Strangely, aside from the M5, everything from Sire is basically either a FSO, or a GSO.
I'm not sure the M5 is that original.
I'm not sure the M5 is that original.
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Why would you choose a Fender over a Sire?
- Thread starter squeally dan
- Start date
For me it's down to weight and resale value. Sires are great and look good too but when I bought my first Precision I felt I'd finally stopped beating round the bush.
I've had 2 sires, one fretted and one fretless - both P5s. They were heavy as all get-out in the worst way. The body was heavy and it still had a neck dive. The neck on one of them was cut to be too thick for my liking on a 5 string. The electronics and craftsmanship were on par with what I've seen from lower level Fenders before. I love the mid frequency selector and the passive bypass. If I could have the fretless P5 in all black that had a better neck and better weight, I'd probably make it my main bass.
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Some people judge your playing with their eyes. What gear is the person using?
I use some Fenders. Never played a Sire but they have their following. I'd have to play one to see if I liked it. If so, I'd play one.
I use some Fenders. Never played a Sire but they have their following. I'd have to play one to see if I liked it. If so, I'd play one.
1) Resale value, Fenders will resell for higher
2) People listen with their eyes, Ive encountered engineers/producers that will not take your bass seriously without the fender logo. Id agree that is asinine but Ive encountered it
3) Personally I have no interest in an active instrument (and to my knowledge Sire doesn't make passive instruments, I know you can select a passive mode but I don't want the circuit or extra knobs and battery in the equation at all, fickle perhaps)
4)There are no seminal records made with a Sire to my knowledge
Just FYI, they do make passive Sire basses.
Compared with a Fender Player - with the Sire you are going to get a really nice rolled edge fingerboard, a bone nut, a better bridge, better truss rod access, through body stringing.
Having said all the above I still love my Fender Pro Jazz, but it was about £700 more!
Having said all the above I still love my Fender Pro Jazz, but it was about £700 more!
Again, this is no question for TB, because decition must make You. Try out both, without dreaming about brand, model and Marcus Miller. Just decide from feel and sound.
I own both actually Fender Bass & Guitars, Sire, Charvel, Basses & Squire Basses & Guitars.
I love them all except the Squire 5 string bass needed to many mods to make it right will soon be moved onto a younger cousin. Never could bound with the neck.
Charvel P/J great everything but horrible pre-amp and grounding put in Audere Classic and pro setup and its now one of my favorite AXES. I'd go with that over the Sire P7 simply because of the neck its perfect for me.
Jazz Bass wise 5 string I'd go with Sire the neck is much better suited for me. Thus my next bass will be a Sire V5 5er. I will drop in a John East pre-amp swap out the Bridge with Albridge and be a happy camper.
For 4 string its a toss up depends on your pocket change. V10 is a great bass V7 is a great bass. V5 as well.
I love the Fender 4 string necks with 1.5 nut perfect fit for me. But with that said I tend to think most of the Fender's basses are over priced. If you know going in you're planning on modding the Bass Fender is the better choice since there are some many options to do so. Sire has hardly any at this point.
I love them all except the Squire 5 string bass needed to many mods to make it right will soon be moved onto a younger cousin. Never could bound with the neck.
Charvel P/J great everything but horrible pre-amp and grounding put in Audere Classic and pro setup and its now one of my favorite AXES. I'd go with that over the Sire P7 simply because of the neck its perfect for me.
Jazz Bass wise 5 string I'd go with Sire the neck is much better suited for me. Thus my next bass will be a Sire V5 5er. I will drop in a John East pre-amp swap out the Bridge with Albridge and be a happy camper.
For 4 string its a toss up depends on your pocket change. V10 is a great bass V7 is a great bass. V5 as well.
I love the Fender 4 string necks with 1.5 nut perfect fit for me. But with that said I tend to think most of the Fender's basses are over priced. If you know going in you're planning on modding the Bass Fender is the better choice since there are some many options to do so. Sire has hardly any at this point.
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I've seen Playa Limbo's bassist (well known user of Fenders) playing a sire once, but he glued a feather from the nut so that the headstock would be pretty much covered (not so much that I could see it was a sire...) don't know if it was a brand specific thing but it seemed curios to me cause he didn't have that feather or any other ornament on his other basses...
I have seen some gorgeous looking sires, and heard some awesome sounding ones, but mostly the models that are not directly fender copies... but personally I prefer fender for the brand name, I have a MIM P and an American Deluxe J V and I wouldn't change those for anything... I have changed the pickup and bridge for the P though, but I used it stock for >10 years
I have seen some gorgeous looking sires, and heard some awesome sounding ones, but mostly the models that are not directly fender copies... but personally I prefer fender for the brand name, I have a MIM P and an American Deluxe J V and I wouldn't change those for anything... I have changed the pickup and bridge for the P though, but I used it stock for >10 years
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I choose Frankensteined parts basses
That being said ...
I am seriously thinking about buying a glarry or sire or some other p-bass and jazz bass just for the body, and then add my own neck, tuners, pickups, etc and then have a whole new parts bass. You see the price of that whole cheap ass is often cheaper than a finished bass body by itself.
That being said ...
I am seriously thinking about buying a glarry or sire or some other p-bass and jazz bass just for the body, and then add my own neck, tuners, pickups, etc and then have a whole new parts bass. You see the price of that whole cheap ass is often cheaper than a finished bass body by itself.
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Smooth_bass88
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- Oct 31, 2006
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- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
I roll my eyes and laugh every time someone attaches the term "re-sale value" to an electric bass.
That being said, I've never played a Sire and don't mean to. I can't imagine a Sire sounding, feeling or playing as good as my main Fender (made in 1962).
That being said, I've never played a Sire and don't mean to. I can't imagine a Sire sounding, feeling or playing as good as my main Fender (made in 1962).
It sounds like you run in the wrong crowds, no offense.1) Resale value, Fenders will resell for higher
2) People listen with their eyes, Ive encountered engineers/producers that will not take your bass seriously without the fender logo. Id agree that is asinine but Ive encountered it
3) Personally I have no interest in an active instrument (and to my knowledge Sire doesn't make passive instruments, I know you can select a passive mode but I don't want the circuit or extra knobs and battery in the equation at all, fickle perhaps
4)There are no seminal records made with a Sire to my knowledge
- Resale is irrelevant if you're buying it to play it, and own it.
- I'd not trust a producer with such a narrow mind (JUST based on your comment. The other 99.9% is subjective.)
- It has a passive toggle.
- Just wait. There will be plenty of seminal records made with a Sire. Anyway, nobody but bass players even care.
- I don't have a horse in the race. I just love to play Devil's Advocate. It makes us all better by raising the bar.
When you factor in price it's impossible to compete with Sire. If money is an issue Sire without a doubt.
I own multiple of each so both for me... '04 MIA P, MIJ Marcus Miller 4, Sire Gen1 V7, MIM 60's Vintera Jazz, & Gen1 P7 5 string. That's the order I put them in. Of course, the Dingwall is before all of them.
I spent the past week playing nothing but the MIA P & V7 and it is much, much closer than it should be which says ALOT about Sires. The Sire's are really sweet and especially with the preamp it's more versatile than the P and if you can only own 1 or 2 basses an active Sire is a great choice. I havent played the newer or passive ones but those roasted necks are gorgeous.
That said, Fenders are still better all things being equal. But it's mostly little things...weight, hardware, woods...but all things aren't equal since the Sire's were about 1/2 the price.
I own multiple of each so both for me... '04 MIA P, MIJ Marcus Miller 4, Sire Gen1 V7, MIM 60's Vintera Jazz, & Gen1 P7 5 string. That's the order I put them in. Of course, the Dingwall is before all of them.
I spent the past week playing nothing but the MIA P & V7 and it is much, much closer than it should be which says ALOT about Sires. The Sire's are really sweet and especially with the preamp it's more versatile than the P and if you can only own 1 or 2 basses an active Sire is a great choice. I havent played the newer or passive ones but those roasted necks are gorgeous.
That said, Fenders are still better all things being equal. But it's mostly little things...weight, hardware, woods...but all things aren't equal since the Sire's were about 1/2 the price.
