LeftyBassist.com

Please PM me if you are looking to buy a Sire V7 4 or 5 strings or an M3, lefty, new. I have a source for $100/$150 less than regular prices... And it is in stock...

Thanks again, Yolly. I ordered a burst alder on Monday and it hit the border on Thursday. Should see it in another week or two. It was B-stock, so <$400 shipped.

Since ordering I've been reading through the 190+ pages of the TalkBass Sire bass club thread like it was some kind of trashy novel (I'm up to page 110, Dec 31). Just to summarize some things I've read for folks less obsessive/compulsive than I am:

Shipping times for US orders can be 1-2 months. Both reviews and order volumes have been astounding. The 5-stringers have been particularly popular. Mickey Cho at Sire has been responsive and apologetic to inquiries and has been adding free chrome knobs and t-shirts to late deliveries. To meet demand, Sire has started producing the V7 in their wholly-owned, Sire/Dame-dedicated China factory. There doesn't seem to be enough data yet to compare quality of Indonesian vs Chinese versions, but no one with a Chinese serial number has complained as far as I've read.

A few quality issues have come up, but not a lot of any one issue. A couple people have broken the concentric pots trying to change knobs. A few more have done a little nut adjustment or fret leveling. A few have complained about a little more hum than they're used to.

Early on a handful of people ran out of saddle adjustment before they could get a B-string intonated when strung through the body. One guy received a replacement screw from Sire, another trimmed the screw himself.

A few people have had to add foam under the pups to get them as high as they would like.

Weight seems to vary for the ash models. Some of the 5s have weighed in at 14#.

The burst color seems to be highly subjective. Depending on who you ask it's cherry burst, tobacco burst, sunburst, brown burst, red burst, burgundy, maroon, etc. I can't tell whether the variability is in the finish, the photos, or the perception. I ordered the burst and I have no idea what to expect, but I don't really care.

Not a lot of people seem to be modding yet. I saw one brass nut and one new pickup set. There doesn't seem to be a consensus on a weak link. The tuning machines get a lot of mention, but most say they're fine and I don't think anyone has actually bothered to swap them.

Folks seem to find both active and passive modes equally useful / pleasing to the ear. Consensus on the pre-amp is that it is transparent with a very low noise floor. Folks love the EQ, but some find the controls a little cramped. Internal wiring seems tidy from the pictures posted.

Nobody substantively compares these to basses in the same price range. Comparisons to Squiers and MIMs are completely dismissive. Real A/B comparisons are with MIA Fenders, Sadowskis, and Lulls. But a handful of V7s have found their way to the classifieds and Craigslist, so not everyone feels that they are a must-have. But more often people are ordering a second and third.

Thanks Tim, for taking the time to read all.

I already have a V7 (Indonesian) that I bought last year and certainly one of the very first V7 lefties.

Now, I just ordered the M3 through the channel I am mentioning, and seriously considering another V7: I have been bothering Mickey so that the new bright red color with maple neck becomes available in a lefty as well. That would be my third Sire.

All-in-all, in terms of features, sound palette and looks, I do not know of another brand that offers so much for so little money...

I'm gassing for a fretless now, too. If I thought I could devote even an hour per week to dedicated practice on a fretless, I would do it. But right now life isn't offering much freedom for this old dog to learn new tricks.

I am trying to reply through PM to some interested members but my messages stay in the outbox and are not sent. Does somebody know why? I tried to reach an administrator but again, my messages are not sent.

Thanks Andrew, now I know why!

While we're back on the topic, here's a nice vid walking through the V7's seven knobs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bne-nVM2oWo

Still eagerly awaiting mine...

One thing I thought I'd mention: if you order through source Yolly knows, you won't get the Sire gig bag that would come with a US order. The longish headstock of the V7 may have trouble fitting into a standard gig bag.

Having read through another 70 pages of that TalkBass thread (I have a long train ride to work), one person who ordered through this channel reported getting a Chinese-made version. Still not a lot of data, but no one reports an issue with a Chinese version as of page 180 / Jan 30.

I really need to get a life...

UPDATE!

Just got my M3 today!

Thought I'd share some info with you so that you know what to expect.

1- I paid $399.00 including shipping (can vary a bit because of the exchange rate).
2- It took some 4 weeks to arrive.
3- Indeed no bag.
4- Had to pay a bit less than $34.00 duties.
5- Bass was in perfect condition.
6- Made in China

And once I opened the carton all was forgotten. Haven't tried it yet, but by the looks and finishing alone is already worth much more to me! Super happy!

Nice!

Mine was supposed to be delivered today, but I'm going through the usual BS with my local post office.

In a similar vein, someone on TB posted this from the Sire bookface page:

I wish I had remembered Pete's glowing review of the V7 before I ordered a G&L MJ-4. I would have saved over $1400, haha.

In fact, had I canceled the order and forfeited the deposit and ordered a V7, I still would have been money ahead.

Oh well, maybe it will be worth it. At least I got to specify a few more options.

If you can afford to order a new G&L, you can afford to order a new G&L and a Sire

Two active jazz basses? Yeah, I own three Rickenbackers, but two active jazz basses just sounds excessive.

I am going to be really disappointed if I can't get this sound out of my MJ-4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfUKDpJgG6w#t=5m21s

Man, that is THE JAZZ SOUND I LOVE! (It's funny that I like the passive sound in that clip better than the active sound.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqTxhvwaSPk#10

Oh, man! I mean, it's no Rick, but it just makes me melt!

Ha ha. They don't call it "rolling" for nothing.

But no doubt your MJ-4 is going to be incredible. I hope you post pix/clips when it arrives.

I got a hold of my V7 on Wednesday. I've been working like a maniac this week so I haven't spent much time with it yet, but I will share initial impressions. As I suspected it's a Chinese version, and it came without a gig bag--for me at least those were perfectly reasonable trades for cutting $100 off the price and 2 months off the wait time.

The control plate and pick guard don't line up. The side of the pick guard that meets the control plate is too small, and is offset from the edge of the plate by a millimeter or two on each side. But that's the only defect that I could detect. The knobs are mounted high off the control plate so there's a gap underneath them of maybe 4-5mm, but that's an easy fix.

The setup is good. Nut slots and neck relief are textbook. Intonation is right on. I did not measure the string height but it feels fine. The pre-amp is transparent and dead quiet. Mine came set to zero gain, so I can't tell it's on unless I adjust the EQ.

I don't play jazz basses or even round wound strings at all, but even with my crappy technique I can tell that the A, D, and G strings have the potential to sound like the videos posted here. It's nice. The E string seems dead, but in a weird way like it's empty down low but still plenty of presence up high. Maybe I'm just too accustomed to humbuckers and P's. Maybe the string is a dud.

That's about all I'm qualified to say. I can't really compare it to other jazz basses or to higher end basses because I've never owned any. But it's certainly a nice addition to my collection of budget Asian instruments

Thanks for the review, Tim! Did you get the Ash/Maple or Alder/Rosewood?

Alder/rosewood.