Sire Bass Club!

[EricTheFish]

While we wait for Wednesday for the Fender to get here...

Here are 2 "non-conventional" Sire basses. The white is a 2nd generation P7 body with a roasted maple P5 neck, the green is a P5 body, with a rosewood P5R neck. They both play (and look) fantastic.

 

[PhinDog]

While we wait for Wednesday for the Fender to get here...

Here are 2 "non-conventional" Sire basses. The white is a 2nd generation P7 body with a roasted maple P5 neck, the green is a P5 body, with a rosewood P5R neck. They both play (and look) fantastic.
View attachment 5012620
View attachment 5012621

Those look great! I would love a P7 with a wider P5 neck. And the reverse headstock looks sweet on the green one. Could you measure the distance from the 12th fret wire to the middle of the split P on each? Curious to see if the P pickup is in the Fender P placement on the P5 as well as on the P7.

Have you had any trouble selling the bodies you took the necks off? I'd love to do the P7 with the P5 neck. A PJ would be my preference. But a straight P is always nice as well.

Thanks!

 

[Breeze3]

Went to the Marcus Miller show last night at the Blue Note NYC , show was off the hook. He has a Sire V7 fretless 5 and a Sire V7 4 on stage both of which he used during one of the songs in the list. When I saw him last year he a V7 of stage but didn't use it , was nice to see him use a Sire this time..

 

[Jv-d]

Went to the Marcus Miller show last night at the Blue Note NYC , show was off the hook. He has a Sire V7 fretless 5 and a Sire V7 4 on stage both of which he used during one of the songs in the list. When I saw him last year he a V7 of stage but didn't use it , was nice to see him use a Sire this time..

Just for one song, or one song each?

 

[PhinDog]

While we wait for Wednesday for the Fender to get here...

Here are 2 "non-conventional" Sire basses. The white is a 2nd generation P7 body with a roasted maple P5 neck, the green is a P5 body, with a rosewood P5R neck. They both play (and look) fantastic.
View attachment 5012620
View attachment 5012621

I keep coming back to this pic of the Mild Green P5, now P5R. That rosewood board looks nicer than the beautiful looking maple board. Nicely done!

 

[Breeze3]

Just for one song, or one song each?

He switched to the fretless mid-way into one song and then used the fretted V7 for an entire song , I wasn't clear. The entire show was being taped for broadcast for Jazz Month [ April ] and is well worth watching if you can,

 

[pilmat]

View attachment 5012855

He switched to the fretless mid-way into one song and then used the fretted V7 for an entire song , I wasn't clear. The entire show was being taped for broadcast for Jazz Month [ April ] and is well worth watching if you can,

That's an interesting mix of instruments! Will look out for that show.
It always seems strange to have his line of basses but he still plays a Fender. Doesn't change anything for me, but if I was in Sire marketing, it would drive me nuts! lol

 

[oren]

Did he play the upright?

 

[EricTheFish]

Those look great! I would love a P7 with a wider P5 neck. And the reverse headstock looks sweet on the green one. Could you measure the distance from the 12th fret wire to the middle of the split P on each? Curious to see if the P pickup is in the Fender P placement on the P5 as well as on the P7.

Have you had any trouble selling the bodies you took the necks off? I'd love to do the P7 with the P5 neck. A PJ would be my preference. But a straight P is always nice as well.

Thanks!

Sure, I`ll include that in the measurements!

The only body I have is the new P5 which came with the rosewood neck. If you`re interested, I can sell it to you for $150. you live in a neighboring state, so shipping should be relatively cheap.

The P7 with a thicker neck (P5) does sound incredible. It has a bite of a jazz bass, especially if you play around with the preamp a bit.

 

[Breeze3]

Did he play the upright?

Christian McBride played the upright , he switched to electric bass for half of the final song of the night , Mike Stern was on guitar.

 

[LoveThatBass]

I tried this recently with my V7. With only one 9 volt, the preamp did not function in active mode. Worked fine in passive mode.

So did you jumper across the contacts in the holder where the battery was removed? If not then it could not work as they are wired in series.

 

[EricTheFish]

Those look great! I would love a P7 with a wider P5 neck. And the reverse headstock looks sweet on the green one. Could you measure the distance from the 12th fret wire to the middle of the split P on each? Curious to see if the P pickup is in the Fender P placement on the P5 as well as on the P7.

Thanks!

Looks like the Fender is delayed in transit until at least Thursday, so I did the other measurements today. I`ll update it once it gets here. The P5 and P7 are identical in every way other than the pickup config. The depth of neck is not including the fret, it is measure from the fretboard.


P5 & P5R (edited thanks to OldSharks observation)
1st Width 42mm
12th Width 58mm
12th-Pickup Distance 297mm (both the P5 and the P7 body)
1st Depth 21mm
12th Depth 23mm

 

[OldShark]

The P5 and P7 are identical in every way other than the pickup config. The depth of neck is not including the fret, it is measure from the fretboard.


P5 & P7
1st Width 42mm
12th Width 58mm
12th-Pickup Distance 297mm
1st Depth 21mm
12th Depth 23mm

I was surprised that both necks are similar — but your P7 has a P5 neck, as stated in a previous post (just repeating that to prevent confusion...)

 

[EricTheFish]

I was surprised that both necks are similar — but your P7 has a P5 neck, as stated in a previous post (just repeating that to prevent confusion...)

Excellent point, thank you for noticing!!

CLARIFICATION: My P7 has a P5 neck, so the two necks that are compared are: P5 (roasted maple) and P5R (rosewood).

 

[PhinDog]

Looks like the Fender is delayed in transit until at least Thursday, so I did the other measurements today. I`ll update it once it gets here. The P5 and P7 are identical in every way other than the pickup config. The depth of neck is not including the fret, it is measure from the fretboard.


P5 & P5R (edited thanks to OldSharks observation)
1st Width 42mm
12th Width 58mm
12th-Pickup Distance 297mm (both the P5 and the P7 body)
1st Depth 21mm
12th Depth 23mm

Thank you! That's very helpful!
Does the back of the neck feel satin finished or more like bare wood?

 

[EricTheFish]

Thank you! That's very helpful!
Does the back of the neck feel satin finished or more like bare wood?

Satin for both.

 

[PhinDog]

Satin for both.

Thank you!

Now the GAS starts. I really wish I could try before I buy. I just went to a local shop and they had a used I believe P7(?) 5 string. The neck on that bass was beautiful. Being a used bass the knobs and pre had taken a bit of abuse and it was pretty noisy. But the bones of that bass were outstanding. Better neck than all the Fender Basses I tried that day. I was impressed. I'm just not in the market for another 5 string.

Thanks again for the info and help on this one. I'll post an update if I pull the trigger.

 

[EricTheFish]

Thank you!

Now the GAS starts. I really wish I could try before I buy. I just went to a local shop and they had a used I believe P7(?) 5 string. The neck on that bass was beautiful. Being a used bass the knobs and pre had taken a bit of abuse and it was pretty noisy. But the bones of that bass were outstanding. Better neck than all the Fender Basses I tried that day. I was impressed. I'm just not in the market for another 5 string.

Thanks again for the info and help on this one. I'll post an update if I pull the trigger.

Sounds good. Thomann from Germany has all kinds of P5s and P5Rs available. Even with shipping it is cheaper than if you were to wait for it to be available in the US and buy one. I ordered from them 2 times, without any issues.

https://www.thomannmusic.com/4_string_p_basses.html?smcs=f09256_3635&oa=pra&sw=marcus miller p5&gk=GIEBP4&cme=false&filter=true

 

[PhinDog]

Sounds good. Thomann from Germany has all kinds of P5s and P5Rs available. Even with shipping it is cheaper than if you were to wait for it to be available in the US and buy one. I ordered from them 2 times, without any issues.

https://www.thomannmusic.com/4_string_p_basses.html?smcs=f09256_3635&oa=pra&sw=marcus miller p5&gk=GIEBP4&cme=false&filter=true

Thanks! I happened upon their site yesterday actually. My only concern would be if I wanted to return it if I didn't like it. But if it came like everyone else's, that wouldn't be a concern.

Edit:
They even include free return shipping. Now that's a deal!
Might be some Thomann equipment coming my way!

 

[timmus]

Thanks! I happened upon their site yesterday actually. My only concern would be if I wanted to return it if I didn't like it. But if it came like everyone else's, that wouldn't be a concern.

When I heard about Sire basses about a year ago, I looked high and low for them in the US and no one had any in stock. In searching further outside the US, I found out about Thomann and they had all kinds of stock on these basses so I bought one.

Believe it or not, the price was better than anything I found in the US where there was no stock but the stores still had their prices up. I popped a Sire in the Thomann basket as the shipping price was still an unknown at that point and checked the cost for shipping and the total w/shipping was still quite a bit less than than stateside prices so I bought one....then another...and then yet another. each one I received in about 3 working days. I had a small issue with the finish on the fingerboard on the fretless...they reimbursed me to get it fixed by a luthier near me. Awesome customer service.

I love these basses and they have become my go to basses. I bought one each, a V7 G2 4 string fretted and a fretless and a V3 G2 five string fretted. They are amazing basses.