LAKLAND Skyline J-Sonic

A classically-styled Jazz with a sonic twist... does that sound interesting? You bet it does, says Mike Brooks

- Mike Brooks

This five-string Lakland may look like a familiar J-Bass, but look—there’s something a little different in the pickup department. Instead of a standard set of single-coils, Lakland have utilized a pair of Chi-Sonic Jazz units which claim to offer increased upper-mid focus, as they’re modeled on Hagstrom Bi-Sonic pickups, but with improved warmth and a rounder response. We ask—why reinvent the wheel?

Build Quality

Resplendent in a luscious Candy Apple Red finish over an ash core, the J-Sonic looks the part, with the very familiar offset body-shape, mint green three-ply scratchplate, extensive lower cutaway, and chrome control plate. The instrument feels substantial, weighing in at a sturdy 10 pounds, so it’s not surprising that there’s some headstock bias. Contouring at front and back is as expected, and allows the bass to sit comfortably against the player.

The satin-finished neck sports a shallow D-shaped profile and 40mm nut width dimensions, especially for a 35” scale, five-string instrument. The neck is extremely playable, despite several sharp fret ends in the upper regions, while the broad rosewood fingerboard is suitably easy to play, and instinctively simple to navigate. No twisted fingers here!