|
Post by LTB on Nov 25, 2023 19:29:56 GMT -5
Actually got this last Monday. A Sire D5 mid 50’s P style bass with a roasted Maple Neck and Fingerboard. Got rid of other basses so now this is one of the 4 I have left. imgur.com/gallery/fSme6tL
|
|
|
Post by themaestro on Nov 25, 2023 22:58:30 GMT -5
Nice. I like those original precisions.
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Nov 26, 2023 0:28:34 GMT -5
Thanks, I have had many guitars and basses and this D5 bass is the absolute 1st with a Perfect setup. Neck, action, intonation spot on….NOT A SAYING (Spot on). Using a Virtual strobe tuner each note on each string was right on target! Even the tuning was almost perfect which is saying something for a bass that just shipped across country. I expected not only to have to intonate but neck adjustment, saddle height, and possibly slight nut work but NO BUENO! My Sire P7, P5, G&L’s (all but the Fullerton) and the Fender American Pro Jazz had to have setup tweeks and this was the least expensive of all that I have bought in the last 10 years or so. It plays and sounds good and also has great output.
|
|
|
Post by bluzcat on Nov 26, 2023 21:44:10 GMT -5
Looks great, congratulations!
|
|
|
Post by chicagodude on Nov 26, 2023 23:01:20 GMT -5
Congrats! Nothing like getting a new bass! That’s a nice looking axe.
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Nov 27, 2023 6:15:48 GMT -5
Thanks bluzcat and chicagodude!
|
|
woody
Wholenote
Posts: 245
|
Post by woody on Nov 27, 2023 12:19:20 GMT -5
Nice score, LTB! I've yet to see one in the wild but I hear good things about Sire. What does it weigh? So, what's left in the collection after the purge?
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Nov 27, 2023 18:12:40 GMT -5
Nice score, LTB! I've yet to see one in the wild but I hear good things about Sire. What does it weigh? So, what's left in the collection after the purge? [ Thanks woody 8lbs 13oz GUITARS *1979 Takamine (was my mom's before she passed) *2020 Yamaha A3R NV ARE Acoustic Electric *2022 Sire Larry Carlton H7 (Cherry Red) *2019 Ibanez Artcore Expressionist AF-95 BASSES *2017 Fender American Pro Jazz With EMG BTQ 2 band preamp and Aguilar Noiseless pickups *2016 G&L Fullerton LB-100 Custom *2014 ESP LTD B-5E 5 string Active with Bartolini preamp and Lace Alumitone pickups *2023 Sire D5 mid 50’s P style bass.
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Nov 28, 2023 19:52:54 GMT -5
The D’Addario’s that came stock were ok but I put a new set of GHS Pressure wounds .044-.106’s on it and took it to the next level. Little to no finger/string noise and The Low E has a fat piano like tone that is clear. No flabbiness. Hum is barely eve perceptible at 100 percent volume and not at all at 80 percent. Stock pickup sounds very good with the Pressure wounds.
|
|
bassngtr
Wholenote
I am all about the bass...
Posts: 148
|
Post by bassngtr on Nov 29, 2023 9:55:28 GMT -5
I have 2 Sire 5 strings and I am beyond happy with them. My M2 (blue w/ maple neck) has the nicest neck I've ever touched. I bought it as an inexpensive backup but it became my #1 as soon as it came out of the box. Perfectly set up as you say. My P7 is very nice too - love the passive tone - but it needed a fair amount of tweaking (post-COVID early 2022 that was expected, IMO). Congrats!!
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Nov 29, 2023 14:29:01 GMT -5
Thanks gassngtr. Bet the M2 is beautiful. Ok so update on noise. I turned the computer on to play with music and the hum increased. I backed off on volume by 20 % and nearly gone. They wired the pickup to the center wiper of the volume pot. Normally I would change this to reduce loading but frankly the only noticeable loading effect is in the reduction of hum and not much in darkening the tone so I am keeping it this way for now.
|
|
|
Post by morrow on Dec 2, 2023 16:23:07 GMT -5
Congratulations! How many did you get rid of? I’ve been planning to trim things down but somehow wound up buying another cab , and now there’s another bass on the way.
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Dec 2, 2023 17:07:04 GMT -5
Congratulations! How many did you get rid of? I’ve been planning to trim things down but somehow wound up buying another cab , and now there’s another bass on the way. In the last six to eight months 5 or 6 2 guitars and I believe 4 basses. Of those I hated to let go of the 2016 Gibson SG Standard. Very good guitar but the neck was just too thin to enjoy being mostly a bass player. The latest to let go after I got this Sire D5 was the Sire P7. Their necks with curved edge fretboards and frets are really sweet. P7 was a good bass but I mainly prefer passive. They only issue with the P7 was the Mid Frequency controls when I adjusted to or near max it went into loud oscillation. Also two many knobs lol. Probably a pot loosing contact as got better when I rotated the pot several times but they are proprietary and have to order from Sire and they seem concerned about people proving they have an issue unless they want to send the bass directly to them for repair. NOPE
|
|
|
Post by morrow on Dec 2, 2023 18:33:14 GMT -5
There’s a lot to be said for the two knob simplicity the new bass has.
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Dec 6, 2023 19:41:09 GMT -5
There’s a lot to be said for the two knob simplicity the new bass has. It is simplicity in it’s finest morrow! It has grounded shielding in the cavities. Hum is not too bad and and just dialing the volume back to 80 percent it is almost imperceptible but seriously playing in live situation you wouldn’t notice it. I have TI Jazz Flats on my Fender Jazz and GHS Fullterton LB-100 (P style) and GHS Pressure wounds on this bass and my 5 string bass. I will likely keep the Pressure wounds on this bass as it does a very decent job of low finger/string noise and fret clack. In the past I was overloaded with Jazz basses then P’s. I now have one 5 string with two soap-bars, one Jazz, one P bass, and one 50’s style P bass. Nice balance!
|
|
|
Post by morrow on Dec 7, 2023 16:55:39 GMT -5
This arrived yesterday , a bigass orange Gretsch. Years ago a friend had a late 50’s 6120 and I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. This is a bass version of that , minus the Bigsby. Medium scale. Big body , thick , substantial neck. And I love it. This recording is just the mic in my iPad. Sitting in front of the speaker of my mini practice rig. I didn’t flick the selector switch or change any knobs. Both pickups on full , tone slightly backed off , but using thumb and fingers , occasionally nails. Goofing around in the saddest of all keys. I probably should have consulted wardrobe before recording this.
I’m really loving this bass.
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Dec 9, 2023 13:49:44 GMT -5
This arrived yesterday , a bigass orange Gretsch. Years ago a friend had a late 50’s 6120 and I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. This is a bass version of that , minus the Bigsby. Medium scale. Big body , thick , substantial neck. And I love it. This recording is just the mic in my iPad. Sitting in front of the speaker of my mini practice rig. I didn’t flick the selector switch or change any knobs. Both pickups on full , tone slightly backed off , but using thumb and fingers , occasionally nails. Goofing around in the saddest of all keys. I probably should have consulted wardrobe before recording this. I’m really loving this bass. Very nice moreow, I had the lessor expensive G5440. What pickups are those?
|
|
|
Post by morrow on Dec 9, 2023 18:49:27 GMT -5
TVJones pickups. I’ve just been using it through a tiny practice rig , tomorrow I’ll drive it downtown and hear it at room volume through a nice amp.
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Dec 9, 2023 21:14:34 GMT -5
I put TV Jones Thundertrons in the one I had but yours sound better!
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Dec 9, 2023 21:16:08 GMT -5
I put TV Jones Thundertrons in the one I had
|
|
|
Post by morrow on Dec 10, 2023 8:01:21 GMT -5
I put TV Jones Thundertrons in the one I had but yours sound better! It might be the little rig. This is the little corner I practice at over at the in-laws. We care for my mother-in-law. When I first decided to set up a little practice nook I simply bought a Rumble 15. And it sucked. It’s undergone various heads and cabs but it’s settled with a tiny Phil Jones C2 cab with a Darkglass e500. Sometimes a Yamaha NE-1 parametric eq , and a Phil Jones BigHead headphone amp for silent headphone practice. It sounds really good at a low volume , but the cab would not be suitable for gigs. Strictly a practice cab. The amp is run by software you program through a phone or tablet. There are about two dozen pedals and effects available. And it’s fairly intuitive to create presets. I was going for something slightly warm , slightly thumpy , slightly old school but with definition. You can make that amp sound like just about anything.
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Dec 12, 2023 1:58:41 GMT -5
Well it sounds good. What do you use for gigs?
|
|
|
Post by morrow on Dec 12, 2023 8:21:01 GMT -5
I have a Bergantino rig with a tube preamp. I have 112 and 210 cabs , for many gigs I just use the 112 , the Forte is simple clean transparant power. I’ve also added a Monique preamp. That completely changes the Forte from modern hifi to old school tubey. It’s an amazing preamp. I’m a believer. I also recently picked up a Barefaced One10 cab to drag out to rehearsals. I’ve never heard a single ten put out what that little box does. Barefaced are not common in North America. So for gigs and rehearsals I’m usually running the Forte and Monique , and then whatever cab combination will best suit the day. And things sound like I’m running big tubes.
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Dec 12, 2023 14:13:44 GMT -5
That is one cool tube preamp morrow! What are the tubes it uses? My present amp has tube preamp (Mesa Boogie TT800). Love it so far and have no problems. Haven’t got to use it out but once as no longer in a band and at my age it seems not many bands playing the stuff I love (classic rock and some county). I was raising a family while friends had their bands going and now they seem retired from music while me being retired would love to play,.
|
|
|
Post by morrow on Dec 12, 2023 17:00:40 GMT -5
Monique has four tubes , two 6SL7 , a 12AU7 and an EZ81. Made in a little one man shop in Santa Cruz.
The TT800 is a gorgeous amp. I’m a fan of the designer. I have an earlier Genz Benz head he designed and when I heard he was still servicing his old amps I sent mine off to him. It’s now like a brand new amp. It was well worth investing in. Amazing to have someone believe in the legacy of his earlier designs. And his current work on the Subway Series for Mesa speaks for itself. Andy Field. He’s genius.
|
|
|
Post by themaestro on Dec 12, 2023 17:12:07 GMT -5
+++ on Andy Field for Genz Benz amp service. I sent my GZ Shuttle 6.0 in to him. Reasonable bench charge. He apparently still has lots of parts.
I'm not sure we are allowed to mention other forums on here, but Andy hangs out at talkbass.com and can be messaged there under the username agedhorse.
|
|
|
Post by morrow on Dec 12, 2023 19:27:01 GMT -5
Andy is a resource , and a wonderful one. I have the Streamliner 900. Beautiful amp , but was just a backup after getting the Forte. I do occasionally fire it up, it’s a beautiful thing. The problem is simply that I’m kinda nerdy about amps and wound up with a few more than I need. Funny that the Liner and the Forte are just about polar opposites. The liner has a three tube preamp. The Forte is simple clean transparent slam. And then I wound up putting a boutique preamp on the Forte. The Forte is a great back end. I go into the effect return and bypass the Forte pre and tone stack. So Monique is the tone.
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Dec 12, 2023 23:04:37 GMT -5
I had a Streamliner 600 (wish I had bought the 900). I sold it when I bought an 800 watt amp head which has since been replaced. Wish I had never sold it. Great amp but wish had more wattage.
|
|
|
Post by morrow on Dec 13, 2023 7:33:31 GMT -5
I came close to buying a Darkglass Microtubes amp last month , and then realized it was pointless to buy any more amps. I’ve already got a good selection at several power points. I do like their amps though. I’ve gone through that with Mesa several times.
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Dec 13, 2023 16:37:55 GMT -5
My Mesa Boogie TT800 is my main amp and I have a Quilter 802B as back up and also use it with a single 15 (8 ohm) cab running at 400 watts RMS. It will run 800 Watts with my 2 x 15 4 ohm cab. The TT800 is a bit different in that it has selectable impedance switch 2/4/8 ohm. It has two channels that can be switched on front panel or with footswitch (which can also mute the amp) between the Boogie Channel with 3 tube preamps running at 300 volts I believe and a Subway channel that is more solid state but with one section of one of the 3 preamp tubes that is at the input for both channels.
|
|