Sire P7 2nd Gen

[Steve41]

Hello newbie here

I've been looking at Sire P7 but like the Ash 3 tone sunburst but it's coming in at £499 but I also like the  Alder vintage white which I can get for £375. Question is is the swamp ash worth the extra money? 

[Jonesy]

Hello and welcome to the forum! 

Good choice with the Sire's, they're fantastic basses. I've only played the V7 Vintage models in Andertons but had a go on both the alder and swamp ash versions. Personally I couldn't hear any difference there and then. Maybe you can if you hear samples right after each other, but it won't be that drastic. Those preamps are pretty good so you'll be able to dial in a range of tones too so you're not missing out on much by going for one bass over another. 

Personally I reckon there's loads more factors that shape your tone than body wood, so would just go for the cheaper option/one you prefer the look of. 

[Cato]

I think in this case the difference in the woods is more about aesthetics than tone.

Ash has a more vivid grain than alder so tends to look better in transparent finishes, which is probably why Sire have used it for the sunburst and natural finishes.

Alder is quite a plain wood which is probably why they chose it for solid paint jobs that hide the wood.

Any tonal difference beteen the two is going to negligible. Someone with a truly exceptional ear might be able to say which was which in a blind test but most people would struggle to hear a difference.

Edited April 27, 2020 by Cato

[Al Krow]

50 minutes ago, Cato said:

I think in this case the difference in the woods is more about aesthetics than tone.

Ash has a more vivid grain than alder so tends to look better in transparent finishes, which is probably why Sire have used it for the sunburst and natural finishes.

Alder is quite a plain wood which is probably why they chose it for solid paint jobs that hide the wood.

Any tonal difference beteen the two is going to negligible. Someone with a truly exceptional ear might be able to say which was which in a blind test but most people would struggle to hear a difference.

+1 ^^

I guess I was lucky in that I'm a bit partial to a vintage white bass and as it was also cheaper it was an easy decision! The other finish that I could definitely have gone for was the natural alder, but I've made my bed now...cue gratuitous pic of my P7

And great choice of bass btw - it has a more versatile EQ and generally holds itself up well against basses costing several times as much!

Edited April 27, 2020 by Al Krow

[Drax]

Oddly - Sunburst w/ Ebony fretboard is Alder. They’ve matched Alder-Ebony, and Ash-Maple across the range suggesting some tonal pairing but assume it’s just commercially led / marketing guff.  

Great basses, and as @Cato says, will sound identical - woods largely irrelevant (and Sire weights inconsistent) so just go with what you like the look of. Got one a few months back and really enjoying it.  
 

Edited April 28, 2020 by Drax

[Pea Turgh]

I prefer the white.  Looks a little classier/timeless.

[lksmks792]

I own a swamp ash V7 and an alder P7 and they're both great. Just get what you like the look of - and ask yourself how much money 'better looking' is worth to you 😉 

[dave_bass5]

Get the one you like. Worth doesn’t come in to it IMO. If its the bass you like, with the tone you like, its worth the extra for it. If you get the cheaper one and not too sure about it, its not worth it and you may end up regretting it. I cant say which is better for you, but i loved the Ash/burst when i had one. If it hadn’t been faulty I’d still have it. 

There will be a minor difference in tone (different strings will make more of a difference), and hardly noticeable  if you play with a band. Both will feel the same, so its really down to looks IMO. 

Obviously this is based on trying them out. If you cant get them from somewhere you can return them (I’m gushing Andertons). 

[HazBeen]

Tonally Alder and Ash are quite similar, to me Ash bodies have a slightly more pronounced bottom and (often) top end. But given this is an active bass, the slight tonal difference is pretty irrelevant. Save some dosh, get the cheaper one

[Old Horse Murphy]

Just ordered an Alder bodied Fretless P7 Series for a decent price from Andertons. It'll hopefully arrive Tuesday and I'm really looking forward to trying it out (yep, bought blin, again). 

I'll post a review if anyone is interested. 
 

 

[Rich]

I chose ash/maple for my V7 purely because I preferred the look of the maple fretboard.

[dave_bass5]

14 minutes ago, Rich said:

I chose ash/maple for my V7 purely because I preferred the look of the maple fretboard.

Same here. Not always keen on it with some colour bodies. but I think Sire have picked the right colour to go with the Ash bodies.