Sire vs Fender?

[Panych]

I have Sire basses (V5 and P5) and Fender (Am Std and Am pro ii).

So, tone wise I would say they are more or less equal. They all sound amazing.
As for playability and general feeling, I like more Fender basses. They have better necks, fretwork and hardware, they are lighter and better balanced.

In my opinion, Sire proposes very decent basses for attainable price though.

 

[Bass Viking]

No it’s not and I see used sires flooding market place . If they such great bass why are so many people selling em dirt cheap .

Probably because many people took up bass/guitar during lockdown and gave up and are now dumping them.

 

[Jv-d]

I bought a Sire fretless V7 from Thomann in Germany in December, ordered it on Friday morning and it was on my porch in northern Kentucky on Monday morning. 3 days, from Germany. Amazing. Great bass with a ton of tonal adjustability. Here's a link.
Fretless Basses – Thomann United States (thomannmusic.com)

They are not light, about 10 lbs. but balance perfectly.

Isn't that crazy!!
You can get it sent from Germany cheaper n faster than domestic
What's wrong with this picture!!??

 

[Jv-d]

There are those who love their Sires, good for them.

I'll take my Fenders any day, never had an issue with any of them, great build, tone and feel.

I have a Fender that needed a new neck... The damn thing was like a rubber band it was so bad...
Bought a beautiful birds eye maple neck from Warmoth -- solid...
So, ya I have issues with Fender

 

[Jv-d]

View attachment 4215335 View attachment 4215336

OK. I got my PRS Kingfisher back with the Bartolini preamp installed. As I said before, no need to turn the knobs all the way up or all the way down. But the sound pallet now is EXACTLY as I wished it could be. There is virtually no difference between the volume with the pre-amp active or passive thanks to the adjustable dial. Just a minor tweak of treble and bass gets me just where I want the sound. And it is totally quiet, no noise at all.

I am one happy camper!

Rod
Very nice!!!

 

[FRoss6788]

I have a Fender that needed a new neck... The damn thing was like a rubber band it was so bad...
Bought a beautiful birds eye maple neck from Warmoth -- solid...
So, ya I have issues with Fender

Bummer about the Fender neck.
Mine are rock solid, no issues. In fact, I just bought new roasted maple P neck from Fender and it's amazing and very affordable.
Warmoth is a great, local to me, company that make awesome product, glad you're happy with it.

 

[Jv-d]

Honestly the Yamaha bb734a was far better than the Sire in quality and playability. Should have never of sold it. End of the day I’m back to having a PJ, passive this time
Whatever you choose, if new, make sure the return or exchange policy is solid. Problem for exchange for me is limited availability of what’s in stock, what I’m left with wasn’t my first second or third choice for a new bass, but I’m going to mod it to make it my first choice

You know, that is what is said about Yamaha... High quality... Went to the local store that carries Yamaha, to get a 604, money in my pocket, but they had nothing... Always wondered how that would have worked out...

 

[Jv-d]

Bummer about the Fender neck.
Mine are rock solid, no issues. In fact, I just bought new roasted maple P neck from Fender and it's amazing and very affordable.
Warmoth is a great, local to me, company that make awesome product, glad you're happy with it.

I always thought that, that neck was so solid, that if anyone "attacked" us on stage, ala Keef Richards, I could use it as a weapon!

 

[Jv-d]

No it’s not and I see used sires flooding market place . If they such great bass why are so many people selling em dirt cheap . I don’t see USA fenders selling for $500 bucks

Well, that is very anecdotal... I happen to see loads of Fenders n Squires
returned for resale... And, for some pretty cheap prices...
People are dumping Fenders right n left... Just look at the TB want ads... Not to many Sires in there, but each page is loaded with used Fenders for sale...
So, not sure where you are looking, or just making a statement, which is questionable, just to support your argument...
Good Day, Sir (or is it Sire? Lol)

 

[Al Rivera]

I own Sire,Squire and American fenders,love them all! The sire is just as good as a mim fender,I upgraded the tuners and bridge on my sire, now it is perfect!

 

[Rod Barchetta]

I own Sire,Squire and American fenders,love them all! The sire is just as good as a mim fender,I upgraded the tuners and bridge on my sire, now it is perfect!View attachment 4977369

This man is ready to rock!

 

[halcyo]

One company is vying for your business and the other is basically selling a brand name as a luxury good.

I’m not necessarily against Fender instruments, but I’ve “lost that lovin’ feelin’” to the extent that the onus is on any given individual bass of theirs to prove itself to me at this point.

 

[Panych]

I own Sire,Squire and American fenders,love them all! The sire is just as good as a mim fender,I upgraded the tuners and bridge on my sire, now it is perfect!View attachment 4977369

Great arsenal to rock-n-roll!
Could you please advise how B string of your Sire is vs Fender’s B?

 

[mundee]

I own Sire,Squire and American fenders,love them all! The sire is just as good as a mim fender,I upgraded the tuners and bridge on my sire, now it is perfect!View attachment 4977369

Man i love your p7.. may i ask where you bought the black hardware (bridge)?

 

[thmsjordan]

It took me a long time to find them but there are some great Fenders out there, and a great Fender bass is a wonderful thing to have. You just have to sift through a lot of mediocre Fenders to find them. I am also a fan of Fender basses because of the huge world of after market parts available. You can mod them just about any way you want. Plenty of bodies, necks, electronics, bridges, etc. and all made for the Fender bass.

I cannot speak to Sire quality but I like the ideas that I see Sire implementing. I might even own one someday.

 

[Al Rivera]

Just as good as the fender,maybe a little better because of the added bridge pickup.

Great arsenal to rock-n-roll!
Could you please advise how B string of your Sire is vs Fender’s B?

 

[Al Rivera]

Man i love your p7.. may i ask where you bought the black hardware (bridge)?

Thanks! The tuners are hipshot and the bridge is a gotoh 404sj-5 I purchased from Philadelphia luthier supply. I painted the string retainer with a rattle can.

 

[JC BASS 91]

I decided to buy a new bass, And since I am on a budget, I was going to choose between the sire Marcus Miller V7 (2nd gen) and the Fender MiM player series. I have owned one of the older Mexican standard basses and they were quite nice, but I have never owned any of the Sires, So which one would I choose?

I went into my local shop that I frequent to test drive a V7 when they got them last year (after a long dry spell of not having any Sire instruments for a while). I had never played one before and wanted to see if the hype was well placed.

When I walked into the store, the guy had just pulled it out of the shipping box and tuned it up. He put it in my hands and I gave it a run for about half an hour. The fit, finish, playability...everything...was stellar. They had a Fender Ultra Jazz there for $2300. I pulled it down and played it for a bit as sort of an A/B comparison, as both were 4 string, active jazz basses. The Sire was a much better feeling, playing and sounding instrument.

I had ZERO intention of buying a bass that day. I just wanted to test drive one. I left with it. Given the choice between a Sire and a MIM Fender, I will always recommend the Sire. WAY more bang for the buck!

 

[Al Rivera]

I went into my local shop that I frequent to test drive a V7 when they got them last year (after a long dry spell of not having any Sire instruments for a while). I had never played one before and wanted to see if the hype was well placed.

When I walked into the store, the guy had just pulled it out of the shipping box and tuned it up. He put it in my hands and I gave it a run for about half an hour. The fit, finish, playability...everything...was stellar. They had a Fender Ultra Jazz there for $2300. I pulled it down and played it for a bit as sort of an A/B comparison, as both were 4 string, active jazz basses. The Sire was a much better feeling, playing and sounding instrument.

I had ZERO intention of buying a bass that day. I just wanted to test drive one. I left with it. Given the choice between a Sire and a MIM Fender, I will always recommend the Sire. WAY more bang for the buck!

Congratulations on your new bass! I was surprised by the comfortable neck on my 5 string and I was impressed by the beautiful block inlays which wasn't available on any fender but the ultra for 2k!

 

[Doug P]

I’m sure both have examples on the wall that are good and not so good for whatever reason. I’ve only owned Fender and Ric basses. Shop around and find a good used MIJ model Fender. Don’t ever hear too much negative about the build quality there. Because the quality of the components kinda go with the amount you spend… maybe ??
Again, I buy used so…. Takes more time to find the one but hey ???