@@lockheadanddogrockvideo That's happened to me a couple times! I meant to flip a Gibson J-45 acoustic and an SG but I just couldn't part with them lol. The Sire is a beauty to look at and it's comfortable. I can see how it'd be hard to get rid of!
if you are having issues with the B string and saddles/bridge. try tapered strings (not tape wound, tapered windings on the B). I've used warwick black label strings (with tapered B) for 20 years, they are as thin as a D string at the bridge thickening to standard B gauge just after, so you get a better fundamental tone.
@@Gerry926 i don't think they are tapered but instead exposed-core, its basically the labella super step. i have those one on my sadowsky modern, great string and keep their brightness longer. i usually kill dr Hibeam/fatbeam/dunlop SB SS in 2 week but the labella are still fine.
@champ6436 The Fbass strings by Labella are exposed core and tapered. I'm really just suggesting a balanced string. Seems like boomyness is the concern, which these strings don't have a lot of. Thanks though.
There are quite a few expensive basses that despite the price, suffer from bad grounding too. I always install copper foil into the control cavity and under the pickups in my basses to solve the problem. Sire are an incredible buy for the money. I have a Sire P7 mark 1 that I bought when they first came onto the market.
@@Ravenh4wk I actually took mine to a guitar tech this past week and he didn't exactly what you mentioned; shielded the cavity. It helped a lot, he said those pickups are just really hot so other than the copper foil there wasn't a lot he could do. But I think it did the job. You're right about the value, I can't believe how good the quality is on my Sire. The only thing I would change on them if I could would be to add some weight relief
I play Ibanez basses. I have ones ranging from ~$150 to just under $1k. They all play amazing. I have a few “cheap” brand basses too, and they get the job done. And tbh, for me, the thing with Ibby’z is the comfort, not necessarily the brand. The necks and ergos while playing do it for me. If there were knock offs that felt as good to play for me, I’d buy em.
@@-whiskey-4134 I've been impressed by the recent Ibanez guitars and bassists. They have made some really cool designs on top of being comfortable. I think you're right about comfort. I have a really beat up old Gibson SG that I don't like the looks of much. But it feels and sounds so good. I cannot find another guitar as comfortable.
I also play a couple Ibanez, they are great not active but way more push than my 90's Precision. To get any decent sound I need an EQ with boost or a killer expensive Rig? Yup my Ibanez does the job , I believe this statement that anything made in Japan is done so with pride i.....
I also play a couple Ibanez, they are great not active but way more push than my 90's Precision. To get any decent sound I need an EQ with boost or a killer expensive Rig? Yup my Ibanez does the job , I believe this statement that anything made in Japan is done so with pride i........
I also play a couple Ibanez, they are great not active but way more push than my 90's Precision. To get any decent sound I need an EQ with boost or a killer expensive Rig? Yup my Ibanez does the job , I believe this statement that anything made in Japan is done so with pride i........
I also play a couple Ibanez, they are great not active but way more push than my 90's Precision. To get any decent sound I need an EQ with boost or a killer expensive Rig? Yup my Ibanez does the job , I believe this statement that anything made in Japan is done so with pride i........
@@2000SkyView it probably would have been covered by the warranty except I bought both my J-basses used. Bummer. Turns out Sire has fixed the wiring issues on newer basses but the older ones still may have some grounding issues. Not sure when they updated that though
On that string retainer, have you considered adding a “sleeve”, so to speak? String tensioners seem to come with a fixed height, so it stands to reason that you could cut some steel tubing to the right length and run the screws through them so the tensioner looks beefier and the screw threads aren’t exposed. I just bought a V10 and plan to do this.
@@vandarth- if beat you to it, I’ll tell you what I did. Great video, by the way! I’ve avoided Fenders only because of the hype. I’ve been playing Yamaha BBs for the last year and love them, but they only have one option in a jazz configuration and it’s over $3k with a neck-through design so I did exactly what you did and shopped for alternatives.
Enjoyed the story of your journey. The problem with the action on the Fender can be sorted simply with a shim in the neck pocket and drilling out the B string bridge hole. The ebony neck looks perfect, will it fit the Fender body?
@@daleskidmore1685 good idea regarding the shim! I also took the bridge piece off the D string and swapped it with the one on the low B string for now, because it has the bottom part shaved off and is shorter. But the D is still high. I'm happier with that for now because the D is the string I use the least. I'll measure the neck tomorrow and check the scale. That's an interesting idea. The ebony does look incredible!
I think Sire basses are really good however I personally would recommend them only if you are in the US or maybe Europe, as in some countries (for example mine Chile) they are way too expensive even for the entry level, as the Sire V3 series are around the same price as Fender MIM bass (or even more expensive) at around 800-900 USD in local money and at that price point is maybe a good deal but IMO you have better options The quality and sound is amazing tho!
I used to have a Sire V5, and I dare say it's one of the most comfortable basses I've ever owned. Too bad I had to sell it as: 1) I'm more of a P Bass guy 2) I bought an '81 Precision Special for an absolutely steal price and can't economically justify having more than one bass But if I had enough money, I would've kept the Sire. It's that good.
i own 2 sire. a 5string 1rst gen from 2016 and a 4 string 2nd gen from 2019. fine for the price, my only complain would be the neck of the 5 that was painfull, big, lackered too so not so easy to play on. + not a fan of the preamp. in general with my OCD i just tend to spend too much time on 3 band preamp trying to get the perfect sound, i just waste way too much time on it, thats why i mainly play those bass in passive. now i don't play on jazz bass anymore ( the mid cut sound profile didn't cut well in my music and big band. soloing the neck pickup sure help but the hum of the single coil was killing me ). i own 4 jazz bass, 2 sire, 1 xotic, 1 squier and i don't play any of them anymore because of those problem. my last love is a sadowsky modern, 24 fret for all those jazz solo, humbucking soapbar to avoid all the problem with noisy room. just 2 band boost eq to keep thing simple. find it more useful in a live and studio setting than 3 band preamp with mid switch + parrallel serie toggle etc. its also what you would call a poor man ken smith, not as close as the peavey cirrus but close enough.
@jellyboy123 bro Tokai instruments are Top Quality ,there's a whole story behind it, they were making killer (prob better)Fender copy So.fender told them to stop theirs ,& contracted them to make Fender Japan I had a Fender light P bass that was an extraordinary, sunburst also pick up set up was P J now I'm thinking about it wish I could have it now again Take Care bro..
Sire basses are awesome, especially for the price! It's always a good idea to consider something else than the big name brands. I also have a non-Fender Jazz Bass: a Clover Apeiron H.5. Pretty similar to yours: active 5-string in Lake Placid Blue with rosewood board (dots, no blocks). But instead of parametric 3-band EQ, it has a 2-band EQ and a MM/J configuration, similar to Lakland. It's the Delano TheHybrid system which delivers really authentic Jass Bass sounds (with tone blend in passive mode) and very convincing StingRay sounds, both much closer to the original than Lakland. The only things I don't love about it are its 10 lbs weight and the slightly chunky neck. But it sounds awesome and never let me down after almost 15 years! If I ever lost it, I'd get the Sire Z7, or the one you just got.
@@VeitLehmann I had a real hard time breaking away from brand bias for some reason. I think it's all those years I spent drooling over the Musicians Friend catalog haha. The Clover looks nice, never heard of that before! The weight is the one downside of the Sire too. But overall I love it so far!
Design issues? Replace the saddles? The only problem with your Fender is it has never been setup properly! Fender guitars are designed to have the neck shimmed, your bass needs one bad, as bad or worse than I have ever seen. The biggest tale tale sign that a guitar needs a shim is when you have to bottom out the saddles to get playable action. Shimming the neck raises the fretboard over the body, as well as changes the angle which it sits, this will force you raise the saddles into their proper positions (i.e not bottomed out) . In 5 minutes I could have your Fender playing as good or better than any other guitar, but then again I can do that with any decent guitar. It's all about the set-up, something you did not take the time to learn how to do or spend the money to have someone qualified do it.
and another reason why i absolutely hate fender. neck shims? how about build something correct so you dont have to jerry rig it to make it playable. just buy a dean. 🍻
I'm down to just 3 basses now. My Dean 5 string electro-acoustic bass.. I changed the electrics to a fishman presys blend which gives me a beautiful deep woody tone similar to a double bass, my Chapman 5 string with it's 4 custom built jazz bass style pickups in 2 groups of two and with a push pull switch on the tone control which gives me either a normal jazz bass sound or push it down for twice the volume and my 4 string double bass. I also have a 5 string double bass in the pipeline which will be ready in the new year.
When I was looking to get a 5 string Bass, I tried Basses from other manufacturers and ended up getting a Sire V3 2nd gen 5 string that I love, the neck is very comfortable, and I can get a variety of usable tones from it, and it only weighs around 9 lbs. Could I get a more expensive better bass? I probably could have, but Sire has some of the best “Bang for Buck” Basses on the market.
That's where I'm at as well, they look and feel much more expensive than they actually are! I wish it were lighter but it's only like a half pound heavier than my Fender was so it's really not that much heavier.
@@vandarth I guess I was lucky because my Bass is not heavy at all, weighing in at around 9lbs. But I have the V3 which is made from mahogany rather than Alder which the V7 is made of, and the Preamp on mine doesn’t have the noise problems that you described in your video.
9 lbs is pretty good for a bass! Shielding my Sire with copper tape cut the noise down a decent amount. In their defense, I was running compression and crunch. But I used to run that same setting on my Fender and it was less noisy. More comparable now
I own 2 Sire's, a V7 and a V9, they're great basses, but still my Fender USA Elite Jazz beats these basses in overall built quality and sound. But I understand your decision, the sire pre-amp is so very versatile. So I am not selling but using all of these!
I own two basses. They are both the same in every way except one is a 4 and one is a 5. The Schecter Studio series basses. Tonally versatile, reliable, and look great in any situation. The 5 I’ve owned (bought new) for nearly two decades) and I have so many memories with that bass but over time I’ve been getting the itch to get a 4 again so what better one to get than a 4 string version of a bass I’ve grown with and am very familiar with. Obviously no instrument is the same but when I first played the 4 string version it just felt like home. Great video man, subscribed!
Thank you! I've almost bought Schecters a couple times. I did have an acoustic of theirs. Someday I will get one. They have really unique bass designs!
@faronjohnson3478 yup that's for sure, you know that Leo Fender designed that MM he couldn't copy any Fender specs, but nobody said he can't improve the design, exactly what they did M M is Big-time killer bass ,it's on my dream list ,played 1 & nevr matched that feel I had since, I had a "Tobas" that came close tho...
I was looking at this before i bought my SG 505. Happy with my Ibby but I can certainly see why this one would be preferable for many players. Look at the Bartolinis if you are thinking of an upgrade.
I’d like to see an update after fixing noise issues. The pickups/electronics have been the only thing about these basses that give me pause about buying one. The necks are absolutely amazing.
I'll consider making an update sometime soon! I've shielded 2 of my guitars as well with good results. I totally get where you're coming from on the pickups. I think I currently have a good bridge pickup tone on my Sire that I really dig, but I can't quite match my Fender with the neck pickup. At least not yet. So many knobs to get used to. The jury is still out on if I swap in some premium Fender or EMG bass pickups to compensate for that, but I decided it was worth keeping the Sire over the Fender even if I do have to swap pickups
I made a couple mods to my Sire. I went with Seymour Duncan Apollo's in mine. They are linear humbuckers. My bass is a little darker sounding afterwards. Then I went with Hipshot ultralite tuners and a drop d tuner. I love my Sire bass.
Find what works for you and your budget and enjoy playing, that's the most important thing. I've owned two Fender basses in 35 years of playing, all within the first like 5 years of me starting. My thing seems to be mostly 80s made in japan basses, primarily Matsumoku made with a 1997 Fujigen Ibanez being my most recent purchase (super cheap).
I love Japanese Fenders. I had a strat once that I regret selling. I've actually been looking at Fujigen too! Some of their stuff looks awesome. Even the Les Paul copies look high quality
That's a good question. I don't know the answer! I know the angle can affect how well a guitar stays in tune, although basses seem less affected by that in my opinion. But Les Pauls, which I love, have a headstock angle that's not so great for staying in tune unfortunately. It causes more slippage than some other designs. I don't know if that was Fender's thought process or not.
Nice bass mate. On all of my basses I have covered the control and pickup cavities with copper tape and then grounded them together. Even on some of my noisiest basses they are now silent. Hopefully that may be an easy solution to your background hum issues. Thanks for the video I enjoyed it 👌🏻
No more Sire for me, had three and can't seem to get used to all the overtones it gives, where my Squier basses don't, honestly, even my shortscale Harley Benton sounds better and indeed the string tentioners are but ugly.
I can get close to the sound I liked on the Fender but it's still a little different even with EQ. It's hard to match another pickup perfectly. I have to sit with the new sound for awhile though and see if I get used to it first
@@vandarth All my fenders are high end, my music man Sabre and stingrays as well. Perhaps after a little more research I might buy one and give it a try. I think if Sire made its name larger and Marcus miller name way smaller a lot more different players might run with it.
@@TheFriendlyPsychopath ah that makes sense. I have tried some great Fender signature basses and some American made models. I actually had a made in Mexico Fender P-bass a long time ago that was excellent, better than either of my Fender Jazz Basses. Maybe that was a good year for them. Can't remember exactly what year but it was a 90's model
After owning a Sire, I've just got a MarkBass Gloxy GV 5. I prefer it to the Sire I had before. Plays softer, skinnier neck and sounds way better (growls more, barks with much less digging in). Sire Vs are cool tho'. The Ps? Not so much, I have a Squier CV '70s P and much prefer its tone to any Sire Ps'.
@@bigoldnoob those look pretty slick, I especially like the green model. I might have to try one of those and compare tones. Still considering a pickup change but I like the look and feel of my Sire a lot still.
You should definitely try out Cort GB Modern 5, it has much better hardware and electronics, and it's B string is awesome. Soundwise it's not a 100% jazz bass, it's more like a "modern boutique-ish version of jazz bass"
Another great option is a used prs kestrel bass. ~$500 Throw in a pair of Seymour Duncan Apollo pick ups or whatever you want, and Bobs your Uncle for ~ $700!!! No noise issues or inconsistent craftsman ship with kestrels, you get high mass bridge, beautiful fret board with bird inlays, decent tuning machines, around 9lbs, with no neck dive.
@@charlieburns1385 ah, I see! Is it just the Sire pickups that you don't like or the p-bass style pickup sound in general? I used to have a Fender P-bass but found I liked the J-bass sound a lot better
I too have a v7, but a 4 and maple finger board. The ebony looks MUCH better, especially with the pearled inlays. For the $, can’t beat sire. Although, I think the USA fender jazz ultra is better; but 1,300 better?
@@barondavis5692 yeah, exactly, I pretty much own a bass for recording and a very rare gig where I play bass, so the Fender Ultra just didn't make as much sense for my situation. I do like those though. At least from the look. The Sire maple fingerboard with pearl inlays really grew on me after awhile. I considered buying one of those if I couldnt find the blue finish with ebony at the right price.
Sires are nice but if you have a few extra $, try a Sandberg. They are everything a Fender dreams of being. And their short scales are near perfect, in feel and tone. My Lionel is the fattest sounding passive P-style bass I own.
@@vandarth They really are fantastic basses. I was looking for a short scale and a friend of mine had a number of 34" Sandbergs. I totally dug every single one of them, and ended up buying one of his TM4s (active). Then I found a great deal on a Lionel (passive 30" P-bass) and bought it sight unplayed, which I usually never do. Had the shop I bought it from put TIJF324s on it and it almost immediately became my main bass. It is a total funk machine, but works great in roots, reggae, blues, garage rock, picked, slapped, fingered. I since picked up a custom PJ short scale fretless Sandberg which also is amazing. They are becoming more available in the US over the last couple of years.
That's awesome. I'll have to keep an eye on Sandberg. I've found quite a few international brands that I'm keeping my eye on to see if they'll become available in the States. Over in the acoustic guitar world I really like what Sigma is doing but all of their solid body models are only available in Europe right now.
@@barackmycat9448 Yeah, I'm a big fan of Gibson electrics but I'm a new dad so I have gotten into the world of cheap alternatives recently too. I like Harley Benton and PRS SE's. Just came across PureSalem and Dunable, would really like to try those.
I bought a peavey fury and I love it. I used to stan the fender precision bass but for 350 bucks I got the fury bass and its case and it is an American bass
@@vandarth I'll have to look into that. It's such an amazing bass that it doesn't bother me, and I've got other single coils that are louder, but if I could get rid of even some of it, that would be a bonus
@@anthonyturner9927 I might look into the M5 or m7 if I ever start playing bass live more. In recent years I've mostly just had a bass for recording. The v7 is so amazing but I could see it being hard on my back.
I have a fender American Vintage II P bass and Sire P7 (along with a Peavy I’ve had since the late 80s). I really like the Sires and they are absolutely awesome for the money. The neck on the Sire is has the best feel. My fender P definitely sounds better than my Sire, no contest. But does it sound 3x better considering the 3x price tag? Going to say no here. Sire basses may not THE best basses, but they absolutely punch above their weight class in terms of price. You’ll never be sorry buying one.
Yeah I agree, the neck feels pretty incredible. If anything, someday a pickup swap may be an option for me. That would make it perfect other than being a little heavy. But I don't think it's much heavier than a Fender, can't remember. Maybe half a pound
I never really took a shine to Fender instruments. I think they can sound great, and I'm glad there's lots of happy players......but it's just not for me. I personally like Tobias better. Fender Jazz bass has too narrow a neck for me, but it's great for my son.
@@hamishsummers8585 I wonder if they're often misheard, & occasionally people have thought Suhr is being meant, who are also some people's fave instruments, & more well-known, just been reading about a guy who can't see past them. I don't think that about Suhr, but at that level of expense, it's you like curry, I like Italian......I DO like that Sire, before I watched your filmita (my Spanish girlfriend calls YT uploads filmitas, also filmititas) my personal fave bass is the Gibson RD bass, I did my best to hear everything, like that Nate Navarro, Leland Sklar too......they didn't change me.......I think Gibson are they only people who achieved better sustain......that's my reason.
@@vandarth I was contemplating requesting Gibson specially do an RD five string bass, also with a whammy bar.......they charge very large sums of money for guitars made for one person like that.
@@hashachache yeah... That would be a dream though!! You don't see too many bass guitars with whammy bars. Although I think I have seen one or two before.
Yeah that's probably right once you get to this level of pickup. I've actually thought about putting Fender pickups in this bass to get the sound I liked from the J-bass in the Sire. Or trying EMG's. Not completely sure. I'm still getting used to these pickups so I will wait awhile to decide. The Sire has some tones I really like, they're just different than what I was used to
My fave bass sound has always been Hugh Hopper's, of Soft Machine......total opposite of buzzy Geddy & Squire......they achieved being historically the only band with "rock drum kit, fretted electric bass, keyboards....." to be chosen to be a night amongst a festival of classical music in 1970......I often wonder how he got his sound, absolutely no-one has ever sounded like him. Contrary to what you might expect, from that classical music festival, they were actually LOUDER than average rock set-ups, that was really the way to hear Hopper.
@@Klaus80804 it's funny you mention that because I almost didn't want one because I didn't like the headstock either! Maybe it seems like a small thing but to me I almost see an entire guitar as a piece of art. I like the Sires with the painted headstocks a lot more than the plain ones though
I used to have a Dekuxe Active Jazz Bass V and it was nowhere near as comfortable as the American Deluxe. Heck; the Squier Affinity Jazz V was better. It's hard to believe that the Mexican and the American models were built by the same company! The newer ones (Player Plus) are pretty nice though.
I own cheap knock-offs and a boutique Spector 5 string. And while she's a beauty and sounds great, I have a $350 Epiphone that hits all the marks one would want in a bass. You can find a great playing live plus recorder for sub $500 these days. If I hit lotto, I'd buy an Alembic,but I would still use my cheapo's on a gig.
@@kevmac1230 I remember owning an Epiphone Thunderbird for a bit. I liked it a lot. The only reason I sold it is because it wasn't a 5-string. I remember not being interested in Thunderbirds until I actually tried one and just really liked the feel and sound.
@@vandarthI had an Epiphone Thunderbird Goth and I absolutely hated it. Sharp edges that dig into your side, EXTREMELY neck heavy with neck dive, the 3 point bridge sucked for adjusting the action (wouldn't lower the strings enough) and I just hated it. Ordered it before trying it and I was kicking myself for buying it. Sold it shortly after getting it. But to each their own I guess.
Fender designed the first, and it needs to be improved upon. Specifically the bridge. The bridge on that, and almost all basses hasn't really changed since the Eisenhower Administration. If you take the most advanced, high mass, blah blah blah bass bridge, it's structurally the same. Ray Ross is the only system that's fundamentally different. Anyway, Sire is doing great things.
YUP! My first-gen 2016 Sire V7 5 is a keeper! The quality, features, and playability for the money are unbeatable! I can't believe the sustain this bolt-on bass has!!! I replaced the stock pickups, which sounded great, with some dual coil Bartolini J pickups and IT KILLS EVEN MORE THAN IT DID!!!
Wow ok. Been a studio guy for 45 years. I’d never ditch a Fender for a Sire. Noisy cheap electronics, cheap build quality and sounds nothing like a Fender Jazz and not in a good way. I know a lot of top players. Nobody I know would play a Sire or trade their actual Fender J out for one.i sure as heck wouldn’t for all the many reasons you pointed out. If it’s your first bass and you’re on a budget fine. But to swap a Fender J you already have for one? Why would you do that?
I just really didn't like the neck on my J-bass. It was my 2nd Fender 5-string, I was just ready to branch out a little. I like the neck on the Sire a lot better, plus the looks (I know that's not the most important thing but I think I treat guitars somewhat like artwork). It's quite possible that I eventually put Fender or EMG pickups in the Sire, but we'll see, gotta spend more time with it first
@@elijahjones2889 I actually do, I bought two Harley Benton guitars from them. I haven't tried their basses yet though. Would like to try their newest one sometime.
@@mrbassman2400 lol I do not get any money directly from Sire nor was this a paid review. I am just a Guitar Center affiliate. The way the "commission" works is I get a small percentage of anything bought from Guitar Center whether they buy a Fender or a Sire or any other brand, so there was no incentive here to choose Sire over Fender. That was my personal choice. If I really cared about the money that much I would be pushing expensive basses or USA Fenders because that's where the real money is. The opinions shared in this video are purely from my personal experience. Btw my Fender was a Made in Mexico bass.
@@RootsBassCanada interesting! What made you want to switch? I used to love Fender but I have had some quality issues with two of their bass guitars and my Acoustasonic electronics failed in the first year. I wondered if they're having some quality control issues.
After playing your Sire for 6 months, you'll get tired of it and miss your Fender. You will get tired and confused with all the knobs. Most people love the fact that they have 7 knobs to get different sounds. However, during a gig it can be a major headache. That's just my personal opinion. I prefer a less complicated bass with 2 to 3 knobs. Marcus Miller basses are cool, but Mr. Miller continues to play his same Jazz Bass hmmm.... Cool bass and I hope it works for you and your style of music.
@@troytroy3066 interesting. I can see where you're coming from, I have a tricked-out SG and 90% of the time I still only use one tone setting. I would imagine I will end up doing the same with the Sire, one or two main tones but not much tinkering after that.
@@anthonybowers7571 ah, I kinda wondered!! I've seen some nice premium bridges they have made for guitar, but on both their entry level guitars and basses, they seem not so great!
@@vandarth I actually replaced it with a better quality "Fender " one I found on Thomann , I was able to get the B lower without screws sticking out ! plus a generally better action ..didn't cost so much and well worth it
I do loooove that midnight burst finish! I would totally go for one of those if not for budget constraints. Maybe someday. I'm still pretty happy with the Sire overall right now
@@dguyiop8 that could be. The one I would have wanted just wasn't in the cards for me right now. I would give an American Fender a shot in the future though
So you bought a fender copy to replace your fender it you didn’t want it at a bargain basement price. Then you need to spend money to fix the string tree, replace the pickups and fix the faulty electronics. Hmm by the time you’re finished you could have bought a better bass with better resale value.
Thank you! Yeah, I have always loved the look of the jazz bass too. I was happy that the Sire was close enough in looks to a Fender since I've always liked their designs. I'd be curious to see what years were best for Fender and try something made during that time period
I got my sire for a steal, bought it with the intention of flipping it but it's staying in the collection. Peach of a bass.
@@lockheadanddogrockvideo That's happened to me a couple times! I meant to flip a Gibson J-45 acoustic and an SG but I just couldn't part with them lol. The Sire is a beauty to look at and it's comfortable. I can see how it'd be hard to get rid of!
if you are having issues with the B string and saddles/bridge. try tapered strings (not tape wound, tapered windings on the B).
I've used warwick black label strings (with tapered B) for 20 years, they are as thin as a D string at the bridge thickening to standard B gauge just after, so you get a better fundamental tone.
@@NiskRanThawll that is a good idea! I hadn't thought of that
@NiskRanThawll wow that's some cool info thanx 4 sharing bro..
Fbass strings are made by Labella and are tapered. Not boomy at all and work great on a jazz bass.
@@Gerry926 i don't think they are tapered but instead exposed-core, its basically the labella super step. i have those one on my sadowsky modern, great string and keep their brightness longer. i usually kill dr Hibeam/fatbeam/dunlop SB SS in 2 week but the labella are still fine.
@champ6436 The Fbass strings by Labella are exposed core and tapered. I'm really just suggesting a balanced string. Seems like boomyness is the concern, which these strings don't have a lot of. Thanks though.
There are quite a few expensive basses that despite the price, suffer from bad grounding too. I always install copper foil into the control cavity and under the pickups in my basses to solve the problem. Sire are an incredible buy for the money. I have a Sire P7 mark 1 that I bought when they first came onto the market.
@@Ravenh4wk I actually took mine to a guitar tech this past week and he didn't exactly what you mentioned; shielded the cavity. It helped a lot, he said those pickups are just really hot so other than the copper foil there wasn't a lot he could do. But I think it did the job. You're right about the value, I can't believe how good the quality is on my Sire. The only thing I would change on them if I could would be to add some weight relief
"I am ditching my Fender bass.... for a Fender copy..."
I play Ibanez basses. I have ones ranging from ~$150 to just under $1k. They all play amazing. I have a few “cheap” brand basses too, and they get the job done. And tbh, for me, the thing with Ibby’z is the comfort, not necessarily the brand. The necks and ergos while playing do it for me. If there were knock offs that felt as good to play for me, I’d buy em.
@@-whiskey-4134 I've been impressed by the recent Ibanez guitars and bassists. They have made some really cool designs on top of being comfortable. I think you're right about comfort. I have a really beat up old Gibson SG that I don't like the looks of much. But it feels and sounds so good. I cannot find another guitar as comfortable.
I also play a couple Ibanez, they are great not active but way more push than my 90's Precision. To get any decent sound I need an EQ with boost or a killer expensive Rig? Yup my Ibanez does the job , I believe this statement that anything made in Japan is done so with pride i.....
I also play a couple Ibanez, they are great not active but way more push than my 90's Precision. To get any decent sound I need an EQ with boost or a killer expensive Rig? Yup my Ibanez does the job , I believe this statement that anything made in Japan is done so with pride i........
I also play a couple Ibanez, they are great not active but way more push than my 90's Precision. To get any decent sound I need an EQ with boost or a killer expensive Rig? Yup my Ibanez does the job , I believe this statement that anything made in Japan is done so with pride i........
I also play a couple Ibanez, they are great not active but way more push than my 90's Precision. To get any decent sound I need an EQ with boost or a killer expensive Rig? Yup my Ibanez does the job , I believe this statement that anything made in Japan is done so with pride i........
my issue w/ sire basses is they are very heavy
@@TheBassfresh yeah, it is a little heavy for regular gigging. Luckily I mostly just use my bass for recording.
@TheBassfresh nutz my P is already too heavy. So what do you think makes the Sires so heavy (wood??)
@@glennrosa234 My guess is a combo of wood and maybe it's not weight-relieved like more expensive guitars are but that's just a guess.
Truss rod snapping sound like warranty issue to me. Sire is known for having wiring issues.
@@2000SkyView it probably would have been covered by the warranty except I bought both my J-basses used. Bummer. Turns out Sire has fixed the wiring issues on newer basses but the older ones still may have some grounding issues. Not sure when they updated that though
For background noise, I had the same bass guitar in 4 strings and a connection was not perfect. I resoldered it, and the background noise was gone
Interesting! Maybe I'll have to recheck my connections
I had problems with my American Fender Jazz 5 that the B string nut broke
@@Avrom-sd7uj wow! That really sucks!
On that string retainer, have you considered adding a “sleeve”, so to speak? String tensioners seem to come with a fixed height, so it stands to reason that you could cut some steel tubing to the right length and run the screws through them so the tensioner looks beefier and the screw threads aren’t exposed. I just bought a V10 and plan to do this.
@@terryreilley that's a good idea! I may look into that. It'd certainly look a little nicer and maybe even add some additional stability.
@@vandarth- if beat you to it, I’ll tell you what I did. Great video, by the way! I’ve avoided Fenders only because of the hype. I’ve been playing Yamaha BBs for the last year and love them, but they only have one option in a jazz configuration and it’s over $3k with a neck-through design so I did exactly what you did and shopped for alternatives.
Dang that's pricey!
Enjoyed the story of your journey. The problem with the action on the Fender can be sorted simply with a shim in the neck pocket and drilling out the B string bridge hole. The ebony neck looks perfect, will it fit the Fender body?
@@daleskidmore1685 good idea regarding the shim! I also took the bridge piece off the D string and swapped it with the one on the low B string for now, because it has the bottom part shaved off and is shorter. But the D is still high. I'm happier with that for now because the D is the string I use the least. I'll measure the neck tomorrow and check the scale. That's an interesting idea. The ebony does look incredible!
@@vandarth You may be able to create a Frankenstein's Monster, and end up with 2 guitars, ha, ha.
That would be awesome!
I think Sire basses are really good however I personally would recommend them only if you are in the US or maybe Europe, as in some countries (for example mine Chile) they are way too expensive even for the entry level, as the Sire V3 series are around the same price as Fender MIM bass (or even more expensive) at around 800-900 USD in local money and at that price point is maybe a good deal but IMO you have better options
The quality and sound is amazing tho!
Oh wow. I didn't know that! I've noticed some European guitars cost more over here in the U.S. too so I guess it shouldn't surprise me
I used to have a Sire V5, and I dare say it's one of the most comfortable basses I've ever owned.
Too bad I had to sell it as:
1) I'm more of a P Bass guy
2) I bought an '81 Precision Special for an absolutely steal price and can't economically justify having more than one bass
But if I had enough money, I would've kept the Sire. It's that good.
@@kurdtjohn ah that does make sense. I bet that was hard to get rid of! I always have trouble parting with instruments
i own 2 sire. a 5string 1rst gen from 2016 and a 4 string 2nd gen from 2019. fine for the price, my only complain would be the neck of the 5 that was painfull, big, lackered too so not so easy to play on. + not a fan of the preamp. in general with my OCD i just tend to spend too much time on 3 band preamp trying to get the perfect sound, i just waste way too much time on it, thats why i mainly play those bass in passive. now i don't play on jazz bass anymore ( the mid cut sound profile didn't cut well in my music and big band. soloing the neck pickup sure help but the hum of the single coil was killing me ). i own 4 jazz bass, 2 sire, 1 xotic, 1 squier and i don't play any of them anymore because of those problem.
my last love is a sadowsky modern, 24 fret for all those jazz solo, humbucking soapbar to avoid all the problem with noisy room. just 2 band boost eq to keep thing simple. find it more useful in a live and studio setting than 3 band preamp with mid switch + parrallel serie toggle etc. its also what you would call a poor man ken smith, not as close as the peavey cirrus but close enough.
i got a tokai jazz sound bass and its by far the best bass i played i even owned fenders and i always go back to it
@jellyboy123 bro Tokai instruments are Top Quality ,there's a whole story behind it, they were making killer (prob better)Fender copy So.fender told them to stop theirs ,& contracted them to make Fender Japan I had a Fender light P bass that was an extraordinary, sunburst also pick up set up was P J now I'm thinking about it wish I could have it now again Take Care bro..
Sire basses are awesome, especially for the price! It's always a good idea to consider something else than the big name brands. I also have a non-Fender Jazz Bass: a Clover Apeiron H.5. Pretty similar to yours: active 5-string in Lake Placid Blue with rosewood board (dots, no blocks). But instead of parametric 3-band EQ, it has a 2-band EQ and a MM/J configuration, similar to Lakland. It's the Delano TheHybrid system which delivers really authentic Jass Bass sounds (with tone blend in passive mode) and very convincing StingRay sounds, both much closer to the original than Lakland. The only things I don't love about it are its 10 lbs weight and the slightly chunky neck. But it sounds awesome and never let me down after almost 15 years! If I ever lost it, I'd get the Sire Z7, or the one you just got.
@@VeitLehmann I had a real hard time breaking away from brand bias for some reason. I think it's all those years I spent drooling over the Musicians Friend catalog haha. The Clover looks nice, never heard of that before! The weight is the one downside of the Sire too. But overall I love it so far!
Design issues? Replace the saddles? The only problem with your Fender is it has never been setup properly! Fender guitars are designed to have the neck shimmed, your bass needs one bad, as bad or worse than I have ever seen. The biggest tale tale sign that a guitar needs a shim is when you have to bottom out the saddles to get playable action. Shimming the neck raises the fretboard over the body, as well as changes the angle which it sits, this will force you raise the saddles into their proper positions (i.e not bottomed out) . In 5 minutes I could have your Fender playing as good or better than any other guitar, but then again I can do that with any decent guitar. It's all about the set-up, something you did not take the time to learn how to do or spend the money to have someone qualified do it.
If the Fender is so great, why is the neck not designed at the correct height out of the factory?
and another reason why i absolutely hate fender. neck shims? how about build something correct so you dont have to jerry rig it to make it playable. just buy a dean. 🍻
I'm down to just 3 basses now. My Dean 5 string electro-acoustic bass.. I changed the electrics to a fishman presys blend which gives me a beautiful deep woody tone similar to a double bass, my Chapman 5 string with it's 4 custom built jazz bass style pickups in 2 groups of two and with a push pull switch on the tone control which gives me either a normal jazz bass sound or push it down for twice the volume and my 4 string double bass. I also have a 5 string double bass in the pipeline which will be ready in the new year.
Sandberg SL 5 strings are in the 6 lb. range and Sadowski chambered body 5 strings are in the 7 to light 8 lb. range. Both are expensive though...
Man a 6-lb 5-string would be a dream. I play guitar too and the guitar that feels the best to me is a 6 lb SG
When I was looking to get a 5 string Bass, I tried Basses from other manufacturers and ended up getting a Sire V3 2nd gen 5 string that I love, the neck is very comfortable, and I can get a variety of usable tones from it, and it only weighs around 9 lbs. Could I get a more expensive better bass? I probably could have, but Sire has some of the best “Bang for Buck” Basses on the market.
That's where I'm at as well, they look and feel much more expensive than they actually are! I wish it were lighter but it's only like a half pound heavier than my Fender was so it's really not that much heavier.
@@vandarth I guess I was lucky because my Bass is not heavy at all, weighing in at around 9lbs. But I have the V3 which is made from mahogany rather than Alder which the V7 is made of, and the Preamp on mine doesn’t have the noise problems that you described in your video.
9 lbs is pretty good for a bass! Shielding my Sire with copper tape cut the noise down a decent amount. In their defense, I was running compression and crunch. But I used to run that same setting on my Fender and it was less noisy. More comparable now
I own 2 Sire's, a V7 and a V9, they're great basses, but still my Fender USA Elite Jazz beats these basses in overall built quality and sound. But I understand your decision, the sire pre-amp is so very versatile. So I am not selling but using all of these!
I own two basses. They are both the same in every way except one is a 4 and one is a 5.
The Schecter Studio series basses.
Tonally versatile, reliable, and look great in any situation.
The 5 I’ve owned (bought new) for nearly two decades) and I have so many memories with that bass but over time I’ve been getting the itch to get a 4 again so what better one to get than a 4 string version of a bass I’ve grown with and am very familiar with. Obviously no instrument is the same but when I first played the 4 string version it just felt like home.
Great video man, subscribed!
Thank you! I've almost bought Schecters a couple times. I did have an acoustic of theirs. Someday I will get one. They have really unique bass designs!
I was a die hard Fender fan til I bought an Ernie Ball MM.
It's like a Fender on steroids!
I do like those! They look sharp too
@faronjohnson3478 yup that's for sure, you know that Leo Fender designed that MM he couldn't copy any Fender specs, but nobody said he can't improve the design, exactly what they did M M is Big-time killer bass ,it's on my dream list ,played 1 & nevr matched that feel I had since, I had a "Tobas" that came close tho...
I was looking at this before i bought my SG 505. Happy with my Ibby but I can certainly see why this one would be preferable for many players. Look at the Bartolinis if you are thinking of an upgrade.
If your paying more than 1k for an electric guitar/bass then your paying too much!!!
Most important is a good amp good neck and’s best strings
You're not your
Bass Amp, what's that? I seriously just plug into my computer 99% of the time and into the sound system and my in ear monitors.
I don't care Dingwall go brrrrr
Beauty is in the eye of beholder. Same with the price - guitar cost as much as you ready to pay for it
I’d like to see an update after fixing noise issues. The pickups/electronics have been the only thing about these basses that give me pause about buying one. The necks are absolutely amazing.
I'll consider making an update sometime soon! I've shielded 2 of my guitars as well with good results. I totally get where you're coming from on the pickups. I think I currently have a good bridge pickup tone on my Sire that I really dig, but I can't quite match my Fender with the neck pickup. At least not yet. So many knobs to get used to. The jury is still out on if I swap in some premium Fender or EMG bass pickups to compensate for that, but I decided it was worth keeping the Sire over the Fender even if I do have to swap pickups
Sandberg basses have uktra lightweight 5 string Jazz Bass like models. You should try them. They are however quite expensive.
@@Gulaschguenter ooh yeah those do look sweet. Especially the Nighthawk Plus!
I made a couple mods to my Sire. I went with Seymour Duncan Apollo's in mine. They are linear humbuckers. My bass is a little darker sounding afterwards. Then I went with Hipshot ultralite tuners and a drop d tuner. I love my Sire bass.
That sounds awesome. How would you describe the tone of the Apollo pickups?
Yeah, Sire is the way to go. My main bass is a Sire P7 and it's amazing. I've never had any issues with the electronics, the pickups are great.
This is quite a coincidence. I just bought a Sire U5, my first Sire, about the same time.
@@kijekuyo9494 that's a pretty sweet model!
Find what works for you and your budget and enjoy playing, that's the most important thing. I've owned two Fender basses in 35 years of playing, all within the first like 5 years of me starting.
My thing seems to be mostly 80s made in japan basses, primarily Matsumoku made with a 1997 Fujigen Ibanez being my most recent purchase (super cheap).
I love Japanese Fenders. I had a strat once that I regret selling. I've actually been looking at Fujigen too! Some of their stuff looks awesome. Even the Les Paul copies look high quality
Can't understand why fender basses don't use tilted headstocks or 24 frets.
That's a good question. I don't know the answer! I know the angle can affect how well a guitar stays in tune, although basses seem less affected by that in my opinion. But Les Pauls, which I love, have a headstock angle that's not so great for staying in tune unfortunately. It causes more slippage than some other designs. I don't know if that was Fender's thought process or not.
Nice bass mate. On all of my basses I have covered the control and pickup cavities with copper tape and then grounded them together. Even on some of my noisiest basses they are now silent. Hopefully that may be an easy solution to your background hum issues. Thanks for the video I enjoyed it 👌🏻
@@krisjones7985 thank you! yes! The copper tape actually fixed the problem! At least enough that I'm happy with it.
No more Sire for me, had three and can't seem to get used to all the overtones it gives, where my Squier basses don't, honestly, even my shortscale Harley Benton sounds better and indeed the string tentioners are but ugly.
Hmm I'll have to keep an ear out for that. I wonder what caused it?
Why do you need new pickups? you have an EQ system on the instrument! shape the sound you want!
I can get close to the sound I liked on the Fender but it's still a little different even with EQ. It's hard to match another pickup perfectly. I have to sit with the new sound for awhile though and see if I get used to it first
He traded in a fender for a fender knockoff. 🤦♂️
@@TheFriendlyPsychopath try one, if you actually hold one in your hands it's pretty hard not to be impressed
The fender knock off sounds and is made way better than the fender
@@adeptusmaximus honestly it really does have better craftsmanship than the Fender Made in Mexico Jazz Basses I've had!
@@vandarth All my fenders are high end, my music man Sabre and stingrays as well. Perhaps after a little more research I might buy one and give it a try. I think if Sire made its name larger and Marcus miller name way smaller a lot more different players might run with it.
@@TheFriendlyPsychopath ah that makes sense. I have tried some great Fender signature basses and some American made models. I actually had a made in Mexico Fender P-bass a long time ago that was excellent, better than either of my Fender Jazz Basses. Maybe that was a good year for them. Can't remember exactly what year but it was a 90's model
Mine was a candy apple red Fender USA Std pbass, maple fretboard and white guard… I haven’t been able to come by one I can afford/justify…
After owning a Sire, I've just got a MarkBass Gloxy GV 5. I prefer it to the Sire I had before. Plays softer, skinnier neck and sounds way better (growls more, barks with much less digging in). Sire Vs are cool tho'. The Ps? Not so much, I have a Squier CV '70s P and much prefer its tone to any Sire Ps'.
@@bigoldnoob those look pretty slick, I especially like the green model. I might have to try one of those and compare tones. Still considering a pickup change but I like the look and feel of my Sire a lot still.
You should definitely try out Cort GB Modern 5, it has much better hardware and electronics, and it's B string is awesome. Soundwise it's not a 100% jazz bass, it's more like a "modern boutique-ish version of jazz bass"
@@Alex_Echo I'd be interested to hear that. It looks amazing. I've always liked Cort's designs and even considered one of their acoustics at one point
@@vandarth I got mine about half a year ago, an incredible instrument regardless of price (yet the price is very reasonable).
@@Alex_Echo I love the finish and the darker neck
Very informative.
Another great option is a used prs kestrel bass. ~$500 Throw in a pair of Seymour Duncan Apollo pick ups or whatever you want, and Bobs your Uncle for ~ $700!!! No noise issues or inconsistent craftsman ship with kestrels, you get high mass bridge, beautiful fret board with bird inlays, decent tuning machines, around 9lbs, with no neck dive.
@@benderemer7518 man, that does have a nice fretboard. I just saw a used one under $500 at Guitar Center's website
I have a sire p5 4 string precision
I don't like the pickups
@@charlieburns1385 ah, I see! Is it just the Sire pickups that you don't like or the p-bass style pickup sound in general? I used to have a Fender P-bass but found I liked the J-bass sound a lot better
I too have a v7, but a 4 and maple finger board. The ebony looks MUCH better, especially with the pearled inlays.
For the $, can’t beat sire. Although, I think the USA fender jazz ultra is better; but 1,300 better?
@@barondavis5692 yeah, exactly, I pretty much own a bass for recording and a very rare gig where I play bass, so the Fender Ultra just didn't make as much sense for my situation. I do like those though. At least from the look. The Sire maple fingerboard with pearl inlays really grew on me after awhile. I considered buying one of those if I couldnt find the blue finish with ebony at the right price.
Sires are nice but if you have a few extra $, try a Sandberg. They are everything a Fender dreams of being. And their short scales are near perfect, in feel and tone. My Lionel is the fattest sounding passive P-style bass I own.
They look pretty sweet! I had never heard of Sandberg before
@@vandarth They really are fantastic basses. I was looking for a short scale and a friend of mine had a number of 34" Sandbergs. I totally dug every single one of them, and ended up buying one of his TM4s (active). Then I found a great deal on a Lionel (passive 30" P-bass) and bought it sight unplayed, which I usually never do. Had the shop I bought it from put TIJF324s on it and it almost immediately became my main bass. It is a total funk machine, but works great in roots, reggae, blues, garage rock, picked, slapped, fingered. I since picked up a custom PJ short scale fretless Sandberg which also is amazing. They are becoming more available in the US over the last couple of years.
That's awesome. I'll have to keep an eye on Sandberg. I've found quite a few international brands that I'm keeping my eye on to see if they'll become available in the States. Over in the acoustic guitar world I really like what Sigma is doing but all of their solid body models are only available in Europe right now.
7:00
Sketches on point:)
imo Fender and Gibson our beloved brands have outpriced themselves. I have more fun buying and setting up way cheaper guitars and basses.
@@barackmycat9448 Yeah, I'm a big fan of Gibson electrics but I'm a new dad so I have gotten into the world of cheap alternatives recently too. I like Harley Benton and PRS SE's. Just came across PureSalem and Dunable, would really like to try those.
I bought a peavey fury and I love it. I used to stan the fender precision bass but for 350 bucks I got the fury bass and its case and it is an American bass
@@martinladd351 I've heard good things about their basses
My Sire hums a bit too, but all of those tones I get out of it make me not care. At all. They're amazing basses. My fender hums, too, btw.
I was actually able to get the hum down significantly by adding copper shielding to the cavity. It made a pretty big difference on mine
@@vandarth I'll have to look into that. It's such an amazing bass that it doesn't bother me, and I've got other single coils that are louder, but if I could get rid of even some of it, that would be a bonus
@@OrnetteColeman10mm yeah, it made a difference. Course I use some crunch when I record bass so that was part of it. It's a cheap solution too
I have 4 different Sire basses and I have sold my Fender Jazz bass which was not bad , but Sire the best bass for the money in the world❤️
Sire m5 ash, is my favorite, i have a v7 also, sire m5 and the m7 are light.
@@anthonyturner9927 I might look into the M5 or m7 if I ever start playing bass live more. In recent years I've mostly just had a bass for recording. The v7 is so amazing but I could see it being hard on my back.
Shim the neck to low action on a fender bass. Don't use saddles that low cause it kills sustain
I have a fender American Vintage II P bass and Sire P7 (along with a Peavy I’ve had since the late 80s). I really like the Sires and they are absolutely awesome for the money. The neck on the Sire is has the best feel. My fender P definitely sounds better than my Sire, no contest. But does it sound 3x better considering the 3x price tag? Going to say no here. Sire basses may not THE best basses, but they absolutely punch above their weight class in terms of price. You’ll never be sorry buying one.
Yeah I agree, the neck feels pretty incredible. If anything, someday a pickup swap may be an option for me. That would make it perfect other than being a little heavy. But I don't think it's much heavier than a Fender, can't remember. Maybe half a pound
I never really took a shine to Fender instruments. I think they can sound great, and I'm glad there's lots of happy players......but it's just not for me. I personally like Tobias better. Fender Jazz bass has too narrow a neck for me, but it's great for my son.
I had not heard of Tobias but they look quite nice. I loved my old Fender 4-string p-bass but I wanted the Jazz bass sound ultimately
Bass players have known about sire for years. Apparently their guitars are pretty good too
@@hamishsummers8585 I like their goldtop guitars. Been wanting to try one of those myself
@@hamishsummers8585 I wonder if they're often misheard, & occasionally people have thought Suhr is being meant, who are also some people's fave instruments, & more well-known, just been reading about a guy who can't see past them. I don't think that about Suhr, but at that level of expense, it's you like curry, I like Italian......I DO like that Sire, before I watched your filmita (my Spanish girlfriend calls YT uploads filmitas, also filmititas) my personal fave bass is the Gibson RD bass, I did my best to hear everything, like that Nate Navarro, Leland Sklar too......they didn't change me.......I think Gibson are they only people who achieved better sustain......that's my reason.
I would love a Gibson bass. I'm a huge Gibson guitar fan. I just can never seem to find a Gibson 5-string and I need that low B.
@@vandarth I was contemplating requesting Gibson specially do an RD five string bass, also with a whammy bar.......they charge very large sums of money for guitars made for one person like that.
@@hashachache yeah... That would be a dream though!! You don't see too many bass guitars with whammy bars. Although I think I have seen one or two before.
The thought to upgrade the pickups will give you a bit differant tone. Not particularly better tone.
Yeah that's probably right once you get to this level of pickup. I've actually thought about putting Fender pickups in this bass to get the sound I liked from the J-bass in the Sire. Or trying EMG's. Not completely sure. I'm still getting used to these pickups so I will wait awhile to decide. The Sire has some tones I really like, they're just different than what I was used to
G+L started making basses,
I dig Warwick and Yamaha quality.
@@johncollins5552 I remember starting to learn bass on an old red Yamaha in middle school. I really liked it. Heard great things about Warwick's too
I get a new guitar, spend money to make it almost like old guitar. I winning!
Yes.
I AM in space, currently, and I did hear that hiss.
sire marcus miller. Mine is a 4 string with roasted maple neck and love it.
@@RubyComet7 oooh I love roasted maple necks. I had my eye on the green Sire with roasted maple for awhile. Almost went for that model.
This video is awesome!
Thank you!
holy 7 minutes to say you got a Sire 💀
My fave bass sound has always been Hugh Hopper's, of Soft Machine......total opposite of buzzy Geddy & Squire......they achieved being historically the only band with "rock drum kit, fretted electric bass, keyboards....." to be chosen to be a night amongst a festival of classical music in 1970......I often wonder how he got his sound, absolutely no-one has ever sounded like him. Contrary to what you might expect, from that classical music festival, they were actually LOUDER than average rock set-ups, that was really the way to hear Hopper.
Shadow 2 Sires, and they were so heavy they about wrenched my shoulder out of its socket.
It would be awesome if they were weight-relieved. I wish they were!
I have a Marcus Miller Sire V10. I love it.
Those look awesome!
Sire Instruments are great. But I don't like the Headstock. Well, I guess they have to do it that way because otherwise Fender would sue them.
@@Klaus80804 it's funny you mention that because I almost didn't want one because I didn't like the headstock either! Maybe it seems like a small thing but to me I almost see an entire guitar as a piece of art. I like the Sires with the painted headstocks a lot more than the plain ones though
I used to have a Dekuxe Active Jazz Bass V and it was nowhere near as comfortable as the American Deluxe. Heck; the Squier Affinity Jazz V was better. It's hard to believe that the Mexican and the American models were built by the same company! The newer ones (Player Plus) are pretty nice though.
@@93greenstrat interesting! Maybe that's why that model got discontinued. The neck was clunky.
And that switch made you the best player and got you instant worldwide fame... Haha
I own cheap knock-offs and a boutique Spector 5 string. And while she's a beauty and sounds great, I have a $350 Epiphone that hits all the marks one would want in a bass. You can find a great playing live plus recorder for sub $500 these days. If I hit lotto, I'd buy an Alembic,but I would still use my cheapo's on a gig.
@@kevmac1230 I remember owning an Epiphone Thunderbird for a bit. I liked it a lot. The only reason I sold it is because it wasn't a 5-string. I remember not being interested in Thunderbirds until I actually tried one and just really liked the feel and sound.
@@vandarthI had an Epiphone Thunderbird Goth and I absolutely hated it. Sharp edges that dig into your side, EXTREMELY neck heavy with neck dive, the 3 point bridge sucked for adjusting the action (wouldn't lower the strings enough) and I just hated it. Ordered it before trying it and I was kicking myself for buying it. Sold it shortly after getting it. But to each their own I guess.
@@travisazzopardi8024 I could see that, I tried a Goth V once and hated it. Not sure which Thunderbird model I tried. It's been like 8 years!
I would have gone for Sadowski's metro line
I hadn't heard of them before. They have one that looks exactly like my old Fender Jazz bass.
Fender designed the first, and it needs to be improved upon. Specifically the bridge. The bridge on that, and almost all basses hasn't really changed since the Eisenhower Administration. If you take the most advanced, high mass, blah blah blah bass bridge, it's structurally the same.
Ray Ross is the only system that's fundamentally different.
Anyway, Sire is doing great things.
Whoa the Ray Ross bridge is pretty sweet looking. Wish I could get those for my guitar
YUP! My first-gen 2016 Sire V7 5 is a keeper! The quality, features, and playability for the money are unbeatable! I can't believe the sustain this bolt-on bass has!!! I replaced the stock pickups, which sounded great, with some dual coil Bartolini J pickups and IT KILLS EVEN MORE THAN IT DID!!!
Yeah, it feels rock solid! I'll look into those, I'm still wrestling with whether or not to change pickups or what to get
Wow ok. Been a studio guy for 45 years. I’d never ditch a Fender for a Sire. Noisy cheap electronics, cheap build quality and sounds nothing like a Fender Jazz and not in a good way. I know a lot of top players. Nobody I know would play a Sire or trade their actual Fender J out for one.i sure as heck wouldn’t for all the many reasons you pointed out. If it’s your first bass and you’re on a budget fine. But to swap a Fender J you already have for one? Why would you do that?
I just really didn't like the neck on my J-bass. It was my 2nd Fender 5-string, I was just ready to branch out a little. I like the neck on the Sire a lot better, plus the looks (I know that's not the most important thing but I think I treat guitars somewhat like artwork). It's quite possible that I eventually put Fender or EMG pickups in the Sire, but we'll see, gotta spend more time with it first
To bad u didnt know about thomann
@@elijahjones2889 I actually do, I bought two Harley Benton guitars from them. I haven't tried their basses yet though. Would like to try their newest one sometime.
@@mrbassman2400 lol I do not get any money directly from Sire nor was this a paid review. I am just a Guitar Center affiliate. The way the "commission" works is I get a small percentage of anything bought from Guitar Center whether they buy a Fender or a Sire or any other brand, so there was no incentive here to choose Sire over Fender. That was my personal choice. If I really cared about the money that much I would be pushing expensive basses or USA Fenders because that's where the real money is. The opinions shared in this video are purely from my personal experience. Btw my Fender was a Made in Mexico bass.
Yup i hear .you Bro.
Im hoping to ditch my Fender and never own one again.
@@RootsBassCanada interesting! What made you want to switch? I used to love Fender but I have had some quality issues with two of their bass guitars and my Acoustasonic electronics failed in the first year. I wondered if they're having some quality control issues.
After playing your Sire for 6 months, you'll get tired of it and miss your Fender. You will get tired and confused with all the knobs. Most people love the fact that they have 7 knobs to get different sounds. However, during a gig it can be a major headache. That's just my personal opinion. I prefer a less complicated bass with 2 to 3 knobs. Marcus Miller basses are cool, but Mr. Miller continues to play his same Jazz Bass hmmm.... Cool bass and I hope it works for you and your style of music.
@@troytroy3066 interesting. I can see where you're coming from, I have a tricked-out SG and 90% of the time I still only use one tone setting. I would imagine I will end up doing the same with the Sire, one or two main tones but not much tinkering after that.
Fender bridges and saddles are generally terrible ..I replaced my P5 bridge , now it's perfect for me
@@anthonybowers7571 ah, I kinda wondered!! I've seen some nice premium bridges they have made for guitar, but on both their entry level guitars and basses, they seem not so great!
@@vandarth I actually replaced it with a better quality "Fender " one I found on Thomann , I was able to get the B lower without screws sticking out ! plus a generally better action ..didn't cost so much and well worth it
@@anthonybowers7571 awesome! I'll remember that if I ever run into that issue again!
are you somehow related to scott weiland?
@@topa1798 hah no, why? I did grow up listening to Stone Temple Pilots though
Seems like you are just trading problems for other problems. Sell them both and get a Fender Pro II.
I do loooove that midnight burst finish! I would totally go for one of those if not for budget constraints. Maybe someday. I'm still pretty happy with the Sire overall right now
Bacchus dude, Bacchus!
Sire, "a brand I've never heard of"! 😂 dude!
@@carlosdrfx haha. In my defense I'm primarily a guitar player. Glad I came across Sire though!
Fender has a better resale value. I like Fender 👍 American & Mexican.
@@duanedietz7472 that's definitely something to consider especially if you're not 100% set on keeping something
AGREE!
Fender guitars are amazing but there basses are alright I feel like they are better making guitars
How dare you!
Hahaha
Clicked on this video because I knew exactly what this video was about #AlsoOnMyDreamBass
Are you high in this video? The reason I ask is because you look high.
No lol...
A USA Fender would blow that out of the water sorry to say
@@dguyiop8 that could be. The one I would have wanted just wasn't in the cards for me right now. I would give an American Fender a shot in the future though
So you bought a fender copy to replace your fender it you didn’t want it at a bargain basement price. Then you need to spend money to fix the string tree, replace the pickups and fix the faulty electronics. Hmm by the time you’re finished you could have bought a better bass with better resale value.
Love Sires hate their weight
@@joannalewis5279 I agree with that! I wish they were weight-relieved like newer Les Paul's are
Congrats on ditching the original for another F copy that couldn’t come up with their own look or design.
Just stick with a P Bass and 4 strings. Nothing else is needed.
Fender rules, the rest drools...
I like how a jazz bass looks, but I don't think Fender are good at building instruments.
Congrats on the Sire.
Thank you! Yeah, I have always loved the look of the jazz bass too. I was happy that the Sire was close enough in looks to a Fender since I've always liked their designs. I'd be curious to see what years were best for Fender and try something made during that time period
just play the damn thing. No one really cares about how much or how little it costs. geez
Blasphemy❗😂😂
Shim it…?!
Your cry baby voice is tops!
Hahaha! It was a fun experiment