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Bass Emporium Newsletter - September 2007

The Bass Whisperer Reports:
Lakland Skyline 55-02 Deluxe Amber Quilt/Maple Fingerboard 5-String Bass

by Ed Friedland

I'm continually amazed by the quality of Korean instruments. What initially started as a way for US builders to bring in a bass at a low price-point has become a new standard of excellence and consistency. When the Korean-made Skyline series was introduced, bass players were more than happy to buy a Lakland at a fraction of the price of US-built instruments. The Chicago-based company has taken a very active role in bringing up the level of quality at the Korean facility. Yes, there are some fundamental differences that contribute to the lower price; flat-sawn necks instead of quarter-sawn, plastic nut instead of bone, veneer tops instead of 1/8" caps, mass-produced bodies and necks in lots of 30, limited color choices-among others. But more significantly, the similarities in fit, finish and tone between US and Korean models make the Skyline series a certifiable killer bargain.

Trend Setter
When Lakland first introduced the 55-94 bass, it seriously raised the bar in the world of high-end 5-strings. It had boutique quality and cool factor, but was definitely inspired by two very traditional instruments, the Fender Jazz and the Music Man Stingray. In the 55-94, fans of those venerable axes found a blend of the best qualities of both-with more than a few new capabilities-including a monster B string. The 55-02 is the 55-94's Skyline equivalent, and the differences between the models seem insignificant when compared to the money you'll save: List price on the 55-94 Deluxe is $4,500, while the 55-02 Deluxe lists for $2,099 (the review bass is tagged for sale new at $1,449). This month's review instrument is a 55-02 Deluxe that features a beautiful quilted maple top in an amber translucent finish, with a maple fingerboard.


Neck Dimensions
The 55-02 immediately felt like it belonged in my hands. The neck profile is beefy, but sculpted-Ibanez fans may not feel at home, but the greater mass contributes to depth and clarity of tone. The graphite reinforcement bars add to the overall rigidity, and in conjunction with a thicker headstock-(especially fattened up at the critical point where the fingerboard ends and headstock begins) eliminates issues with dead spots on the neck. The 1.8" width at the nut flares out to 3.3" at the final (22nd) fret, ultimately giving you standard Jazz Bass .75" string spacing at the bridge. The taper from the bridge to the nut gives plenty of room for slapping, but also narrows down enough to make chordal playing comfortable above the 12th fret, and meat-and-potatoes work in the "money-zone" effortless.

Frets
While the Skyline necks are fretted by machine, every piece goes through a meticulous finishing process at the Lakland factory in Chicago that includes filing, crowning, and dressing the fret ends, as well as making sure the frets are all properly seated. Skyline fret-wire is high-nickel brass (18% nickel) and measures in at .035" high and .077" wide-just slightly smaller than the wire on US models-this is due to the difference between metric and English systems of measurement, not by design.

Wood
Flat-sawn Rock Maple is used on all Skyline necks, and while it is generally considered to be less stable than a quarter-sawn wood, the fact that the neck wood is properly cured before manufacturing is ultimately the most important factor. All Lakland wood is kiln-dried and sits for at least two years before any construction is started.

Hardware
The HipShot Tapered Shaft tuners work smoothly, though the matte-nickel finish of the shaft does contrast with the chromed cloverleaf tuning peg (but that's nit-picking now, it'n it?). All Lakland 5-strings have a bar-style string tree, compressing the strings after the nut for added tension. Another standard Lakland design feature is extra distance between the nut and the B strings tuner. For example: the distance from the nut to the center of the tuner shaft on my Carvin BB75 is 2", the Lakland is 2.75". With the 35" scale and (optional) stringing through the body, you can understand why the 55-02 shows no trace of the dreaded "flabby B syndrome".


Fingerboard
The 55-02 is available in either Maple or Rosewood fingerboards with dot position markers (a lined fretless board is also available). The Maple board on the review instrument had a nice straight grain pattern running down the neck, giving it a nice visual appeal as well as the familiar snappy tone associated with that wood. The fingerboard arc changes from 10" at the last fret to a flatter 13" radius at the nut. It's not something I noticed while playing, but it certainly plays a part in the overall comfort of the neck. The neck is solidly anchored to the body with 5 counter-sunk bolts and joins with the body in a tight fit.

Body
The 55-02 is built on the classic Lakland body design, which is somewhat reminiscent of a Fender mated with a Music Man. The Skyline series bodies are all Southern Swamp Ash-a wood prized for its highly figured grain, light weight, and great low frequency resonance. The Quilted Maple top gives the bass a lush, classy appearance, but the tonal effect seems negligible. Carl Pedigo, Shop Supervisor and Head Luthier at Lakland says: "A 1/8" Maple cap isn't really enough wood in proportion to the rest of the body to produce a significant change in the tone, a veneer certainly won't have an effect." Weighing in at 10.8 lbs, the 55-02 is not exactly a cream puff, but it's within my personal comfort zone-US models tend to be lighter.


The body has an angled cut at the neck pocket and a deep cutaway that allows for total access to the 22nd fret. While the '02 neck-dives a tad, the use of light weight tuners does help-it balances better than my stock 4-string Precision-which ain't bad considering it's a longer instrument.

Electronics
The MM/J pickup configuration was first featured on a Peavey bass, but over time, Lakland seems to have become most closely associated with this setup. The J-type pickup in the neck position is actually a linear humbucker-two coils laid in a row. It sounds very similar to a traditional single-coil, but without the hum. The bridge pickup consists of two linear humbuckers next to each other, for a total of four coils. This allows noise free operation when using the coil tap. A mini-toggle switch allows you to select the coil closest to the bridge, both coils, or the coil closest to the neck. Combined with the neck pickup, this gives you seven possible pickup combinations.


The control layout puts the master volume the furthest forward on the bottom row, followed by treble, mid and bass. The pan knob is closest to the bridge pickup, which makes it quick and easy to roll off to the bridge pickup for a solo. The toggle is located in between the pan and bass knobs.


Home Grown Pickups
For many years, Lakland used Bartolini pickups as the factory standard, and in fact, they are still available as a special order. As well, there are still many new instruments on the market that have Barts from before the switch to in-house Lakland pickups was made. The review bass has the Lakland set, and it's my first chance to spend some quality alone time with them. While bass watchers may speculate about the reasons for the switch to home-grown pickups, the intention was not to make Lakland's own version of the Barts. "Our idea was simply to make a good sounding pickup," says Pedigo. "Bartolini makes great pickups, and there was no point in trying to duplicate something that is already done well, we wanted to add to the menu." The advantage of keeping pickup production in-house also helps streamline the manufacturing process, but the bottom line is: Lakland spent the time to create a pickup that fits their sonic vision.

Comparing the Barts to the new Lakland pickups is highly subjective. Pedigo feels that "the Bartolinis are more hifi, and transparent. The Laklands have more grind, are more in your face, not as clean." I would say that the Laklands have excellent detail through out their entire sonic range, are more aggressive, and less "cushy" than Barts, but for me, the word "grind" conjures up images of white DiMarzio pickups in a BC Rich Mockingbird. That's not what's happening here. Wordplay aside, I really like these new pickups-the folks at Lakland have successfully transitioned into top-notch pickup building, and early reports on their new Chi-Sonic pickups (coming soon) confirm it was no fluke. Recently built Joe Osborn and Bob Glaub signature models are now shipping with Lakland J and P-style pickups as well.

LH-3 Preamp
The same scenario is at the root of Lakland's decision to manufacture their own preamps. For years the Bartolini NTMB-L was at the heart of every Lakland bass. Now, the Lakland/Hanson LH-3 is what you'll find when you open up the back. Again, Pedigo explains, "We didn't attempt to copy the Bartolini at all. The LH-3 has a little more coloration, it's less transparent than the NTMB-L." One similar feature is the switchable midrange frequency. Inside the control cavity, there are four small DIP switches that shift the midrange center frequency between 275Hz, 600Hz, 900Hz and 1,100KHz. The bass and treble controls are shelving-type eq with the "knee" or slope point set at 150Hz and 3K respectively.


Secrets Of Tone
I've found that switching the mid frequency changes the tonal character of the bass, even when the midrange control is set flat, (the factory default setting is 600Hz.) The 275Hz setting gives girth to the low end; 600Hz is a fairly neutral setting, it adds detail without too much coloration. The higher frequencies come in handy as a mid-cut for slapping. Although there are four prescribed setting for the mids, there are also numerous "secret" settings available on the LH-3. One worth mentioning is achieved by disabling the midrange control completely, simply by not selecting any of the four DIP switches. This makes the LH-3 a two-band system, and the resulting mid-scoop is also accompanied by a slight increase in gain. For modern-metal slappers, this may prove to be useful, as it does come close to the dreaded "Fieldy" tone. By experimenting with different switch combinations, (15 I believe, but you do the math...) you can find a variety of midrange tones to work with. If I had the equipment and know-how, I'd tell you what the exact frequencies are, but I don't-so let's just say it's worth spending a half hour dialing through the various options to see if something strikes you as useful.

Bridge and Strings
The bridge is Lakland's own trademark oval-shape, the same as seen on US models. The only difference is the matte-nickel finish on the bridge saddles-they match up nicely with the tuner posts. The bridge allows for stringing through the body, or through the bridge. All Laklands (4 and 5-string) come stock from the factory strung through the body, which gives a tighter feel some players prefer. By its nature, a 35" scale bass will have more string tension than a 34" scale instrument (hence the tight B string,) so you have the option to experiment with different gauge strings to achieve the perfect feel for your taste. Be aware however, that stringing through the body on a 35" scale bass will require you to use extra-long scale strings, as the silk wrap on standard length strings will not clear the nut. This won't happen if you string through the bridge though, but it's worth checking the scale length on any string before you plunk down your cash.


Having swapped around a few different sets on my personal 55-01, I believe the Lakland house brand strings are a great match for the bass, they have a clear, pure fundamental, nice snap, and manage not to feel stiff even when strung through-the-body.

Miscellaneous
The Fishman quick access battery compartment makes changing the 9-volt battery a simple task, and the control cavity is well shielded to keep the bass hum-free. The strap buttons are large Dunlop dual design.

Tone Test
I recorded seven samples, one for each pickup configuration. I started with a fingerstyle lick that has both legato and staccato articulation, then switched to slap for the end (let's face it, we all want to hear the bass get spanked.) The samples were recorded direct into ProTools with a Radial Pro DI passive direct box, and Evidence Audio Lyric cables. A touch of Bomb Factory's BF76 compression plug-in was used. Calling the flat position "5", the onboard eq settings were bass and treble at "9" mids at "6".

1) First we hear the neck pickup by itself. It does resemble a P-bass sound, but perhaps a little more hollow. Neck Pickup - mp3 File

2) Next listen to both pickups, all coils. This is a great, complex tone-big bottom, articulated mids, and the highs are right there for the popping. Neck & Bridge Pickups, All Coils - mp3 File

3) The bridge pickup with both coils dials in the classic Stingray tone, but it definitely has it's own character. Bridge Pickup, Both Coils - mp3 File

4) The tone from the neck and front coil of the bridge pickup was a big surprise-I love the meaty articulation it gives to the neck pickup. With some subtle blending, I think the ultimate old school r&b tone could be achieved. Neck & Bridge Pickup, Front Coil - mp3 File

5) The neck pickup and rear coil of the bridge screams "Jazz Bass!" Neck & Bridge Pickup, Rear Coil - mp3 File

6) The front coil of the bridge pickup all by itself is cool. It speaks clearly, and has more bottom than a typical J-Bass bridge pickup. Bridge Pickup, Front Coil - mp3 File

7) The rear coil on the bridge pickup has the Jaco-esque vibe for soloing and burpy finger funk. Bridge Pickup, Rear Coil - mp3 File

Bottom Line
The 55-02 is a serious axe at a bargain price. The build quality is first-rate, the components are top-notch, and it's versatile tone and playability are hard to top. It's a bass that can deliver old school thump, or sexy modern hifi with the turn of a knob. The cosmetic appeal of the Deluxe model rivals instruments costing thousands more. When you consider the street price is below $1,500, you'd be hard pressed to find a better deal.



Ed Friedland is a renowned Bassist, Educator and Author. He has authored over 15 books and DVDs and has played with the likes of Joe Beck, Larry Coryell, Robben Ford, Paul Horn, Clay Jenkins, Mike Metheny, Bud Shank, Lew Tabackin & Michal Urbaniak to name just a few. Ed is also currently teaching at Bass Emporium in Austin, Texas. Check out the Ed Friedland website for full information about him at http://www.edfriedland.com/.