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Sire V7 or Skyline DJ5?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
I haven't played a Sire but I would guess the money saved from marketing, US distribution through chains, Resellers..etc , that the bass punches above it's weight class. If you are on a tighter budget and want a modern tone Jazz bass you really have 2 routes - a used mid level passive j bass like a used Skyline or american Fender. Those can be had for around $6-800. You would then add an outboard Sadowsky preamp or something similar . Or, you can take a shot on a Sire, which I would expect to play on that same level.
So I would expect the Sire to play like a $1,200 new bass essentially. I think that is realistic and why some people like them so much. Now the next level that really takes things up a notch are the $2500 and up range. That is really where a lot of the modern J's sit at price wise if you want the best necks, components, woods, even more refined tones..etc. I think some people are under the impression a Sire can play with a bass at that level and I'm rather confident it can not, nor would I think it is fair to expect that. The key to getting a J bass on the upper tier without paying 2k or more is patience in the used market and saving up a higher budget. You can get a lot of bass used for ~$1,500. the other key is research. Again, a lot of the gospel and jazz cats who have played Jazz basses forever have always hand their hands in trying some niche gear that is off the radar but incredibly made. Sometimes you can take advantage of that on the used market since the name recognition is not there yet.
Sounding like a $1,200 bass is a reasonable expectation for a direct order bass that is $600. Frankly, that would make the bass a really nice choice. That would put it a notch below Metro, but still a very nice bass.
Yes exactly. I think that sets the expectations a little better. A frequently misused term I see thrown around here sometimes is "the marcus tone", It has been used to describe his signature basses, sadowsky and the sires. I think some people expect that tone and then get disappointed there when they receive the bass. His tone really is best captured by the Atelier j basses. They nailed it. In fact the Japanese IMO nail the modern Jazz tone better than anybody right now IMO. So when people get a sire and expect that, that may explain why they sell.
I think you are exactly correct - a Sire is a step below a Metro, but is still a very nice bass and really usable. Just matters what kind of details matter to you. To me, I need a great playing neck, great fundamental response in the lower mids tonally, plus zing in the highs that has richness to it. I like the japanese models because they all seem to make that Ibanez style thin neck that is so comfortable and fast. Not even Lakland or sadowsky necks are as thin or fast IMO.
There are a lot of really nice basses being made at a lower price now. It's a good time to buy, but it also helps to be realistic about what to expect when the package shows up.
I think you are exactly correct - a Sire is a step below a Metro, but is still a very nice bass and really usable. Just matters what kind of details matter to you. To me, I need a great playing neck, great fundamental response in the lower mids tonally, plus zing in the highs that has richness to it. I like the japanese models because they all seem to make that Ibanez style thin neck that is so comfortable and fast. Not even Lakland or sadowsky necks are as thin or fast IMO.
There are a lot of really nice basses being made at a lower price now. It's a good time to buy, but it also helps to be realistic about what to expect when the package shows up.
One thing that keeps on impressing me about the Sire is the sweepable mids. You can really carve out some cool sounds with just that feature alone. I like to roll to the bridge p/u and sweep to a lower frequency and give that a little boost. Just adds something that using the bass knob or maybe an amp with a limited EQ couldn't do.
I have mixed feeling about sweep able mids. They give you lots of options, but it can be a pain remembering how you got a tone. That used to be my problem with USA Peavey Millenniums.
I hear ya Doc. When I first got it I just left the mids flat and rolled with it. But once I started experimenting with it some cool/usable sounds really opened up. Most of the time I keep the EQ flat with just a minimal bass boost and the tone is fantastic.
I've owned both and like the DJ better. The neck was smoother on the DJ and playability was just better. The sire was hard to get a good neck adjustment, high frets and buzzing. I had to adjust higher than I like to get rid of buzz. I can say the sire is built better than a $4k bass I owned, but I would still get the DJ. I think its the best passive bass on the market. My only issue is I prefer 34" over 35".
That sucks to hear about the neck and the setup. I have light gauge strings on my Sire and the action is so low it practically plays itself. I'm not all that heavy with the right hand but I do like to dig in sometimes. I hope your Sire didn't pass through QC on a Friday afternoon!
I found I did too. I much prefer 34 due to the feel of the strings on my right hand and the overall tone of the bass. It just sounds more natural for what I prefer at 34inches , and this is with a low B. I actually discovered that I prefer 21 frets and 34 inch scale from owning a Lakland.
I think if you could play one of the Sires you would be impressed, but we all know the Lakland is top notch.
I have a DJ 5 (which I'm selling) and it's def nice. I friend of mine just got a V7 Sire and I borrowed it for a couple days and set it up for him. I was definitely impressed with the sire. It's not gonna hang with some of the upper end basses, but def with Fender (which I also have and like a lot) and the Skyline. Overall, the tone of my DJ5 is bigger and snappier even with passive electronics. It has a nice growl and sounds good in every pickup setting. The Sire is more tweakable, but to me, not all the tones are as nice. But, it does have a great J tone and the playability isn't bad. It's not the best, but pretty comfy.
Now, I don't know if they are all like this, but my friend's is the heaviest bass I've ever picked up! We all laugh about it. My Modulus 5 was about 9.5 lbs. it's a paper weight compared to this. Not sure why. But, if you believe heavy = great tone, you'd be all set. I just don't think I could make a 3hr gig on it!
Now, I don't know if they are all like this, but my friend's is the heaviest bass I've ever picked up! We all laugh about it. My Modulus 5 was about 9.5 lbs. it's a paper weight compared to this. Not sure why. But, if you believe heavy = great tone, you'd be all set. I just don't think I could make a 3hr gig on it!
I too owned a DJ5 and it was a killer bass. I dug the passive tone of that bass, but it was kind of a one trick pony. I bought my first Sire V7 5 string (white body with a rosewood fretboard) and loved it so much I bought another V7 5 stringer (tobacco burst with Rosewood fretboard). There are way more tonal options with the Sire and the preamp is crazy ********! Tons of low end and sizzle in this sucker, gotta be careful with boosting frequencies. These Sires are as good if not equal to my Fender American Deluxe basses, seriously. The hardware would be the only point where I give Fender the nod, but it's so damn close who cares... It's all about that fat tone and ubber highs!!
I said I would probably do something in September, and Sire looks better every day.
