Lakland Guitars is an American manufacturer of electric

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string 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 ...

s based in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. The company's first bass combined elements of the

Fender Jazz Bass The Fender Jazz Bass (often shortened to ''J-Bass'') is the second model of Bass guitar, electric bass created by Leo Fender. It is distinct from the Fender Precision Bass, Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange a ...

and the

Music Man StingRay Music Man StingRay is an electric bass by Music Man, introduced in 1976. History In 1971, Fender employees Forrest White and Tom Walker, unhappy with the way CBS was managing the company, left their positions with Fender to start their own ven ...

. The company's current line-up includes basses inspired by classics like the

Fender Precision Bass The Fender Precision Bass (often shortened to "P-Bass") is a model of electric bass guitar manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In its standard, post-1957 configuration, the Precision Bass is a solid body, four-stringed instrum ...

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 Joseph Osborn (August 28, 1937 – December 14, 2018Donald "Duck" Dunn Donald "Duck" Dunn (November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012) 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 Rec ...

Jerry Scheff Jerry Obern Scheff (born January 31, 1941) is an American bassist, best known for his work with Elvis Presley from 1969 to 1977 as a member of his TCB Band and on the Doors' '' L.A. Woman''. Biography Scheff grew up in Vallejo, California. After ...

Darryl Jones Darryl Jones (born December 11, 1961) is an American bass guitarist. He has been recording and touring with the Rolling Stones since 1993. He has also played in bands with Miles Davis and Sting, among others. Career Darryl Jones was born on ...

and

Bob Glaub Bob Glaub (born May 10, 1952)Hageman, William (April 29, 2005)."The aces of bass: Five giants of an overshadowed instrument", Knight Ridder Tribune News Service. is an American bass player and session musician. He has played with such artists an ...

. Lakland basses are manufactured in the United States and Indonesia.

History

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

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordssurname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

s of its founders. Lakin and McFarland began developing the first Lakland prototype in January 1994Roberts, Jim (2003). ''American Basses: An Illustrated History and Player's Guide''. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. . p. 112. and showed it later that year at the July 1994

NAMM Show The NAMM Show is an annual event in the United States that is organized by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), who describe it as "the industry’s largest stage, uniting the global music, sound and entertainment technology commun ...

. The pair launched Lakland in 1994 with a $20,000 home equity loanLambert, Emily
His Own Beat
'Forbes''. July 5, 2004. Retrieved 2011-02-25. 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. 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 Break-even (or break even), often abbreviated as B/E in finance, (sometimes called point of equilibrium) is the point of balance making neither a profit nor a loss. Any number below the break-even point constitutes a loss while any number above it ...

for the first time in 2003. Production of Skyline Series basses was moved to Indonesia in 2008. In April 2010 the company was acquired by

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

-based

Hanson Musical Instruments Hanson Musical Instruments, LTD is a manufacturer of electric guitars and electronics/pickups for electric guitars and basses. The company is based in Chicago, Illinois, USA, founded in 2005 by John and Bo Pirruccello. The company is the current own ...

.Molter, Dave
"Hanson Guitars buys Lakland; brand name will continue with model changes"
Music Gear Review. May 3, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-24. 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. 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.

Prototype

Lakin and McFarland began designing the first prototype in 1994. Made of ash and a quilted maple top,

rock maple ''Acer glabrum'' is a species of maple native to western North America, from southeastern Alaska, British Columbia and western Alberta, east to western Nebraska, and south through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Colorado to California, Ar ...

neck, and

maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...

fingerboard, the prototype was a blend of elements from a

and an early MusicMan

Stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ( ...

. Its similarity to Fender's Jazz Bass drew a cease-and-desist order from Fender for trademark infringement. The prototype's electronics were inspired by a ''Bass Player'' magazine review of the

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...

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.

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.Roberts, Jim (2003). ''American Basses: An Illustrated History and Player's Guide''. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. . p. 113. A bass player himself and a fan of bassist

Joe Osborn Joseph Osborn (August 28, 1937 – December 14, 2018''Bass Player'' magazine. 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 Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

bass-style 4-string bass known originally as the Joe Osborn Signature model and equipped with

Lindy Fralin Lindy Fralin is a US manufacturer of "boutique" guitar pickups based in Richmond, Virginia. He got his start in the early 1990s winding by hand on a homemade machine because he was not satisfied with commercially available pickups. After a number ...

pickups.Lakland 44-60 (Vintage J)
. Retrieved 2011-02-24. Other signature models were developed in collaboration with bassists

Geezer Butler Terence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler (born 17 July 1949) is a English musician and songwriter. He is best known as the bassist and primary lyricist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He has also recorded and performed with Heaven & Hell ...

Donald "Duck" Dunn Donald "Duck" Dunn (November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012) 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 Rec ...

and

. 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. The bass is constructed of carved

mahogany Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Unive ...

for the back and sides and of

for the top and neck. The fingerboard is made of

rosewood Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. True rosewoods All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated in ...

. 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.

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. The Skyline series is constructed of a

body,

neck, and

fingerboard and equipped with Lakland's Chi-Sonic pickups.

U.S. Series

Lakland U.S. Series basses are manufactured by Lakland in the United States. Current U.S. Series models include: * 44-94: Lakland's first bass * 55-94: Lakland's first 5-string bass, featuring a 35-inch scale neck *

Decade A decade () is a period of ten years. Decades may describe any ten-year period, such as those of a person's life, or refer to specific groupings of calendar years. Usage Any period of ten years is a "decade". For example, the statement that "du ...

: a dual-pickup bass created to celebrate the company's 10th anniversary * 44-60/55-60: the first Lakland signature model, a vintage

bass-style bass formerly known as the Joe Osborn Signature and available in 4- and 5-string models * 44-64/55-64: a vintage

Precision Precision, precise or precisely may refer to: Science, and technology, and mathematics Mathematics and computing (general) * Accuracy and precision, measurement deviation from true value and its scatter * Significant figures, the number of digit ...

-style bass formerly known as the Bob Glaub Signature and available in 4- and 5-string models * 44-64 Custom: a 4-string bass combining a

-style body and a

-style neck, formerly known as the Duck Dunn Signature * 44-51/44-51M: 4- and 5-string basses inspired by the first

which debuted in 1951 * 44-AJ/55-AJ: an active

-style bass available in 4- and 5-string models * Hollowbody: a dual-pickup, hollow-body bass designed in conjunction with luthier Michael Tobias * 55-69 Tetsuya: a pink-finished 5-string bass designed in collaboration with

L'Arc-en-Ciel L'Arc-en-Ciel ( French: 'The Rainbow', stylized as L'Arc~en~Ciel), also known as Laruku, is a Japanese rock band, formed in Osaka in 1991 by bassist tetsuya and vocalist hyde. Following the departure of original members hiro and pero, guitarist ...

bassist

Tetsuya Tetsuya is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Tetsuya can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: * 哲也, "philosophy, to be" * 鉄也, "iron, to be" * 哲哉, "philosophy, alas" * 徹也, "devotion, to be" ...

and Japanese electric guitar and bass manufacturer

ESP ESP most commonly refers to: * Extrasensory perception, a paranormal ability ESP may also refer to: Arts, entertainment Music * ESP Guitars, a manufacturer of electric guitars * E.S. Posthumus, an independent music group formed in 2000, ...

Skyline Series

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

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

, Skyline Series basses are currently built in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

and Korea. The first two digits of the serial number on a Skyline Series-bass indicates the year it was built. Skyline Series basses are shipped to Lakland's U.S. facility for the installation of electronics and final inspection and set-up.Skylines Receive Stateside Attention to Detail
Retrieved 2011-02-25. 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 Lakland used Aero or

pickups.)

MIJ Shoreline Series / Skyline series

The Lakland Shoreline Series is manufactured in Japan to Lakland USA specs by the Japanese guitar company

, 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.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Lakland Guitars

Lakland Mexico

Hanson Pickups

Hanson Musical Instruments

Lakland Owners Group (LOG)
Bass guitar manufacturing companies Guitar manufacturing companies of the United States Musical instrument manufacturing companies based in Chicago Manufacturing companies established in 1994