January "99" MSN Review

The Seymour Duncan Custom pickups and Bartolini preamp are quiet, clean, versatile and are truly reminiscent of that classic Fender Jazz bass sound. That is with one exception---this one goes all the way down to low B, and it does it really well! The 35-inch scale neck adds just the right amount of tension necessary to bring that low string to life. The neck also features Lull’s asymmetrical design, thinner on the high string side and thicker on the bass side, which makes it easier to play than most multi-string basses, especially for someone with small hands. The extra tension takes some getting used to and it requires a bit of additional hand strength, but most players can easily adapt to it. Mike Lull’s Modern five-string has what I consider to be a remarkably improved, better sounding B string.

In the studio I was easily able to summon the spirit of James Jamerson from the instrument. That was just the sound that I needed for the two cover tunes, Aretha Franklin’s "Respect" and Sam & Dave’s "Soul Man." The Hip-shot ultralite tuners were very smooth and, remarkably, the bass stayed perfectly in tune for two days! If you play funk, you’ve got to play this bass. I performed two live shows with the bass and I can’t recall ever having so much fun with a five-string bass. The action was low, without any string buzz, and fast! The Bartolini preamp gave me an incredibly broad spectrum of tonal color, ensuring that this bass can find its niche in any playing situation.

The construction of the instrument is impeccable---no ugly gaps under the frets or at the neck and body joint. The battery is easily accessible for replacement and the bass is completely shielded. The beautiful sunburst finish has a deep luster that draws you into it. This is, quite simply, an instrument that sounds as good as it looks!