Mike Lull’s Guitar Works

Why it took me so long to stumble into Guitar Works, I have no idea. I was just looking for a bridge replacement for a Les Paul and all the other stores in the area either don’t stock them or the parts they do carry are *ahem* low quality. Luckily another store owner referred me down the road to Guitar Works.
Paul was really helpful and, in a nice way, advised that trying to file my own bridge saddle for the first time with no training might not be the best idea. Normally when someone tries to up-​sell me my guard goes up, and the wallet goes back in my pocket. Not here.
You can feel the energy and love these guys have for their work. All of a sudden I realized that my guitars deserve to be treated well… like this isn’t an up-​sell but just the right thing to do for them. Brought back two of my babies the next day, was quoted an exceptionally fair price for the bridge work and a couple of set up jobs.
I can’t wait to feel the difference.
I also played around with a couple of Mike’s guitars. After that I was all like: «She will be mine, oh yes, she will be mine.»

Amazing quality guitars and basses, and the set up work on acoustic guitars (including my Martin six and Taylor 12-​string) was top notch!

I’ve used Mike Lull as my luthier for many years. He does a fantastic job with all my acoustic and electric guitars, both repairs and initial setups. His staff is friendly, approachable and always helpful to answer my questions. The prices are very fair especially when you see the level of skill and care he puts into the instrument. You can just tell he take a lot of pride in the quality of his work. I recommend Mike Lull and his staff to all my friends.

Mike is the man! Great customer service, stands by his word, and is a true mensch. His work is exquisite. I’ve had two guitars serviced at Mike’s and I felt like I was being treated like royalty from start to finish. Supreme craftsmanship. This is the place to take your valuable electric guitars and have them repaired or brought back to life.

My boyfriend got a custom Mike Lull TX. He really likes it a lot :) Mike did everything possible in a time crunch to get the guitar done by my boyfriends birthday.
With no sacrifice on quality it was built on time and is now his go-​to for playing.
Thanks Mike for all that you do. He really likes the guitar and I really appreciate your work :)

Nothing but top notch work. The truth is that Mike and the team are extremely dedicated, skilled and caring craftsmen. They know their stuff and there is no problem they can’t solve when it comes to handling your instruments.
I’ve had my guitars pleked, re-​fretted, shielded and set up here for a long time and I have never had a problem with service and/​or quality of repair. I’ve been continually impressed and completely satisfied with their work.
I’ve even had broken headstocks repaired here with perfect results.
I’ve referred many friends and colleagues to Guitar Works with nothing but stellar feedback and reviews.
All you really have to do is look at how many good reviews these guys have and how long they’ve been around to know that they are still in business for a reason: they know what they are doing!
I’ve actually purchased a Mike Lull TX from my great experiences at the shop and it has been my go-​to recording guitar ever since. Sounds like a beast!

Absolutely do _​not_​consider Mike Lull for any work on an acoustic guitar.
Before he works on your guitar: Oh yeah, we can make that so much better!!!
After he works on your guitar: Oh don’t worry about that, it doesn’t matter (intonation, fret-​buzz, etc…).
Overcharging notwithstanding, after I took my guitar to one of Seattle’s most reputable (and affordable and honorable) luthiers, they said after inspecting the guitar (without knowing who had done the work) that he obviously doesn’t know what he is doing (it was really embarrassing what they were able to point out). This was after bringing the guitar back to Mike and he steadfastly refusing to admit that the work was anything other then the absolute best he could do (without sawing off part of the neck… supposedly…yikes, no thank you.)
Whoever Mike Lull used to be; However many endorsements he lines up for his custom bass guitars; However many people blindly echo Mike Lull’s name as a recommendation; his days about giving a crap about quality work on acoustic instruments for regular folks have long passed.
I’ve had Mike work on several guitars, both electric and acoustic. Other than a nice truss rod adjustment on a used bass… each job has always been a little wonky. I thought it was just me at first. Then… the _​huge_​mistake I made was bringing him my Taylor.
I will say to his credit, he will get your guitar back to you in under a week.

We got the service from Mike himself and he’s awesome. He has extensive knowledge on everything and anything about guitars (tuning, style, brands, and etc). Took him 10 minutes to have our guitar tuned perfectly. They even offer lessons there. Really cool place.

Truly some of the best basses on planet Earth come from Mike Lull.
The basses neck profiles are very comfortable… The quality of the wood is the best and the craftsmanship is absolutely top notch.
Mike, Paul and crew are truly the best.
If your looking for a high end instrument or need work done on your existing one then go check out these guys.
Cheers

I took my 1996 Bonnie Raitt Strat to Mike a few weeks ago because it was just hard to play. I’d had it setup by a «tech» at a guitar shop years ago, and clearly that guy didn’t know what he was doing. Mike really took care of the guitar, cutting the nut properly, adjusting the neck, gluing frets, and a PLEK setup. I can’t believe the difference in how my guitar plays. When I brought the guitar in, it was basically in brand new condition, and I couldn’t find any sign on the guitar that it was treated like less than brand news by Mike and his crew.
Is Mike’s work expensive? Yes. However, you get what you pay for — if you have a $ 300 guitar and pay Mike $ 300 to do a bunch of setup and proper intonation work on it, you definitely get more than a $ 600 guitar value out of it.

I knew the neck was a bit out of adjustment on my 76′ Fender Precision but I really didn’t want to mess with it other than setting action and intonation and I just couldn’t get it to play as well as some of my other vintage basses. I was thinking of selling it but thought I would take it to Mike and see what he could do.
PLEK fret treatment turned my vintage PBass back into a funk machine again! WOW what a difference. A new jack also cleaned up the sound a bit as well and I am definitely going to hang on to it for another decade or two.
I really enjoyed talking with Mike and his staff and have a few more guitars to drop off soon!
Thanks guys!

I inherited one of their basses. Not only are their basses of incredibly aesthetic quality and craftsmanship, and not only do their customs blow any fender or other custom out of the water, but the crisp clean tone, and excellent sound, is unmatched.
The shop is also full of great people. I had to call them this morning to find more information out about my bass. They were very knowledgable, friendly, and informative. They clearly not only have a passion for building quality instruments but are also all around good people. I would be happy to place an order for myself or my son in the future. Thanks guys!

Mike Lull’s Guitarworks is the première luthier shop in the greater Seattle area handsdown! There’s almost nothing he can’t fix, and if it’s not worth fixing, he’ll tell you. We did a specialty job on my locking tremolo Strat, a really unique fix to a sustain problem. When I told Mike what I had in mind he was totally game, and I think we came up with a really great fix to all those guitars that have lost their sustain once they installed a Floyd Rose. If you want to know what we did, just ask, I’m happy to share.
If that isn’t enough of an endorsement, then how about this: the last time I was in Mike’s shop, Pearl Jam’s Road Manager was in there talking over the latest ideas for the band’s guitars with Mike! If he’s good enough for Pearl Jam, he’s good enough for me.
p. s. I’m not totally sold on the Plek thing, they do great set-​ups without the multi-​gazillion dollar machine, so I guess you only use it for dire situations.

I gotta say, Mike Lull RULES! I took my new bass to him for some upgrades. He was already overloaded for the week. I mentioned that I had a gig that weekend but I had another bass I could use so I’d be fine getting it back from him the following week. Well, he finished my upgrades in RECORD TIME with his typical amazing level of quality. I was able to play it for that gig. And it plays like a dream! This is why Mike has had my business for more than 30 years.
If you have a guitar or bass and you want it to play the best it possibly can, take it to Mike Lull. If you want to own an amazing custom-​built axe, you need to buy a Mike Lull custom guitar or bass. There’s a reason top musicians in the world have Mike work on their gear, he’s the best, plain and simple.

HIGHLY recommended — Mike Lull’s shop is the ONE and ONLY place I will allow to work on my basses, period.
I’ve had them de-​fret three different basses for me, each one came out playing and sounding better than the last. I bought a bass off eBay in which the electronics failed almost immediately; took it into Guitar Works — Mike figured out the problem almost immediately, AND had a replacement EMG preamp in the shop, which he installed — that bass is now the one I play most often.
The only wish I have for Guitar Works is that they were more versed in working on Chapman Sticks so I wouldn’t have to send mine all the way down to SoCal for repairs … but that’s a super-​minor gripe.

I’ve known Mike since the 80’s. He has been the ONLY person to work on any of my guitars and basses over that time span.
As one of the first crews to have worked at the Bellevue American Music store up the street, I used to send people to see Mike all the time and have never received a negative response.
Mike and his team WILL make your instruments play exactly how you want it to play!
IF you have any problems, they are always resolved.
I trust him with all of my instruments and so have numerous «famous» musicians in the area who do not post reviews on places like Unilocal — I can give you MANY stories and examples of how he has helped everyone in this industry.
Mike has always been low– key and his reputation is second to none.
If you want the work done right, this is the place to take your guitars and basses.
Thank you Mike!!!

Ever since my Dad bought me my first Les Paul in 1976, Mike Lull has been my ‘go-​to’ guy for guitar work (he was at Bandstand East back then — ya’ll remember that?). I remember he put Schaller tuning pegs on to replace the pieces of crap Gibson used, they’re still there today.
I have been into his dedicated shop several times since he opened it. Everytime the job is estimated and I’m told upfront what to expect for cost — yes prices seem high, but when I consider what it costs to run a healthy, reliable business in Bellevue with employees, etc. I think its about right. Other luthiers I know struggle to keep the doors open.
Recently my precious Les Paul suffered the worst disaster — falling flat on its face and breaking the headstock. Some fellow musicians told me I should bury it. I took it to Mike’s team, and they did a fantastic job repairing it, the fracture is barely visible if at all, and while he was at it I had him finally do a long overdue fret job (which I was terrified of doing). It plays like a dream.
I took my Ovation 12 string acoustic/​electric in for help — it was barely playable. Now, its a blast to play, easy action, sounds great.
All my guitars have been in his shop at some point, either for easy setups or complex repair — I’ve been pleased every time. I’ll continue to bring all my fiddles to Mike Lull.

HIGHLY overrated. I brought in a c. 1980 Fender Strat with a neck by Phil Kubicki. If you’re not familiar with Kubicki, he built George Harrison’s famous all-​rosewood Telecaster — look him up, great necks.
Anyway, I got a deal on the guitar and thought I’d throw some money into getting the guitar perfectly set up. I’d heard so much about the PLEK fret treatment and Mike Lull’s shop has the machine. His reputation definitely precedes him, so I thought I’d be in safe hands.
Well, the guitar came with a late 1970s Fender hardshell case. When I brought the guitar into his shop, the case was missing about ¹⁄₃ of the Fender logo but it was securely in place. When I picked it up the logo was completely missing, obviously having been banged into something. I pointed it out to Lull and he was completely unconcerned, as others have suggested in previous reviews. I pushed him on it and we walked around his shop, giving a cursory look at the floor. It was obvious he wasn’t going to do anything about it, so I left.
I got the guitar home and, yes, the frets were in better shape but there were several minor buzzes at various places on the neck. I’m guessing he had the machine do the work but never tested the guitar in his hands.
I came to find out MIKE LULL IS NOTORIOUS FOR EXCESSIVE FEES. The quote he gave me over the phone was around $ 350, as I recall; this was at least three years ago, so I don’t remember the exact figure. The actual bill was around $ 125 more than what he’d quoted.
*** I WILL NEVER SET FOOT IN THAT PLACE AGAIN ***. Some of the other reviewers cite their disappointment with how Mike Lull mishandled their Epiphones and such. That’s bad enough but it’s especially bad when the guy treats a vintage guitar this way. There are too many decent shops around town who do good work at FAR less money.

I brought in two guitars, an Epiphone Les Paul and a Gibson SG to have them worked on. They where bought used and the SG was set up poorly and had poorly installed frets. The Les Paul needed new frets and I changed out the pick-​ups.
I have had guitars worked on in 3 states and the fretwork here is the best I have ever seen. Action was set right and with new frets they both played better than ever. Two guitars plek’d and I am am believer.
It’s not cheap but the work it top notch.

Recommended.
I have brought several electric guitars to Mike’s shop over the past 20 years. Much of the work has been setup and adjustment work for run-​of-​the mill guitars. I have also had them do some minor cosmetic repair work and non-​invasive customization on vintage guitars. In all cases the work was good and the guitars play much better. I’ve had Mike «plek» (
) two guitars, and that has made a huge difference to their feel and playability.