New Sire P Basses!

[Mike Sorr]

I've always wanted a Fender Tony Franklin fretless, but since they cost well beyond my budget for a fretless AND don't have a model that includes fretlines, I'm seriously considering picking up a P7 fretless 4 string. Does anyone have any insight on how they sound, or what they weigh?

 

[bholder]

I'll let you know in another month or so when my 5er arrives.

 

[Timmy-Watts]

Anyone here who has the 5 string? I'm considering it heavily. How is the low B string?

 

[jlepre]

Anyone here who has the 5 string? I'm considering it heavily. How is the low B string?

Mine is the ash model and weighs 9.4 lbs, and I just played a 3 hour gig last Saturday with no shoulder pain. B is solid, like the V7 & VV7.

 

[Timmy-Watts]

Mine is the ash model and weighs 9.4 lbs, and I just played a 3 hour gig last Saturday with no shoulder pain. B is solid, like the V7 & VV7.

Thanks. That's what I was hoping to hear. I had a v7 4 string for a minute but I just don't get along with jazz basses in a mix. Now I'm needing a 5 string (I play 6's when the range is needed, but never need the high C string in the cover band), and I love a good PJ. I'm considering the ash model.

 

[jlepre]

Thanks. That's what I was hoping to hear. I had a v7 4 string for a minute but I just don't get along with jazz basses in a mix. Now I'm needing a 5 string (I play 6's when the range is needed, but never need the high C string in the cover band), and I love a good PJ. I'm considering the ash model.

I was very comfortable and we played one set for over an hour and a half.

 

[todd0864]

I see there's about a month and a half before the 4 strings ship. They must be selling the P7 like hot cakes. The ash natural with maple is kind of calling my name.

 

[gerrywarwick]

I still like my V7 after dozens of gigs. I'm in a reggae/alt band and need versatility when I go from Bob Marley to Bruno Mars, so I was specifically looking for a 5 string PJ. I had a Lull 5 string, PJ and didn't like the sound at all. Of course, it was masterfully built but was just didn't resonate right for me.
So, I'm trying to decide if to hit the order button on the Sire site and I decided to go to GC and Sam Ash (across the street from each other) and try a few. Fortunately, there were plenty of PJ and reverse PJ Basses to try. I became a fan of the reverse P that day. I need a fat G string and a really tight low B and the reverse PJ nailed it for me. The distance between the pickups just sounds right and more balanced, on the reverse P and I went with the one that slayed all the others.
I'm still hoping that once Sire grows a bit more, they'll offer a Reverse P option.
There were actually 2 Sire Basses there over the first 2 weeks I auditioned basses. Gosh, someone really abused these things with sloppy mods. I borrowed tools from the tech and tried my best to set them up. They sounded nothing like my Sire.

 

[Martin Olsson]

Got it!
And now I understand what the fuzz is about. Its a very well made instrument. Nothing like the Red V7s I had to send back.
And it sounds really good. Playable directly from the go.
The potentiometers seems to been upgraded from the V7. Feels more expensive.
Im really impressed!

 

[BenBen]

Hey, here s my first posting:
Took my new white P7 Alder to our rehearsal. I own a V7 NT Ash already and it actually was a love on second sight. It took me a while to find my sound. To get it working for rock music. But finally I learned how to handle the preamp and I love the versatility.
So when I found a P7 (I didn’t even know they released these) I had to buy one. Let’s see: same great quality, same great preamp, same great looks. But it’s got the P vibe. It took me seconds to find the perfect sound. It s the better „rock“ bass in my eyes. It s just perfect for my needs. So now I got two Sire s and both will get their attention.
By the way- no neck dives. None of them.

 

[bholder]

Hey, here s my first posting:
Took my new white P7 Alder to our rehearsal. I own a V7 NT Ash already and it actually was a love on second sight. It took me a while to find my sound. To get it working for rock music. But finally I learned how to handle the preamp and I love the versatility.
So when I found a P7 (I didn’t even know they released these) I had to buy one. Let’s see: same great quality, same great preamp, same great looks. But it’s got the P vibe. It took me seconds to find the perfect sound. It s the better „rock“ bass in my eyes. It s just perfect for my needs. So now I got two Sire s and both will get their attention.
By the way- no neck dives. None of them.

I'm anxiously awaiting a shipping notice on my fretless P7 5er. ... ... tick ....tick.... hehe

 

[Bentfield]

Is there someone who has experience with Warmoth necks on these basses? I would really like to know wether it is a viable option.
Playing a P bass with a jazz neck just spoils the most of the P bass experience for me.

 

[BenBen]

Played some first gigs on my P7... what can I say? It s still pure love!

 

[FlaCharlie]

Is there someone who has experience with Warmoth necks on these basses? I would really like to know wether it is a viable option.
Playing a P bass with a jazz neck just spoils the most of the P bass experience for me.

It's rumored that Sire may offer a P neck for these at some point - not as an option but as a separate order so that you'd have to buy the version with the J neck and then pay them again for a replacement neck. Not sure if it will ever happen. Even if it does, I won't be buying it.

I would have bought one of these if it had come with a proper P neck. I would have preferred a straight P too and not a PJ but I probably would still buy one if it didn't have the jazz neck. I enjoy my V7 but I really prefer a chunky P neck.

If you're looking for an active PJ with a P neck you should check out Ibanez Talman TMB-100. The active pre isn't quite as versatile as the Sire's since it doesn't have a sweepable mid but it still sounds great and it's very well built. Plus it's an even better bargain than the Sires at only $200. There's a version with Nordstrand pickups that's priced closer to the Sire.

 

[jlepre]

It's rumored that Sire may offer a P neck for these at some point - not as an option but as a separate order so that you'd have to buy the version with the J neck and then pay them again for a replacement neck. Not sure if it will ever happen. Even if it does, I won't be buying it.

I would have bought one of these if it had come with a proper P neck. I would have preferred a straight P too and not a PJ but I probably would still buy one if it didn't have the jazz neck. I enjoy my V7 but I really prefer a chunky P neck.

If you're looking for an active PJ with a P neck you should check out Ibanez Talman TMB-100. The active pre isn't quite as versatile as the Sire's since it doesn't have a sweepable mid but it still sounds great and it's very well built. Plus it's an even better bargain than the Sires at only $200. There's a version with Nordstrand pickups that's priced closer to the Sire.

 

[jlepre]

Read this article on a review of the P7. Have you foind the neck to be different than the V7 or VV7? I haven't
Review – Sire Guitars Releases New Bass Guitar Model, the Sire P7

 

[Bentfield]

Read this article on a review of the P7. Have you foind the neck to be different than the V7 or VV7? I haven't
Review – Sire Guitars Releases New Bass Guitar Model, the Sire P7

Strange in the article they say the neck is wider than the V7's neck. But the specs list underneath the article states the neck width is 38mm.

 

[Missing Link]

Strange in the article they say the neck is wider than the V7's neck. But the specs list underneath the article states the neck width is 38mm.

I just measured my P7s' rosewood neck and it looks like 38mm to my eyes.

 

[Eliguitar]

The P7 5 string that I ordered mid November just shipped!
I already have a V7 4 string that I’ve had for over a year and I’m really looking forward to this one!

 

[BoydG]

The fretless 5-string Sire P7 in Ancient White arrived today, and I'm very pleased so far. There were a few things I didn't expect, such as the Sire T-shirt (I knew that was coming) in 3X (I'm usually a 2X, but these look to run a tad small). I don't remember specifying a size, but I might have just forgotten.

Related to the bass itself, the first surprise was the epoxy treatment on the fretboard, which helps the durability on a fretless bass. I hadn't heard anything about Sire doing that on their fretless guitars. It also explains why I had to pay an extra $100 to not have frets on it. Second, after playing it for a while, I realized that they put flatwound strings on it (D'Addario XLs). I don't know about anyone else, but that's exactly what I would have specified had they asked me.

The tension on the knobs ranges from a little tight to downright hard to turn, but I expect that will ease with time. I can already notice it loosening up a bit on the stiffest knobs.

I own a couple of other active/passive basses (a Carvin B25 and a Fender Deluxe Jazz 5-string), and neither of them has as much difference in output levels between active and passive as the P7. I'm not sure if I think that's a positive, negative or neutral thing. Time will tell. I understand there's a pot on the circuit board to dial back the active volume, but I'm not ready to go down that road yet.

In the limited time I've played it, I've noticed that I can't see the fretboard at all without (relatively) significant effort to rotate the guitar while I'm playing it, and on top of that, the fretlines are much more subtle than on my fretless Squire P-bass. Right now, I feel like there might as well not even be any fretlines since I'm determining my finger position based more on the side dots than anything else (plus the Snark tuner I put on the headstock while I get used to it). I need to better understand why looking down at the fretboard while I'm playing seems so different with the P7 than with my other guitars, so I'll be looking into that.

"But Boyd, how does it sound," you may ask. Well, from the time I was first tuning it out of the box (unamplified) I could hear the fretless P-bass Mwah I was expecting. I've only played it for a half hour or so, but I have only good things to say about the tone and timbre. I'll be spending some quality time with it this weekend to learn more about it.

TL;DR: I'm a happy camper.