Lakland Skyline 55 01 Natural

The Skyline 55-01: The Lakland Spirit at the Heart of a Stage-Ready Series

The Skyline series is designed to embody Lakland's philosophy: exemplary ergonomics, meticulous finish, and technical choices focused on performance. The 55-01 stands out as a particularly complete model in the range, featuring Bartolini MK-1 electronics capable of switching between a highly sculptable modern sound and rounder, more musical tones. Its format and settings make it a highly adaptable working bass, ready to accompany a musician in various contexts, from rehearsal to studio.

Who is the Skyline 55-01 for, and in which styles does it excel?

This 5-string electric bass is aimed at the intermediate to advanced bassist seeking a comfortable, stable, and versatile 5-string without compromising on tonal palette. The 35" / 889 mm scale length helps maintain a clean low end, making it very relevant for funk (snappy slap), gospel (present and precise lows), rock and metal (clear pick attacks), as well as pop and jazz fusion thanks to excellent midrange control.

The blend (pan) control allows fine adjustment of the pickups, and the master volume with push-pull offers a convenient bypass mode: useful for instantly retrieving a more direct base tone or securing a simple setting live.

Sound Character: Bartolini MK-1, 3-Band EQ, and the Maple-Ash Balance

The pair of Bartolini MK-1 soapbar pickups, combined with the active MK-1 preamp, delivers a bass particularly comfortable in tone shaping. In slap, you easily get a clear attack and controlled brightness, with a tight low end. In fingerstyle, the mids can be boosted to bring out grain and presence in the mix, while the highs remain usable without excessive harshness. With a pick, the EQ helps lock in a more biting and percussive signature, with solid lows.

The ash body generally provides dynamic response and good projection, while the maple neck and maple fretboard enhance the sense of attack and definition, highly appreciated on a 5-string. The long 35" / 889 mm scale length contributes to the stability of the low B: the note stays more stable, with a better-defined contour, especially in the low registers and standard tuning.

Recommended Compatible Accessories

To accompany this 5-string, you can consider a 5-string long scale bass string set (suitable for a 35" / 889 mm scale), a 9V battery (for active electronics), and a high-quality instrument jack cable to fully exploit the preamp's dynamics. A strap will also be suitable, and the lightweight tuners help maintain good balance when playing standing up.

Technical specifications

Electronics: microphone configuration	Soap Bar	Electronics	Active
Left handed	No	Electroacoustic	No
Strings	Steel	Color	Natural
Nbr of strings	5	Finishing	Glossy
Nbrs of frets	22	Hardware	Chromed
Bridge / tailpiece	Fixed

Type	electric bass	Scale length	35" / 889 mm
Number of strings	5	Fretboard	maple
Wood	ash	Tuners	Hipshot Ultralites
Finish	Natural Maple	Bridge	Lakland Dual Access
Nut width	46 mm / 1.81"	Pickups	Bartolini MK-1 split-coil soap bars
Nut thickness	20.57 mm / 0.81"	Preamp	Bartolini MK-1
Thickness at 12th fret	23.3 mm / 0.92"	Controls	cut and boost for bass, midrange, treble
Fretboard radius	254 to 330 mm / 10 to 13"	Format	classic Lakland body shape
Number of frets	22