Sire Bass Club!

[jlepre]

Just for the hell of it, did you try playing it in passive mode?

Sire did respond and said for me to take to a shop but right now I cannot afford to bring it to someone. Until I can raise the money to have it checked out it sits and waits. From what I hear you are all correct in that Sire will backup their instruments for repair, replacement or refund just right now I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I hope it can be repaired or at least replaced as the feel of the instrument is beyond anything that I have had in the past.
I mean it is the weirdest thing if I were deaf I would swear it was the best instrument in the world as it plays that well. Just the sound it produces is awful. I had an SX bass and it was fair for quality and a bit of a bear to play but sounded good. I am stupefied over this. I guess anyone can get a lemon from any company. It is just my luck.

 

[tb4sbp]

Hmm... I will reach out to Sire and see if they have any contacts in my area, great idea thanks
I did try passive. I don't think the electronics are causing the problem other than they seem to be very responsive and most likely picking up the fret board noise too well

 

[whamni]

Hmm... I will reach out to Sire and see if they have any contacts in my area, great idea thanks
I did try passive. I don't think the electronics are causing the problem other than they seem to be very responsive and most likely picking up the fret board noise too well

When you say fretboard noise, are we talking FRET BUZZ ! or the notes being choked and at what frets ?

 

[jlepre]

Then it sounds like the truss road needs a turn to add relief to the neck so the strings aren't laying flat on the fretboard.

Hmm... I will reach out to Sire and see if they have any contacts in my area, great idea thanks
I did try passive. I don't think the electronics are causing the problem other than they seem to be very responsive and most likely picking up the fret board noise too well

 

[tubestuff]

Sire did respond and said for me to take to a shop but right now I cannot afford to bring it to someone. Until I can raise the money to have it checked out it sits and waits. From what I hear you are all correct in that Sire will backup their instruments for repair, replacement or refund just right now I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I hope it can be repaired or at least replaced as the feel of the instrument is beyond anything that I have had in the past.
I mean it is the weirdest thing if I were deaf I would swear it was the best instrument in the world as it plays that well. Just the sound it produces is awful. I had an SX bass and it was fair for quality and a bit of a bear to play but sounded good. I am stupefied over this. I guess anyone can get a lemon from any company. It is just my luck.

Sire covers the tech repair cost and parts if still under warrenty.

 

[tb4sbp]

Its all over the fret board from 1st fret to the last
I thought it maybe the relief but wouldn't that stop around the 14th fret and higher?
I get buzzing and clicking noises at the 20th fret
Could be something wrong with the truss rod itself?
The sound is very metallic
Now an open string will ring loud and proud these odd sounds and overtones and clicks and buzzes only happen on fretted notes

 

[tubestuff]

Hmm... I will reach out to Sire and see if they have any contacts in my area, great idea thanks
I did try passive. I don't think the electronics are causing the problem other than they seem to be very responsive and most likely picking up the fret board noise too well

You can take it to any tech you want, they don't have preferred techs as of yet.

 

[puff father]

There's a small allen wrench included with your bass. Have you tried raising the strings at the bridge? Just a quarter turn at a time on each adjustment screw until the notes sound clean without a lot of fret noise. (Clockwise to raise). What you're describing sounds to me like it may be that your strings are just set too low. Open strings are fine, very noisy and crappy sounding on all frets. If the strings are too low that is what you might expect to hear. When you fret a note, the string has to have enough room above the fret(s) above it to vibrate without hitting the other frets.

Just a thought.

PS: You don't have to be a guitar tech to make this adjustment.

 

[tb4sbp]

I thought that as well puff and did raise the action a bit
What is odd that the buzzing and clicking sounds are coming from the fretted fret (fretted fret?)
when I press on a note there is a loud click noise, much louder than any other bass that I have played
when I release the fretted note it buzzes, even if it is for a quick moment in between notes
if I slide up to a note the note is dead, like a muted note
Take for example the song Train kept a rolling, Aerosmith's cover
G to open E back and forth for the first measure
the clicks and buzzing going on are severe to the point where it is just not musical anymore
Now I have been playing that song since Aerosmith released it and on just about every bass imaginable, junks to gems, and at the very least it was musical
I dunno, it is just something weird with this neck

 

[whamni]

I thought that as well puff and did raise the action a bit
What is odd that the buzzing and clicking sounds are coming from the fretted fret (fretted fret?)
when I press on a note there is a loud click noise, much louder than any other bass that I have played
when I release the fretted note it buzzes, even if it is for a quick moment in between notes
if I slide up to a note the note is dead, like a muted note
Take for example the song Train kept a rolling, Aerosmith's cover
G to open E back and forth for the first measure
the clicks and buzzing going on are severe to the point where it is just not musical anymore
Now I have been playing that song since Aerosmith released it and on just about every bass imaginable, junks to gems, and at the very least it was musical
I dunno, it is just something weird with this neck

Have a look at this and set to these settings, it's for the Fender Jazz, I have my Sire set to this and every note is perfect.
Hope it works out for you. How do I set up my bass guitar properly?

 

[Machiavelli]

My Sire Bass Story

I did a lot of research on the Sire V7 basses before choosing to buy one. I read the Sire website many times and felt a connection to their mission statement. From magazines to online demo's from known and respected reviewers to unknown average players such as myself. All reviews were stellar or above average ratings of the V7 series. Any shortcomings of the V7 I saw as frivolous and the reviewer looking for a flaw.


I saved for a year to get a white 4-string alder/rosewood. The day finally arrived it was here and I was amazed at how beautiful and perfect looking this instrument truly is. I am no expert but I cannot find a flaw anywhere on this bass. I have owned many basses in the past but none of them could compare to the fit and finish. It just feels like a pro instrument.


Then I plugged it in and played it. This bass sounds horrible; I am embarrassed to let other people hear it and after raving about it for almost a year to others about it. I am not saying, "It is not a tone that I favor", the bass that I got will not sustain, give clarity to a note, allow different techniques to work, finger or pick styles are terrible. Slap works alright best out of the three, has terrible overtones and has the noisiest fretboard. Open string notes sound brilliant! The terrible sounds only come from fretted notes. From the first fret to the last buzzes, clicks, and all sorts of bad sounds.


So now, I have this beautiful piece of artwork sitting in a bag in the corner of a room until I can save up more money to have a guitar tech look at it. (This is my one and only bass)

I did some minor adjustments myself but lack the tools to do a professional job.

I know that any bass from any company could need a setup (been there) but I have never had a bass that is just so unplayable.

The feel of the neck and action on the bass is great. The electronics are outstanding. The sound coming off of the fret board is atrocious.

Based on my experience so far, I am sorry to say but I would not recommend a Sire to a new bass player as they would be discouraged. If you are a player already it could be a good bass if you can invest more money into a setup (if a setup will fix this issue for me) or a new neck/fret job/fret replacement.

If by some strange twist of fate Marcus Miller were to see this, I would ask him please check into this issue as it was by his endorsement that was a main factor in choosing this bass. I have read online that neck issues are becoming common due to increased demand. Still I would have rather waited another month to receive my bass in playable condition.


Or I could just have a lemon (it happens). Either way I am screwed as I cannot afford to take it to someone and Sire will not do anything until the bass is checked out.

We need more information:
1. Is this fretbuzz or electronic buzz?
2. Does it buzz across the entire fretboard?
3. You said you did minor adjustments, but do you know how to raise action/adjust truss rod?
4. Is the buzz with both pickups?
5. Does it buzz in both active and passive mode?
6. Have you tried using your same setup with another bass? Meaning, are you sure it isn't a problem with the amp?
7. Are all strings buzzing?

 

[Machiavelli]

I thought that as well puff and did raise the action a bit
What is odd that the buzzing and clicking sounds are coming from the fretted fret (fretted fret?)
when I press on a note there is a loud click noise, much louder than any other bass that I have played
when I release the fretted note it buzzes, even if it is for a quick moment in between notes
if I slide up to a note the note is dead, like a muted note
Take for example the song Train kept a rolling, Aerosmith's cover
G to open E back and forth for the first measure
the clicks and buzzing going on are severe to the point where it is just not musical anymore
Now I have been playing that song since Aerosmith released it and on just about every bass imaginable, junks to gems, and at the very least it was musical
I dunno, it is just something weird with this neck

This whole thing is a real mystery to me. Here's what I think:

If it only buzzes with fretted notes and not with open notes, then it has to be fretbuzz of some type. If it's across the neck, then you need to raise the saddles on the bridge before you touch the truss rod.

Part of what is confusing is your detailed description of the noise. Have you experienced a bass with normal fretbuzz?

 

[Missing Link]

MY P7 4 string white alder/rosewood bass had a terrible buzzing sound on the open G string right out of the box. A setup - truss rod adjustment to provide the right relief, and bridge height adjustment to make it play like you like it to may fix it. I found that it was the bridge saddles vibrating against each other. If you want to try, push on them (down, sideways) and see if it changes the sounds. Also, take the allen wrench supplied and turn the little saddle height screws clockwise until you are sure they ALL touch the bridge plate. Don't get carried away - if they aren't touching, it shouldn't take much turning to get them down. You should feel the resistance. Push on the saddles to get them to seat well. Also, mine came with the strings installed through the bridge - you could try them through the body and see if that helps. Check every screw on the bass including pickguard and tuner screws to make sure they are tight. Push and pull on everything a little to see if the sound changes and follow the clues. Good luck.

 

[tubestuff]

Its all over the fret board from 1st fret to the last
I thought it maybe the relief but wouldn't that stop around the 14th fret and higher?
I get buzzing and clicking noises at the 20th fret
Could be something wrong with the truss rod itself?
The sound is very metallic
Now an open string will ring loud and proud these odd sounds and overtones and clicks and buzzes only happen on fretted notes

Sorry if this is dumb... but... you check the batteries?

 

[Missing Link]

Good suggestion tubestuff. Low voltage can cause distortion and low fidelity in the signal. I also forgot to suggest that it indeed might be the trussrod vibrating. if it is loose the bar and/or the nut can rattle. Put the allen wrench in the nut and turn it back and forth (remember where you started so you can return). Again, Good Luck. If you can't try these things, have someone who knows how to, setup your bass. Hopefully they will find the gremlin.

 

[twc1313]

Hmm... I will reach out to Sire and see if they have any contacts in my area, great idea thanks
I did try passive. I don't think the electronics are causing the problem other than they seem to be very responsive and most likely picking up the fret board noise too well

IMHO it needs fret leveling. I have had 3 Sires and two of them had a few frets that were higher than the rest. No trust rod or saddle adjustment will fix this. They will send you a new neck or pay to have the frets leveled by a tech of your choosing.

 

[tubestuff]

Well, Sire sent the preamp and neck pickup to repair my V9 and the groovy Sire leather strap for being patient.
I'll get them to the tech asap. Should be a snap, they sent the preamp installed in the control plate, knobs and all.
If this takes more than 48 hrs I'm finding a new tech.

 

[Machiavelli]

IMHO it needs fret leveling. I have had 3 Sires and two of them had a few frets that were higher than the rest. No trust rod or saddle adjustment will fix this. They will send you a new neck or pay to have the frets leveled by a tech of your choosing.

This wouldnt cause buzzing up the entire neck tho.

 

[twc1313]

This wouldnt cause buzzing up the entire neck tho.

True. The good news is, regardless of the issue, Sire will cover it!

 

[Jamarvic]

Hey guys,
I'd just like to point to new Sire owners and anyone thinking of buying, that Sire instruments are aimed at entry level musicians. That being said, a lot of veterans have jumped on them, great.
Obviously to keep prices low don't expect flawless fret work, that takes time and adds to the cost, same for the nut slots. Those are issues any capable tech shop can address, I had my Sire worked on and it made playability on par with boutique basses.
If by chance you get one in terms of bad electronics or loose wires, or a bad neck or whatever manufacturing problem, reach out to Sire with your concerns, Mickey has been there from the beginning and has pretty much taken care of all Sire owners.
This thread has been going strong for a few years, there's sooooo much useful information if you search or just read thru posts.
I could go on, but I digress.
I'm going to go play now!