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The Mike Lull Club

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#565
B.C. said:
Lol, well played Vic. I guess CNC is cheating these days. In all seriousness, Mike makes a killer bass!
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Hey, we're just kiddin' around here of course, but seriously, it just depends on how you represent your work. Roger refuses to be called a luthier, and prefers to be called a "builder" for reasons like this.

Personally, I don't care if the body is cut/shaped by a machine, because that doesn't affect the musical quality or playability. What DOES matter is the stuff machines can't do... wood selection and matching, and some design aspects that can't be calculated with some kind of formula, but were matured and developed over many years through personal expertise and feedback from top professionals. THAT's what we're paying for with these high end instruments. Sure, there are some basses where the actual carving, shaping, etc, are part of the artistic component, but that's not critical to create a musically great instrument.

The devil is in the details, and high end builders like Mike have that absolutely figured out. :)
 
#566
Vic said:
Hey, we're just kiddin' around here of course, but seriously, it just depends on how you represent your work. Roger refuses to be called a luthier, and prefers to be called a "builder" for reasons like this.

Personally, I don't care if the body is cut/shaped by a machine, because that doesn't affect the musical quality or playability. What DOES matter is the stuff machines can't do... wood selection and matching, and some design aspects that can't be calculated with some kind of formula, but were matured and developed over many years through personal expertise and feedback from top professionals. THAT's what we're paying for with these high end instruments. Sure, there are some basses where the actual carving, shaping, etc, are part of the artistic component, but that's not critical to create a musically great instrument.

The devil is in the details, and high end builders like Mike have that absolutely figured out. :)
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O +1, I know were kidding around(I started it:hiding::D) but yeah, Vic, you are dead on.
 
#568
CaptainWally said:
I think Lull basses are 1/2 price ($125).

Give Mike a call.
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I just spoke to Mike (great guy on the phone as well, doesn't rush you for something to simply as a question or two that ends up a conversation) to confirm this and he asked me to post this for him:

All Mike Lull basses do indeed receive a 1/2 price ($125) discount on a PLEKing. Mike has been absolutely taken by the Plek, and that after 8 years of waiting to purchase one he's kicking himself for not doing it sooner. :crying:

I'm seriously considering sending in my Modern 4 & 5 in as soon as I can talk my Partner into it. :smug: 1/1000 of a millimeter tolerances along with the human skill of a Mike Lull setup... I can't imagine a better playing bass, period.

Vic said:
I won't come as news to Jay, but FWIW to others, in particular, Mike Lull is KNOWN for his impeccable fret levels... I say that do say this; Noting Mike's demanding standards for quality on this topic, you KNOW the PLEK machine would have to at least meet, if not exceed those standards or he wouldn't use the machine and risk compromising this strong reputation.

That should lend some weight/impact to things. :)
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That's what I mentioned to Mike, that the best of both worlds involving technology as well as his decades of human-based skill in fretwork is why I'd want to get it done by him. Beyond what I posted his reaction and "giddyness" for his new PLEK to be and what it did for his instruments above, if you know anything about Mike's reputation simply investing the large amount of money in one of the units says a great deal. He mentioned that his mentor (blanking on the name, sorry :rollno: ) has owned a PLEK machine since they arrived and came up to teach his staff for about a week, and commented on just how good Mike's fretwork was... but now would be improving even more!

JRB said:
Anyone else notice the Mike Lull/Bryan Beller new CD add in the new BP magazine? This is the first Mike Lull add I think I have ever seen in BP.
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This is the first 1/4-page ad I've seen, but Lull has been running smaller, 1/8th-page sized ads for many years, typically alternating between Beller and Randy Jackson with Mike Merritt from the Max Weinberg Seven less often AFAIK. I'll have to confirm it with him, but my sixth sense says that it's most likely only large because Beller may have helped with the cost/gotten a "Employee Discount" (he is a Contributing Editor to BP and has been doing a *lot* of writing for them the past few months) to promote his upcoming 2nd solo album, "Thanks In Advance". Which is abso-frakin'-lutely amazing - it's good to be friends with Bassists in Medium Places. :D

JRB said:
(Lull fretless:) Bryan Beller has one. He talks about it on his gear page at: http://www.bryanbeller.com/music/instrumentsandstrings.html#mikelullcustom

His fretless is just breathtaking, and he is a great player.
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Wordy word word. As for fretless Lull playing, I've seen Beller use his live with Steve Vai, and recording on both CD and in 5.1 on Mike Keneally's "Guitar Therapy Live!" Special Edition CD and DVD. The tone of his Modern 5 is simply beautiful, with a focus on the low-B I've rarely heard in a 5-string fretless (I'll add it may be a touch too "modern" for some but that's both the bass as well as Beller's playing and choice of tone - I'm sure a fretless V5 or MV5 would have a touch more "old-school" vibe to it. Take a listen to "1988 Was A Million Years Ago for a sample as well as a great tune!

As for strings, I use my usual D'addario ProSteels on my fretted Lull Modern 4 & 5: I like the slight "grind" in the tone as well as the overall sound of the string - I find it gives my Lulls a touch more of a "rock" tone, and is a fairly major facet of my personal tone. When I'm able to add a Modern 5 fretless to the arsenal ( ;) ) I'd like switch to Nickels for the bit mellower tone I prefer out of them and if doing a session I'll use whatever's called for, but that's *me* sound.
 
#569
Thanks for the post and info Ian... Much appreciated! Now I am really gonna look into getting my M5V Plek'd.

This leads me to the next part which is - I need another bass before I can do that! I've since sold off everything and am down to just the Lull... I've also decided that the best move is to get a fretless next instead of another fretted 5. So hopefully when I do find a fretless Lull I would feel comfortable enough with it to send off the fretted to be Plek'd... Where the fretless would be my only bass for the week or so it would take to get the bass back - I can't wait!

How's everyone else doing? Any news? New gear? Anyone?
 
#571
Hey Guys, who makes the deluxe tolex cases for Mike? I've only seen the cream tolex cases online... Mine came with a black one but I just assumed it's aftermarket, but since mine is an older model (2002) I wonder if it might be original.
 
#574
$1,501 for this mint beauty.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mike-Lull-PJ4-S...oryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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