NBD: Mike Lull M4V P+J

[CaptainWally]

• I actually took delivery of this late last year, and I'm just getting around to posting this.
  • M4V
  • Aged Sonic Blue + tort
  • Rosewood
  • Ash body
  • Bart preamp
  • Nordy P+J system
• I've been using an M4V J+J as my main bass for nearly twenty years.
• Last summer, a friend of mine insisted on me borrowing his M4V P+J that has the same specs as those listed above, thinking it would be up my alley. I eventually agreed. Alas, he was right. We're talking near-holy-grail level affinity.
• So I placed a custom order with Lull Guitars for a bass with nearly the exact same specs. Seemed like a bit of a risk to assume anyone could re-create the holy grail based on a spec recipe.
• But mission accomplished by Lull Guitars! I chose my own color, and I opted for a B bridge, but everything else was per the "spec". And it worked!
• It's a total swiss army knife. With both pickups engaged, it kinda sounds like a beefy J. It can get a legit P sound. And with the bridge pickup, it kinda gets a soapbar MM thing. And everything in between. Can't get a bad sound out of it, and it makes many. Sounds spectacular in the mix. And I've used it effectively for widely varying styles.
• Feels and plays great. Like any Lull I've played.
• A few thing about Lull Guitars:
  • So many of us miss Mike, but this shop is in good hands.
  • Spencer Lull is awesome! He is deeply passionate about the instruments coming out of there. And they are as good as ever.
  • Spencer made placing the custom order fun. It was a blast to partner up with him on my scheme.
  • If you're thinking about buying a Lull bass or placing a custom order, I can highly recommend it. Like all new instruments, they have become more expensive. But the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.
• By the way, my interest in new gear is in its twilight days. I would have been happy to finish my "career" with what I had.. But I guess it's pretty hard to avoid new bass temptations when the holy grail tracks you down. Next time I will tell my friend NO.
• Many thanks to @bdgotoh for all his thoughts and support. The initiated might recognize his influence in the presence of the B-bridge here.

 

[jerry]

Beautiful!!!!!

 

[KrzysztofSyposz]

• I actually took delivery of this late last year, and I'm just getting around to posting this.
  • M4V
  • Aged Sonic Blue + tort
  • Rosewood
  • Ash body
  • Bart preamp
  • Nordy P+J system
• I've been using an M4V J+J as my main bass for nearly twenty years.
• Last summer, a friend of mine insisted on me borrowing his M4V P+J that has the same specs as those listed above, thinking it would be up my alley. I eventually agreed. Alas, he was right. We're talking near-holy-grail level affinity.
• So I placed a custom order with Lull Guitars for a bass with nearly the exact same specs. Seemed like a bit of a risk to assume anyone could re-create the holy grail based on a spec recipe.
• But mission accomplished by Lull Guitars! I chose my own color, and I opted for a B bridge, but everything else was per the "spec". And it worked!
• It's a total swiss army knife. With both pickups engaged, it kinda sounds like a beefy J. It can get a legit P sound. And with the bridge pickup, it kinda gets a soapbar MM thing. And everything in between. Can't get a bad sound out of it, and it makes many. Sounds spectacular in the mix. And I've used it effectively for widely varying styles.
• Feels and plays great. Like any Lull I've played.
• A few thing about Lull Guitars:
  • So many of us miss Mike, but this shop is in good hands.
  • Spencer Lull is awesome! He is deeply passionate about the instruments coming out of there. And they are as good as ever.
  • Spencer made placing the custom order fun. It was a blast to partner up with him on my scheme.
  • If you're thinking about buying a Lull bass or placing a custom order, I can highly recommend it. Like all new instruments, they have become more expensive. But the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.
• By the way, my interest in new gear is in its twilight days. I would have been happy to finish my "career" with what I had.. But I guess it's pretty hard to avoid new bass temptations when the holy grail tracks you down. Next time I will tell my friend NO.
• Many thanks to @bdgotoh for all his thoughts and support. The initiated might recognize his influence in the presence of the B-bridge here.

View attachment 4612008

View attachment 4612016

Another Stunner!!! (obviously a standard Spencer and team thing!)

interested in your thoughts over the B bridge rather than the A style, does it change anything?
Love the fingerboard grain! so satisfying to look at!
Congrats!

 

[Killens84]

• I actually took delivery of this late last year, and I'm just getting around to posting this.
  • M4V
  • Aged Sonic Blue + tort
  • Rosewood
  • Ash body
  • Bart preamp
  • Nordy P+J system
• I've been using an M4V J+J as my main bass for nearly twenty years.
• Last summer, a friend of mine insisted on me borrowing his M4V P+J that has the same specs as those listed above, thinking it would be up my alley. I eventually agreed. Alas, he was right. We're talking near-holy-grail level affinity.
• So I placed a custom order with Lull Guitars for a bass with nearly the exact same specs. Seemed like a bit of a risk to assume anyone could re-create the holy grail based on a spec recipe.
• But mission accomplished by Lull Guitars! I chose my own color, and I opted for a B bridge, but everything else was per the "spec". And it worked!
• It's a total swiss army knife. With both pickups engaged, it kinda sounds like a beefy J. It can get a legit P sound. And with the bridge pickup, it kinda gets a soapbar MM thing. And everything in between. Can't get a bad sound out of it, and it makes many. Sounds spectacular in the mix. And I've used it effectively for widely varying styles.
• Feels and plays great. Like any Lull I've played.
• A few thing about Lull Guitars:
  • So many of us miss Mike, but this shop is in good hands.
  • Spencer Lull is awesome! He is deeply passionate about the instruments coming out of there. And they are as good as ever.
  • Spencer made placing the custom order fun. It was a blast to partner up with him on my scheme.
  • If you're thinking about buying a Lull bass or placing a custom order, I can highly recommend it. Like all new instruments, they have become more expensive. But the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.
• By the way, my interest in new gear is in its twilight days. I would have been happy to finish my "career" with what I had.. But I guess it's pretty hard to avoid new bass temptations when the holy grail tracks you down. Next time I will tell my friend NO.
• Many thanks to @bdgotoh for all his thoughts and support. The initiated might recognize his influence in the presence of the B-bridge here.

View attachment 4612008

View attachment 4612016

That’s beautiful. The aged sonic blue is great!

Another Stunner!!! (obviously a standard Spencer and team thing!)

interested in your thoughts over the B bridge rather than the A style, does it change anything?
Love the fingerboard grain! so satisfying to look at!
Congrats!

I recently did a Lull P4 build with a B-style bridge. The B-style is a simpler design, with less moving parts than the A-style. For me, that is an advantage of the B-style.

 

[CaptainWally]

+1

Looks better to me. Comfier on the right hand. I actually find it easier to change strings with the B. Simple is good.

Bdgotoh is the ambassador of the B.

 

[bdgotoh]

What a fantastic bass! I got a chance to play this at the shop and I agree - nothing but wonderful tones, and lots of them.

For me there are several benefits to the B bridge but the primary is feel - I can palm mute so easily with the B bridge, the strings on the A bridge are down inside the saddle on that adjustable rod. The strings come over the top of the B bridge saddles so I can easily adjust from barely muted to very muted by being on top of the saddles or moving away.

I really hate the sharp set screw that often sticks up out of the A bridge saddles as well.

I've had several basses converted from A to B bridges and I didn't notice an obvious change in tone, but they feel much better!

 

[spiritbass]

That's sweet. I'm a sucker for sonic blue and Nordstrand pickups ice the cake. Enjoy your new forever bass!

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Nice bass and also nice bullet points

 

[CaptainWally]

That's sweet. I'm a sucker for sonic blue and Nordstrand pickups ice the cake. Enjoy your new forever bass!

It is my new forever bass. Thanks for saying that. It's interesting, I told Spencer exactly that when I placed the custom order.

Me: "I'm hoping for this to be my ultimate/forever bass, Spencer"

Spencer: "You will make it your forever bass."

So true. This bass already asymptotically approaches perfection...for me. It's what I do with it from here on out that matters. I reckon I'm off to a good start.

 

[gl1234]

Bdgotoh is my bass mentor and, i am pleased to say, my personal friend. We are able to spend time together now and then as we're only a couple hours apart in the Pacific Northwest. Through him i had the very great pleasure of meeting Mike Lull in person, and i am hopeful a Lull bass is in my "end of career" future. I haven't met Spencer yet but the next time i am up that way that meeting is on my bucket list (along with a Lull bass).

 

[Geri O]

It is my new forever bass. Thanks for saying that. It's interesting, I told Spencer exactly that when I placed the custom order.

Me: "I'm hoping for this to be my ultimate/forever bass, Spencer"

Spencer: "You will make it your forever bass."

So true. This bass already asymptotically approaches perfection...for me. It's what I do with it from here on out that matters. I reckon I'm off to a good start.

The Mike Lulls definitely have that effect on people. I’ve wound up with 2 heart & soul forever basses, if that’s possible. Both my M5V (4 years old now) and my P5 (bought in December, what a P bass should sound like in my mind) have become my forever partners in crime….

 

[DRBP]

It is my new forever bass. Thanks for saying that. It's interesting, I told Spencer exactly that when I placed the custom order.

Me: "I'm hoping for this to be my ultimate/forever bass, Spencer"

Spencer: "You will make it your forever bass."

So true. This bass already asymptotically approaches perfection...for me. It's what I do with it from here on out that matters. I reckon I'm off to a good start.

ok so anyone that uses the word asmyptotically so beautifully in a bass website has earned my forever respect!!!! well done sir! what a beautiful bass. i have a '98 M4 J+J and would love an M4 with your exact pickup configuration (in dark blue with a maple board) but i know pricing one would make me stop dreaming... i have wondered the same thing about the B bridge and esp not having the string height screws dig into my hand. enjoy the bass!!!!!

 

[Killing Floor]

Sweet! Rock it!