Sire Bass Club!

[dirtychinchilla]

I'm taking my V7 gen 2 to a guy tonight to have it set up, dress the fret ends, replace the jack, and fix a crackly pot (can't seem to do this myself as they're so enclosed).

Is there anything else you'd get done whilst it's there? I'm spending the money to prevent me buying a different bass! I want to get this one as sexy as possible.

No plans to change any components bar the jack, btw.

 

[lug]

I'm taking my V7 gen 2 to a guy tonight to have it set up, dress the fret ends, replace the jack, and fix a crackly pot (can't seem to do this myself as they're so enclosed).

Is there anything else you'd get done whilst it's there? I'm spending the money to prevent me buying a different bass! I want to get this one as sexy as possible.

No plans to change any components bar the jack, btw.

You could tape a pic of Salma Hayek on the back of it.

 

[Baker69]

I'm taking my V7 gen 2 to a guy tonight to have it set up, dress the fret ends, replace the jack, and fix a crackly pot (can't seem to do this myself as they're so enclosed).

Is there anything else you'd get done whilst it's there? I'm spending the money to prevent me buying a different bass! I want to get this one as sexy as possible.

No plans to change any components bar the jack, btw.

Have you considered swapping out the tone capacitor? The stock one is only .022 and some of us have replaced it with a .047 which is a definite improvement. You may have to dig back a couple of years' pages to find the relevant postings and photos etc. (December 2021).

Just a thought while the guy is doing the other electrical items on it and a very cheap and worthwhile mod (IMHO)!

 

[Loepie]

I'm taking my V7 gen 2 to a guy tonight to have it set up, dress the fret ends, replace the jack, and fix a crackly pot (can't seem to do this myself as they're so enclosed).

Is there anything else you'd get done whilst it's there? I'm spending the money to prevent me buying a different bass! I want to get this one as sexy as possible.

No plans to change any components bar the jack, btw.

I replaced the tuners for some Gotoh res-o-lite GB528 tuners (black). Makes a lot of difference in weight, about 180 grams, and no headdive at all anymore. And black tuners look so great on this bass, a fantastic V9

 

[Glazenn]

I'm taking my V7 gen 2 to a guy tonight to have it set up, dress the fret ends, replace the jack, and fix a crackly pot (can't seem to do this myself as they're so enclosed).
Is there anything else you'd get done whilst it's there? I'm spending the money to prevent me buying a different bass! I want to get this one as sexy as possible.
No plans to change any components bar the jack, btw.

You may want to have the string heights at the first fret checked to decide whether or not filing down the string seats on the nut is needed... This could help improve the intonation on the first five frets.

 

[Baker69]

It would be very very interesting if Sire brought out a Musicman style range of basses, this would open up a whole new chapter of options. Is the MM design copyright protected?

It would seem to be the next logical step if they were thinking about bringing out a new model range.

Any thoughts guys?

I just came across this posting I did a couple of years ago.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

You could tape a pic of Salma Hayek on the back of it.

Now you're talking. The bass would cover my erection.

Unfortunately, that's where my Palestinian flag is (on the bass, not my erection).

Have you considered swapping out the tone capacitor? The stock one is only .022 and some of us have replaced it with a .047 which is a definite improvement. You may have to dig back a couple of years' pages to find the relevant postings and photos etc. (December 2021).

Just a thought while the guy is doing the other electrical items on it and a very cheap and worthwhile mod (IMHO)!

What benefit do you get from the change to 0.047?

I replaced the tuners for some Gotoh res-o-lite GB528 tuners (black). Makes a lot of difference in weight, about 180 grams, and no headdive at all anymore. And black tuners look so great on this bass, a fantastic V9

That is awesome, but they're so expensive!

You may want to have the string heights at the first fret checked to decide whether or not filing down the string seats on the nut is needed... This could help improve the intonation on the first five frets.

Thanks, I'll make sure he checks that. I'm basically giving him an open cheque book to do what needs to be done to get it 100%, considering the alternative was to spend ££££ on a new bass! He's also very reasonably priced - setup is £60 + parts, and the fret dressing is £20 plus parts. In that, I want him to check they're level as well, which I guess may cost a little more.

 

[Baker69]

From my experience the tone control fitted with the stock .022 cap did not cut off enough of the high frequencies and with the tone control fully off it just wasn't "dark" enough.

Below is a YouTube video that Low End Lobster covering this mod so you can hear for yourself the sort of difference it makes. I think he went with a 0.1 tone cap rather than a 0.047 but I settled on a .05 cap for my P7-5 which seems to work very well, I felt the 0.1 to be just a fraction too dark sounding for me personally.

It's a very cheap mod with good results. In my opinion it's well worth doing and makes a noticeable difference to the tone (improvement).

 

[dirtychinchilla]

From my experience the tone control fitted with the stock .022 cap did not cut off enough of the high frequencies and with the tone control fully off it just wasn't "dark" enough.

Below is a YouTube video that Low End Lobster covering this mod so you can hear for yourself the sort of difference it makes. I think he went with a 0.1 tone cap rather than a 0.047 but I settled on a .05 cap for my P7-5 which seems to work very well, I felt the 0.1 to be just a fraction too dark sounding for me personally.

It's a very cheap mod with good results. In my opinion it's well worth doing and makes a noticeable difference to the tone (improvement).

Nice. I like that. Tbh I never ever change the tone control. It's all on all the time. But I do like the option of more versatility (hard to believe these basses could get any more versatile!).

 

[Cullen G]

I haven't played any Sire basses other than my own U5. But it is supposed to be a brighter sounding model.
I roll of the highs and find perfection.
I'm honestly wishing I could grasp what you guys feel is missing, and needs modifying. I can only assume that other Sire models don't achieve as good of a tone with the highs knob rolled back, as my U5 does.

 

[Baker69]

I haven't played any Sire basses other than my own U5. But it is supposed to be a brighter sounding model.
I roll of the highs and find perfection.
I'm honestly wishing I could grasp what you guys feel is missing, and needs modifying. I can only assume that other Sire models don't achieve as good of a tone with the highs knob rolled back, as my U5 does.

Perhaps they use a different value tone cap on the U5, which I understand are passive basses only?

On the P5, P7 etc which are active/passive basses they utilise separate tone caps for the Active mode and Passive mode. The one that Lobster refers to on his video is the Passive tone cap which at stock is only .022 mfd which is half the value of a traditional tone cap used on passive basses such as Precisions & Jazz Basses.

I would imagine the reason for Sires having a passive option in addition to active mode is in order to get a traditional passive bass tone, I would argue that you are not going to achieve this with the stock .022 cap. In changing the tone cap to .047 it now fulfils its goal. The U5 may possibly already fitted with a .047 cap?

 

[Cullen G]

Perhaps they use a different value tone cap on the U5, which I understand are passive basses only?

On the P5, P7 etc which are active/passive basses they utilise separate tone caps for the Active mode and Passive mode. The one that Lobster refers to on his video is the Passive tone cap which at stock is only .022 mfd which is half the value of a traditional tone cap used on passive basses such as Precisions & Jazz Basses.

I would imagine the reason for Sires having a passive option in addition to active mode is in order to get a traditional passive bass tone, I would argue that you are not going to achieve this with the stock .022 cap. In changing the tone cap to .047 it now fulfils its goal. The U5 may possibly already fitted with a .047 cap?

I do not know. I do know the U5 sounds anything but passive to me. It is a huge, rich sound that seems impossible to come from a short scale bass.

 

[Baker69]

I do not know. I do know the U5 sounds anything but passive to me. It is a huge, rich sound that seems impossible to come from a short scale bass.

Yes, I've been tempted to get a U5 for some time now. They are definitely passive basses though.

 

[Cullen G]

Yes, I've been tempted to get a U5 for some time now. They are definitely passive basses though.

No doubt ... but I've played two Stingray passive basses that sounded weak and toneless by comparison.
Just don't tell the U5 that it's passive ... It has zero clue!

 

[Baker69]

No doubt ... but I've played two Stingray passive basses that sounded weak and toneless by comparison.
Just don't tell the U5 that it's passive ... It has zero clue!

Have you got the one with binding or the latest model without the binding? I liked the binding it gave it a nice touch.

 

[mrperkolator]

Have you got the one with binding or the latest model without the binding? I liked the binding it gave it a nice touch.

new one is full scale (and active u think), so there should be a few more differences.

not bad, just different

 

[OldShark]

new one is full scale (and active u think), so there should be a few more differences.

not bad, just different

I guess you are referring to the announced new U7 model, which is active and long scale, but the question was on the U5 itself — which has had a body binding but newer instruments (possibly only in the Mint color?) don't have that anymore AFAIK.

 

[mrperkolator]

I guess you are referring to the announced new U7 model, which is active and long scale, but the question was on the U5 itself — which has had a body binding but newer instruments (possibly only in the Mint color?) don't have that anymore AFAIK.

oh. Yeah I was talking about U7. Frame of reference change I guess. I never noticed different versions of the U5. If they did new colors or rosewood boards I'd have to sell some stuff. I almost got one instead of my V3 years ago

 

[five7]

Selling my P5 if anyone is interested. thanks
https://www.talkbass.com/threads/sire-p5.1639696/

 

[Glazenn]

Perhaps they use a different value tone cap on the U5, which I understand are passive basses only?

On the P5, P7 etc which are active/passive basses they utilise separate tone caps for the Active mode and Passive mode. The one that Lobster refers to on his video is the Passive tone cap which at stock is only .022 mfd which is half the value of a traditional tone cap used on passive basses such as Precisions & Jazz Basses.

I would imagine the reason for Sires having a passive option in addition to active mode is in order to get a traditional passive bass tone, I would argue that you are not going to achieve this with the stock .022 cap. In changing the tone cap to .047 it now fulfils its goal. The U5 may possibly already fitted with a .047 cap?

The P5 is passive only. No active mode there.