fortune for were, apparently, shimmed with pieces of sandpaper at the factory.

[Hoffbass]

My thought is that neither Lakland nor Sandberg etc...sound like a Musicman, simply because the humbucker positioned closer to the bridge. They got more upper midrange and bit more defined tone but sounds thinner than a Bongo or Stingray.Lakland 55-94,55-02 and 55-14 for me is a jazz plus.Great jazz sounds and a bit more with dual coils,but if you want that distinctive growly deep MM tone buy a Musicman.Both basses are excellent species though.Keep it mind,US Laklands hold their resale value just as Musicmans.Asian made basses, even if they are excellent instruments, do not really.

[jassbass]

I've had many 5ers.my current ones are a sire v7 and a bongo 5 hs.Both great 5ers.B string is a little better on the bongo but both good.i prefer the bongo to a sr5.
Laklands are good I've had jo5 and 55-01.good value and good b string.
I haven't had many 5ers that were bad apart from a USA standard jazz 5 which I didn't like at all.
Carvins are fantastic I'd like another in future

[lowregisterhead]

[quote name='Hoffbass' timestamp='1494818574' post='3298686']
My thought is that neither Lakland nor Sandberg etc...sound like a Musicman, simply because the humbucker positioned closer to the bridge. They got more upper midrange and bit more defined tone but sounds thinner than a Bongo or Stingray.Lakland 55-94,55-02 and 55-14 for me is a jazz plus.Great jazz sounds and a bit more with dual coils,but if you want that distinctive growly deep MM tone buy a Musicman.Both basses are excellent species though.Keep it mind,US Laklands hold their resale value just as Musicmans.Asian made basses, even if they are excellent instruments, do not really.
[/quote]

This one does - the Lakland 55-76.

[URL=http://s1141.photobucket.com/user/lowwregisterhead/media/IMG_7115_zpsn2rq2cal.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n588/lowwregisterhead/IMG_7115_zpsn2rq2cal.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[Steff]

I've never played a Lakland - only heard a few played by other people and I really like it.

However every time I go to do a gig with something other than my Stingray 5, I always miss that aggressive, very fast and authoritive delivery of the notes. It's a rude boy.
I wouldn't call it versatile - at least I couldn't find more than two useable tones.

Bear in mind that if your timing isn't perfect, a musicman will expose you more than most of the other basses.

[Sibob]

I do love that Lakland 55-76, but I think I'd have the same issue with it as a standard H Musicman, not very versatile. Perfect if you want that sound, a single humbucker in the bridge position, but I do require a little more versatility in a 5er.
I'd want two humbuckers, and don't like the two look of two MM 'buckers, which means I'd want two dual coil soapbars......which is a 55-01.....which is what I've got........
Hooray!!! I justified a bass purchased

Si

p.s.
Out of the honeymoon period, I've had the 55-01 for a few months now, done a number of gigs with it (and the changed electronics), and I'm still mightily impressed, so much bass for the money (I paid £749 new( plus new electronics), but seen them stock for as little as £350 used).

[lowregisterhead]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1495452769' post='3303780']
I do love that Lakland 55-76, but I think I'd have the same issue with it as a standard H Musicman, not very versatile. Perfect if you want that sound, a single humbucker in the bridge position, but I do require a little more versatility in a 5er.
I'd want two humbuckers, and don't like the two look of two MM 'buckers, which means I'd want two dual coil soapbars......which is a 55-01.....which is what I've got........
Hooray!!! I justified a bass purchased

Si

p.s.
Out of the honeymoon period, I've had the 55-01 for a few months now, done a number of gigs with it (and the changed electronics), and I'm still mightily impressed, so much bass for the money (I paid £749 new( plus new electronics), but seen them stock for as little as £350 used).
[/quote]

You're quite right, the Stingray / 55-76 are one trick ponies really, which is great if you like that sound. I was just chipping in to the 'Lakland doesn't sound like Stingray' discussion, to suggest one that does! Hard to come by, though...

Edited May 22, 2017 by lowregisterhead

[stingrayPete1977]

I've never really understood the problem, there must be a hit record from every genre recorded on a Stingray, if you want to play with one technique and try and make the bass do the work maybe it's a problem? Play near the neck, play near the bridge, use a pick, use your thumb, give it a slap, cut the treble, if you are still getting one sound out of it before you've even started using the active eq then I'm not sure what's going on

User error

[drTStingray]

Me too - plus the selector switch creates three different tone bases.

Used mine on Saturday at an outdoor bash with lots of bands. Having adjusted the provided back line to avoid a silly level of scoop, the bass sounded great. Ranging from super thump to funk slap, to Herbie Hancock. Excellent - currently my go to - also the most resonant bass I have - the body really resonates.

The Lakland 55-76 clearly is a 19 MM spacing SR5 although my experience of Laklands suggests they are good in their own right but don't quite get the SR5 sound. However it's a pity all those people moaning about the spacing on SR5s on Talkbass and wanting a 19 MM spacing weren't informed enough to know about the 55-76 - maybe they'd have sold a few more!!