50th Birthday and £500 max spend.. Sire MM?

[Skol303]

18 hours ago, Chrisbassboy5 said:

What's the score with Warwick? Are they that good?

I agree with @Monkey Steveabove; Warwick basses are superb and very good value second hand.

 

[jrixn1]

20 minutes ago, Chrisbassboy5 said:

I really would like to have a quality new/2nd hand 5 string with loads of tone control. Am after a smooth almost string bass sound and will even consider flats as I play wind Band stuff mostly..

Only an upright sounds like an upright... but if you're after suggestions, how about an Ibanez SRH505?

[lownote]

With a Sire there is no substitute for trying before buying. Only you can decide if its quality enough for you, the weight and balance, and the sound.  The EQ is different to any of the other 37 basses I've owned.   Which may be right up your strassa or a turn off .  And having had four Sires, they all had very different effects on me. One I couldn't live with all sound wise and had to get rid.  So don't ask us.  Ask yourself after playing one.  Don't forget you can get one from Thomanns and return it if you don't like it. 

[tauzero]

31 minutes ago, Skol303 said:

I agree with @Monkey Steveabove; Warwick basses are superb and very good value second hand.

But the fives aren't slim-necked, not even the pre-1990 ones. The early fours are though.

[Chrisbassboy5]

9 minutes ago, tauzero said:

But the fives aren't slim-necked, not even the pre-1990 ones. The early fours are though.

Cheers guys. Need to try some more then. Will include some other makes/models outside the norm.. cheers folks. Awesome feedback. Regards Chris

[tauzero]

Have you got SGC Nanyo on your list yet? If you can find a second-hand one, you'll find it has a lovely neck, is very light, and sounds rather good.

[Monkey Steve]

1 hour ago, tauzero said:

But the fives aren't slim-necked, not even the pre-1990 ones. The early fours are though.

Have to disagree - they’ve had a choice of two neck profiles for years now and there are plenty of slim ones. Especially the thru necks

Edited March 19, 2019 by Monkey Steve

[tauzero]

13 minutes ago, Monkey Steve said:

Have to disagree - they’ve had a choice of two neck profiles for years now and there are plenty of slim ones. Especially the thru necks

I shall have to try and find one then. My 1988 Thumb 5 has quite a chunky neck and all the other Warwick 5s I've played (mainly Thumbs, the odd other one like a Buzzard) have had fatter necks than that. And a Warwick 5 for £500?

[Chrisbassboy5]

What are some great basses to look at then? Warwick, Schecter?, what about the Ibanez Aerodyne?

[leschirons]

Yes yes yes, these replies and suggestions are all very interesting blah de blah de blah,  but at no point has ANYONE (including the OP) actually considered whether his wife actually wants, or needs, a bass guitar for her birthday

[Chrisbassboy5]

Like the idea of high series 2nd hand Ibanez, any views?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F293013153698

[Chrisbassboy5]

6 hours ago, jrixn1 said:

Only an upright sounds like an upright... but if you're after suggestions, how about an Ibanez SRH505?

Just checked the YT video by Andertons. Nice idea! 

Like the Spectre option..

 

[Skol303]

6 hours ago, tauzero said:

But the fives aren't slim-necked, not even the pre-1990 ones. The early fours are though.

Quite the opposite ‘feel’ for me. I’ve owned a Corvette and still have a fretless Thumb: both are about as narrow as I like to go, certainly in terms of string spacing on a 5 (about 15mm if I remember right).

But the Warwick necks certainly are quite chunky in terms of thickness/ radius. Similar to a P-bass perhaps.

[tauzero]

10 hours ago, Skol303 said:

Quite the opposite ‘feel’ for me. I’ve owned a Corvette and still have a fretless Thumb: both are about as narrow as I like to go, certainly in terms of string spacing on a 5 (about 15mm if I remember right).

But the Warwick necks certainly are quite chunky in terms of thickness/ radius. Similar to a P-bass perhaps.

Maybe it's the ambiguous term "skinny" - my Thumb 5 is the same nut width as a couple of my other 5s from other makers (I can tell as I've put Just-A-Nut 1s on them) so not wide, but chubbier than them. It was more the depth than the width that I was referring to. The old 4-strings have much shallower necks.

[Monkey Steve]

17 hours ago, tauzero said:

I shall have to try and find one then. My 1988 Thumb 5 has quite a chunky neck and all the other Warwick 5s I've played (mainly Thumbs, the odd other one like a Buzzard) have had fatter necks than that. And a Warwick 5 for £500?

yeah, I've certainly had some chunky necks on older Warwick 5's, but also some very slim ones

[Skol303]

2 hours ago, tauzero said:

Maybe it's the ambiguous term "skinny" - my Thumb 5 is the same nut width as a couple of my other 5s from other makers (I can tell as I've put Just-A-Nut 1s on them) so not wide, but chubbier than them. It was more the depth than the width that I was referring to. The old 4-strings have much shallower necks.

"Chubbier"... I like that!... and will be using it from now on to describe necks that have depth, rather than width 👍