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I'm obsessed with this bass (Mike Lull content)
- Thread starter tb-player
- Start date
Beautiful bass! I have an Aguilar OBP-3 preamp in one of my Lulls, I dig it. I've been doing a lot of recording with it since covid and the engineer loves it.
I visited the Lull shop in December. I bought one bass from the showroom while I was in Seattle for the holidays and another one (used) just arrived 3 days ago. Both are wonderful but very different beasts - a 34" PB5 and a 30" short scale 4 with T-Bird pickups. I can't say enough about the quality. I have long been into Sadowsky, and have also visited his shop in NYC. Lately, though, I've been getting more into the simplicity of passive basses, and these Lulls are serving that need in spades. I like low action, and the PLEK job means I can slam the action super low and play with the light touch I prefer. My first set-up on the PB5 might actually be the first time that it's TOO low, even for me, which has never happened before. All that with low-tension TI flats and no buzzing whatsoever. They are dreams to play and sound amazing.
No pix, no basses, right... had to snap a 2-Lull shot:
No pix, no basses, right... had to snap a 2-Lull shot:
Personally I agree completely. A boutique bass surely has its own character and personality. It will take time to develop a strong bond and to know the instrument intimately.
Who’s talking about modding everything on this bass? I just questioned if I would like the preamp or not.
You're entitled to do anything you want, with your money, obviously. Just give yourself an amount of time to fully understand a classy instrument. Maybe you will verify that it is excellent per se. The comments were more on a general level.
Of course you are correct and this is sage advice.
But there are those of us that go through life with a sound in our heads and will make mods to an instrument soon after a purchase. In my case, I’ve never played basses that just fit, just feel right in my hands, and speak back to me the way Lull basses do (I know, good grief….
). Of course, I could play the Lulls completely stock forever. However, we do have choices and options. And the sound in my head turned out to be Nordstrand NJ5Fs Vintage 70s Wind pups and the John East preamp. It’s never to say it’s a bad-sounding bass right out of the box, that’s very much the opposite. But for me, there was a little something different I wanted, so I had no qualms about replacing the pups soon after I bought my Lull Teal M5V bass, that’s become my heart & soul forever bass. I went through 3 preamps before getting the John East J Retro Deluxe and bingo, from the first few bars I played after finishing the install, I knew I had found the sound I wanted and been looking for (although I’m contemplating a set of Lindy Fralins for that bass). On the other hand, My Lull P5 has the exact, I mean exact P bass sound I’ve wanted forever. Completely stock and completely passive for the guys that live and breathe passive. But sorry, that bass wears roundwound strings, as will all my basses. And yes, you flats guys, I very much know what I’m missing….
The reason for that pushback is probably the “I don’t understand why you spend a bunch o’ money, then spend more money on aftermarket pieces” I hear somewhat regularly. Well, the great and wonderful thing about that is, you don’t have to understand. And have you ever seen someone like me ask, “Why don’t you guys look into the aftermarket stuff to make your bass sound better”? I surely haven’t and never will.
Most of this response isn’t directed at @Avezzano at all. Just an opportunity to vent, err, I mean, present my side of the story…..…
Play on!
Any other year I would... I soooo would. But I have 2, count 'em, TWO custom basses on the way. The coffers are run dry. It's window shopping for me, these days.
Just buy it, why would you waitI can't get enough of this bass. I've never played a Mike Lull, but I hear such good things. I don't know if I would love the Aguilar OBP-3 preamp, but that color is just so nice. And a Plek? Ugh... I gotta stop window shopping!!
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I've played one of those before, years back at Mike's old shop.
That pickup combo is excellent.
I wasn’t referring to you specifically. It just seems like when someone posts an awesome bass, that what follows are a plethora of suggestions to change out the pre-amp, bridge, pups, tuners, knobs, pick guard……..I mean why buy a bass if not satisfied with it as is? Why not order a custom bass loaded with everything one wants on it so it doesn’t have to be modded?
So, please don’t take my comment personally. It was my opinion based on a general observation of the responses to your post.
Just buy it.
I was obsessing over this Stingray on eBay, as of today I can stop obsessing, it's mine
I was obsessing over this Stingray on eBay, as of today I can stop obsessing, it's mine
Stock M4V owner here. 15 years on and it's still one of my top 2 (I rotate between the M4V and a Roscoe Beck IV). Great basses, feel wonderful in your hands and sound outstanding! Never felt the need to mod it in any way.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
I just contacted Lull about the price of a similar bass I saw on their Instagram. Brand new, it was less than this bass used. It didn’t have blocks like this one, but I kind of felt this was overpriced. Seems like it is.
