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Fender Jazz Bass MIM vs Sire MM V7

#21
I would go Sire. I've never owned one. But I have played one and it was very nice. In my opinion Fender's MIM line is quickly becoming the least bang for your buck. The price margin between MIM and MIA is so small it's a no brainer. (again IMHO). And the quality of VM and CV Squire is so close to MIM, the price difference again isn't worth it. (unless your looking at the most expensive Squire vs the cheapest MIM).
Again IMHO.
 
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#23
In the past I owned a MIM jazz and jazz fretless. Both were solid and both got sold. I now have a Sire V7 fretted and fretless. They are keepers. My Sires look and sound and feel better than my old Fenders, and I have to say, better than any MIM or US Fender I have played in the last year of noodling at the shops. If you have the budget could you spring for both and sell or return the one you don't like?
 
#24
If the MIM Fender is a Classic Series Jazz ('60s or '70s) I'd probably go with the Fender. They're nicer than any of the Sire's I've tried out in stores. Sire's sound pretty good but the hardware is pretty cheap (every one I tried had a lot of slop in the tuners...tuning was a chore). The Classic Series from Fender are solid basses with decent appointments and build quality (steer clear of the Standard Series Jazz Bass). The Fenders are passive, though. The Sires will give you the option to go active if that's what you're looking for, and they do sound nice. Playability-wise, I give a slight edge to the Fender Classic. Feels better to me. But that's subjective, of course.

I agree that a Fender Classic will probably have a higher resale value than a Sire in the long run. But if you're looking for a player to hold onto for a good while, that shouldn't be a factor in your decision.
 
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#26
MrMoonlight said:
If the MIM Fender is a Classic Series Jazz ('60s or '70s) I'd probably go with the Fender. They're nicer than any of the Sire's I've tried out in stores. Sire's sound pretty good but the hardware is pretty cheap (every one I tried had a lot of slop in the tuners...tuning was a chore). The Classic Series from Fender are solid basses with decent appointments and build quality (steer clear of the Standard Series Jazz Bass). The Fenders are passive, though. The Sires will give you the option to go active if that's what you're looking for, and they do sound nice. Playability-wise, I give a slight edge to the Fender Classic. Feels better to me. But that's subjective, of course.

I agree that a Fender Classic will probably have a higher resale value than a Sire in the long run. But if you're looking for a player to hold onto for a good while, that shouldn't be a factor in your decision.
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What stores?? Sire is not available in stores. We are not talking Squier but SIRE.

I prefer my Sire V7 Vintage and my Squier Classic Vibe Precision over any Mexican and American Special Fenders .
Now if my hands were larger I might take a Mexican Nate Mendel or Classic Series P over my Squier. But even then that's a close maybe.
And I can honestly say that I prefer my Sire over the current Fender American offerings of similar specs. My Sire has a smaller body than Fender Jazz basses. I have an alder 4 string that weighs 8.9. Not heavy at all.
 
#27
I bought a Sire V7 Vintage 5er last fall. After owning it for a month or two I sold my MIM Jazz 4 string. So you know my opinion.

Someone asked about weight. My Sire is 10lbs 2oz. I recently bought a 3.5" Levys strap and even though I'm 57, I could play it all night. I've gigged with it using a 2.5" and by the end of the three hours I was ready to put it in its case. My first gig with the wide strap is next Friday but I've practiced with it and weight is just not an issue.

IMG_2162.JPG
 
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#28
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
What stores?? Sire is not available in stores. We are not talking Squier but SIRE.
Click to expand...

I suppose I should have clarified.

About two months ago, there was a Sire (not Squier) on consignment at a local store here that looked fairly new. I tried it out. Not a bad bass, actually...but the tuners were the weak spot. It sold within two weeks.

Another one showed up used at a different store about three weeks ago. It's gone now, though. It sold pretty quickly as well. I'd thought about picking it up when I was noodling with it but it was a four-banger and I'm looking for a fiver right now. The tuners on that had quite a bit of play as well.

Dunno if that's the norm or if these were the exception. I've heard complaints about the bridges and tuners before from some owners. Sounds to be hit-or-miss, because other Sire owners seem perfectly happy. But I'd really want to play one before buying. I don't know if I'd be comfortable just ordering one sight-unseen.
 
#31
bopeuph said:
Same. Mine is Indonesian, and nothing is out of the ordinary with it.
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Ditto times 4 for my 4 Sires. Tuners don't look terribly impressive, but have been getting the job done just fine.

And Sire is working on developing a retail presence for the try before you buy crowd - will be interesting to see how that rolls out.
 
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#34
Would like to know where these fall in the higher archey of things. Opinions are so scattered it's hard to tell. Currently play a Fender American Deluxe Zone Bass, but my back up is a Fender MIM Deluxe jazz. The MIM jazz is great, just prefer the Zone bass as it is a liitle smaller. As most of you know, Any Fender Mim, American or otherwise, just depends on THE ONE YOU GOT. Some are great, some are crap, and everything in between. Hope Sire's are more consistent. Would also be interested in the M7 Sire model. (Hope that's the correct model). For me , they look more interesting, but they don't look like a P or J.






would
 
#36
bass151 said:
Would like to know where these fall in the higher archey of things. Opinions are so scattered it's hard to tell. Currently play a Fender American Deluxe Zone Bass, but my back up is a Fender MIM Deluxe jazz. The MIM jazz is great, just prefer the Zone bass as it is a liitle smaller. As most of you know, Any Fender Mim, American or otherwise, just depends on THE ONE YOU GOT. Some are great, some are crap, and everything in between. Hope Sire's are more consistent. Would also be interested in the M7 Sire model. (Hope that's the correct model). For me , they look more interesting, but they don't look like a P or J.






would
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Correct, the M7 is a completely different body shape, more like the M3, but with a nice thick top instead of veneer, and a bunch of other upgrades, especially the pickup wiring options. Here's some pics of mine:
Sire M7 fretless 5 trans blue 003.jpg Sire M7 fretless 5 trans blue 002.jpg Sire M7 fretless 5 trans blue 001.jpg
Very sleek and comfortable design, hangs very well, hardly even notice the longer 35" scale length on the M7 5.
 
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#38
bass151 said:
Is the M7 body smaller than a Jazz or P. Is the 4 string 35 inch scale as well? Thanks
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Yes, the M7 body is smaller and lighter. My M7 5 fretless is only 8.6 pounds, while both my V7 5s are 10.4 pounds. No, the 4 string M7 is 34" from what I understand.
 

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