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Sire Z3.....what's your take on it?

ebenezer

By ebenezer,
in Bass Guitars

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neepheid Grand Master

neepheid

Posted
Posted (edited)

If you don't need a neck pickup or the extra preamp features of the Z7 then it's a no-brainer as far as I'm concerned.

Edited by neepheid
Raslee Veteran

Raslee

Posted
Posted

Wish Sire would do a lightweight range. Most Sires I’ve owned have been wonderful but all have also been weighty boat anchors. 

  • Like 1
la bam Veteran

la bam

Posted
Posted

Absolutely superb for me. 

 

I've set mine pretty much flat for our 80s band and it just fills the room in that full but defined way. 

 

Very easy to play. 

 

Lots of tonal options. 

 

Work passive or active and even if the battery goes flat. 

 

My black one looks stunning. 

 

I love it. 

  • Like 1
TheLowDown Mentor

TheLowDown

Posted
Posted

Sire's are great basses with flexible preamps and good value for money judging from mine, but from what I've read the Z3 may be a little on the heavier side for some people. 

 

Personally, though, no neck pickup no interest.

neepheid Grand Master

neepheid

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, TheLowDown said:

Sire's are great basses with flexible preamps and good value for money judging from mine, but from what I've read the Z3 may be a little on the heavier side for some people. 

 

Personally, though, no neck pickup no interest.

 

Then get a Z7, job's a good 'un.  Really happy with mine, and I don't think it's that heavy (9.5lbs) - but everyone's definition of "heavy" is different.  I use wide straps and am privileged to be in reasonable structural health.  I've played 12lbs+ maple Gibson bruisers in the past, 9.5lbs means nothing to me.  In fact, I'm one of those even rarer weirdos who has a minimum weight for basses - below 8lbs I just can't take it seriously, I get a toy-like feeling from it and it just doesn't feel right.

TheLowDown Mentor

TheLowDown

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, neepheid said:

 

Then get a Z7, job's a good 'un.  Really happy with mine, and I don't think it's that heavy (9.5lbs) - but everyone's definition of "heavy" is different.  I use wide straps and am privileged to be in reasonable structural health.  I've played 12lbs+ maple Gibson bruisers in the past, 9.5lbs means nothing to me.  In fact, I'm one of those even rarer weirdos who has a minimum weight for basses - below 8lbs I just can't take it seriously, I get a toy-like feeling from it and it just doesn't feel right.

Way too heavy for me, unfortunately. Also, from the basses that I have it doesn't give me anything that that I need that isn't already covered. I know what you mean by really light basses feeling toy-like, but I think 8-8-5lbs is almost like a sweet spot. I have an Ibanez 6 string that's about 9.9lbs, and that's at the maximum for a 6 string, if it had fewer strings it would be a candidate for being shown the door.

Edited by TheLowDown
Woodwind Mentor

Woodwind

Posted
Posted
On 20/12/2024 at 17:34, Raslee said:

Wish Sire would do a lightweight range. Most Sires I’ve owned have been wonderful but all have also been weighty boat anchors. 

 

I would pay (a small amount) extra for mass produced basses categorised as lightweight.

 

  • Like 2
Lozz196 Grand Master

Lozz196

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, Woodwind said:

 

I would pay (a small amount) extra for mass produced basses categorised as lightweight.

 

Would be a good marketing tool as well, plenty of us would I’m sure be happy with that. 

  • Like 2
neepheid Grand Master

neepheid

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, ProjeKtWEREWOLF said:

I'm really tempted by the 'burgundy' z7 5 string...I'm a metal player though, and it doesn't seem appropriate 😂

 

It's a few hundred less than the Yamaha BB435 I was looking at. Tempting. 

 

Eh, I'd take a BC Rich Ironbird to a folk gig, fsck genres.

  • Like 2
  • Haha 2
ProjeKtWEREWOLF Community Regular

ProjeKtWEREWOLF

Posted
Posted
29 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Eh, I'd take a BC Rich Ironbird to a folk gig, fsck genres.

Us black metal folks are pretty elitist. 

 

I do have a sire V5 in light mint green, with a copper colour pick guard though.  I've nearly broken my programming. 🤔

  • Like 1
Baker69 Explorer

Baker69

Posted
Posted

Discounting the neck pickup of the Z7, how does it sound compared with the Z3? In theory they should sound very similar but I’ve read that the Z3 has a ceramic pickup and the Z7 Alnico. 

neepheid Grand Master

neepheid

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Baker69 said:

Discounting the neck pickup of the Z7, how does it sound compared with the Z3? In theory they should sound very similar but I’ve read that the Z3 has a ceramic pickup and the Z7 Alnico. 

 

Sorry mate, not rich enough to own both so can't help you!  I have a distrust of bridge pickups, so I bought a Z7 to hedge my bets.  Also wanted an ebony board, so it had to be a Z7 for me at launch time.

 

They probably sound a bit different with all controls zeroed, but I suspect they can be made to sound similar if you tweak the controls on the Z7 enough, as it has the mid sweep and a passive tone control that the Z3 does not.

  • Like 1
la bam Veteran

la bam

Posted
Posted

Full on pa and sound setting day using my z3 today. I absolutely love it. It's rich, punchy, warm and equal volume across all strings. It's an amazing bass. 

 

Its my number 1 now. By a long long way. 

ebenezer Mentor

ebenezer

Posted
  • Author
Posted
7 hours ago, la bam said:

Full on pa and sound setting day using my z3 today. I absolutely love it. It's rich, punchy, warm and equal volume across all strings. It's an amazing bass. 

 

Its my number 1 now. By a long long way

How much does it weigh?

mcnach Grand Master

mcnach

Posted
Posted
On 29/12/2024 at 19:39, Terry M. said:

Tried a 5 string version in Andertons that sounded decent but I couldn't get past the weight. Total deal breaker.

 

They can vary a lot. My Z7-5 is only 8.0 lbs

Terry M. Proficient

Terry M.

Posted
Posted (edited)
15 minutes ago, mcnach said:

 

They can vary a lot. My Z7-5 is only 8.0 lbs

Good to know but they use different body woods with the Z3 (which I tried) using mahogany and the Z7 ash or alder.

Edited by Terry M.
  • Like 2
Geek99 Grand Master

Geek99

Posted
Posted
On 21/12/2024 at 13:01, neepheid said:

 

Then get a Z7, job's a good 'un.  Really happy with mine, and I don't think it's that heavy (9.5lbs) - but everyone's definition of "heavy" is different.  I use wide straps and am privileged to be in reasonable structural health.  I've played 12lbs+ maple Gibson bruisers in the past, 9.5lbs means nothing to me.  In fact, I'm one of those even rarer weirdos who has a minimum weight for basses - below 8lbs I just can't take it seriously, I get a toy-like feeling from it and it just doesn't feel right.

Like a guitar 🤮

  • Haha 1
la bam Veteran

la bam

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, ebenezer said:

How much does it weigh?

 

I've no idea to be honest. Just feels like an average precision weight. I'd imagine 8-9lbs. It's not as heavy as my Harley benton mm84a if that helps. It balances really nice so it's not an issue. 

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