Apparently the Gotoh GB528 ultra light tuners can be dropped into the U5 with no additional drilling according to this video. This would probably help with the neck dive.
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New Sire U5 review and discussion thread
- Thread starter Plutonium244
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- 30" short scale sire u 5 u5
Are you happy with the output volume??
Compared to my other short scale, the U5 pickups are weak, IMOHO.
I'm suspecting wiring since mine is a lefty. If you wire right handed pots lefty, non-linier pots sometimes act weird. I plan on re-wiring mine righty (pots will work in reverse) to see if this is the case.QC must have been sleeping, when they wound these pickups.
Is your's a lefty? If so, I bet you will note that the tone pot operates almost as an on/off switch. This is a classic sign they wired a normal righty pot to work lefty. They aren't alone, many manufacturers have done this in the past.Having my tech look at this response.
Thanks again Lug,
It sucks that I haven't been playing her lately, because of this issue with output issues.
Not a lefty Lug,
I'm going to check out that tone knob thing next.
I can't stand the fact, I'll have to put in $200 for pickups, and electronics..
The rest of the build is top notch though.
Definitely not these pickups or electronics.
I'll have over $800 invested, when all is completed , if I don't sell her,and cut my losses.
This crap is making me sing the blues..
I'm going to check out that tone knob thing next.
I can't stand the fact, I'll have to put in $200 for pickups, and electronics..
The rest of the build is top notch though.
Definitely not these pickups or electronics.
I'll have over $800 invested, when all is completed , if I don't sell her,and cut my losses.
This crap is making me sing the blues..
If yours is a righty, most of what I said shouldn't apply. Those problems come from trying to wire a normal pot to act like a true lefty pot. The weird thing is my bridge pup is wonderful, one of my favs I've ever heard. My worst case is just throwing in a Quarter pounder for about $100. The P pup IS useable, just not balanced the way I want.Not a lefty Lug,
I'm going to check out that tone knob thing next.
I can't stand the fact, I'll have to put in $200 for pickups, and electronics..
The rest of the build is top notch though.
Definitely not these pickups or electronics.
I'll have over $800 invested, when all is completed , if I don't sell her,and cut my losses.
This crap is making me sing the blues..
Hey Lug ,
Just sent an email to Sire, about my output issue.
I bought mine February 16th, so I can't send it back to..Maryland music exchange.
Hoping Sire ,can help...
Just sent an email to Sire, about my output issue.
I bought mine February 16th, so I can't send it back to..Maryland music exchange.
Hoping Sire ,can help...
Update! desoldered P pup, got a 9.6K Ohms reading....looks good. reinstalled and everything works now. Solder joint looked fine before but the volume is definately there now. Very odd.
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I just did this Gotoh tuner upgrade with help from this video. Thanks, Lobster! This was about the most mechanical thing I've done, besides changing some components on bicycles and changing out a toilet seat (not on the bike).
It did take the neck dive from annoying to barely noticeable, or not at all noticeable while standing.
I don't have a proper scale handy, but my U5 with the original tuners weighed around 7 3/4 lb. on my wife's Weight Watcher scale. The Gotohs took about 1/3 lb. off the weight (Lobster says .43 lb. in the video for his 5-string - that's close). Of course that's all headstock weight, very meaningful for neck dive.
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I’ve always played flats - it’s a feel thing for me.
I have Chrome flats on one shorty and Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt flats on the other.
I started with the Chromes on my first shorty (the U5) because their relative stiffness offsets some of the added floppiness that can come with short scales.
I put Slinkys on my next shorty. I like the sound of the Slinkys the best and plan to stick with those in the future.
I have a set of StringJoys on my U5 right now. I have a set of pressure wounds I have been considering swapping. I love the LB DTFs on my G2220(modified) and my AGB200. I really like the feel of flats. But I would like to have one bass that has a bit more zing, so have been keeping the U5 with round wounds for now. Do the pressure wounds sound more like rounds? but feel more like flats? I would love that.
The Pressurewounds are in the middle of rounds and flats. They feel like a smooth round wound but have qualities of both. There's a whole thread on them that I'll put here. I have them top mounted but I'm having it switched to stringing thru the body because the silk ran out on A string.
Review: GHS Pressurewounds ~ Tangy Not Twangy | TalkBass.com
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