Is the quality control a nightmare on these basses? Are they a better bass than the highest end sterling by music man basses? I’m considering the fretless one. I do know that these have the 18v preamp. Can they come closer to sounding like a real stingray than the sterling basses? For those that ask why not get a real stingray, well fretless stingrays can be hard to find. Probably the best thing that could happen would be for a fretless USA SUB bass to pop up somewhere.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Sire Z3/Z7 (2nd generation)
- Thread starter Cory rich40
- Start date
Why on earth would you assume the quality control is a nightmare for Sire Basses? That's contrary to the experience of most Sire customers on here.
Last edited:
But with your reaction I can definitely tell they are held in high regard. If they can beat sterling quality at their price point, they have to be really good basses.
I think they beat Sterling quality but there may be some issues. Another TB member just returned a fretless Z7 to SW, it had a loud buzz that local tech could not diagnose, even though Sire and SW paid to have that service performed. It is possible that there may be some hiccups as they make the transition to the new bridge p'ups. That member checked with Sire who said they are putting a temporary hold on the fretless model production.
If you search you can find the threads where he talks about it. He even recorded video to demonstrate the issue to SW and Sire.
Regarding voltage of the pre, they are 9V. I believe it's the same pre they use in their other active basses.
If you search you can find the threads where he talks about it. He even recorded video to demonstrate the issue to SW and Sire.
Regarding voltage of the pre, they are 9V. I believe it's the same pre they use in their other active basses.
My last 2 basses were Sire V6 rosewood and P6 maple, fretless, was definitely the best budget (I bought 2!!) fretless I could have gotten. (the rolled edges and fretless are kinda nice) they are both around 8 lbs too, flawless. Would they sound different at 9lbs? Maybe. I have a couple sterling rays H and HH, they sound Great, I love the necks, but they are a little heavy. You'd have to have a rare, trained ear to distinguish their sound from an EB. The first one I bought was a must buy because of what it was vs the price which was 299., and I needed a bass to leave in a studio that was subjected to extreme temperatures... The Sire Z series seem heavy like a Sterling, so no need.
Yeah their customer service history seems pretty positive overall, I've had nothing but good experiences, but there are bound to be some growing pains as they once again vastly increase the number of models and kinds of basses they're putting out. I'm confident they'll get on top of it... They always do...
Yes, I was impressed that the Z7 owner was able to actually get in touch with customer service at Sire about production schedules and discuss his issue, and they gave him solid info. Very responsive. I remember trying to contact Ibanez USA about 2 years ago to ask about the monorail bridge system in my Premium SR and I got crickets. Now that has changed, and last time I contacted them, asked about how to care for finish, they responded quickly. I think it may take time for the Indonesian producers to get their QA and customer service operations fully up to US standards, but they are making progress.
I, too, owned a fretless Z7 for about 30 minutes. I returned it as unplayable. Nasty fingerboard buzz due to the "fret" lines not being flush with the fingerboard.
BBB
I have a Ray35, and Sire Z3-5 and Z7-5. You can't really go very wrong with either, but the Z7 is the one that feels best, more 'premium' compared to the Ray35 and the Z3. The Ray35 is great, but a heavy 11 lbs beast... and the Z7 has the nicest neck. The Z3 definitely feels cheaper than the other two, but it's still very nice and for some reason, it nails the Stingray sound (better than the Z7)...
My #1 gigging bass right now, and since I bought it about a year ago, is the Z3-5. It's also the lightest of the bunch (around 8lbs I can't remember exactly), which makes it ideal for long gigs.
It definitely sounds like QC issues with recent fretless batches. Sounds like they're being addressed. Sorry you got a bad one.
I have never hear of that on a lined fretless. Wow. How does that happen?
Maybe plastic inserts as the lines. I’ve heard about that happening with Squire fretless basses and cheaper Ibanez fretless basses
I have the cheapest Ibanez fretless and believe me, my fret lines are totally flat. Pics:
Attachments
Might be worth googling this to see if it can happen. I wouldn’t expect a fretless bass to have plastic lines either. Fretless means fretless. I think I read about this on Sweetwater reviews. It was the hollow body Ibanez fretless that was priced between $700-800 if I’m not mistaken. It’s been so long ago I can’t remember.
There may even be a thread on here about plastic as the lines you see on some fretless basses.
There are threads about problems you can get into if you refinish the board, when you have plastic, or any material that isn't the same hardness as the wood on the board. I think getting one from the factory with frets that aren't planed flat with the board is extremely rare. Most of the Sires are coated with thin poly finish over the board and frets. Some have the thicker poly finish. It's got to be a defect in manufacturing if you get one of the former where you can feel the fret lines, much less have them interfere with the strings. So that comment in previous TB user post about the Z7 fretless surprised me.
I think the hollow body Ibanez you are referencing would be the 500 series, which has only piezo, but that one doesn't even have fret lines. The 300 series is the one I have. That's $475. I guess they could have made some bad ones, but mine is perfect, plays well above its price point. All the other Ibanez fretless are Panga Panga boards and they are basically blank boards, or only have ghost lines (900series). Perhaps the ABG line (if they make one) might be what is referenced?
I own the Ibanez Steve DiGiorgio fretless. It’s pretty much a BTB and it’s flawless. Honestly it could have only been the Squire I saw that review on. It was back around 2019 when I read that review. Ibanez did make a fretless acoustic parlor bass that had fret lines around that time. I used to own it. And it could have easily been that bass I saw the review on. It’s been discontinued for years, so it would probably be impossible to read the reviews.
jacoby75
Supporting Member
- Mar 11, 2010
- 5,661
- 10,716
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Mike Lull Custom Guitars, DR Strings
I tried a black sparkle Z3 5-string about a month ago when I got the itch for a Stingray but realized I didn't have $2,000 to spend on one. I have owned three Sires in the past, and still own one (a V7 Vintage 5 that I have turned into a Geddy Lee tribute of sorts). Overall, the build quality is excellent on Sires and they play and sound great. Definitely on par with basses that cost twice as much, maybe three times as much, depending on the brand. After watching hours and hours and hours . . . and hours of demo videos and comparisons between the Z3 and the Sterling Ray line of basses, I decided the try the Z3. It was hard to argue with the price. Build quality (of the actual bass itself) was great. The neck felt fantastic. However, living in Michigan, given that we're smack dab in the middle of the dry winter season, the neck within days began to shrink and make the frets uncomfortable. My V7 does the same. I know it's not uncommon, but I have not had that issue with any other bass. The biggest issue with the Z3, though, was the preamp. I thought it sounded great. I can't compare it to an actual Stingray, or even a Sterling, as I never owned both at the same time. There is a good demo video out there by Andertons that compares them. But the preamp crapped out on me with a couple of days and maybe an hour of playing. The volume knob got crackley and would cut out. Sweetwater has excellent customer services, as most of us know, so I sent it back. I now have trust issues with Sires.
I replaced it with a used Sterling Ray35 poplar burl. It's a great sounding and feeling bass. I imagine it probably sounds a bit truer to an actual Stingray than the Sire, onacounta it's the same brand and similarly-inspired electronics. Whereas I feel like the Sire (according to the demos I've seen in comparison), sounds a bit more modern, polished, clean, for lack of better descriptors. Less gnarly of a tone than the Ray35. I tried a Sterling Ray35 a few months ago and did not like it (Blue Sparkle). It was heavy, and it felt like I was fighting it to get the notes to ring out. I don't have quite the same impression of the poplar burl variety, which is also lighter, around 9.5lbs. I'm totally speculating here, but I think it might be due to the finish. The sparkle blue was a thick, laquered finish, while the poplar burl is satin. Maybe the satin finish allows the wood to resonate better? I don't know. Maybe that's not a thing. But so far I'm really digging the Ray35, especially in series mode. The neck is solid and super comfortable all of the way up and down. I've used it at one band practice so far, and it sounds great. First gig with it is this weekend.
If you need something to scratch the Stingray itch on a budget, the Sire Z3 I'm sure is a good one, if you get one with a good preamp. They are insanely cheap. While the Ray35 might get you closer to an authentic Stingray tone. In the lower-tier or mid-level instruments, quality control is undoubtedly an issue. And weights can seriously fluctuate, which may or may not play a role in tone and enjoyability.
Short story long, if it were me, I'd get a Sterling Ray34 or 35 in a satin finish variety, and watch the weight (of either a Sire or a Sterling)
I replaced it with a used Sterling Ray35 poplar burl. It's a great sounding and feeling bass. I imagine it probably sounds a bit truer to an actual Stingray than the Sire, onacounta it's the same brand and similarly-inspired electronics. Whereas I feel like the Sire (according to the demos I've seen in comparison), sounds a bit more modern, polished, clean, for lack of better descriptors. Less gnarly of a tone than the Ray35. I tried a Sterling Ray35 a few months ago and did not like it (Blue Sparkle). It was heavy, and it felt like I was fighting it to get the notes to ring out. I don't have quite the same impression of the poplar burl variety, which is also lighter, around 9.5lbs. I'm totally speculating here, but I think it might be due to the finish. The sparkle blue was a thick, laquered finish, while the poplar burl is satin. Maybe the satin finish allows the wood to resonate better? I don't know. Maybe that's not a thing. But so far I'm really digging the Ray35, especially in series mode. The neck is solid and super comfortable all of the way up and down. I've used it at one band practice so far, and it sounds great. First gig with it is this weekend.
If you need something to scratch the Stingray itch on a budget, the Sire Z3 I'm sure is a good one, if you get one with a good preamp. They are insanely cheap. While the Ray35 might get you closer to an authentic Stingray tone. In the lower-tier or mid-level instruments, quality control is undoubtedly an issue. And weights can seriously fluctuate, which may or may not play a role in tone and enjoyability.
Short story long, if it were me, I'd get a Sterling Ray34 or 35 in a satin finish variety, and watch the weight (of either a Sire or a Sterling)
Last edited:
