NBD - Sire Z7

[80Hz]

So how are you folks getting on with your Z7s?

 

The tobacco sunburst one has caught my eye, and I'm on a gradual general mission to try bass styles I've never owned/played before (i.e. MM). I've never owned a Sire despite the hype.

 

Regarding general criticisms of the model encountered on the YouTubes, I tend to always play with a strap even when sitting, so I'm not too worried about how it might sit on the leg.

 

I enjoy a nice jazz bass neck tone, so I could see myself being okay with the neck/bridge output difference that some people have complained about - I'd probably use it as one or the other. Interestingly I see some people saying this has been solved on the 2025 update by the switch to a four pole neck pickup (I wonder if it still does a jazz neck tone though!)

 

Mostly I like the sunburst finish - in the promo photos the alder grain looks particularly refined - so this would be the primary motivation for a Z7 over a Z3.

 

Despite the janky detents, etc, is the preamp quiet?

 

Did I read that the neck pickup noise cancelling? That might be totally wrong.

 

[neepheid]

I'm getting on great with mine, thanks.  Some YouTubers would have you believe that's not possible... all that stuff about the sitting on the lap thing is utterly irrelevant to me because I play classical style when I'm sitting down (as in legs apart, bass goes in the space resting against my right thigh and the bottom of the body resting on my left leg, not the right).

 

Used it live a few times and it's performed brilliantly.  Neck is lovely as per Sire usual, generous roll on the fretboard edges so it feels smooth and very premium.

 

Preamp is fine for me, and yes, I believe the neck pickup is noise cancelling (as in two coils side by side).  As I've already mentioned, the only things I've done to mine is change the knobs (because I really disliked how lightweight and cheap the stock ones felt) and had a clear pickguard made for it to let more of that glorious burgundy (mist) colour through!

 

RE: the pickup balance, I get what people are saying, except I don't find it's so pronounced on mine, perhaps pickup height might come into play?  However, I've found there's a sweet spot on the pickup blend knob just past the detent favouring the neck pickup which sounds great.

One final thing - you might not need extra long strings if you want to string through the body - the strings disappear up quite far into the body so you only need about an extra cm of speaking length on the string to carry it off.  I used the stock D'addario XLs which came with the bass and re-strung it through the body and it made it over the nut before the taper kicked in.

Edited February 25 by neepheid

[80Hz]

Thanks @neepheid - all sounds very positive and even more so at the price point.

 

As you say pickup heights will no doubt be important. I would always expect to tweak these things out of the box. I think Philip McKnight is the only YouTuber I watch who is fair with this, most use it as a stick to beat affordable instruments.

 

Good to hear about the side by side noise cancelling neck pickup too.

 

Also appreciate the observation re: string length although I'm a happy top loader 😀

 

One observation I'll make is that the Z series apparently sells like hot cakes but you don't see too many coming up on the used market. Hopefully suggests that they're keepers for most people.

[la bam]

Played my z3 a lot and absolutely love it. 

[mcnach]

I've played around 20 gigs with the Z7-5. It's a very nice sounding bass with one of the nicest necks I've played. Love it.

[80Hz]

Thanks everyone for weighing in. It's good to balance out YouTube unboxing hot takes with opinions after you've settled in for a while with a new bass. I find I can rarely form an opinion of something until I've lived with it for a while, so it's good to see that people are enjoying them a few months in.

[Sean]

A question.

 

Knowing what we know about Fender's designs being made for mass, low cost manufacture and there being compromises between design and quality, how do we think basses like this V7 stack up quality-wise versus what was coming out of FugiGen Gakki? Obviously they don't compare to some of the neck-thru exotica we know but against the best of the flat-sawn, bolt-on, "Leo inspired" designs, where are these?

 

Should I buy one? Convince me.

[neepheid]

11 hours ago, Sean said:

A question.

 

Knowing what we know about Fender's designs being made for mass, low cost manufacture and there being compromises between design and quality, how do we think basses like this V7 stack up quality-wise versus what was coming out of FugiGen Gakki? Obviously they don't compare to some of the neck-thru exotica we know but against the best of the flat-sawn, bolt-on, "Leo inspired" designs, where are these?

 

Should I buy one? Convince me.

 

 

Buy one.  If you don't like it, send it back.  Carpe diem!  In planetary terms, you're gonna die soon.  Convinced?

 

[Stub Mandrel]

On 01/03/2025 at 22:13, Sean said:

A question.

 

Knowing what we know about Fender's designs being made for mass, low cost manufacture and there being compromises between design and quality, how do we think basses like this V7 stack up quality-wise versus what was coming out of FugiGen Gakki? Obviously they don't compare to some of the neck-thru exotica we know but against the best of the flat-sawn, bolt-on, "Leo inspired" designs, where are these?

 

Should I buy one? Convince me.

 

I've got three very, very nice Fender basses. Last week split a gig between Sire P10 and Fender AVII. Today I just gigged the Sire.