Anyone got the new Sire v8 model and can compare with the older v7 one?

[wambamalubop]

I've been thirsting for a fretted 4-string Sire bass in the natural finish for a while and the V7 ran about £450 or so.  I have the fretless 4 string already and like it a lot. 

 

The bass : https://www.andertons.co.uk/sire-marcus-miller-v8-4-string-bass-guitar-natural-sirev8aw4nt

 

I've seen now that the v7 version are scarcer and there's the V8 that is a heftier price around £750.  On Anderson's website this model is described as "new" but I thought it had been around a while already.  They don't have any of the older ones in stock. Thomann has them but has a photo that has badly matched wood so I guess that's their way of downplaying your expectations.

 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/marcus_miller_v7_swamp_ash_4_nt_2nd_gen.htm

 

As far as I can see, this v8 is a minor refinement perhaps a slightly better bridge, refined neck profile and so on.  Maybe the difference is also the "roasted maple". No idea how big a deal roasting it is, but the colour is pretty cool on the new one. 

 

There are no comparative reviews on YouTube or by Googling so overall this mainly seems like a price bump up into Fender Mexico price territory. 

 

Thoughts?

[Bassassin]

Apart from the roasted maple neck & Badass clone bridge, I struggle to see any significant difference.

 

Oh yeah - £300. That'll be it. Buy the V7 while you still can!

[jrixn1]

Well... it's "1" better 😂

Sire themselves say that it's basically a renaming: "The Swamp Ash variant of the V7 will now be called V8."
https://sire-usa.com/pages/v8

[Bolo]

The v7 are now all alder bodies and the v8 are swamp ash, have roasted maple necks and the 'heavy mass' bridges.