fantastic instrument at a great price. Love the look, feel, and tonal variety that this has to offer.
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NBD: Sire V7 Marcus Miller
- Thread starter bassplayer1494
- Start date
fantastic instrument at a great price. Love the look, feel, and tonal variety that this has to offer.
Congrats! How much does it weigh? I’m not in the market for a Jazz, or any bass, but I’m always surprised at how heavy these get.
Thank you!
I haven’t weighed it but I’d say it’s probably around 9ish pounds. Definitely not as light as my Warwick which is around 8 lbs, but it’s very comfortable.
I had a Fender jazz years back. American Series with the S-1 switch in it. That bass was an absolute tank. Probably weighed 11 lbs or so. This feels way lighter in comparison.
Tried one of these for the first time last week and was blown away. A VERY intelligent purchase in my opinion. Congratulations.
A bought one a few years back, white with rosewood/pearloid blocks.
A lot of bass for a reasonable price ( and a versatile pre-amp ).
Only sold it to add funds to my upcoming Dingwall 5'er
A lot of bass for a reasonable price ( and a versatile pre-amp ).
Only sold it to add funds to my upcoming Dingwall 5'er
@bassplayer1494 Very nice Sire V7! I have its’ 1st generation four string twin, bought new in 2016, and continue to be impressed with the quality and tone of this instrument.
One will find higher quality tuners and bridge on more expensive instruments however mine are OEM and work just fine after 5 years of indoor and outdoor use. The neck on mine rarely needs a truss rod adjustment, I keep the relief at .012”, and the finish of all components look new. I really feel I received great value for my $$.
I find the Sire pre-amp to be very good and makes this bass very flexible with tone and music genre. The mid frequency sweep has become one of my favorite features. I can bump low mids for a smooth punchy tone or bump high mids for a brighter, completely different tone.
May you enjoy yours and play it in good health for a long time!
One will find higher quality tuners and bridge on more expensive instruments however mine are OEM and work just fine after 5 years of indoor and outdoor use. The neck on mine rarely needs a truss rod adjustment, I keep the relief at .012”, and the finish of all components look new. I really feel I received great value for my $$.
I find the Sire pre-amp to be very good and makes this bass very flexible with tone and music genre. The mid frequency sweep has become one of my favorite features. I can bump low mids for a smooth punchy tone or bump high mids for a brighter, completely different tone.
May you enjoy yours and play it in good health for a long time!
Here's my complete review after a week of playing.
I'd like to heart the OPs thoughts on his too
So after a week of playing my new Sire Marcus Miller V7 Alder 5-String version 2, Here's my report.
As a 40+ year vet being a bassist, owning multiple basses of varying quality these are my opinions on this bass.
The build quality is close to that of any high end Fender American Deluxe. (imhp)
Tuners operate smoothly.
I like the string retainer, holds down all 5 strings equally, was a good choice.
The bone nut was a nice choice over plastic.
The bridge is comparable to the stock Fender bridges, the satin finish to the saddles is a nice touch. You also have the option to string through the body or bridge.
It arrived with its intonation dead on and all I needed to do was adjust the saddle/string height to my taste for playing.
The neck is bound, another nice touch and frets were cleaned and smooth on the edges and rolled.
The pearloid block inlays were also another nice touch over a dot.
Neck arrived straight as an arrow and needed no adjustment.
The satin finish on the back of the neck was just one more nice touch, smooth playing for a sticky hand.
The electronics and pick ups.
I expected that I may end up changing the pups, and almost ordered a set of aftermarket pickups when I ordered the Bass. I'm glad I didn't. They sound fantastic! The preamp is one of the best sounding preamps I've had in an active bass. It's a Swiss army knife selection of tones. Pickups are tight and bright right down to the B string. No need to change anything!
Also, it has an active passive switch and the bass sounds just as good in passive. (quality pick ups, designed to Marcus Millers specs)
The pickguard is a nice touch, instead of a standard black for the white body but lacks the depth of a real tort shell pickguard, that would be the only complaint but is far outshined by everything else.
I've heard complaints about the battery cases breaking (the version 1 use to have 2 separate cases) but that has been changed to a single case of a different design and is no longer an issue.
The bass was sent with D'addario strings. Not my choice but I have used them before and have no issues with them.
In conclusion. It plays like a dream, it sounds easily on par with any Fender American Deluxe. (my comparison because I've owned them)
I think I'd prefer Jumbo frets but the medium frets don't effect anything.
The price ($649) list is simply incredible.
This bass is amazing for the price, the Sire name Tag supposedly comes with a low end low price stigma and with the quality of this bass that should just fall away.
Hands down one of the best basses made for the price.
Great Job Marcus Miller and Sire, you knocked it out of the park with this bass.
Specifications
Body Material : Swamp Ash / North American Alder
Body Shape : New Marcus Miller Jazz Type
Body Color : Alder Body – TS, AWH, BK, BMR | Ash Body – NT, TS, WB, BMR
Neck Material : 1 Piece Hard Maple(Satin Finish)
Neck Shape : C-Shape
Scale : 34”
Fingerboard(Rolled Edges) : Hard Maple(Swamp Ash) / Ebony(Alder)
Fingerboard Radius : 9.5″
Frets : 2.4 medium
String Nut : 4 String – Natural Bone 38mm width / 5 String – Natural Bone 46mm width
Binding : 1 ply Ivory
Inlay : WH Pearloid Block
Neck Joint : 4 Bolt Steel Square Plate
Pickups : Marcus Super-J Revolution Set
Electronics : Marcus Heritage-3 with Middle Frequency Control
Controls : Volume / Tone(Dual Pot) | Pickup Blender | Treble | Middle / Middle Frequency (Dual Pot) | Bass, Mini Toggle(Active / Passive)
Knobs : Plastic Jazz Type in Black
Bridge : Marcus Miller Heavy Mass Standard
Tuning Gear : Premium Open-Gear
Hardware Finish : Chrome
Pickguard : Ivory Pearl(Swamp Ash) / Tortoise(Alder)
10.4 lbs 4.7 kg
I'd like to heart the OPs thoughts on his too
So after a week of playing my new Sire Marcus Miller V7 Alder 5-String version 2, Here's my report.
As a 40+ year vet being a bassist, owning multiple basses of varying quality these are my opinions on this bass.
The build quality is close to that of any high end Fender American Deluxe. (imhp)
Tuners operate smoothly.
I like the string retainer, holds down all 5 strings equally, was a good choice.
The bone nut was a nice choice over plastic.
The bridge is comparable to the stock Fender bridges, the satin finish to the saddles is a nice touch. You also have the option to string through the body or bridge.
It arrived with its intonation dead on and all I needed to do was adjust the saddle/string height to my taste for playing.
The neck is bound, another nice touch and frets were cleaned and smooth on the edges and rolled.
The pearloid block inlays were also another nice touch over a dot.
Neck arrived straight as an arrow and needed no adjustment.
The satin finish on the back of the neck was just one more nice touch, smooth playing for a sticky hand.
The electronics and pick ups.
I expected that I may end up changing the pups, and almost ordered a set of aftermarket pickups when I ordered the Bass. I'm glad I didn't. They sound fantastic! The preamp is one of the best sounding preamps I've had in an active bass. It's a Swiss army knife selection of tones. Pickups are tight and bright right down to the B string. No need to change anything!
Also, it has an active passive switch and the bass sounds just as good in passive. (quality pick ups, designed to Marcus Millers specs)
The pickguard is a nice touch, instead of a standard black for the white body but lacks the depth of a real tort shell pickguard, that would be the only complaint but is far outshined by everything else.
I've heard complaints about the battery cases breaking (the version 1 use to have 2 separate cases) but that has been changed to a single case of a different design and is no longer an issue.
The bass was sent with D'addario strings. Not my choice but I have used them before and have no issues with them.
In conclusion. It plays like a dream, it sounds easily on par with any Fender American Deluxe. (my comparison because I've owned them)
I think I'd prefer Jumbo frets but the medium frets don't effect anything.
The price ($649) list is simply incredible.
This bass is amazing for the price, the Sire name Tag supposedly comes with a low end low price stigma and with the quality of this bass that should just fall away.
Hands down one of the best basses made for the price.
Great Job Marcus Miller and Sire, you knocked it out of the park with this bass.
Specifications
Body Material : Swamp Ash / North American Alder
Body Shape : New Marcus Miller Jazz Type
Body Color : Alder Body – TS, AWH, BK, BMR | Ash Body – NT, TS, WB, BMR
Neck Material : 1 Piece Hard Maple(Satin Finish)
Neck Shape : C-Shape
Scale : 34”
Fingerboard(Rolled Edges) : Hard Maple(Swamp Ash) / Ebony(Alder)
Fingerboard Radius : 9.5″
Frets : 2.4 medium
String Nut : 4 String – Natural Bone 38mm width / 5 String – Natural Bone 46mm width
Binding : 1 ply Ivory
Inlay : WH Pearloid Block
Neck Joint : 4 Bolt Steel Square Plate
Pickups : Marcus Super-J Revolution Set
Electronics : Marcus Heritage-3 with Middle Frequency Control
Controls : Volume / Tone(Dual Pot) | Pickup Blender | Treble | Middle / Middle Frequency (Dual Pot) | Bass, Mini Toggle(Active / Passive)
Knobs : Plastic Jazz Type in Black
Bridge : Marcus Miller Heavy Mass Standard
Tuning Gear : Premium Open-Gear
Hardware Finish : Chrome
Pickguard : Ivory Pearl(Swamp Ash) / Tortoise(Alder)
10.4 lbs 4.7 kg
I'm trying to decide between the MM V7 Swamp Ash 5-string and the MM V7 Vintage Swamp Ash 5-string. The V7 Vintage has the 60s pickup placing, or spacing. The V7 has 70s pickup placing, or spacing. Can anyone tell me what the advantage of 60s pickup placement or vintage spacing would be?
I believe Vintage spec is ‘70’s spacing, which relocated the bridge pickup closer to the bridge for a brighter sound. Current J bass pickup locations are back to the original ’60’s locations. Please double check the SIRE website for verification.
I believe modern bass amplifiers are for the most part clear and not muddy sounding. My preference is standard spacing and my 1st generation V7 ash 4 string plays and sounds awesome, best of success with the one you feel is best for you
I believe modern bass amplifiers are for the most part clear and not muddy sounding. My preference is standard spacing and my 1st generation V7 ash 4 string plays and sounds awesome, best of success with the one you feel is best for you
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Here is a side by side comparison between the Sire V7 and the Sire Vintage V7. It seems like the tone difference is negligible.
And
And
