New Sire GB5 Fretless 4

[Zoot H Rollo]

Looks like it's aimed at Godin

From Sweetwater

Bassists looking for an organic acoustic-style tone for performing onstage absolutely love the Sire GB5. This bass offers natural-sounding acoustic tones in a familiar form factor. The slim mahogany body features extensive chambering for a resonant sound with long sustain.

Meanwhile, you also get a solid spruce top for a snappier attack. A bolt-on 3-piece mahogany neck supplies fluid playability that never slows you down. Plus, the fingerboard comes with rolled edges for added comfort.

On the electronics side, the GB5’s piezo pickup and onboard Vividx-B preamp work together to produce a natural-sounding tone fit for worship groups, folk music, and so much more.

You don’t have to deal with bulky, feedback-prone acoustic-electric basses anymore — order a Sire GB5 from Sweetwater and perform to the best of your abilities onstage.

 

[bholder]

I need one.

 

[MuseChaser]

Up until a couple months ago, I wasn't even AWARE of these styles of basses. As a strictly straight-ahead jazz player without the time or inclination to own an upright and keep my chops strong enough to play anything longer than one easy set who has been doing my best to make an Alembic Epic5 fretless fit on the few occasions I've been hired to play bass instead of piano, the idea of being able to get a more upright sound really appeals to me.
Sooo.. after reading about Rob Allen, Godin, Cort, and Ibanez offerings, I bought an Ibanez SRH500F ('cause I found one and it was relatively cheap new). I'm knocked out by it.

Then you post this.... With a list price of $559... About $100 less than the Ibanez I bought on a Black Friday special.

You're not a nice person.

Edit: Okay, just checked more carefully. The fretless version is $659... Same as the Ibanez I have. Now I just need someone to tell me the Ibanez is better so I can sleep again.

 

[bholder]

Up until a couple months ago, I wasn't even AWARE of these styles of basses. As a strictly straight-ahead jazz player without the time or inclination to own an upright and keep my chops strong enough to play anything longer than one easy set who has been doing my best to make an Alembic Epic5 fretless fit on the few occasions I've been hired to play bass instead of piano, the idea of being able to get a more upright sound really appeals to me.
Sooo.. after reading about Rob Allen, Godin, Cort, and Ibanez offerings, I bought an Ibanez SRH500F ('cause I found one and it was relatively cheap new). I'm knocked out by it.

Then you post this.... With a list price of $559... About $100 less than the Ibanez I bought on a Black Friday special.

You're not a nice person.

Edit: Okay, just checked more carefully. The fretless version is $659... Same as the Ibanez I have. Now I just need someone to tell me the Ibanez is better so I can sleep again.

I'm sure the Ibanez is nice, they almost always are, and good value for the price, but Sire doesn't enter a market at a given price point unless they can undercut the competition on price per value.

 

[MuseChaser]

I'm sure the Ibanez is nice, they almost always are, and good value for the price, but Sire doesn't enter a market at a given price point unless they can undercut the competition on price per value.

Not helpful.

Edit... It sure looks more like they're going after the Rob Allen and Godin style than the Ibanez...

 

[Zoot H Rollo]

Up until a couple months ago, I wasn't even AWARE of these styles of basses. As a strictly straight-ahead jazz player without the time or inclination to own an upright and keep my chops strong enough to play anything longer than one easy set who has been doing my best to make an Alembic Epic5 fretless fit on the few occasions I've been hired to play bass instead of piano, the idea of being able to get a more upright sound really appeals to me.
Sooo.. after reading about Rob Allen, Godin, Cort, and Ibanez offerings, I bought an Ibanez SRH500F ('cause I found one and it was relatively cheap new). I'm knocked out by it.

Then you post this.... With a list price of $559... About $100 less than the Ibanez I bought on a Black Friday special.

You're not a nice person.

Edit: Okay, just checked more carefully. The fretless version is $659... Same as the Ibanez I have. Now I just need someone to tell me the Ibanez is better so I can sleep again.

I had the Ibanez SRH500F for a while to scratch the serious Rob Allen itch I had since I sold my MB2

I sold it and built this

Which is amazing

But I still wanted a Rob Allen style piezo chambered with LaBells tapewounds

I had a few Carvin AC40 basses - not bad, but hard to find decent used now

Had the Godin A4 for a while. It was OK.

I was looking at the new Ibanez fretless recently, until I finally saw some good pics of it and heard a second sound demo

Um, no on that one

Then this Sire popped up

The Ibanez SRH500F is a fantastic bass. I preferred its tone and weight over the Godin by a long shot

The only other option is a Turner RB4. But dang it, they are $2k plus.

I may grab a beater Ibanez SRH500F on the cheap after all this nonsense

 

[MrAB4003]

First a EBMM Stingray style bass, now this. What will Sire think of next?

 

[Zoot H Rollo]

First a EBMM Stingray style bass, now this. What will Sire think of next?

the Behringer of guitars

 

[Zoot H Rollo]

 

[ItsmeSantiago]

First a EBMM Stingray style bass, now this. What will Sire think of next?

Hopefully a Mustang

 

[King Harvest]

I’m interested. Although there is a guy selling an A4 Ultra on my local CL for $1K… so tempting.

 

[Les Fret]

Yes obviously a Godin copy. Why don’t they just make their own model instead of copying other basses all the time? Sire is becoming the next Behringer.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

First a EBMM Stingray style bass, now this. What will Sire think of next?

They got a fancy single cut now as well!

 

[mrperkolator]

Yes obviously a Godin copy. Why don’t they just make their own model instead of copying other basses all the time? Sire is becoming the next Behringer.

except Sire does a better job. I’d grab my Sire over many other brands that are twice the price. They’re very well made.

if anyone finds a video (demo or review) of the GB series and not just the add copy at different websites I’ll be very interested


Edit: they also have their own models. U5 is inspired by other basses but is its own thing, as well as the M series.

 

[SunByrne]

Why don’t they just make their own model instead of copying other basses all the time?

Bzzzt, incorrect. Not ALL the time.

M SERIES

Seriously, though, half the bass manufacturers out there copy Ps and Js, and nobody has a problem with this. Why does nobody rip Lakland for copying the J? Why does nobody rip G&L for copying the P? Why are some copies OK and not others?

 

[Les Fret]

Bzzzt, incorrect. Not ALL the time.

M SERIES

Seriously, though, half the bass manufacturers out there copy Ps and Js, and nobody has a problem with this. Why does nobody rip Lakland for copying the J? Why does nobody rip G&L for copying the P? Why are some copies OK and not others?

For Fenders jazz it’s ok. But reasonable small businesses like Godin is not ok for me.

Yes they have one or two own models but the rest are copies.

 

[Les Fret]

Edit: they also have their own models. U5 is inspired by other basses but is its own thing, as well as the M series.

the U5 is just a jazz bass with a P pickup. I wouldn’t consider that an own model. The M series is.

 

[antfarm]

I like the string through bridge. Bridge pins and tapewounds/flatwounds are not a good combination.

Looks like the fretless comes with flatwounds (blue silks), while the fretted model comes with roundwounds (tapered at the headstock).

 

[antfarm]

Any idea why the fretless model costs an extra $100?

If the strings are D'Addario Chromes, that might add a little, but shouldn't coating a fretboard be less expensive than fretting it? Or are they using the new Z series' necks on the fretted model?

 

[Eric Ryan]

It needs the old L.R. Baggs preamp the old Godin's used...