mcnach

I quite like the knobs, myself The feel of the potentiometers could be better, and a couple of the knobs needed tightening, but the knobs themselves are fine I think. I like that they're not the same as in every other bass too.

well, it's one bassier innit?

I would consider the Sire Z7-5 as well. The neck is superb, a few companies do the rolled-edge fingerboard thing, but these are above the norm. It definitely has the Stingray vibe, and more. Mine is also pretty light for a 5 string at 9.0 lbs.

I have a couple of their Strats and both are fantastic.

what happens when 1 member decides to leave the band?

If it's purely vocals only, I'd treat it as "singer's backline" and it's on them. I'm with the drummer on this one. If you end up buying as a band, I'd suggest that each bit is owned by a single member rather than owned collectively which in my opinion is calling for trouble.

It's such a good band, it's worth naming twice!

Those battery compartments are not the best design, true. Once they start failing, it's just going to keep happening: don't live on the edge, replace it, they're only like a tenner.

Have you considered not playing at that venue? 🤠

As long as there is a microphone, you could always just hum the bassline...

The way I approach this kind of question is... "What will the consequences be if I am at the destination without a functioning bass?"

I already have 3 Stingrays, the thing that attracted me to the Z7 was precisely the Jazz pickup together with the passive tone always in the circuit. Is it worth it? I've played single pickup Stingrays for years, and managed quite well, so it's not like the bass is lacking anything. But I like what the Jazz pickup brings. One of my favourite tones on the Z7 is based on adding a bit of the Jazz pickup, just when it starts to become noticeable plus a gnat's baw hair, cut all treble on the active EQ, and bring the passive tone down to taste. Fat but very articulate sound. That means... I'm a fan In addition, the necks on these basses are soooo nice. I've played instruments with rolled fingerboard edges, but this is top level. It's making it very difficult for me to want to play anything else So, I'd say Z7... but the heart wants what the heart wants, and I bought my purple sparke SBMM Ray35 despite being able at the time to buy a used 90s Stingray5 for a couple of hundred quid more... because purple! sparkle! It's a heavy beast. The Sire Z7-5 that I've got is 9.0 lbs, another factor that is making me like it more and more. Another thing, if you're talking about the 4-string... I have nothing to add. But the 5-string versions look like they have different string spacing, with the Z3 being the one with the shorter spacing. The Z7-5 is 17.5mm at the bridge.

was it attacked by a pack of rabid dogs? did you upset anybody at FedEX? (I hope you will now!!!)

It's not unwanted when so many people use it 'though.

It's true: the neck is superb on these things! And apologies not only for getting wrong the issue with the socket, but mainly because I can see how my comment may have come across as a bit... "unnice", which wasnt the intention but... in writing it doesn't look as intended. I'm pretty comfortable with most aspects of the 'mechanics' of a guitar, so if I like a bass enough I can find workarounds for the bits that are not optimal, but I understand that not everybody is so inclined nor there's a need to be.

yup, got one recently and it is nicer than I expected

Would be believable, if this was the guy's first gig in a pub band. Nah...

Mine looks dark like yours, but it's a 5-string and weighs 9.0 lbs.

or tightening a loose jack socket... but that's just me.

That's exactly my impression, before I even looked at the colour of the string ends but I think there are other companies using similar coloured ends? I'm not a fan at all of those strings, especially when new, and I'm liking the bass despite whatever it's got on. Usually I'd go for DR Fatbeams or Sunbeams. The Sunbeams get to the sweet spot that I like sooner, but the Fat Beams 'settled' tone is mighty especially on Stingray style basses.

+1 Although I would go for the 4.5 if possible. They seemed a bit better sounding too me (and that's what I now use)

Does anybody know what strings these basses come with?

Having spent a bit of time now with the Z7-5... it's true! the little allen key for the saddle height adjustment is too small! But I've got lots of teh right ones. Action was a bit high out of teh box, but I brought it down quite a bit and no fretbuzz... this neck is very well made. The tuners are so smooth, a very pleasant surprise after the nighmare with the Ray35. Does it sound like a Stingray? On videos it can sound a lot like one, and I can too, but the preamp is quite different from the MusicMan one so it took me a bit of time, iterative trial and error... To me it sounds a lot like a Stingray with the pickup wired in series, but @neepheid mentioned that his Z7-4 was wired in parallel. I suppose that the voicing of the preamp could account for that. The neck is a thing of beauty, and those rolled edges feel great. The bass is 9.0 lbs, which for a 5-string is not bad at all, I'm happy with that Build, fit, finish... to me is definitely better than a Ray35 that cost a bit over twice what the Sire sells for. And I really like teh Ray35 despite weighing as much as a small galaxy (and sparkles as much ). Now, the knobs... both my passive tone and mid-sweep rings were a bit loose, but easy to tighten up. They're not the nices knobs but I don't hate them either. The passive tone control doesn't remove nearly enough treble so I'm likely to get a capacitor change, but I think it's by design as it seems to reduce treble and emphasise some high mids somewhat. Mids... I'm used to John East's mid-sweep modules. This one has the same function but the sweep is different, so my "hardwire" knob positions don't quite work, so I'll have to play more with it and find the sweet spots/ Bass... it's way too powerful! Turning up a bit was really noticeable. I'm thinking that this with an adjustable HPF could probably work together really well tightening the fat low end. A bit like that 'Pultec trick' in another thread. The Jazz neck pickup is a lot quieter than the MM but I'm sure I could get a much better balance by altering the pickup heights. However, I'm finding some tones that I am enjoying and I might just leave it. With a P/J or an J/MM I always view the humbucker as the main pickup, and the other being there to add to the sound but not really meant to be played on its own (by me, for my liking, other tastes exist ) so in that respect it works very well as it is. Turn down treble (both active and passive, these strings are bright), turn down a *bit* some higher mids, leave the bass alone, and using both pickups, with the balance just slightly towards the J... is a beautiful reggae tone, deep but retaining definition.

The Z7-5 is 17.5mm, the same as standard for a Stingray 5 I also couldn't find that information before I ordered mine. I looked carefully at the polepieces and the relative spacings and I felt the Z7-5 was probably 17.5, 18mm at most. Meanshile the Z3-5 looks to me like it'll be 16, maybe 16.5, but I don't know for sure

One thing I didn't like much is teh pickguard shape... but the routing is reasonably clean Passive tone control doesn't go as dark as I'd like, I might change the capacitor... however, while playing around adding a bit of the neck pickup while rolling off the passive tone and the treble control I found some really tasty sounds, fat and rich... This is a lot of bass, and not just 'for the money'.