Bass of the Week: Mike Lull Custom Guitars M4V/M5V

Last week, the bass community suffered a major blow with the loss of bass builder Mike Lull. Beyond his incredible craftsmanship, Lull was a positive force and an inspiration to all those he met. We wanted to honor him in our own small way this week by featuring the M4V/M5V as our bass of the week.

The four-string M4V and five-string M5V are workhorse basses for many players across many genres. They feature a classic J-style design accented with the hallmarks of Lull’s work including a slightly downsized body and a super playable neck. The V in its name stands for vintage, and as such, they also pay homage to the classic ’60s and ’70s Jazz bass.

“Getting back to those iconic designs – Leo Fender had it totally right when it came to a P-bass and a J-bass,” he told us in a 2011 interview. “I don’t want to reinvent the wheel. I just want to improve upon original ideas, so I took his designs and went a little further to make them better instruments.”

The basses are offered in alder, swamp ash, or mahogany body with a graphite-reinforced maple neck. A contoured neck heel adds to the neck’s fast feel. Its fingerboard can be maple or rosewood with 21 frets. Lull’s attention to detail is shown in the differences in the basses, as they offer different pickups to accentuate their ranges. The M4V is fitted with custom wound Lindy Fralin single-coils, while the M5V utilizes custom-wound Seymour Duncan single coils. Each has the option for either Aguilar or Bartolini preamps. Hipshot hardware rounds out the package.

Mike Lull built each bass in his shop, but his work will continue to live on. According to his company, “Mike’s dedicated staff and family will be carrying on his legacy as this is what Mike wanted.”

Thanks for everything, Mike.

Mike Lull Custom Guitars M4V/M5V Bass Specs: