where to get a skyline decade?

[nash]

in the uk?

i lov to look of hem. what are the sonic chi's like?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='nash' post='525284' date='Jun 26 2009, 08:23 PM']in the uk?

i lov to look of hem. what are the sonic chi's like?[/quote]
I don't think you'll get a Skyline Decade easily in the UK. If I didn't have one already I'd be calling GAK who stock Lakland and do have (in the Brighton shop) the Hollow body with Chisonics in stock.

I got mine direct from Lakland as I was one of a group of seven who planned the translucent burgundy finish, the blocked and bound neck, the black headstock etc for what was going to be a Dudepit Limited Edition which fell through but Dan Lakin liked it so much he decided to use our plan for the first run of Skylines and at the same time honoured our fouled up Dudepit deal.

I believe that 120+ were made in that first run. Whether there has been a second run I don't know. Later runs may come in different finishes.

It is a beautifully finished bass, extremely nice neck which has been plekked.

It takes a while to get used to how the bass sits on its strap due to the short upper horn - especially if, like me, you tend to play over the end of the neck.

The Chisonics have some characteristics of Fred Hammon's Dark Star pickups - sort of a combination of wide frequency range and yet a kind of darkness at the same time - and so also of the old Hagstrom Bisonics after which the Chisonics are named. The pickups are very sensitive to changes in position and dynamics of your picking. I think the mahogany body adds to the Gibsonesque darkness.

The neck pickup is right up against the neck and soloed it has an almost Gibsonesque EBO sound but without the mud - excellent for reggae and all other Jamaican styles. If you add in a little bridge pickup you can sort of approximate a P bass. The bridge pickup can sort of approximate a J bass. In both these cases however it is approximate - the Decade has its own sound.

My Chisonics are the single coils but they are available as humbuckers too (with coil taps) and with an active preamp, although I have a passive model.

As far as I know, I think it's possible my Skyline Decade is the only one in the UK. It was definitely the first here last November. I do know of one in Holland and one in Spain.

If you find one here new it is probably going to cost you £1300 (if not more) - you might think that's a lot for a bass that is partly manufactured in Indonesia even if the electronics and the set up including plekking the neck is done in Chicago - and with the present exchange rates you could reckon on paying about the same amount I think if you were importing it.

Lakland have a prototype of a short (30") scale version of the Decade which is likely to go into production if there is enough interest. I've also heard rumours (and they are merely rumours) of sometime in the future a kind of Bass VI Decade: 30" scale, 6 string, like the Fender Bass VI.

Short scale USA neck with Skyline body Decade on the right, Pino Palladino's USA Decade on the left:



[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=34287&hl=decade"]A thread about my Decade with pics is here.[/url]

Edited July 3, 2009 by EssentialTension

[EssentialTension]

Lakland Joe Osborn with Chisonic single coils can be heard [url="http://www.lakland.com/ac_j-sonic.htm"]here[/url].

The Decade sound samples are still with the Dark Star pickups. The Decade with the Chisonics will sound darker than the JO due to the neck up pickup being much nearer the neck and the body being mahogany.

Edited July 3, 2009 by EssentialTension

[Platypus]

OK not in the UK, though the price quoted by Bass Central here is very good and they are happy to ship to UK:

[url="http://www.basscentral.com/lakeland_usa/skyline_decade.shtml"]http://www.basscentral.com/lakeland_usa/skyline_decade.shtml[/url]

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Platypus' post='532057' date='Jul 3 2009, 09:37 PM']OK not in the UK, though the price quoted by Bass Central here is very good and they are happy to ship to UK:

[url="http://www.basscentral.com/lakeland_usa/skyline_decade.shtml"]http://www.basscentral.com/lakeland_usa/skyline_decade.shtml[/url][/quote]
Those are typical US street prices.

If you get hit for the tax - which is very likely - the passive with single coils will come in at about £1100 or so and the active with humbuckers (the Bass Central page says single coils but I think the actives are all humbuckers and it looks to have the tap switch) at £1300 or so.

It might be worth searching for a used one in the US. A lot were sold very quickly and surely some people will be off-loading them by now.

Edited July 3, 2009 by EssentialTension

[EssentialTension]

Check out the [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=126"]For Sale pages at Talkbass[/url].

There have been a few for sale.