Mine has Basslines SC's and Bart 3-band and I added a passive tone control - best thing I could've ever done to it!
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The Mike Lull Club
- Thread starter Ron Plichta
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Mine has Basslines SC's and Bart 3-band and I added a passive tone control - best thing I could've ever done to it!
Looks like a 34" M5V is not an option these days. Neither is my other idea: 21 fret M5 with the bridge and pickups moved back an inch to shorten the length of the bass. I've seen it done with other basses, but not an option on the Lulls apparently. The M5 looks like neck-dive city and I'm suddenly longing for the countryside. 
I wanna hear from some of you out there who own the M5 24-fret. How's the balance of that bass? Does it dive as much as it looks like it wants to? Small, lightweight body and an extra long neck seems like a bad combo. But I want to hear your experience.
I wanna hear from some of you out there who own the M5 24-fret. How's the balance of that bass? Does it dive as much as it looks like it wants to? Small, lightweight body and an extra long neck seems like a bad combo. But I want to hear your experience.
Looks like a 34" M5V is not an option these days. Neither is my other idea: 21 fret M5 with the bridge and pickups moved back an inch to shorten the length of the bass. I've seen it done with other basses, but not an option on the Lulls apparently. The M5 looks like neck-dive city and I'm suddenly longing for the countryside.
I wanna hear from some of you out there who own the M5 24-fret. How's the balance of that bass? Does it dive as much as it looks like it wants to? Small, lightweight body and an extra long neck seems like a bad combo. But I want to hear your experience.
I've got an M5 and it's very balanced. I have to say that I prefer 35" scale over 34, but I have always found the Lull to be super comfortable. No neck dive.
I found a deal on a M5V that had the Basslines pickups, Aguilar Pre, and VTC I wanted. I was thinking of puttin a custom order in, but this was too good to pass up, and a heck of a lot cheaper!
The first pic is of the actual bass, not a very flattering picture, but whatever.
The second pic is the caramel burst finish that Mike is going to pain for me (as soon as my motorcycle sells
). That'll give me the custom bass I want at about $1k less. And I like having these little projects, too, rather than just buying a bass outright. It's more fun!
And thanks to James Rubio at the Atlanta Bass Gallery for working with me on the payment options on such short notice. You rock!!
As it is, still in transit.
As it will be. I think that's the finish I've decided on. Let me know what you think.
The first pic is of the actual bass, not a very flattering picture, but whatever.
The second pic is the caramel burst finish that Mike is going to pain for me (as soon as my motorcycle sells
). That'll give me the custom bass I want at about $1k less. And I like having these little projects, too, rather than just buying a bass outright. It's more fun! And thanks to James Rubio at the Atlanta Bass Gallery for working with me on the payment options on such short notice. You rock!!
As it is, still in transit.
As it will be. I think that's the finish I've decided on. Let me know what you think.
^ Nice bass! My local store recently sold a very similar bass, but it had a Bart pre. I always loved the way it played, but struggled to get a sound from it. Yours sounds like one that will have plenty of bark...thanks to the Aggie pre...but with some manners...thanks to the VTC. Good luck with everything!
I have to say, I absolutely love my M5V (alder/rosewood, Duncans, NTMB). Playability and balance are perfect, and the sound...the right balance of warmth, cut, bark, and sweetness. No matter what gig I play with this bass, I always get incredibly positive feedback from the other players.
Here's a pic...and a coupla' clips...from a gig last weekend.
Link Removed
Can't Get Enough Disco
And a bass this good deserves a better pic.
I have to say, I absolutely love my M5V (alder/rosewood, Duncans, NTMB). Playability and balance are perfect, and the sound...the right balance of warmth, cut, bark, and sweetness. No matter what gig I play with this bass, I always get incredibly positive feedback from the other players.
Here's a pic...and a coupla' clips...from a gig last weekend.
Link Removed
Can't Get Enough Disco
And a bass this good deserves a better pic.
Nice bass! and rig. I love the Aggie stuff. Got a DB750/GS410 myself, and a GS112 for practice and small coffee shop gigs.
I'm going for the Aggie pre, cuz I like the extended high end for my R&B/neo soul gigs, and I can always tame it with the VTC for the old school r&b. Can't wait! My last one had Bart pups and pre, and while it sounded great, the Bart pre is more high-mid than sizzly treble, and I need that sizzle from time to time.
Not exactly sure what it's going to sound like, but I'm sure I'll be pleased!
I'm going for the Aggie pre, cuz I like the extended high end for my R&B/neo soul gigs, and I can always tame it with the VTC for the old school r&b. Can't wait! My last one had Bart pups and pre, and while it sounded great, the Bart pre is more high-mid than sizzly treble, and I need that sizzle from time to time.
Not exactly sure what it's going to sound like, but I'm sure I'll be pleased!You said it Scott, the hi-mid treble of the Bart work for me very well. Now I am gassing for the MTD-type modern tone but realistically I don't know how long that will last if put into context of what I do. The passive tone control is the best thing ever, I always have it backed off at least 25-30% - just not a big fan of wide open highs I guess. Is your new one Volume/Volume?
Also, as hot as the Caramel Burst is I say leave the Trans Red as is - beautiful!
Also, as hot as the Caramel Burst is I say leave the Trans Red as is - beautiful!
Yeah, it's Vol/Vol. I've never used that config before, so we'll see how I like it. In addition to the Active/Passive switch, it has a kill switch. I'm not sure why that's useful in any way, but it's there none-the-less.
I'll wait and see about the finish. I'm not terribly fond of colored basses. Like, what if it doesn't, like, go with my outfit and stuff? lol!! I typically go for wood grain or 3t bursts. But for a custom color I like the warm natural rich tone of the caramel. To me, it seems like a more custom-looking new-skool-with-a-k-to-b-cool 3T burst, if that makes any sense. Another reason I'm thinking of the new finish is that I'm told this bass has been a player's bass. IOW, it's got some dings and scratches. No big deal, but I'll see how bad it is when I get it.
I'll wait and see about the finish. I'm not terribly fond of colored basses. Like, what if it doesn't, like, go with my outfit and stuff? lol!! I typically go for wood grain or 3t bursts. But for a custom color I like the warm natural rich tone of the caramel. To me, it seems like a more custom-looking new-skool-with-a-k-to-b-cool 3T burst, if that makes any sense. Another reason I'm thinking of the new finish is that I'm told this bass has been a player's bass. IOW, it's got some dings and scratches. No big deal, but I'll see how bad it is when I get it.
FWIW, my M5V came vol/vol, and I had Mike swap it out for vol/blend. Total personal preference thing. I rarely bias one pickup over the other, and on many gigs I'm frequently changing volume levels, so for me this was an easy decision. Scott, in your case it'd be an even easier decision if you decide to go with the re-finish. Good luck with everything. I'm anxious to hear your thoughts on the bass.
Carmel Burst would be hot!
I'm a big fan of Antiqua burst.
If I ordered a custom color that would be the one...
I'm a big fan of Antiqua burst.
If I ordered a custom color that would be the one...
I have a custom of another brand being built and couldn't decide how far out there I wanted to go... So I thought simply black would be a good way to go (it matches with any outfit )... But to step it up one I went with metallic black. At least I know I won't get tired of it ever.
I love my M5V but I am so over that sunburst.
)... But to step it up one I went with metallic black. At least I know I won't get tired of it ever.I love my M5V but I am so over that sunburst.
I love the way black basses look with maple necks!! My last one I had for almost 4 years. I'm just lazy and get tired of having to polish my bass between each set. Man, that gloss black shows EVERYTHING. 
:scowl:
:scowl:
All great questions, for which all I have no answers. 
I believe she's due in the middle of this week, but I'm not entirely sure. James at the Atlanta Bass Gallery said he would ship it ASAP and give me a tracking number. I haven't received a tracking number yet and I've emailed him twice as of yesterday.
I do believe it's an older model, but I don't have serial number on it yet. Let you know as soon as I know!
I believe she's due in the middle of this week, but I'm not entirely sure. James at the Atlanta Bass Gallery said he would ship it ASAP and give me a tracking number. I haven't received a tracking number yet and I've emailed him twice as of yesterday.
I do believe it's an older model, but I don't have serial number on it yet. Let you know as soon as I know!
After 3 emails, James finally got back to me. The Lull didn't ship until this last Monday, even though I bought it early Wednesday morning and he said he would ship it "ASAP." 5 days is the longest asap I've ever heard of for any bass merchant. In any case, it's not due in until after the weekend, which means I won't get to use her for this Saturday's gig, and we're going into a dry spell for the coming next month or two. I'm disappointed mainly because with so much time passing it will be hard to remember what the Sadowsky sounded like in comparison. Bummer.
+1
It's your money Scott, but I think spending bucks just to change the color of a bass is flushing money down the toilet. If you ever decide to resell it, you won't recoup the investment.
It looks very hot as is IMO.
Good point. I was just about to have him build me one, so getting a color change and ending up around 2k is still way cheaper than the 3k or so it would've cost me to have it custom made! I may still just have him build me one anyway. Still thinking about the options.
Got it!! 
Serial Number 595. I think that's low.
I've spent the last few hours messing around with it and playing to records. It's got a nice aggressive tone to it, nothing like the Sadowsky though. I've got to bump up the Aggie pre bass/treble about 25% to get in the same ball park a far as getting the notes to jump out. But that's a good thing, cuz without that boost it sounds more old skool, so I have more options. And of course the VTC is priceless! I'm digging the Vol/Vol setup as well. I'm finding I can get more tones this way, and having the kill switch is great so I can set the pickups where I like and don't have to redial them in whenever I pickup the bass again. Great thinking!
As far as the finish goes, the red looks soooo much better in person. It's darker and richer than in the pic. Much classier. The clearcoat is a lot more beat up than I thought it would be. I'm probably going to forget the caramel burst idea and just get the clearcoat redone. I mean, it's pretty bad. I can't find a square inch of bass where there's not a ding, dent, scratch, or cracking clearcoat, but it's purely cosmetic. No big deal as far as I can see.
It balances a lot better than my first Lull for some reason, though they are both almost exactly the same weight at 9.2lbs, and about the same as the Sadowsky (Metro). I gotta say though, that I'm definitely a Lull guy versus Sadowsky. The shallow C profile of the neck, 35" length, 18 mm spacing, less distance between the strings and body all equate to a faster, sleeker, more comfortable bass in my hands. The B string is TONS better than the Sad (and the Sad I played at BassNW, which felt the same), IMHO. It really feels like just another string on the bass. The tonal character remains unchanged from top to bottom. It's tight and focused and feels a lot better. The Sadowsky, like other 34" scale 5-stringers I've tried, felt good, but I had to take it easy on the B every time (no matter how I raised the action) and it still never felt or sounded right to my ears. To each his own; this is just my opinion.
Also, besides feeling like having to avoid the B on the Sadowsky Metro, I also felt like I had to avoid the open strings. The sound of that composite material nut (micarta? if I remember correctly) never sounded good to my ears. It sounded plastic-y, if that makes any sense, and thinner. Never thought I was picky enough to notice that kind of thing, but nevertheless, it bothered me. Not the case with the bone nut; it's fatter sounding and more natural. Where the Sadowsky shined was the way it sat in the mix. It was to die for! Everybody knows that already.
I can't wait to get some pics up. It's too dark at the moment. I'll have to wait till there's some natural daylight available. I'll take some tomorrow before I take it in to Mike, so I can have some before and after pics.
First impression: definite keeper! Unfortunately this is the first New Year's in recent memory I don't have a gig. Usually my band plays the Seattle Center (main building beneath the space needle, for those who aren't from around here) this time of year, but they've decided to change it up and go with another genre. But we're working a gig in here for the month of January, which is usually pretty dead for us. I'm looking forward to the way this bass will sit in the mix. Playing along with some tracks, it seems it will pretty well. That's certainly where the Sadowsky shined, so the Lull has some serious shoes to fill there.
Serial Number 595. I think that's low.
I've spent the last few hours messing around with it and playing to records. It's got a nice aggressive tone to it, nothing like the Sadowsky though. I've got to bump up the Aggie pre bass/treble about 25% to get in the same ball park a far as getting the notes to jump out. But that's a good thing, cuz without that boost it sounds more old skool, so I have more options. And of course the VTC is priceless! I'm digging the Vol/Vol setup as well. I'm finding I can get more tones this way, and having the kill switch is great so I can set the pickups where I like and don't have to redial them in whenever I pickup the bass again. Great thinking!
As far as the finish goes, the red looks soooo much better in person. It's darker and richer than in the pic. Much classier. The clearcoat is a lot more beat up than I thought it would be. I'm probably going to forget the caramel burst idea and just get the clearcoat redone. I mean, it's pretty bad. I can't find a square inch of bass where there's not a ding, dent, scratch, or cracking clearcoat, but it's purely cosmetic. No big deal as far as I can see.
It balances a lot better than my first Lull for some reason, though they are both almost exactly the same weight at 9.2lbs, and about the same as the Sadowsky (Metro). I gotta say though, that I'm definitely a Lull guy versus Sadowsky. The shallow C profile of the neck, 35" length, 18 mm spacing, less distance between the strings and body all equate to a faster, sleeker, more comfortable bass in my hands. The B string is TONS better than the Sad (and the Sad I played at BassNW, which felt the same), IMHO. It really feels like just another string on the bass. The tonal character remains unchanged from top to bottom. It's tight and focused and feels a lot better. The Sadowsky, like other 34" scale 5-stringers I've tried, felt good, but I had to take it easy on the B every time (no matter how I raised the action) and it still never felt or sounded right to my ears. To each his own; this is just my opinion.
Also, besides feeling like having to avoid the B on the Sadowsky Metro, I also felt like I had to avoid the open strings. The sound of that composite material nut (micarta? if I remember correctly) never sounded good to my ears. It sounded plastic-y, if that makes any sense, and thinner. Never thought I was picky enough to notice that kind of thing, but nevertheless, it bothered me. Not the case with the bone nut; it's fatter sounding and more natural. Where the Sadowsky shined was the way it sat in the mix. It was to die for! Everybody knows that already.
I can't wait to get some pics up. It's too dark at the moment. I'll have to wait till there's some natural daylight available. I'll take some tomorrow before I take it in to Mike, so I can have some before and after pics.
First impression: definite keeper! Unfortunately this is the first New Year's in recent memory I don't have a gig. Usually my band plays the Seattle Center (main building beneath the space needle, for those who aren't from around here) this time of year, but they've decided to change it up and go with another genre. But we're working a gig in here for the month of January, which is usually pretty dead for us. I'm looking forward to the way this bass will sit in the mix. Playing along with some tracks, it seems it will pretty well. That's certainly where the Sadowsky shined, so the Lull has some serious shoes to fill there.
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