Members Goofball Jones Posted May 1, 2007 Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 I went out today looking at different basses and WOW were my expectations cut off big time. I was very disappointed by the American P and J basses I looked at. The necks felt alright, but nothing like a MM Stingray (I'm talking feel and texture, not the width or anything). While the prices are right around what I want to spend, these instruments aren't the things I want to spend it on. For one, on just about all of them the little S-1 button stuck in the down position and you had to turn the knobs a bit to get it to pop back up. Not sure I would use it anyway. The Highway 1 versions, even though they were cheaper, felt a little better and I actually like the body finish on them. But the neck feel was just as bad if not a little worse than the American Standard ones. Plus I want a string-through-body design, even though the Highway 1's have the Baddass II bridge. Which brings me to the Lakland Skyline series. I don't have a local dealership around here for me to try out so I have to rely somewhat on you guys. In terms of quality of build, how does...say...a Bob Glaub Skyline compare with a Fender American P-Bass? How does the neck feel? Do they do the same gun-oil finish on the Skylines as they do on the USA versions or is it just sprayed to within an inch of it's life with a Poly finish? How is the Skyline bridge compared to other bridges? Quality? I can get a Skyline P or J bass for UNDER what I would be paying for an American P or J bass, so it may be worth my while. Even cheaper if I go used of course. But I'm not going to buy a used Fender if I don't like it just because I can get it cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted May 1, 2007 Moderators Share Posted May 1, 2007 The Skyline necks are a satin finish that is in between the feel of the thick poly on Fender's and the oil and wax finish on the MM. It is a very stable and comfortable finish. A very good compromise. The Skyline bridge is perfectly suitable for the bass. Total control of adjustment and very stable. Build quality? I think that the build quality on all of these instruments is good enough to outstanding. The only problems with Fenders are that they are not setup well 99% of the time you find them in shops and if they sit in the shop too long they get beat up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RSBro Posted May 1, 2007 Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 I've owned a 55-02 before and now the Hollowbody, and both fit and finishes (including necks!) pwn any USA thing Fenfer has on the market.Plus above post nailed another great point- I've yet to pick up a Fenfer who's action/playability wasn't all jacked up (on the floor that is). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crescent Seven Posted May 1, 2007 Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 The Skylines pwn the USA Fenders IMO. My shop brought in a used USA Jazz, and I played it for a while as I set it up; there's just no comparison between a Joe Osborn or Darryl Jones and the Fender. Every aspect was better on the Skyline.C7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted May 1, 2007 Moderators Share Posted May 1, 2007 The Skylines pwn the USA Fenders IMO. My shop brought in a used USA Jazz, and I played it for a while as I set it up; there's just no comparison between a Joe Osborn or Darryl Jones and the Fender. Every aspect was better on the Skyline.C7 C7, I'm not trying to bust your balls, just looking for info, so don't take this the wrong way... Can you give me an idea of what your thought was better on the Lakland? I own two laklands and no Fenders. I have no problem with your position, I just haven't ever run across a Fender that hadn't already been abused that I didn't think I could setup to play as well as any Lakland I've played. It may be the amount of setup required, nut filing, fret leveling and crowning, etc. is greater on the Fenders, but my impression has always been that if these basic setup issues were addressed, those Fenders are nice instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Goofball Jones Posted May 1, 2007 Author Members Share Posted May 1, 2007 True, I do need to take into account that these WERE basses all set out on the floor, but they were in pretty good playing condition and my complaints were mainly about the S-1 switch sticking (again, not that I would use it a ton anyway) and the general feel of the neck backs. And since they pretty much are apples to apples in comparison and almost exactly the same price, it's good to see differences in between the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted May 1, 2007 Moderators Share Posted May 1, 2007 Just to put it out there, I'd pick a Lakland every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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