Sweetwater is offering a sale on Sire bass guitars. Does anyone know their order of quality, likes,dislikes,anyone own one? I am unfamiliar with their lineup. Any insight or comments?
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Sire on sale.
- Thread starter 2strings2frets
- Start date
They usually get good reviews particularly for the price point. I tried a few of them unplugged last time I was at Sweetwater. Necks felt great and I was generally impressed with the build quality relative to the price point.
I'm a huge Sire fan, have several basses and guitars too. Great bang-for-the-buck value brand, especially on sale. You're not likely to be disappointed. (Mostly positive reviews here, but they aren't for everyone (nothing is))...
Own a V5 and like it after a pickup modification. Had a V7 and hated everything about it. I've played a few over the years and the quality is all over the place. With that said, I will never buy a high end jazz bass as an upgrade to the V5 with the mods in place. I'd get one of the P basses if it played similarly to my V5 but I won't take the risk since I can't play it first.
Own 3, hightly recommended. GENERALLY the higher the number, the "better" the bass but there are a lot of caveats to this depending on of you like active vs. passive, etc. If weight is an issue, look at their P6/V6 models, very light weight. Shortscale, I find the U5 very hard to beat.
I got my Sire P5 fretless on sale from Sweetwater. It was $600 marked down to $450. I spent even less than that because I had Sweetwater gift cards from selling old gear.
The QC is comparable to that of an MIA Fender, but for a fraction of the price. It's honestly impressive! The only thing that I had to replace on my Sire was the knobs. I replaced them with a set of Gotohs because they were better made. The notches in the knobs also tell me where my volume and tone controls are at.
I would buy another one over a Fender if I ever needed another FSO.
I have had a U5 for almost 3 years, picked it up because I was having a shoulder issue and have been very impressed. I do not have a lot of experience with other short scales, but I really did not feel the need to go check them out. Shoulder got better, I prefer my full scales, but hung on to the U5. I break it out occasionally. I think it sounds great and I gigged with it for the better part of a year.
I have a ‘25 V7 J fiver swamp ash reissue. The body is satin similar to the neck finish. Very nice chunk of wood. Absolutely love the neck on this bass.
My issues: the fret end in the upper register on the treble could draw blood, as well as the sharp edges on the high mass bridge.
I filed the fret ends and now it’s soooo smooth and replaced the bridge with one that has adjustable string spacing to also fix the string alignment that favored the treble side of the neck.
Now I switch between the Sire and my Fender Am Pro II V.
Oh yeah, not a big fan of the preamp so I run it passive (along with the Fender) into a Sadowsky preamp pedal.
Pic before bridge swap.
My issues: the fret end in the upper register on the treble could draw blood, as well as the sharp edges on the high mass bridge.
I filed the fret ends and now it’s soooo smooth and replaced the bridge with one that has adjustable string spacing to also fix the string alignment that favored the treble side of the neck.
Now I switch between the Sire and my Fender Am Pro II V.
Oh yeah, not a big fan of the preamp so I run it passive (along with the Fender) into a Sadowsky preamp pedal.
Pic before bridge swap.
Attachments
Same here. Great high output passive.
It might cost 5x-10x to get a significant improvement over the modded V5.
I just bought a v3p five string from them. 8.3 lbs. Needed fret work and I put hipshot tuners on it. Got it down under 8 lbs.
I like it and saved $100
Tenth sire I have owned.
I like it and saved $100
Tenth sire I have owned.
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I purchased a 6 string M7 last year while impatiently waiting for the M10 to be available, expecting to hate the weight, the string spacing and everything else about it. Coming from an almost exclusively five string stable, I had no trouble adapting and the string spacing was very comfortable. The weight wasn't a drastic change either. I love the preamp as well, as it is very versatile and has a passive/active switch. And it is a really good-looking instrument that plays like a dream. I thought I'd go running back to my Brian Moore or my Dingwall. But so far I've been sticking almost exclusively with the Sire. I usually only bring an NSD EUB as a second bass.
From what I witnessed, their roasted maple necks with rolled edges are among the most comfortable I ever tried and that would make me want to buy one if I needed another bass.
actually the 6 series has been on sale for months...last Nov. I was interested in getting back into fretless and attracted by the weight and finish I bought a 5st V6 black/rosewood and then because the price dropped $200, and I realized I wanted one with a PJ and maple neck (for midrange and brightness) so I bought another-- P6 lime green/maple. I'm using them both now that I got the strings squared away...the Labella DTF they came with were way too dark, so now they have Cobalt flats on the P6 and Labella black tapes on the V (both much brighter than the DTF's which are now happily on MTD and a Schecter that was too bright...actually the DTF on the MTD was a revelation they sound so good...on that bass...
So, Sire is good.
So, Sire is good.
Call this guy if you want a deal.
your personal Sales Engineer, Tobias Hiller, is ready to help with any question or concern you have. Tobias has an extensive music background and intense training on all the products that we carry. Click here to read more about Tobias's background.
your personal Sales Engineer, Tobias Hiller, is ready to help with any question or concern you have. Tobias has an extensive music background and intense training on all the products that we carry. Click here to read more about Tobias's background.
I've liked the ones I've tried at GC, and I've been very tempted by the five-string passive P on sale. If it had a 12" radius fretboard (or flatter), I might buy it, but I just can't get along with the 9.5" radius on fives.
My shortscale U5 has been great. I took it to my tech for inspection, and his first comment was "Hmm... well built." There were a couple of rough fret ends, but after he filed them down I'd call it flawless. Very comfortable neck, solid tone with TI Jazz Flats. When our band resumes gigging later this year I'll certainly bring it along.
Brandon Shea
Commercial User
I own one (V7 2nd gen, four string). Used to own a P8, and I've played a couple U5s and other models in the past. They've all been great, a couple have been heavy, and the necks always seem really comfortable. If I were buying something today, it'd be a V6 five string.
I sold the P8 because it wasn't getting much play time after I bought the used V7. There wasn't anything really wrong with it, just wasn't as comfortable for me to play personally. YMMV.
I sold the P8 because it wasn't getting much play time after I bought the used V7. There wasn't anything really wrong with it, just wasn't as comfortable for me to play personally. YMMV.
I had a V7 Jazz- Absolutely lovely Jazz bass, better than Fender IMHO, I sold it because I realized my G&L does the super Jazz thing.
I currently have an M2- Absolutely lovely bass that honestly plays as good as my USA G&L and has a badass bucker tone to it $500 at GC I had to buy it! the B string is damn good, Tuners however are Meh.
Both had great low action, great paint, fit and finish and they just feel well built.
Now days don't always believe that money will buy quality- If the builder gives a shid they will offer a great instrument at any price point. I also believe classic large scale brands like Fender, EBMM and Gibson are very middling in quality for high $$$, I've played some very average to poor Fenders and Musicmans.
Obviously super luxury builds from legendary luthiers make instruments that are symbyoninic works of art, but we all can't afford $7000 basses.
Here is my V7 I sold- again amazing bass, but I didn't need a jazz.
I currently have an M2- Absolutely lovely bass that honestly plays as good as my USA G&L and has a badass bucker tone to it $500 at GC I had to buy it! the B string is damn good, Tuners however are Meh.
Both had great low action, great paint, fit and finish and they just feel well built.
Now days don't always believe that money will buy quality- If the builder gives a shid they will offer a great instrument at any price point. I also believe classic large scale brands like Fender, EBMM and Gibson are very middling in quality for high $$$, I've played some very average to poor Fenders and Musicmans.
Obviously super luxury builds from legendary luthiers make instruments that are symbyoninic works of art, but we all can't afford $7000 basses.
Here is my V7 I sold- again amazing bass, but I didn't need a jazz.
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