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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
Sure, but that doesn't change the fact that my other bass guitars are twice as loud as the Sire U5 at any volume setting on the amp.
I'm actually wondering, if the pickups are working correctly. General tone is fine though...
Did anyone notice the low output too or is it just my guitar?
I had a U5 and sent it back because 30" were kinda too small for me, I didn't connect with the instrument in a way. I loved the sound, the output was almost the same as on my active basses (eg. Ibanez SR 30th annyversary; MM Sterling; Sandberg TM4). For a passive bass the output was "huge" imho, if I compare my Fender Flea Jazz against it, the Flea lacks almost 6dB...
I guess there's something wrong with the pickups/electronics then. My other two basses are passive too, yet they manage to reach an output level twice as high as the U5.
I could borrow one from a friend, but I don't think I want to mess with removing the pickups on a bass I can get a refund for.
Guess I'm sending it back...
My experience was somewhat similar to yours with regards to neck dive.
The low output is definitely wrong.
Mine was hot and bright . Too bright as a Matter of fact! I usually run my tone wide open on my 7ender type passive basses, but the U5 was out of control bright. I had to dial the tone way back
I sold mine and went back to a short scale stingray…
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Unfortunately the U5 is out of stock now, so refund it is....
I may give it another shot once it's available again, and I'm certainly going to post an update on the matter of low output here on the forums if I do so. But maybe I'll instead just wait for the Danelectro 59DC short scale to hit the shelves where I live.
I swapped the OEM strings for tape-wounds, and my tone improved dramatically.
I personally don't notice neck dive as being a real issue, but I'm no expert on the matter...
Just did a test with a volume meter. Neutral settings on my 120W living room amp with gain/volume at 2, because I didn't want to annoy my neighbours 
. Was playing the same riffs for a couple of minutes on both instruments with both PUs + tone at max.
Sire U5: maximum of 74 dB with an average volume of 65 dB
Gretsch G2220: maximum of 86 dB with an average volume of 78 dB
That's a 12 dB difference right there, which in fact is more than double the perceived volume.
I'm noticing it too the more I compare it to my other bass guitars. Might be a matter of strings though, as Backwards just posted.
. Was playing the same riffs for a couple of minutes on both instruments with both PUs + tone at max.Sire U5: maximum of 74 dB with an average volume of 65 dB
Gretsch G2220: maximum of 86 dB with an average volume of 78 dB
That's a 12 dB difference right there, which in fact is more than double the perceived volume.
I'm noticing it too the more I compare it to my other bass guitars. Might be a matter of strings though, as Backwards just posted.
Hi folks, I'm a new bass player and just got a U5. I play acoustic guitar and ukulele and after trying a friend's long scale bass I thought I'd go for something shorter!
I was not happy with the condition of the guitar when it arrived at all. A couple of rusty strings and the frets have a lot of quite tarnished spots. There are other minor scratches / marks. Since it has been out of stock for a while I thought that it would have been manufactured recently, but how long does it take for strings to start rusting in the box? Anyone receive anything like this?
The seller has initially offered me a hefty discount. I know how to polish frets and could get new strings but I will probably ask for a replacement. Haven't tried it plugged in yet as my amp hasn't arrived yet! Think it will be here tomorrow.
[edit: are the photos too big? Sorry, literally my first post here]
I was not happy with the condition of the guitar when it arrived at all. A couple of rusty strings and the frets have a lot of quite tarnished spots. There are other minor scratches / marks. Since it has been out of stock for a while I thought that it would have been manufactured recently, but how long does it take for strings to start rusting in the box? Anyone receive anything like this?
The seller has initially offered me a hefty discount. I know how to polish frets and could get new strings but I will probably ask for a replacement. Haven't tried it plugged in yet as my amp hasn't arrived yet! Think it will be here tomorrow.
[edit: are the photos too big? Sorry, literally my first post here]
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This looks atrocious. Even the fretboard is damaged by heavy pressure of the strings for what looks to be a very long time.
Personally I'd want a replacement, but just out of curiosity, how much of a discount did the seller offer you?
Personally I'd want a replacement, but just out of curiosity, how much of a discount did the seller offer you?
I don't care what the seller tells you... that is NOT a NEW bass. Guitar Center has a policy of selling demo floor models as new. Looking at the photos you included makes me think the seller sold you a demo floor model rather than a brand new bass. I would return it.
Because of the pandemic, many people have complained about the quality of new equipment. Manufacturers are working as fast as they can to make the gear and their quality control is suffering. However, your photos show a whole new level of bad, beyond anything I've heard or seen.
The fretboard is OK, I think you are seeing reflections of the strings in the gloss. I was offered 100 euro discount which is about 25% off. It isn't that great a saving for me anyway with the shipping and customs tax I had to pay (I live in the UAE). I have already asked for a replacement and asked them to inspect it before they send it!
I checked the serial number with Sire and they said it was made late 2020/early 2021. So it's about a year old. The seller had been out of stock for a while and I ordered as soon as they were back in stock. Not sure where this bass had been sitting for a year... somewhere humid I guess!
Still haven't sent my U5 back but instead decided to fiddle with pickup height again. It felt like the maximum adjustable height was not enough, so I've put some cardboard with a thickness of ~1,5 cm under the P-Pickup. The distance to the strings is now ~4 mms and the volume output did increase a lot. Still slightly below my Gretsch junior bass, but much much better now.
My question: does the pickup height look legit? I've never owned a PJ bass before (or dedicated p or j bass for that matter), but when I see them played/in shops/videos the P-Pickup usually isn't set as high as mine. It actually looks kinda weird, as the p-pickups are sitting higher than the j-pickup right now.
My question: does the pickup height look legit? I've never owned a PJ bass before (or dedicated p or j bass for that matter), but when I see them played/in shops/videos the P-Pickup usually isn't set as high as mine. It actually looks kinda weird, as the p-pickups are sitting higher than the j-pickup right now.
Yep, that is an issue. You gotta take the film off to get an accurate representation of the pickups’ output.
