Well, I had to do it. Bought me a new bass. A Lakland 55-02 and man is this thing killer! Talk about a slap monster! The pickguard is not affixed. It came with the bass but I'm selling it.

sweet

Wow! What a beauty. Must have had a bad case of G.A.S. huh? That is really a beauty. Do new instruments make you play better? I got a Jay Turser earlier this year. It's the closest I've seen to a copy of the Fender Jazz Bass, but it doesn't make me play any better.

You guys really oughta try to make it to Gerald Veasley's bass bootcamp. Talk about some awesome talent up close and personal hands on teaching. Brian Bromberg was there again this past March...so was Michael Mandring (sp). I had a full half hour going one on one with Oteil Burbridge; bass player for the Allman Brother Band. Taught me how to use the bass as percussion...now that was really cool. This was my second year and when I left there I again had so much stuff in my head it would take a year to get through it all. Looking forward to next year, my third year.

Oh, uh; sorry. Got carried away. Enjoy your new guitar.

Yes, it does look beautiful -- it looks like the traditional Funk recipe with the maple fingerboard and then the (ash?, maple?) body? I've always like the active electronics, which I see you have.

The owner of Lakland basses described his basses as The Best of Leo Fender, just as Paul Reed Smith did a hybird of Fender and Gibson 6-string guitars.

Interesting, the headstock is the same as the headstock on SX basses found at www.rondomusic.com, even though there is no comparison on price and probably quality.

I believe that a good bass does make you play better -- but for me only because it fits you better, for example, all I play are short scale instruments given the size of my hands, and my ability went up dramatically as soon as I accepted that long scale basses were awkward for me.

And because it fits me better, I would play it for hours and hours, which contributed to improving my overall prowess...

Yeah; that pretty little pup that DW just picked up costs about a grand more than my Turser knock-off.

I agree about the fit because the Turser is really too heavy to stand with, but because I sit (long story) it's a real good feel.

Congrats! Nothing like a new instrument to inspire great playing. Peace.

Thanks guys. I can't keep my hands off her! LOL! I would say that yes, a well made instrument will facilitate easier and more precise playing. It's definitely a slap machine! And the low B string? Good lawd! When I get a chance, I'll do some sound samples.

It's funny, I previously owned a 55-01 model and I just couldn't get comfortable playing it. I hated the pre-amp (way too harsh) and something about the neck annoyed me! I kept getting a clicking noise that would not go away! I ended up trading it away and vowed never to buy Lakland again. Just recently, I decided to try them again and was looking for a Daryl Jones 5 or a Joe Osborne 5 when this came up. I jumped on it but doggone it, a week after buying this, a DJ5 and a JO5 show up! But I'm happy with my decision.

Theres probably no need to tell you that is the most important part!


Yeah; I hearya. I dig out my very intimidating Swansong 6 every blue moon when I want to be humbled by the mere feel of having something I can't play. Not YET anyway!

DW Bass -- what drew you to Lakland given the myriad of brands to choose from out there?

....it's DWBass (no separation of letters).

My first criteria was price range ($1500 max). Next was my needs. It had to have wide string spacing. Minimum 18mm but shooting for 19mm. Next was features for the money. I was headed in the direction of a Jazz style instrument with single coil pups and it came down to Fender or Lakland. I was gun shy due to my previous experience with Lakland but I was willing to give it another shot. I hung around the Talkbass classifieds until I saw something I liked. I was hoping to find a DJ5 or a JO5 or a low priced Roscoe (I know not a jazz style but it was on my list). The 55-02 popped up for a really good deal so I jumped on it. I liked the J+MM pickup config and the fact that it was active and the desired 9v. Sure 18v gives a little more headroom but I'm not a battery factory. This was 2 weeks ago. Funny, this week, what pops up? You guessed it. Not only a DJ5...a JO5...and a Roscoe!! I paid $975 for the bass! It came with 2 pickguards that I was never going to use so I sold them both for $75 so my total payout for the bass was $900 which was literally new. Mind you, this is a $1500 bass new! The guy bought it in January and barely used it. He has a load of other basses he normally plays and he tours a lot! It has the new Lakland LHS USA electronics (no more Bartolini system).

Well DW you got me going now. Can I borrow your thread for a bit? I've got a problem.

Actually I'm in a quandry. I found a mexican Fender jazz bass that I like very much so. It's one of the few with active pick-ups, but I really can't distinguish the sound quality difference between the Mexican and the American, but the price difference is around $500.00, or so. I've been hitting this shop once a week and working this guitar. I've got fat stubby fingers and I really liked the skinny neck. Finally I committed and gave them a couple hundred bucks down on a lay away plan because the shop was raising prices on most everything for Christmas and it was by $50 bucks on all Mexican Fenders.

Over the weekend, at the same shop I stumbled across an ESP 4 string bass buried among 6 string accoustics...almost as if someone had hidden it there. Now this guitar felt as if it were custom fit just for me. Very light compared to the fender and the tone was like thunder that rolled for days. It's a neck through with actives made of mahogany, ebony, maple and something purple along the back of the neck. My fingers wrap the neck up to the body. It's a full size, small guitar. I'm talking sheer and full comfort holding this thing. It fits. I surprised myself at how well I could play it. After falling in love with it and giving it a total examination I found, under the embossing on the back, it was made in Viet Nam. I about freaked.

I wanted no reminders of that country, or that time in my life and quickly put the guitar back on the rack. Don't know if I can handle owning the guitar knowing where it was made, but man oh man; that is a sweet little music maker. Now I'm agonizing.

I need some help fellas. Talk to me. What do you think you would do? I got no problem buying an import as is evident by the Mexican Fender. I'm thinking this would serve as a constant memory of the worst year of my life. Can't get around that.

Couldn't resist. I went to ESP and got a picture of the guitar, but I couldn't pull any more information about it. It's their model F-4E. There is also a model F-5E; 5 string. These people are really tight lipped about it. The is the only info on the site and it was with the pic of the F-4E

Neck-Thru-Body
35” Scale
Mahogany Body; Ebony Top
5 Pc Maple/Mahogany Neck
Ebony Fingerboard
42mm Standard Nut
Extra Thin U Neck Contour
24 XJ Frets
Black Nickel Hardware
ESP Tuners
ESP BB-604 Bridge
ESP SB-4 (B&N) p.u. w/ ESP ABQ-3 3-Band Active EQ
Finish: NG




I know George Benson's bass player has an ESP.

I dunno, I like more traditional body shapes and the only ESP's I do like are the Jazz body style ones. They seem to be well made instruments and I feel that they are a better instrument then the MIM Fender Jazz bass. The Fender is a bit more "pimpable" though. Parts are ready made for upgrading. I wouldn't worry about the Vietnam thing although I feel you. We have a good relationship with them these days. If the bass feels good to you, who cares where it's made.

On another note, the honeymoon with me and the Lakland is over and I'm looking to sell it or trade it for a USA Fender Jazz 5 string or a Lakland DJ5 or JO5. I'm just a 'Jazz' guy! I just like the sound of passive single coil pickups and traditional Jazz bass bodies!

I learned years ago that how the bass sounds and feels and whether it encourages you to play it is more important than brand, construction, or country of origin. So, on the basis of the fit it seems to be giving you, I'd go for it Billy G.

Regarding the memories it drags up being made in Vietnam -- I think that's your own call. It might be good to buy it just to prove to yourself that those memories no longer drive your thinking. Let the bass be a symbol of the fact that you've moved on. But you know how you feel about the experience the best -- no one can impose a deadline on what it takes to recover from whatever difficult circumstances -- I believe that.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Like you, I'm not partisan to any particular country of origin as the long as the sound and feel is good.

DWBass -- the honeymoon syndrome is the reason I never write a review of a product on Amazon, Harmony Central, or these other gearhead places until I've owned if for a while and know the warts that are on the equipment.

It takes a while to know if the thing is the right fit and I find you can't rush it. I think you've proved it

Thanks for the input. I doubt if I have any remorse for buying. I was hoping someone would offer up something like a brass ring, or a size 12 boot ya know?

This LTD is such a fit to me, I easily corrected my problem with getting the same sound from either finger. The body, the neck, the fit and the tone. I'll keep shopping, but I think I may have to find a way to put those memories behind me and buy that freekin guitar. Sheesh! Who'd a thunk 40 years later #10 GI would need a shrink. I don't think I'd agonize so much if I had a Fender; mim, or USA.

Didn't mean to hijack your thread DW. Sorry. And I'm sorry to hear the honeymoon is over with the Lakland, but you guys have got so much talent I'd think it's easy for you to move on. Maybe I can handle that fat neck and 5 strings after I learn to play half as good as you guys. Don't know how Tony can handle 6 strings. I'd hurt myself.

Still looking?

Musician's Friend has that ESP for $50 cheaper than Elderly's. If they're like anything else though, the one I test drove will have a different fit and feel than another.

Update. I'm doing a trade. A Lakland Joe Osborne 5 for my 55-02. Will let you know how it goes.

Here's hoping its a good fit!

Absolutely good fit. Will post pics soon.

I actually like finishes like white or black and occasionally sunburst. This just happened to be the bass that was available in trade for mine. The body is ash. It looks even better in person. I'll see if I can take a better pic. I tell you, I took way better pics using a Fuji 1.3mp camera. I have a hard time taking good pics even though my digicams (Nikon 7mp & Kodak 10mp) are of decent quality.

Hear ya. Since I'm a point and shoot kinda photographer I really don't concern myself too much with mp's. I don't even know what my Canon is.

UNCLE! And a little G.A.S. to go along with it.

I brought that ESP home with me Saturday. Taking it back today. After running it through my sound system I can hear the open A string has a buzz and gets worse when fingering the 11th fret. Never heard that in the store, but it's not real noticeable. Just enough to bug me on a new gitfiddle.

I suffered from a little G.A.S. so I also picked up a TASCAM bass trainer. Ain't had a chance to play with it yet. Kinda reminds me of Karaoke equipment. Plug in a cd and it isolates the bass if you're trying to learn the riffs, or eliminate the riffs if you want to play along. It's suppose to allow slowing the speed of play without changing pitch. I'm sure there's probably some cheaper software for the computer to do the same thing, but this looked like a nice little unit to have.

Musician's Friend has the guitar on sale now for $529; more than a hundred bucks less than what I paid. That's kind of a bummer except I can take it back to the store for service; like that buzzing A string. The bass trainer was $159.00 at the store and also at MF EXCEPT MF is giving a free set of noise cancelling headphones with it AND there's a $40.00 rebate off the $159.00 AND there's an instant $10.00 off from one of their coupons. That makes the net $109 with free shipping. Don't know about the quality of those headphones, but for free the price is right. Thank goodness I never opened the package from the music store. I can't do anything about the guitar price, but I'm taking back the trainer for a refund!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess that's an early MERRY CHRISTMAS to me!

I suppose if I had purchased my new bass from MF I would have paid dearly for the setup that was done to correct that buzz. After a neck adjustment it plays even easier and more comfortable than before.

Life is good. I'll be out in the garage