$3,800 Lakland 44-94 vs. $1,400 Lakland 44-02. Can you tell which is which?
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- Опубліковано 25 січ 2019
- So I got a new bass, a Lakland 44-94. Thing is, I already had a Lakland 44-02. Same bass, different countries of origin USA vs. Indonesia. Both have the same pickups and electronics. Both have swamp ash bodies, quilted maple tops, maple necks and rosewood boards. They should sound more or less the same, right, maybe some small differences based on the quality of the woods used.
Some things about this comparison that suck:
1. My playing
2. My attention to detail
3. My patience
Some other details - recorded directly through an apollo twin into logic. A Neve 1073 pre model was used (no EQ, just the saturation of the pre). A UAD 1176 was used on the master fader to even out the sound a little bit, about 3 db of compression overall.
Either I, or iMovie really stinks, the text noting the bass that is playing shows up a little late here and there, the basses crossfade between one and the other exactly every two bars.
Can you tell which bass is the $3,800 bass and which is the $1,400?
I will add a comment in the coming days to announce which is which!
Hell yea dude! Both basses sound FANTASTIC!!!
I think Lakland has a hit out on you now!! LOL! Seriously, thanks for the work. Eye opening and a huge hand for Lakland for having pride in their work!
Ohhhh playing a little Chuck Rainey! Nice "Peg"!
It doesn't matter they both kickass sounds amazing
I've owned both models, in 5 strings version. They sounded absolutly the same. However, the finish, confort, craftmanship was way superior on the Chicago model. It weights less also. My advice is if you are a Lakland fan, go for the US model. The Indonesian model is still a great bass though
Demo 3 sounds fantastic and cool riff:)
Jamiroquai “Falling”. Great tune.
bass 1 on the j bass config sounded a little bit more defined in the mids. so theres that. both very close. i have the 44-02 same color
as i understand they both have the exact same electronics. i have the 44-02 same as yours but maple neck. and just got the 55-01 with Bart pu's. now thats a big difference from the Lakland PU's. but b oth awesome.
Strings the same age? They have absolutely identical pickups and preamps (confirmed by lakland themselves) so they have to sound almost the same. 44-94 might be a little "deeper" and 44-02 a little "warmer" but who knows.
I'll take a 44-02, please. And BTW, you have nothing to apologize for. Nothing sucks.
Demo 1 - Bass 1 is the 44-94 and Bass 2 is the 44-02
Demo 2 - Bass 1 is the 44-94 and bass 2 is the 44-02
Demo 3 - Bass 1 is the 44-02 and bass 2 is the 44-94
Hm… looks like i like the 44-02 more
Nice Paul Turner lick.
nice demo! Are the pickups hum free?
I guessed 1-2-1 as the 44-94. Dang 1 out of 3. Demo 1 bass 1 had a deeper growl on my monitoring speakers + a bit compressed sound. I thought I heard similar characteristics in b2 of demo 2, and b1 of demo 3. I guess I was chasing the wrong thing. This means that the lower price sounded more expensive to me 2 out of 3. Well, I'm a guitarist, what do I know about bass! LOL.
Scary that I could tell the difference each time. I don't know that the 44-94 was always BETTER, but it definitely seemed a little deeper/fatter in the lowest frequencies. The 44-02 sounded a little brighter in each example- but you could potentially prefer the more present tone in some cases. Fascinating to think that the only difference could be better hunks of wood and some TLC on the build quality, and actually make a perceptible difference. No way I could have perceived the difference though if they weren't played side by side like in this comparison. Says a lot for the Skyline being a hell of a lot better VALUE than the American model.
In a traditional sense the skyline is a much better value for sure. The USA version is a work of art in a way that the skyline is not. The quilted top is much nicer, the cut of maple and grain on the neck is nicer, the rosewood board is nicer as well. I don't think any of those things impact the sound or playability in any way. It's the kind of instrument you'd be proud to pass down to your family. Is that worth the $2k+? Not to everyone! Skylines are probably the best value in basses IMO. A used skyline J, P, or 02 series would cost about the same as some MIM fenders, and the fit, finish and playability would certainly be a cut above, with the plek'd frets and great components.
Don't take this the wrong way, but I'll bet in a blind test (where you didn't know which was being played and the order was mixed up) you, or anyone, would not be able to tell the difference.
The number 1 is a little bit brighter, weighs lighter and has a better feel.
Well, it's one thing I've learned from this demo and that's it's not worth the price difference.
If I purchased the American model I would say it’s better quality. Why? Because I don’t want to feel I wasted money. For some reason we think because it’s built in America it’s worth more. It only cost more to build in America. Lakland isn’t giving you a lesser product, just the same bass at a lesser price. Both are great.
This is a very good point. A manager told me the same thing. Cost to build is the difference
difference is in the age of the strings. 44-94 with older strings
agreed
Bass 1 is the US model
44-94 is #2 then #1 then #2
I liked more the cheaper one
Actually, it sounds the same. Nobody can distinguish one from another in a blindtest. But how do they feel to you? What about weight?
85ba the USA is slightly lighter weight. The quality of the maple top and the rosewood fingerboard is much nicer on the USA. Fretwork is nicer as well but not meaningfully. Both play well. The USA “feels” nicer, however the skyline actually plays a little faster. Lower action on the skyline before buzzing. But TBH I’ve never had a bass with action that low in my life and I’ve had AM fenders, Gibson, Warwick, etc.
Whatever 1 is I liked better...
Bass 1 is Indonesian. Bass 2 is U.S.A.
Одинаково
Id say bass no.1 is the $3800 bass i hope im right it sounds slightly more crisp and the highs have a slight bit more sparkle. but its drastically small difference it shouldn't be thousands of 💵 s difference if so you got a $1400 bass that sounds close to a $3800 bass.