Up for sale is a truly astounding bass that Mike Lull built for me in 2014. I wanted something to capture the sound of James Jamerson and Klaus Voormann. I knew that I wanted it to be strung with flat wounds, but didn't want it to sound "dead".
Mike said that he could 100% of the time build a bass that would sound great with round wounds, but that some of his basses loved flat wounds, and some simply did not, and he was not completely certain why. He agreed to build the bass, and said that if it didn't like flats, he'd just build me another until we got one that did. (I've been a friend and customer of Mike's since 1983.)
To get the sound I was after, we went with his P4 model, basically a slightly updated 1960s Fender Precision Bass. I wanted it to be very light in weight. Mike told me that he could no longer get lightweight Alder, so he suggested making the body chambered. I told him that I didn't care for chambered basses, as they all had a certain "honk" to their sound. He knew what I was talking about, and promised that with the chambering method that he used, it would not have that problem.
I chose his standard Lindy Fralin vintage-style passive pickups and passive electronics, Hipshot Ultralight Tuners, his modern aluminum bridge, and aged Olympic White finish.
I also went with a few extra-cost upgrades, including the chambered Alder body, stainless steel frets, a very pretty Madagascar Rosewood fingerboard, and a matching painted headstock.
All of Mike's basses have dual carbon fiber reinforcing rods in the neck which not only add tuning stability, but also substantially reduce "dead spots" on the neck. Also, Mike does the best fret work in the world, and properly setting frets is another key to eliminating dead spots on the neck. The final fret levelling and dressing is done with Mike's Plek machine. Even before getting the Plek, Mike did amazing fret work, only now he does it faster.
When I came in to pick it up a few months later, Mike had a huge smile on his face. He said: "We nailed it. This bass LOVES flats. You are going to be VERY happy!" He was right. It is spectacular. It has none of the odd mids and honk that most chambered basses have. It is more "alive" with the d'Addario flats on it that most basses are with round wound strings. It plays perfectly in-tune, and has no dead spots on the neck that I can find. It's a dream.
The finish is remarkably thin, which is part of what gives this instrument its complex sound. In my opinion, way too many instruments are weighed down with thick, heavy finishes, which dampen the wood's ability to resonate properly. I told Mike of my preference for a thin finish, and he gave me just what I asked for.
It weighs in at a very light 3.3 Kg, or 7 lbs, 5 oz. The scale length is 34", neck width at the nut is 1 3/4". Action at the 12th fret is an easy 6/64" on all strings, but can, of course, be adjusted up or down to your personal tastes. The neck is straight with roughly 1/64" of relief. There are no high frets, buzzes, dips or twists. The instrument is in perfect playing condition.
It is strung with d'Addario flat wounds.
It is in perfect, as new, dead mint condition, with no scratches, dents, dings, cracks, repairs or fret wear at all. In part because I take very good care of it, and in part because Brian used stainless steel frets, there is nothing visual to show that it has been played at all, but the sound is improved greatly from five years of daily play.
The case is the original form-fitted G&G hard shell it came with.
With the options I selected, the bass runs around $4500 new.
It will be packed in an oversized extra-strong box, with ample padding between the case and the carton. I have a lot of experience packing stringed instruments, having shipped roughly 1000 instruments over the past 40 years, to dozens of countries around the world.
The instrument comes with a 48-hour approval period. If, within the 48-hour period, you decide that the instrument is not for you, simply return it to me in the same condition as I sent it out, with full insurance, and I will refund your purchase price, minus shipping and insurance to you. Buyer pays return shipping.
TERMS, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY: Buyer pays selling price plus shipping and insurance. I typically ship with USPS or FedEx in the US and DHL overseas, though other arrangements can be made at the buyer's request. No fee is charged for packing or handling. I will gladly ship anywhere in the world, but beware, international shipping charges can be steep, and the buyer is responsible for all duties, taxes, VAT, brokerage and storage fees on their end. Please contact me with any questions.
Mike said that he could 100% of the time build a bass that would sound great with round wounds, but that some of his basses loved flat wounds, and some simply did not, and he was not completely certain why. He agreed to build the bass, and said that if it didn't like flats, he'd just build me another until we got one that did. (I've been a friend and customer of Mike's since 1983.)
To get the sound I was after, we went with his P4 model, basically a slightly updated 1960s Fender Precision Bass. I wanted it to be very light in weight. Mike told me that he could no longer get lightweight Alder, so he suggested making the body chambered. I told him that I didn't care for chambered basses, as they all had a certain "honk" to their sound. He knew what I was talking about, and promised that with the chambering method that he used, it would not have that problem.
I chose his standard Lindy Fralin vintage-style passive pickups and passive electronics, Hipshot Ultralight Tuners, his modern aluminum bridge, and aged Olympic White finish.
I also went with a few extra-cost upgrades, including the chambered Alder body, stainless steel frets, a very pretty Madagascar Rosewood fingerboard, and a matching painted headstock.
All of Mike's basses have dual carbon fiber reinforcing rods in the neck which not only add tuning stability, but also substantially reduce "dead spots" on the neck. Also, Mike does the best fret work in the world, and properly setting frets is another key to eliminating dead spots on the neck. The final fret levelling and dressing is done with Mike's Plek machine. Even before getting the Plek, Mike did amazing fret work, only now he does it faster.
When I came in to pick it up a few months later, Mike had a huge smile on his face. He said: "We nailed it. This bass LOVES flats. You are going to be VERY happy!" He was right. It is spectacular. It has none of the odd mids and honk that most chambered basses have. It is more "alive" with the d'Addario flats on it that most basses are with round wound strings. It plays perfectly in-tune, and has no dead spots on the neck that I can find. It's a dream.
The finish is remarkably thin, which is part of what gives this instrument its complex sound. In my opinion, way too many instruments are weighed down with thick, heavy finishes, which dampen the wood's ability to resonate properly. I told Mike of my preference for a thin finish, and he gave me just what I asked for.
It weighs in at a very light 3.3 Kg, or 7 lbs, 5 oz. The scale length is 34", neck width at the nut is 1 3/4". Action at the 12th fret is an easy 6/64" on all strings, but can, of course, be adjusted up or down to your personal tastes. The neck is straight with roughly 1/64" of relief. There are no high frets, buzzes, dips or twists. The instrument is in perfect playing condition.
It is strung with d'Addario flat wounds.
It is in perfect, as new, dead mint condition, with no scratches, dents, dings, cracks, repairs or fret wear at all. In part because I take very good care of it, and in part because Brian used stainless steel frets, there is nothing visual to show that it has been played at all, but the sound is improved greatly from five years of daily play.
The case is the original form-fitted G&G hard shell it came with.
With the options I selected, the bass runs around $4500 new.
It will be packed in an oversized extra-strong box, with ample padding between the case and the carton. I have a lot of experience packing stringed instruments, having shipped roughly 1000 instruments over the past 40 years, to dozens of countries around the world.
The instrument comes with a 48-hour approval period. If, within the 48-hour period, you decide that the instrument is not for you, simply return it to me in the same condition as I sent it out, with full insurance, and I will refund your purchase price, minus shipping and insurance to you. Buyer pays return shipping.
TERMS, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY: Buyer pays selling price plus shipping and insurance. I typically ship with USPS or FedEx in the US and DHL overseas, though other arrangements can be made at the buyer's request. No fee is charged for packing or handling. I will gladly ship anywhere in the world, but beware, international shipping charges can be steep, and the buyer is responsible for all duties, taxes, VAT, brokerage and storage fees on their end. Please contact me with any questions.
