• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Should I trust mike lull?

I will order with mike lull to make my bass to left-handed.

But i can hardly trust them because i'm not currently living

in USA, so I can't directly take my bass.

should i trust them? what am i supposed to do?
 
Mike's a great guy. I've spoken with him many times at his shop, about 20 minutes drive from me, and he's worked on a few of my basses (refret on my Status, board leveling on my fretless, setups, etc.) and he and his guys do first rate work. The basses he builds are great too. I know of no reason not to trust Mike.
 
His builds are top notch and I've never heard anything negative about him. He seems like a very nice fellow with a deep love of bass. As with any build, make your wants very clear in writing.
 
I've owned three Mike Lull basses - two I ordered and one I bought off the rack. I still have the two I ordered and they are the best Fender "inspired" basses I have played, hands down.

I've attached pics of the two I ordered. The PJ4 took 8 weeks to build; this was 3 years ago. The M4V PJ was ordered last summer - it took 16 weeks. Yes, the wait time has increased, but that is a good thing - it means there is high demand for Mike's instruments. Yes, you can trust Mike Lull.
 

Attachments

  • LPB MV4 PJ.jpg
    LPB MV4 PJ.jpg
    59.9 KB · Views: 203
  • IMG_0257.JPG
    IMG_0257.JPG
    28.5 KB · Views: 181
I've known Mike since 1976! In the past 8-9 years I've done a lot business with him, set ups and fine tuning of my basses and a new T Bass - Everything is absolutely top notch when you deal with Mike and Paul, his office manager. They want you to be happy with your new bass - Great choice!
 
Mike has a great reputation, and deserves it. I lived near Mike's shop in the 1990s, and he's worked on a few basses for me. Of the more complicated work, he reglued the fingerboard near the lower 3 frets on a Ric 4005, and he performed amazing surgery on the Fender Bass V neck, that before it got to Mike was almost ready for the trash heap. His own basses are fantastic as well.

I'd be more worried about shipping, customs, taxes, etc. based on where you live.
 
Mike has been working on my basses since the 90's. Top notch work and guy. He doesn't know me, I'm a normal guy who plays G&L's. He treats me like a rock star even though I don't drop a lot of cash. I've never heard a negative word about him or his shop.
 
I'd be more worried about shipping, customs, taxes, etc. based on where you live.
Add me to the local Seattle-area customers of Mike Lull who have nothing but good to say. My first encounter with him was to take my $159 Peavey Predator to him for fret leveling, fret crowning, and a setup. Price was reasonable, turnaround was quick, and as others mention, he treated me like a premium customer. When it was done he invited me to test the guitar through any of his array of vintage Fender tweed or blackface amps.

So...given that Mike's trustworthiness is well-established here, perhaps the best next step is to email or phone Mike himself and ask him what experience and challenges--if any--that's he's had shipping to your country.
 
Every well-known luthier seems to have at least one nasty story about him. I guess it comes with being the best of the best. With the volume of work that these guys do, it's not surprising if miscommunication causes a mistake on either side of the transaction.

Never heard anything concerning Mike, though!