What Sire did next

[MichaelDean]

15 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Did you notice they reshaped it?  Old on the left, new (and current) on the right.  It's less stumpy now (not that I was put off by the old one), be happy that a company actually listened to people for once.

 

 

Interestingly, it looks like they only redesigned it for the 4 string though. The 5 (at least on their website) sill appears to have the rounded lower horn. I think I actualy prefer the rounded one. I like that it isn't entirely traditional.

 

[neepheid]

12 minutes ago, BassApprentice said:

Bit of a reshape, but left looks very much like a render and right appears to be a real picture. Definitely looks a bit less odd in the right picture.

 

I call shotgun on offers should you not like it @neepheid 😅

 

Naw, the original stubbies did exist as prototypes at least - here's one being played at NAMM (including the 3+1 headstock that I guess EBMM took exception to)

 

 

Heh, not a chance - if I don't like it I'll be returning it!

Edited August 2, 2024 by neepheid

[neepheid]

11 minutes ago, MichaelDean said:

Interestingly, it looks like they only redesigned it for the 4 string though. The 5 (at least on their website) sill appears to have the rounded lower horn. I think I actualy prefer the rounded one. I like that it isn't entirely traditional.

 

 

That's just bad website updating - here's a video of someone playing a 5 string released in the last month - deffo has the reshaped lower horn...

 

 

[Hoffbass]

On 13/05/2024 at 21:44, neepheid said:

 

Interesting - that contradicts what is on their website - it says 42mm nut width for the 4 string and 45mm for the 5 string.  Goddamn it will they stick to one story?  I don't mind if there has been a spec change, but update your site if that's the case!

So annoying isn't it? Nut width and string spacing should be specified in a straightforward way. How can you gain trust when they keep contradicting? 

[la bam]

2 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

That's just bad website updating - here's a video of someone playing a 5 string released in the last month - deffo has the reshaped lower horn...

 

 

Great video that is. 

 

If there's one criticism of sire, they don't do enough promotion. Their instruments are incredible. 

 

Although, I've no doubt they'll sell out straight away. 

[tauzero]

7 hours ago, neepheid said:

Naw, the original stubbies did exist as prototypes at least - here's one being played at NAMM (including the 3+1 headstock that I guess EBMM took exception to)

 

I was wondering about this - it seems to be regularly asserted without evidence. I had a little hunt and I found something on the Telecaster forum which I can't embed here. However, the contributor had found a US trademark https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=74044289&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch for 4+2 placement on a guitar (but the contributor didn't find a 3+1 equivalent). This, however, strikes me as perverse. Extending this, if Fender trademarked 4 in a line and Warwick trademarked 2+2, then nobody could make a 4-string without infringing a trademark. So, should it be possible to trademark a tuner layout?

 

Also, if the layout is trademarked, then it would have to be the specific layout - so the G would be staggered so it's between the E and A. Placing the G on the same level as the E or the A would bypass the trademark.

[tauzero]

8 hours ago, MichaelDean said:

Interestingly, it looks like they only redesigned it for the 4 string though. The 5 (at least on their website) sill appears to have the rounded lower horn. I think I actualy prefer the rounded one. I like that it isn't entirely traditional.

 

Well, if they're now making the big horn version and you prefer the little horn, it can be reshaped. In fact, Bo Diddley pioneered the reshaping concept but it never properly caught on. Here he is with some before and after examples.

 

 

[neepheid]

1 hour ago, tauzero said:

 

I was wondering about this - it seems to be regularly asserted without evidence. I had a little hunt and I found something on the Telecaster forum which I can't embed here. However, the contributor had found a US trademark https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=74044289&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch for 4+2 placement on a guitar (but the contributor didn't find a 3+1 equivalent). This, however, strikes me as perverse. Extending this, if Fender trademarked 4 in a line and Warwick trademarked 2+2, then nobody could make a 4-string without infringing a trademark. So, should it be possible to trademark a tuner layout?

 

Also, if the layout is trademarked, then it would have to be the specific layout - so the G would be staggered so it's between the E and A. Placing the G on the same level as the E or the A would bypass the trademark.

 

 

Big Poppa == Sterling Ball, in case it's not clear.

[tauzero]

58 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

 

Big Poppa == Sterling Ball, in case it's not clear.

 

But would it hold up if the G is level with the E or the A? The TM registration for the 4+2 has specific placement with the top E between bottom E and A, and top B between A and D, and the 3+1 would have the same with the G above the E and below the A. And I still think that it's a ludicrous thing to be able to trademark. The TM registration also shows that Big Copper Nanotube has indeed turned to the law on occasion.

[BassApprentice]

I see your points @tauzero . I would understand if the headstock shape and peg placement were exact copies of the Music Man shape, but how can they have a cover all trademark for 3+1 no matter the shape, size or accompanying logos.

 

 

 

[velvetkevorkian]

You kinda have to leave common sense at the door when it comes to IP law a lot of the time, as far as I can tell.

[BillyBass]

Andertons keep putting the in stock date back.  It's now 22nd August.

 

I am seriously tempted.

[neepheid]

24 minutes ago, BillyBass said:

Andertons keep putting the in stock date back.  It's now 22nd August.

 

I am seriously tempted.

 

I'm prepared for a succession of date slippages until they finally arrive.  I don't know why they're being so specific - they're just making a rod for their backs when it turns out the supplier has been feeding them a line.  Thomann just simply say a rough range of a few weeks and leave it at that.

 

Interestingly, all the 4 string Z7s at Thomann are showing as "6-8 weeks" EXCEPT the burgundy which is "12-15 weeks".  Guess which finish is the most popular/wanted then?

 

[BillyBass]

13 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

I'm prepared for a succession of date slippages until they finally arrive.  I don't know why they're being so specific - they're just making a rod for their backs when it turns out the supplier has been feeding them a line.  Thomann just simply say a rough range of a few weeks and leave it at that.

 

Interestingly, all the 4 string Z7s at Thomann are showing as "6-8 weeks" EXCEPT the burgundy which is "12-15 weeks".  Guess which finish is the most popular/wanted then?

 

I once had a chat with an Andertons employee about their moving in stock dates.  They don't have any control over when the goods arrive but if you see the in stock date put back by, say 3 months, that means the stock that is about to arrive has all been pre ordered and they then start taking orders for the next batch.

 

So I presume the Burgundy Z7s haven't all been pre ordered yet.

Edited August 4, 2024 by BillyBass

[Velarian]

This just dropped on Anderton's YouTube channel.

 

They sound excellent and that black fretless looks gorgeous.

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2024 by Velarian

[lemmywinks]

Hope they do an unlined version, they look and sound excellent.

[Cato]

32 minutes ago, Velarian said:

This just dropped on Anderton's YouTube channel.

 

They sound excellent and that black fretless looks gorgeous.

 

 

 

 

Just been watching this.

 

I don't need either another fretless or an acoustic bass but these still have me very interested.

[Velarian]

1 hour ago, Cato said:

 

Just been watching this.

 

I don't need either another fretless or an acoustic bass but these still have me very interested.

They're very tempting but, like you, I don't need another bass, fretless or otherwise. I think GAS is very magnetic but I am going to resist. I am going to resist. I am going to resist. I am going to resist....

[ezbass]

19 minutes ago, Velarian said:

I think GAS is very magnetic

But these will be piezo  

 

20 minutes ago, Velarian said:

They're very tempting, but I am going to resist. I am going to resist. I am going to resist. I am going to resist....

Resistance is futile.  

[neepheid]

 

[BillyBass]

In spite of the video, the Andertons website is saying they will be arriving on the 22nd.  I'm guessing they are just being a bit slow updating stuff.  

 

If that video was supposed to stir up GAS, it worked.  I want one.

[MichaelDean]

1 minute ago, BillyBass said:

In spite of the video, the Andertons website is saying they will be arriving on the 22nd.  I'm guessing they are just being a bit slow updating stuff.  

 

If that video was supposed to stir up GAS, it worked.  I want one.

They said in the video that what they had in the room was all of the stock they had so far. The 22nd is probably correct still for the rest of the shipment. 

 

I wasn't blown away by the sound of them personally. Don't know if it's just the way that the Anderton's team recorded them though. 

[neepheid]

4 minutes ago, BillyBass said:

In spite of the video, the Andertons website is saying they will be arriving on the 22nd.  I'm guessing they are just being a bit slow updating stuff.  

 

If that video was supposed to stir up GAS, it worked.  I want one.

 

I made a comment about that on the video.  I do get a bit of a "ner-ner-nerner-ner, we're playing these basses you can't have yet" feeling about it.  I'd rather they'd waited until the basses were actually available before releasing the video, damn teases

 

[neepheid]

2 minutes ago, MichaelDean said:

They said in the video that what they had in the room was all of the stock they had so far. The 22nd is probably correct still for the rest of the shipment. 

 

I wasn't blown away by the sound of them personally. Don't know if it's just the way that the Anderton's team recorded them though. 

 

I was impressed with the range of effect that the preamp on the Z3 had in its chosen frequencies.  Hopefully the Z7 is similarly wide ranging.  Interesting that the passive tone still works even in active - I was expecting that to be one or the other.

[BassApprentice]

5 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

I made a comment about that on the video.  I do get a bit of a "ner-ner-nerner-ner, we're playing these basses you can't have yet" feeling about it.  I'd rather they'd waited until the basses were actually available before releasing the video, damn teases

 

 

I do understand that from a consumer point of view - but from the business POV, the more 100% paid up pre-orders for the next batch they can encourage, the better for them.