White Cloud

Slightly off topic but my old Lakland Darryl Jones was the best jazz bass that I had ever played ...and I have owned some VERY nice vintage F Jazzers. Just my tuppenceworth.

It is of course a subjective opinion. One mans meat is another mans poison. No disrespect to the new US Fenders which in the last couple of years have stepped up to the mark significantly. My opinion is based on the fact that I found the lightweight swamp Ash bodies on the Glaubs to be slightly more resonant than the modern US Fenders that I had played. I also found the Laklands to be better put together...neck pocket, neck finish, immaculate fret work etc. I found it surprising at the time that a brand new "off the shelf" Korean built Lakland P bass copy could remind me so much in both feel and sound of my vintage Fender P...as opposed to off the shelf Fenders that were retailing for a higher price. Thats my rationale dude.

Lakland = Fender killers. I have owned several Lakland Skylines and whenever I compared them to US Fenders there was no comparison. Just my tuppence worth. Never played the Dunn model but played a couple of Glaubs and they were really wonderful P basses.

Strange - I played several Laklands religiously live for a number of years and I found them to be truly exceptional....much better than US Fenders. Perhaps the new ones are not of the same quality????

I was lucky enough to own a Mk1 back in the mid 80's - bought it brand new on the never never (£750).....didnt eat, drink, drive or have a love life for the next few months as I payed it up on my meager wage. Was it worth it? Well...Yes...and no. You have to consider the fact that during this time there were very few hand custom luthier type basses on the market (Alembic, Wal, Status, Jaydee, Ken Smith, Vigier) or you could have a P or a J or a Rick - today there are a confuusing myriad of builders making incredible basses that have incredible elecs and stunning woodworking. The generic tone of the Wal was sublime, and I agree with aforementioned testimonies above - it was the only bass on the market that could compete with the insanely expensive Alembic series basses of the era. The sounds were to die for. The electrics/pickups/tonal controls are what make these basses special. There is nothing complicated or flashy about the design or woodworking of these basses..relatively simple/understated bolt on neck design, simple laminated body facings onto a core...but in fairness built to a great standard. The negaitves? Mine was VERY heavy...it hurt to play for more than 2 hours live. The neck is an acquired taste with its distinctive old school Fender vee shape - but it grew on you ...and it actually improved my left hand technique. I eventually traded it (a direct swap) for a Jaydee Supernatural that turned out to be a complete disaster as the Jaydee neck failed and ended up with a terminal backbow that resembled a banana which rendered the bass as useless (JD had received a rogue batch of Mahogony during this period) but thats another story. The biggest regret of my life was parting company with my Wal.