lakland skylines?

[pal1972]

ive got my jazz up for sale and been lookin at and thinking about laklands for a while. I love the look of the DJ jazz and DD PBass, but i fear theyre too far out of my budget (£450 if my jazz sells!!) but seen the skyline 44 series with the twin soapbars etc and just wondering if they were any good and therefore worth a punt!!??? I play blues/soul mainly and my other basses are a warwick fortress one and westone thunder 1A (aswell as my 24 fret jazz) so i'm not into the marcus miller slappy tone but just want ballsy out and out bass tones!! any advice??

[Bigwan]

[quote name='pal1972' post='612620' date='Sep 29 2009, 11:18 PM']just wondering if they were any good and therefore worth a punt!!???[/quote]

Yes - the whole skyline series is good. I have 2 and they're my 'go to' basses.

[bassatnight]

I have a 44-01 and it's pretty good lovely tones for a bass at it's price.

Steve.

[Linus27]

I have owned the Skyline DJ and DD and both were amazing bases. However I have now sold them both. The reason I sold the DD was to slim down my collection and I had no use for a Precision. However it was a great bass. I will give you my thoughts on the DJ as a pro/cons list.

Pro

Superb Quality, well made, top end bass
Amazing Customer service
Very playable
Easy to use
Big sound

Cons

To stiff and rigid
Very deep sounding
Heavy
Neck too thin

As you will see, the cons are more a personel preference rather than a fault of the bass. Compared to my Fender Jazz and ESP Jazz, it was very heavy. The tone, although being amazing, was not the right tone for me. The neck, despite being wonderfully thin, flat and smooth was the wrong shape for me and caused my hand to ache. Having moved to a more rounder Fender neck, I no longer get hand ache. As for the stiff, rigid feel, I find my ESP and Fender mould to me and move as I play. The DJ was very stiff and felt like I had a pole attached to me. My flexability or movement.

As a bass the DJ I can't fault it and the quality was outstanding but as a bass, it was not right for me. My Fender MIA 75 Jazz re-issue on the other hand suits me perfectly and feels like an old friend. I suggest you try before you buy.

[bumnote]

[quote name='Linus27' post='612890' date='Sep 30 2009, 12:21 PM']I have owned the Skyline DJ and DD and both were amazing bases. However I have now sold them both. The reason I sold the DD was to slim down my collection and I had no use for a Precision. However it was a great bass. I will give you my thoughts on the DJ as a pro/cons list.

Pro

Superb Quality, well made, top end bass
Amazing Customer service
Very playable
Easy to use
Big sound

Cons

To stiff and rigid
Very deep sounding
Heavy
Neck too thin

As you will see, the cons are more a personel preference rather than a fault of the bass. Compared to my Fender Jazz and ESP Jazz, it was very heavy. The tone, although being amazing, was not the right tone for me. The neck, despite being wonderfully thin, flat and smooth was the wrong shape for me and caused my hand to ache. Having moved to a more rounder Fender neck, I no longer get hand ache. As for the stiff, rigid feel, I find my ESP and Fender mould to me and move as I play. The DJ was very stiff and felt like I had a pole attached to me. My flexability or movement.

As a bass the DJ I can't fault it and the quality was outstanding but as a bass, it was not right for me. My Fender MIA 75 Jazz re-issue on the other hand suits me perfectly and feels like an old friend. I suggest you try before you buy.[/quote]


Just to add to that, the earlier skylines did have a weight issue on some basses, a problem that was aknowledged by Dan Lakin, and the specification was subsequently tightened right up. I had a beautifull CAR Skyline Jo osbourne that weighed 11 1/2 lbs. Very uncomfortable.
Like all basses try before you by, but I would doubt you have a problem unless you have an older bass.

Linuses comments are personal preferences but bear in mind the Duck Dunn and DJ are adaptations of the conventional jazz and precision.
The Jazz clone is the jo osbourne, and the precision is the bob glaub.
The Duck Dunn has a jazz neck on a precision body, and the Darryl Jones has aero pickups to give it a different sound to a jazz, and a revised and a downsized body, I cant remember if there was a change to the neck, and I cant find it on Lakland site.

I still have 2 laklands and have owned in the past a number more. I think they are great basses, with impeccable customer service. Whether they are for you depends on you personal preference.

[Linus27]

[quote name='bumnote' post='612908' date='Sep 30 2009, 12:40 PM']Just to add to that, the earlier skylines did have a weight issue on some basses, a problem that was aknowledged by Dan Lakin, and the specification was subsequently tightened right up. I had a beautifull CAR Skyline Jo osbourne that weighed 11 1/2 lbs. Very uncomfortable.
Like all basses try before you by, but I would doubt you have a problem unless you have an older bass.

Linuses comments are personal preferences but bear in mind the Duck Dunn and DJ are adaptations of the conventional jazz and precision.
The Jazz clone is the jo osbourne, and the precision is the bob glaub.
The Duck Dunn has a jazz neck on a precision body, and the Darryl Jones has aero pickups to give it a different sound to a jazz, and a revised and a downsized body, I cant remember if there was a change to the neck, and I cant find it on Lakland site.

I still have 2 laklands and have owned in the past a number more. I think they are great basses, with impeccable customer service. Whether they are for you depends on you personal preference.[/quote]

Just to add to that, my DJ weighed 10lbs and had Laklands own pickups. They moved away from the Aero's in 2007 which is when my bass was manufactured.

[eude]

I recently was lucky to have a shot of [b]funkle[/b]'s Laklands, both Skylines I believe, one Daryl Jones 4 string and one 44-02 (with a lovely Swamp Ash body).
The Daryl Jones was a bit heavier and passive, and the 44-02 was active and very very light.
Both where strung through the body and seemed incredibly resonant and lively, especially the 44-02.
The DJ produced, well, Jazz Bass sounds, as you'd expect.
The 44-02 was an incredibly versatile beast which could get pretty close to a Jazz Bass when you go passive and coil tap the MM pickup and could go all the way over to a full on Musicman sound in full active with the MM pickup soloed.

Both basses where very easy to play and oozed quality and attention to detail.
All I can really say is that, if you're looking at basses in this price range, I would certainly give a Lakland a go too.

Cheers,
Eude

[bumnote]

[quote name='Linus27' post='612918' date='Sep 30 2009, 12:48 PM']Just to add to that, my DJ weighed 10lbs and had Laklands own pickups. They moved away from the Aero's in 2007 which is when my bass was manufactured.[/quote]

Ouch

[erisu]

I just received a new 44-02 today and it sounds and plays like I've won the lottery! I'd recommend any Lakland as much as the above posters =)

[EssentialTension]

Skyline Decade here - top quality.

[dave_bass5]

Ive had a 55-01, Duck Dunn and now own a DJ5. All very good basses.
My fav was the Duck Dunn, best P tone ive ever had.

MY 55-01 was my first introduction to Lakland. It was a dream to play (as are all the Laklands) but i never really liked the tone. This has the same pre and pups as the 44-01 and i never really got on with the tone. I always thought there was something missing. Maybe its because its active. I did upgrade the preamp to to something better but still i felt it sounded a bit weak.

Edited September 30, 2009 by dave_bass5

[steve1879]

I've got a Darryl Jones and a Bob Glaub and they are both very very nice to play. The necks are just lovely!

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Linus27' post='612918' date='Sep 30 2009, 12:48 PM']Just to add to that, my DJ weighed 10lbs and had Laklands own pickups. They moved away from the Aero's in 2007 which is when my bass was manufactured.[/quote]

Just weighed my DJ5 (without scratch plate) and its 9lbs. My Fender P5 is .2lbs heavier. looks like i did well with the DJ5.

[sdgrsr400]

Hi, 2005 55-02 Skyline owner here. My brief impressions:
+ Wide range of sounds (Barts on this one)
+ Amazing tuning stability
+ Phenomenally solid neck construction
+ Good neck access assuming correct hand/wrist position
+ No dead spots on neck
+ Deep and sonorous B (using Overwater extended scale nickel mediums)
- Very heavy
- Not particularly comfortable when sitting (fine standing)
- Doesn't quite have that 'Slam' sound some other basses have

Overall, a very good offering indeed.

[obbm]

I've had a DJ4, DJ5, JO5, JS4 and currently retain a Duck Dunn which has had a J bridge pick-up added. All of them have been excellent quality. I think the DJ5 was the lightest and sometimes I regret selling it because it had a great growly tone. Perhaps I should get another

Note the JO4 and the DD share the same neck specification. The DJ4 neck has a different profile and an extra fret as the body has been slimmed down.

[niceguyhomer]

I've owned a 55-01, 2 JO5s (one was previously OBBM's), a DJ4, a DD and 4-94. All fantastic basses. The 55-01 I had is the 5 string version of the one you're looking at and I have to say, you'd struggle to find a better sounding, more versatile bass at that price IMHO. Nothing to lose.

Edited October 1, 2009 by niceguyhomer

[petergales]

[quote name='pal1972' post='612620' date='Sep 29 2009, 11:18 PM']ive got my jazz up for sale and been lookin at and thinking about laklands for a while. I love the look of the DJ jazz and DD PBass, but i fear theyre too far out of my budget (£450 if my jazz sells!!) but seen the skyline 44 series with the twin soapbars etc and just wondering if they were any good and therefore worth a punt!!??? I play blues/soul mainly and my other basses are a warwick fortress one and westone thunder 1A (aswell as my 24 fret jazz) so i'm not into the marcus miller slappy tone but just want ballsy out and out bass tones!! any advice??[/quote]

Try the Skyline Joe Osborne signature. It's a superb bass. Great pickups and playability. I've had one for a couple of years now and it's a joy to play.

[fatgoogle]

Ive only tried one the DJ4, really nice, one of the nicest ive played im not going to say better than an MIA fender, but it was different, if i had the money i probably would go for one over the MIA. Really smooth i found and easy to play, lovely sound.

[warwickhunt]

I've owned a pair of JO 4's and a DJ 4 and they were all very heavy basses nothing less than 10lb and closer to 11lb for 2 of them. This won't bother a lot of people and some may consider it might add to the tone but if you're doing a long stint it can be a pain... quite literally!

Fit and finish was good on all of them, so I reckon the 44 series would be as good. I do think your going to have to search methodically and for a while to find one within your fixed budget of £450, though you may well be able to do it if you are patient.