sammybee

I bought this at a very decent price (£383) from Thomann to dip my toe into the water with a 5 string after exclusively playing 4 strings for about a decade. It arrived quickly, and the bass looks stunning out of the box. The tobacco sunburst is a really stunning finish with the maple neck (10/10 for looks). I had read that these had a reputation for being quite heavy, so I was pleasantly surprised that mine was a very manageable weight (a shade under 10lbs). She balances nicely on the strap - either sitting or standing. Action was low from the box, but intonation was slightly out when you get up to the dusty end of the fretboard (nothing that a quick tweak wont fix). Being used to rather slender Jazz necks, I was surprised how comfortable I found the Sire to be when playing & very quick to adapt to. Overall the bass felt very comfortable and familiar to play unplugged - which was a relief for my first five string. The tuners and bridge (both top and through loading possible) do a good job - but we'll have to see about the longevity of the finish. On to the pre-amp and electrics. WOW, just wow - this thing has power. 18v preamp, with a master tone, 3 band eq and sweepable mids. You can get a real variety of tones from this bass. Even small adjustments make a big difference. I understand that all the sire V7's have the same preamp, so you will get the same if you go for the 4 string. Sound wise, I can't fault the electrics, but the knobs are built to a price point and there is a couple millimetre gap between the bottom of the knob and the body - which is a bit disappointing. Overall, I would say - as others have, this is a good bass 'for the money'. When I get my American Vintage RI 75 Jazz out alongside (or I recall my Jap MM signature Jazz), they cannot compete with the quality or fit and finish. The pre-amp is awesome sounding though, and you get a very playable bass for not much ££. For me, I'll keep it for awhile, but if I decide to stick with 5ers I'll be saving my pennies for a Sadowsky or a USA Fender Marcus Miller 5. UPDATE. I've been playing this for about a month now, and while it is really comfortable and I enjoy playing it, I know that 5 strings are not for me (nothing to do with the SIre - I just prefer 4s). The small niggles I mentioned before, I've learned to live with. As a lifelong gear snob, I never thought I would see the day I'd own a Korean bass - but this Sire is staying in my rack.

When I first bought my Stingray, it took me a long time to 'gel' with it, having only played Jazz basses. I'd say for the first year I would have sold it if anybody had made me a serious offer - I was that unimpressed with it. Fast foward a few years and now I'm in love with the playability, the build quality and the sound. Try and stick with it.

I second this, managed to score a 61 key mk2 for £40 off a facebook group - brilliant controller

If there was one lesson, look at this video from Devon Bradshaw - don't worry about the notes, just listen to what he has to say about space and feel - the 'kotch'.

No experience with the Orange Crush, but I used to do the same thing with my Ampeg combo. Used to run my Akai MPC 2000xl through it. It used to bang hard!

I think my local shop know what they are up against (internet sellers), hence they will go the extra mile to give excellent service and get the sale.

I've also got no excuse not to use the local shop (PMT Northampton), they price match anything on the web & if they don't have it in stock, they'll get it for me. For my last 2 (largish) ticket items, they price matched the first & gave me interest free credit, and for the second, they were a hundred quid cheaper than anyone on the internet.

Likewise, I happily pay a little over the odds for much the same reason. I think it's important, not just for my own selfish needs - but for the younger kids and those who don't/can't want to order from an anonymous German box shifter that we keep our local music shops viable and open. They're a resource that the local scene needs.

Thanks Martin - never thought of a keyboard amp. Great idea!

It's a pretty specfic use case. I dont want separate units (I have no problem finding separates) for aesthetic reasons, hence the original question

I was wondering if anyone could recommend an active PA speaker with a built in mixer that could take a bass, guitar and mic. Just looking for something to sit in the corner of our extension, that we could plug in for a jam/small parties. I really dont want to lug a bass rig and guitar combo out from our 2nd floor music room when we just want to jam for an hour or two.

If you actually read the article, they say they have fixed the issue. Making this even less of a problem if indeed it ever were

I just think it's great that a British manufacturer (and one from Northampton no less) is releasing new bass gear in 2018!

No you can definitely cancel the sale after - I've done it several times (normally because the item got damaged, couldnt be shipped etc) . Once the sale is cancelled, neither of you can leave feedback, you get your final value fees back - and everyone moves on.. cut and paste from my ebay account... [color=#333333][b] Hello,[/b][/color] You've sold this item. If the item is lost, broken or out of stock, or the buyer requests a cancellation, select [b]Cancel order[/b] below and issue a refund. If the buyer paid using PayPal, their refund will be issued automatically. Once they receive their refund we consider the cancellation complete. If they didn't use PayPal, please issue their refund manually within 10 days. The buyer will need to confirm that they've received their refund in order to complete the cancellation. Orders can be cancelled up to 30 days after the item is sold. Once the refund is successful and the cancellation is complete, you'll receive a final value fee credit.

You won't be able to give negative feedback, and there is no such thing as a negative seller strike. As a seller you can cancel the transaction at any time (and get your fees back) - you just have to say the item is no longer available for sale. Just as, as a buyer, you can choose not to pay for items you win and no one will/can force you to pay.

Option for a 8ch ADAT Pre-amp is a used MOTU 8-Pre. Bought mine for £150 in mint condition.

[quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1500460810' post='3337909'] It takes all sorts I guess, but against the advice of other members my personal experience of trying to learn an instrument from a book is not good. Theres no substitue for proper tuition. I say this as someone who was self taught for years before taking some lessons. I learnt more in the 3 years of lessons than I had in 10 years of trying to do it myself. [/quote] +1

[quote name='Bobthedog' timestamp='1500839725' post='3340555'] Agreed re the drummer and have one lined up for a couple of weeks time. Re the bass teacher, I am not sure what you mean - my previous tutor was a guitarist and that was part of the problem for me. Do you mean with a player of something else from the rhythm section? [/quote] I still take lessons, from a guy who although 'can' play bass plays other instruments primarily piano and guitar much much better (and is more enthusiastic about music in a wider sense than just the bass - the whole picture if you like). All we do is play - although much of what we do 'pushes me' on bass, we rarely talk/learn about technique. I've had 'bass' teachers in the past & they were great helping me with technique issues but really poor at facilitating learning about what it is to play bass with other people. You're about 1/2 an hour's drive from him if you fancied me putting in touch with him.

You need more than a drum machine, you need another player(s) (not bass) to play with, to bounce off, to groove with... Take a lesson with someone who isn't a bass teacher. You might be very suprised at the result!

I think I'm still looking for my voice. But I'm having a lot of fun searching for it. The single most important thing for me, is playing with another musician(s). Get a drum machine (or if space/neighbours allow a drummer), a friendly guitar player, and your goodself. Just play, jam, get into the groove and flow. Don't play covers, just let your voice come through your fingers.

As someone that came late to bass, I would say get a tutor, even if it's just once a month. All the knowledge on the internet means nothing if you don't know how to apply it. Plus a tutor can give you immediate feedback and correct you - you dont get that from youtube! Play with other people, don't just play on your own otherwise you will get bored really quickly.

+1 for the polytune

Why not have a go trying to sketch it out yourself? If you can play it, you should know the notes Print out a blank bass clef sheet and start scribbling!