Lakland

Last updated
Lakland Guitars, LLC
Type Private
Industry Musical instruments
Founded1994
FounderDan Lakin, Hugh McFarland
Headquarters Chicago, Illinois, USA
Area served
Global
Key people
John Pirruccello, President
ProductsSolid and hollowbody electric bass guitars.
Parent Hanson Musical Instruments, Ltd.
Website www.lakland.com

Lakland Guitars is an American manufacturer of electric bass guitars based in Chicago, Illinois. The company's first bass combined elements of the Fender Jazz Bass and the Music Man StingRay. The company's current line-up includes basses inspired by classics like the Fender Precision Bass and Jazz Bass as well as Lakland's own original designs. Lakland's line of signature models includes basses designed in collaboration with well-known bassists Joe Osborn, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Jerry Scheff, Darryl Jones and Bob Glaub. Lakland basses are manufactured in the United States and Indonesia.

Contents

History

Founded by bassist Dan Lakin and luthier Hugh McFarland in 1994, the company's name, pronounced "lake-land", is a portmanteau of "Lakin" and "McFarland", the surnames of its founders.

Lakin and McFarland began developing the first Lakland prototype in January 1994 [1] and showed it later that year at the July 1994 NAMM Show. [1]

The pair launched Lakland in 1994 with a $20,000 home equity loan [2] and Lakland basses went into production in the United States in 1995. In 1996, the company became a unit of A. Lakin & Sons, Inc., a tire recycling company founded by Lakin's grandfather Abraham Lakin in 1919.

McFarland left Lakland in 1997. [2] In 2001, Lakland introduced the Skyline Series, a lower-priced alternative to its U.S.-made basses. Manufactured in South Korea, the Skyline Series helped the company break even for the first time in 2003. [2] Production of Skyline Series basses was moved to Indonesia in 2008. [3]

In April 2010 the company was acquired by Chicago-based Hanson Musical Instruments. [4] Hanson, a maker of electric guitars and electric guitar and bass pickups and electronics, had been Lakland's primary supplier of bass pickups and preamp products since 2005. [4] Lakland was renamed Lakland Guitars LLC and while the Lakland brand name remains, signature model names—such as the Bob Glaub, Duck Dunn and Joe Osborn basses—were given numeric designations. Lakland executive John Pirruccello was named president.

Owners of Lakland basses and others interested in the Lakland company and its products formed The Lakland Owners Group. It is not affiliated with Lakland Guitars, LLC. [5]

Prototype

Lakin and McFarland began designing the first prototype in 1994. Made of ash and a quilted maple top, rock maple neck, and maple fingerboard, the prototype was a blend of elements from a Fender Jazz Bass and an early MusicMan Stingray. [1] Its similarity to Fender's Jazz Bass drew a cease-and-desist order from Fender for trademark infringement. [2]

The prototype's electronics were inspired by a Bass Player magazine review of the Warwick Dolphin bass. Pickups were supplied by Bartolini and the bass featured Lakland's characteristic oval bridge plate. Originally made of aluminum, McFarland later replaced the bridge with one fashioned from chrome-plated steel. [1]

Instruments

Lakland currently manufactures a U.S.-made line of basses called the "U.S. Series", and a lower-priced Indonesian-made line called the "Skyline Series".

Signature Basses

Lakin conceived of a signature model bass in 1997. [6] A bass player himself and a fan of bassist Joe Osborn, Lakin contacted Osborn after reading an article about him in Bass Player magazine. [6] Osborn, known for his 1960 Fender Jazz Bass, collaborated with Lakin and a team that included luthier Michael Tobias on what would become a vintage Jazz bass-style 4-string bass known originally as the Joe Osborn Signature model and equipped with Lindy Fralin pickups. [7]

Other signature models were developed in collaboration with bassists Geezer Butler, Jerry Scheff, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Darryl Jones and Bob Glaub.

The Donald "Duck" Dunn and Bob Glaub signature models remain in production under the names 44-64 Custom, and 44-64/55-64, respectively.

Hollowbody

The Lakland Hollowbody is a dual-pickup, hollow-body electric bass guitar designed in conjunction with luthier Michael Tobias. [8] [9] The bass is constructed of carved mahogany for the back and sides and of maple for the top and neck. The fingerboard is made of rosewood. Current models are equipped with two of Lakland's Chi-Sonic pickups. The body of the bass is completely hollow with no supporting center block. [10]

Decade

The Lakland Decade is a dual-pickup, solid-body electric bass guitar released in 2004 to celebrate the company's 10th anniversary. The U.S. Series Decade is available in a variety of configurations. [11] The Skyline series is constructed of a mahogany body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard and equipped with Lakland's Chi-Sonic pickups. [12]

U.S. Series

Lakland U.S. Series basses are manufactured by Lakland in the United States.

Current U.S. Series models include:

Skyline Series

Lakland introduced its lower-priced Skyline Series of basses in 2001.

Originally manufactured in South Korea, [2] Skyline Series basses are currently built in Indonesia and Korea. The first two digits of the serial number on a Skyline Series-bass indicates the year it was built. [22] Skyline Series basses are shipped to Lakland's U.S. facility for the installation of electronics and final inspection and set-up. [2] [23]

In 2001, Lakland introduced the Korean (Indonesian since 2008) made Skyline Series. Developed with the help of importer-exporter Westheimer Corp., the midrange Skyline Series is constructed using North American wood and features the same overall design as the US basses (excluding the graphite reinforcement on the 4-string necks, all necks being half-sawn instead of quarter-sawn, acrylic nuts instead of bone, no left-hand models, no alder body wood option, and in far fewer colors) but is cut, finished, and assembled overseas. Once the instrument arrives in Chicago, the company's builders work to install its electronics and make sure the frets are leveled within specification of Lakland's US models. Lakland currently uses the PLEK setup and leveling system. The Skyline 44-02 and 55-02 models originally contained the USA Bartolini MM\J pickups and NTMB preamp, the same system that was in the USA 4-94 and 55-94 basses. Currently all of those models (4-94, 55-94, 44-02, 55-02) contain the Lakland-Hanson LH3 system. The Skyline 44-01 and 55-01 models contain the Korean Bartolini MK1 pickups and preamp. The Osborn, Scheff, and Jones signature models previously featured Hipshot-licensed tuners and Lakland-Hanson custom pickups. (Previously[ when? ] Lakland used Aero or Lindy Fralin pickups.)

MIJ Shoreline Series / Skyline series

The Lakland Shoreline Series is manufactured in Japan to Lakland USA specs by the Japanese guitar company ESP, and is available for sale exclusively in Japan.

ESP also manufactures the Skyline Series, much the same way as they produce their own Edwards range. These are a slightly lower cost option in the MIJ line-up; Much of the rough cutting, and routing and rough finishing is carried out in Korea (not in Japan), where as the final finishing, assembly and installation of pickups is completed in Japan. Most Japanese Skyline series such as the Skyline 44-AJ feature Duncan Design pickups and the Bartolini ME-1 pre amp.

Related Research Articles

Bass guitar Electric plucked string instrument

The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and scale length, and typically four to six strings or courses. Since the mid-1950s, the bass guitar has largely replaced the double bass in popular music.

Ibanez is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass-produce the seven-string guitar and eight-string guitar. Ibanez manufactures effects, accessories, amps, and instruments in Japan, China, Indonesia and in the United States. As of 2017 they marketed nearly 165 models of bass guitar, 130 acoustic guitars, and more than 300 electric guitars. After Gibson and Fender, Ibanez is considered the third biggest guitar brand.

Tim Commerford American musician

Timothy Robert Commerford is an American musician, best known as the bassist and backing vocalist for rock band Rage Against the Machine and supergroups Audioslave and Prophets of Rage (2016–2019). Since 2013 and 2015, he has also been the lead singer and bassist of the bands Future User and Wakrat.

Frank Bello American musician

Frank Bello is an American musician who plays bass for the thrash metal band Anthrax.

Donald "Duck" Dunn American bass guitarist

Donald "Duck" Dunn was an American bass guitarist, session musician, record producer, and songwriter. Dunn was notable for his 1960s recordings with Booker T. & the M.G.'s and as a session bassist for Stax Records. At Stax, Dunn played on thousands of records, including hits by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, Bill Withers, Elvis Presley and many others. In 1992, he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Booker T. & the M.G.'s. He is ranked number 40 on Bass Player magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time".

The Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar by Fender Musical Instruments characterized by an offset-waist body, a relatively unusual switching system with two separate circuits for lead and rhythm, and a short-scale 24" neck. Owing some roots to the Jazzmaster, it was introduced in 1962 as Fender's feature-laden top-of-the-line model, designed to lure players from Gibson. During its initial 13-year production run, the Jaguar did not sell as well as the less expensive Stratocaster and Telecaster, and achieved its most noticeable popularity in the surf music scene. After the Jaguar was taken out of production in 1975, vintage Jaguars became popular first with American punk rock players, and then more so during the alternative rock, shoegazing and indie rock movements of the 1980s and 1990s. Fender began making a version in Japan in the mid-1980s, and then introduced a USA-made reissue in 1999. Since then, Fender has made a variety of Jaguars in America, Mexico, Indonesia and China under both the Fender and Squier labels. Original vintage Jaguars sell for many times their original price.

Fender Precision Bass

The Fender Precision Bass is a model of electric bass manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In its standard, post-1957 configuration, the Precision Bass is a solid body, four-stringed instrument equipped with a single split-coil humbucking pickup and a one-piece, 20-fret maple neck with rosewood or maple fingerboard.

Fender Jazz Bass Electric Bass Guitar

The Fender Jazz Bass is the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. It is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on the fundamental frequency. The body shape is also different from the Precision Bass, in that the Precision Bass has a symmetrical lower bout on the body, designed after the Telecaster and Stratocaster lines of guitars, while the Jazz Bass has an offset lower bout, mimicking the design aesthetic of the Jaguar and Jazzmaster guitars.

Ben Kenney Musical artist

Benjamin Lee Kenney Sr. is a musician from Brielle, New Jersey, United States. He is the current bass guitarist for the band Incubus and had previously played in the Roots as a guitarist. He also records as a solo artist, usually recording every instrument and singing all vocals on his records.

Nick Harmer American musician

Nicholas Scott Harmer is an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist and occasional co-songwriter for the band Death Cab for Cutie.

Charvel

Charvel is a brand of electric guitars founded in the 1970s by Wayne Charvel in Azusa, California and originally headquartered in Glendora, California. Today, Charvel is owned by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

Chris Chaney American musician

Christopher A. Chaney is an American musician. He is best known as the current bassist of alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, and as a member of Alanis Morissette's touring and recording band for six years. Chaney is also a member of Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders and Camp Freddy. A prolific and versatile session musician, he has played with a variety of recording artists ranging from Joe Cocker, Shakira, Slash, Adam Lambert, Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Bryan Adams, Sara Bareilles, Gavin Degraw, Cher, John Fogerty, Lisa Marie Presley, Meat Loaf, Rob Zombie, Romeo Santos, James Blunt, Shinedown, and Celine Dion.

Schecter Guitar Research

Schecter Guitar Research, commonly known simply as Schecter, is an American manufacturing company founded in 1976 by David Schecter, which originally produced only replacement parts for existing guitars from manufacturers such as Fender and Gibson.

Fender Coronado

The Fender Coronado is a double-cutaway thin-line hollow-body electric guitar, announced in 1965. It is manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The aesthetic design embodied in the Coronado represents a departure from previous Fender instruments; the design remains an uncharacteristic piece of Fender history.

The ESP Lakland brand produces bass guitars made by American bass guitar maker Lakland for the Japanese guitar company ESP. These basses are made solely for the Japanese market.

The musical equipment used by the members of Rush have changed many times over the years. The following is a catalog of the gear they have used or are currently using.

Michael Tobias Design

Michael Tobias Design (MTD) is a Kingston, New York-based manufacturer of electric bass guitars founded by luthier Michael Tobias in 1994.

The Lakland Hollowbody is a dual-pickup, hollow-body electric bass guitar made by Chicago-based Lakland Musical Instruments and designed in conjunction with luthier Michael Tobias.

The Lakland Decade is a dual-pickup, solid-body electric bass guitar made by Chicago-based Lakland Musical Instruments.

References

Roberts, Jim (2003). American Basses: An Illustrated History & Player's Guide. Backbeat Books. ISBN   978-0-87930-721-9.

  1. 1 2 3 4 Roberts, Jim (2003). American Basses: An Illustrated History and Player's Guide. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. ISBN   978-0-87930-721-9. p. 112.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lambert, Emily. His Own Beat Forbes. July 5, 2004. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
  3. ↑ Pirruccello, John "'Official' Lakland Owners Club (part 8)" Talkbass.com. November 24, 2008. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
  4. 1 2 Molter, Dave. "Hanson Guitars buys Lakland; brand name will continue with model changes" Music Gear Review. May 3, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  5. ↑ About Us Archived 2008-03-24 at the Wayback Machine Lakland Owners Group Website. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
  6. 1 2 3 Roberts, Jim (2003). American Basses: An Illustrated History and Player's Guide. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. ISBN   978-0-87930-721-9. p. 113.
  7. 1 2 Lakland 44-60 (Vintage J) Archived 2016-03-11 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  8. ↑ Lakland Hollowbody Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine Lakland company Website. Retrieved 2011-2-19.
  9. ↑ Round-up: 4 retro bass guitars Musicradar.com. March 16, 2010. Retrieved 2011-2-19.
  10. ↑ Lakland Skyline Hollowbody Bass price and spec "Round-up: 4 retro bass guitars". Musicradar.com. March 16, 2010. Retrieved 2011-2-19.
  11. ↑ NAMM '09-Lakland Basses Skyline Decade Model Archived 2010-10-26 at the Wayback Machine Online video clip. Premier Guitar. Retrieved 2011-2-20.
  12. ↑ Lakland Decade Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine Lakland company Website. Retrieved 2011-2-19.
  13. ↑ Lakland 44-94 Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  14. ↑ Lakland 55-94 Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  15. ↑ Lakland Decade Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  16. ↑ Lakland 44-64 (Vintage P). Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  17. ↑ Lakland 44-64 (Vintage P) Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  18. ↑ Lakland 44-51 Archived 2011-05-13 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  19. ↑ Lakland 44-55 Archived 2011-05-13 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  20. ↑ Lakland Hollowbody Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  21. ↑ Lakland Hollowbody Archived 2011-05-13 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 2011-02-26.
  22. ↑ Lakland Production by Serial Number Archived 2011-07-13 at the Wayback Machine (PDF) Lakland company Website. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
  23. ↑ Skylines Receive Stateside Attention to Detail. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.