dave_bass5

Just noticed these have gone down a bit on Thomanns, the 5 sting Alder/RW is only £305 inc shipping. Madness when you think the Americans cant even get hold of them at the moment. In fact it made me chuckle when i read over on TB that some were thinking about ordering from Thomanns. Normally its us in Europe that order from the states.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1425989645' post='2713061'] Much better than a starter going by some of the responses here... could be a main squeeze by the look. However I'd have to reserve judgement until I get one in my hands... [/quote] Definitely my main squeeze for now. I got rid of my more costly basses a few years ago, as i realised that i didnt need to spend a fortune to get a playable bass (and lets not pretend £300 is peanuts anyway). so im really only coming from Squiers and my TRBX.

[quote name='pierreganseman' timestamp='1425977891' post='2712856'] [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPKV0QF9Scg&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]https://www.youtube....be_gdata_player[/url] have a look guys, sounds nice to my ears.... [/quote] Have a read through the thread, you will see its been posted a few times i believe ;-) its an old clip. It think there are two versions of this.

[quote name='ern500evo' timestamp='1425828373' post='2711136'] The wait is killing me! Hope I like it, seeing as I've never played a jazz bass!! 😯 [/quote] Haha, it will be worth it. It's not just a jazz bass, it's a tone monster :-)

[quote name='ern500evo' timestamp='1425822645' post='2711037'] I was all set, it was just down to natural or sunburst, so after much consideration I ordered the antique white! To be fair I had been looking at Olympic white Squier jazzes so it wasn't a complete shock! 😀 [/quote] Seeing as I already had a white jazz bass I knew exactly what to expect, and I wasn't dissapointed. The V7 is white, not one of those smoke sainted yellow whites. It's still very, very slightly warmer than my Squier, although I don't think the pic i posted last week really shows that. Both are whiter than the Fender MIA white I had. It's a good choice to go for. Although my Squier has a maple fretboard on it at the moment I don't really like inlays on maple, so went for the rosewood. Gotta say it's a lovely combination.

Nice one. I think once the gig reports start building up people will realise it's not just hype. I've still got two weeks before mine is let loose on the public.

[quote name='jassbass' timestamp='1425805063' post='2710753'] What is the string spacing?thanx [/quote] 18mm at the bridge on the 5 strings, 20mm on the 4 strings. 20mm is a bit too wide for me on a 4 string. I normally replace tbr bridges for something narrower, not sure it's that easy with these basses. Bassdude. Glad you aren't dissapointed. I too was worried about the feel,of the neck, it's larger than my TRBX, but yes, it's very comfortable.

In my personal expenicve the right bass can make or break playing 5 string. If it's a comfortable neck/ action then it's a lot easier to persevere with it. If it's an uncomfortable experience then it's all too easy to not bother. I've struggled with some, and ended up going back to 4 string, and others ive teen to naturally and not given the long thumb rest a second thought. Of course it also has to sound good, in the past my 5 string basses have varied when it comes to the B string. My Laklands have been the best (35") but I'm finding my new Sire to be just as clear (this is from memory though). My TRBX is not quite as defined in the 5-12th fret area. Still very useable though. I was also very happy with my Fender MIAO P5, although the neck never felt quite as nice as my Laklands, due to the Laklands having smaller frets and the fretboard being flatter. As has been suggested, try as many as you can (not always easy though), and trust your gut instinct. If it feels nice and sounds nice, it is nice, no matter what anyone else says or suggests.

The new Sire Marcus Miller 5 string jazz basses are getting very, very good reps at the moment. Only available over here from Thomanns but for £309 inc deliver, with an 18volt preamp, string through body, various finishes you cant really go wrong (unless you dont want any of the above ) I got one the other week and its definitely on a par with much higher priced basses, although so are the latest Squier CV's etc. The EQ is very, very powerful, and it has a sweepable mid control, although you can run it passively as well. http://www.thomann.de/gb/search.html?filter=true&gk=giebj5&manufacturer[]=Marcus%20Miller Another personal recommendation is the Yamaha TRBX 305. Again, its active and the necks are very nice. Still under £400

[quote name='ern500evo' timestamp='1425486010' post='2707838'] The V7 4 string in Antique white/Rosewood. Been looking at the Oly white VMJ a lot lately, so thought i'd give one of these a try! Had a VMP and a TC RH750 to move on so this just gave me the kick up the arse to get on with advertising them and release some funds! [/quote] Nice, same as mine, minus a string. The white is very, very close to my Squier CV Jazz. Much nicer (IMO) than the White MIA P bass i had a few years ago. i really dont like the more yellow looking whites. I might get a 4 sting version later in the year, and will probably go for a TS - alder for a change. Ill then put a black PG on it.

Haha, the power of basschat strikes again :-) what did you go for?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1425465146' post='2707528'] Thanks for this... it does sound really good. Dammit again!! [/quote] You're welcome to come and try mine, im in central London.

I've just got one of the new Sire V7 Marcus Miller 5 string jazz basses. Really glad I didn't go for the Squier now. Lovely bass, 18volt preamp with sweepable mids, smaller frets, blocks and inlays, all for £315 delivered. Plays like a dream and the tone options are amazing. It's a bit of a beast as far as tone goes, needs taming a bit and going easy on the EQ. It's defintly a modern super jazz tone rather than a warm Fender jazz tone, but I like that. Also works in passive mode where the more traditional jazz tones live, although it still doesnt manage ' vintage' like my Squier Jazz.

My son loves mine. I go tit from Music Yo years ago. [url="https://flic.kr/p/e5oXYF"][/url] [url="https://flic.kr/p/e5oXYF"]Bass pose[/url] by [url="https://www.flickr.com/people/30114189@N05/"]Dave Pearce (London)[/url], on Flickr

[quote name='ern500evo' timestamp='1425357016' post='2706475'] Dave, how does it compare tone wise to your Squier's? I keep looking at the V7 4 string in the same colour as yours, was just wondering how it compares to Squier's VM and CV jazzes as it sits between the 2 price wise. [/quote] Well my Squier CV jazz has Wizard pups in, so it's not a stock tone. Just at home though my Zoom 60B I'd say the V7 is a lot more powerful. It's really full and deep sounding, although not quite as woody, not even in passive mode. Not a bad thing, it's still a jazz bass and not the worst ive had. I'd say it lacks a bit in the mids compared to my CV. I'd expect it to sound a bit cleaner in the low end through my rig at gigs as there is a lot,of adjustment in the EQ Playing around with the active EQ gives you a lot of variation. Compared to my TRBX it's night and day as far as EQ goes. The TRBX can be tweaked and refinded using the EQ, whereas the V7 can be made to sound completely different. I love the bridge pup. This is very punchy just on its own. It still growls like it should, but it has more pressence than any other bridge pup ive used, inc noiseless pups. The V7 is just over 1lb heavier than the CV, and a bit longer. I've not had it on a strap yet but it seem to sit well on my lap. When I tried a Squier VM 5 jazz in the same position it seemed to have more neck dive. It's hard to compare at the moment because the V7 has bright new strings and the CV has dead strings on it. Considering they sell for less than the CV's I'd say it's worth a look if you want an active, modern sounding jazz bass.

I just didnt want to come across as someone being led by just hype (although that did help . Truth be told if the bass works out at the first gig ill sell my TRBX, as this sort of thing has been on the cards for a while anyway. i must say its the most powerful Jazz bass ive ever played. loads of sustain, no noticeable dead spots and the bridge pup has more punch and body than the humbucker in the bridge position in my TRBX. All in all a super Jazz, although i think ill keep my other Jazz for the more traditional vibe.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1425303586' post='2705965'] Not really - i am curious by the clamour for these - [/quote] My clamour was purely because this came along at the right time, for the right price. Ive been longing for a 5 string Jazz, at a low price, that didnt have large frets, and wasnt the Squier VM. When i saw what Sire was offering it seemed like the planets had all aligned and was too good to miss.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1425307184' post='2706032'] I think I'm prob guilty of mistaking a quote from a website which was written in such a manner. I well remember being told in the early 80s with some gravity in a manual that a battery in my recently bought gizmo may 'blow off' if I misused the charger!!! [/quote] The poor grammar on their website was mentioned at the start of this thread. The bass doesn't come with a manual (at lest mine didnt).

As far as buying untested, Thomanns are one of the best for this. No hassle returning things IME. I got an emial back form their CEO regarding the bags. They decided to not supply the bags to Europe due to some places preferring to supply their own, with logos on etc, and due to the fact that the cost will be higher. In the states they sell direct from their website so no middle man. Makes sense to me. Im fussy, as ive said already, but gig bags dont cost a lot if you aren't. The Emil also sorted my gig bag problem out :-) They seem like a great company to deal with.

I gues the proof is in the pudding. They definitely aren't Sue Ryder basses though ;-)

Yes, the Mono's are expensive, and I'd rather not pay that sort of money. I did think it a bit pointless paying so much to protect a cheap bass, but no matter how cheap the bass costs if it got damaged on the way to a gig I'd be stuffed, so I'm willing to pay a bit more for peace of mind. I realise I most bags do have the straps set low, but some are higher than others. The Mono Vertical seems to be a bit higher than what I have. I did look at the Gigblade but it looks a bit bulky, not sure I'd get on with that hanging down my side. I also don't need any storage other than a small pocket for a strap. I'm still looking though. My next gig isn't untill mid March so I have plenty of time.

thanks Thunderbird. I have emailed Mickey at Sire to see if it's possible to buy one of thier bags, but my issue is I want one with straps a bit higher up the neck. It's not just an issue getting one to fit, as my other bags do fit fine. So I'm looking in to alternatives at the moment. Looking likely to get a Mono vertigo. The problem with the Mono bags is they don't recomend any bass over 3" deep, and the V7 is at least 3" by the looks of it (back to top of knobs). Still, the mono bags do offer a lot of protection so it's probalby not a big issue if I'm careful.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1425235807' post='2705433'] Given how long a battery lasts in an active bass I think worrying about the cost of an 18-volt setup is a moot point. And I think Sire are offering more than Squier for sure. As far as I'm concerned an 18V preamp is a Unique Selling Point that a lot of people will appreciate. Don't want to join in with a big argument or anything, this is just my opinion, obviously. YMMV, etc. [/quote] Definitely no argument from me. I think my posts are coming across in the wrong way so no more negative comments from me :-)

[quote name='JAUQO III-X' timestamp='1425235336' post='2705419'] Does Squier offer a model with such a active pre amp? The pre is very sensitive and at the slightest turn of any knob and a huge difference in tone or volume is detected, The 18 volt system in this perticular brand of bass does show a huge sighn of difference in the head room department. The qaulity and attention to fret dressings is up there with basses costing a lot more. [/quote] No, Squier doesn't offer an 18 volt pre, that's what I already said. I see or feel no difference in finish to my Squier CV basses ( I have two). It's a very powerful bass, no question about that, but I'm probably going to use it passive most of the time so it's not a big selling point to me. Really, I'm not down on the bass or Sire, I just think these days you should expect this sort of quality for this sort of money, ive certainly come to expect this over the past 5 years of going budget exclusively. Ive not had any issues with any bass since I gave up spending silly money on gear. 3 Fender MIA's had issues, I ended up getting a Fender HW-one Jazz that had a ramp at the end of the neck, then my Squiers. No issues at all and better playability. Anyway, I took a shot of my two jazz basses today, they make a nice pair. [url=https://flic.kr/p/rqkgFu][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/rqkgFu]All that jazz.[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/people/30114189@N05/]Dave Pearce (London)[/url], on Flickr

[quote name='JAUQO III-X' timestamp='1425234553' post='2705401'] What are these small tell sighns that let's you know that it's a cheap bass? [/quote] The tuners seem low quality. They work fine but they look cheap to me. The knobs feel and look cheap. Again, they work fine but to me it looks like they were cheaply implemented. Too long and can get knocked easier. The truss rod cavity cut out in the body is unfinished. It's painted but not coated. The bridge seems low spec and has some sharp edges. As I said, it all works perfectly, no complaints at all, but I don't feel it's a bass that might cost double or more like some have said on the Internet. All this is in line with the latest Squier's though, so it's not a deal breaker IMO.