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Versatile 5-string- Sire/Marcus Miller? Anything Else?
Hi everyone,
I think I'd like to try a 5-string, just to see what they're like. I don't really want to pay too much in case I decide I don't like them, but I also don't want to cheap out too much in case that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (the not-liking thing, I mean).
I'd want it to be pretty versatile, so if it can get at least some of the "classic" bass tones, that would be good- P, J, Stingray, anything else that's considered classic- plus some more modern tones. I'm guessing active/passive switchable would be a good idea, ideally also with a tone control in passive mode. Not too heavy (definitely well under 10lbs, ideally under 9) or neck-heavy. I also prefer going new. I can upgrade pickups and/or electronics, and I guess also hardware if it's a genuine direct swap (drilling is beyond me!), but at the same time it's handier if I don't have to bother... plus upgrades add up pretty quickly in terms of cost and it might make more sense to just buy a better instrument which already has the upgrades!
I was thinking of maybe a Sire/Marcus Miller M5 or M7, or maybe the Sire/Marcus Miller V7? Is there anything else which you would recommend around that price? Budget is relatively flexible, if there's something much better for, say, £800-£1000, I would consider that.
Thanks for your help,
Dave
I think I'd like to try a 5-string, just to see what they're like. I don't really want to pay too much in case I decide I don't like them, but I also don't want to cheap out too much in case that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (the not-liking thing, I mean).
I'd want it to be pretty versatile, so if it can get at least some of the "classic" bass tones, that would be good- P, J, Stingray, anything else that's considered classic- plus some more modern tones. I'm guessing active/passive switchable would be a good idea, ideally also with a tone control in passive mode. Not too heavy (definitely well under 10lbs, ideally under 9) or neck-heavy. I also prefer going new. I can upgrade pickups and/or electronics, and I guess also hardware if it's a genuine direct swap (drilling is beyond me!), but at the same time it's handier if I don't have to bother... plus upgrades add up pretty quickly in terms of cost and it might make more sense to just buy a better instrument which already has the upgrades!
I was thinking of maybe a Sire/Marcus Miller M5 or M7, or maybe the Sire/Marcus Miller V7? Is there anything else which you would recommend around that price? Budget is relatively flexible, if there's something much better for, say, £800-£1000, I would consider that.
Thanks for your help,
Dave
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Comments
I should probably say what I currently have- I've got a Fret-King (the PJ), a Stingray, and a Vigier (I'm not sure exactly what its pickups are closest to... they're pretty big, pretty hot alnico 8 single coils... I would guess jazz bass on steroids, but I'm not 100% sure!). So I guess I would kind of want something which could cover some of those tones, while not being exactly the same either, if that makes sense. Just in case I don't find the 5-string that useful just for the extra string, it might as well cover some extra ground that my current basses don't. That's my thinking anyway, and it might be wrong!
You could get the tuning advantage by modifying one of your existing bass guitars for BEAD tuning.
My old Warwick Streamer Pro Stage 1 broad neck fits that description but is probably worth more money - even in its naturally road worn condition.
Yes, the deeply unfashionable Fender Dimension Bass - American or Mexican - can sometimes be snaffled up for a stupidly small sum of money.
(a) Yeah I was initially thinking tuning a 4-string to the lower 4 of a 5-string might be an option, but then I was thinking the nut would probably have to be modified? Knowing me, I'd never get around to taking it to anyone to get that done!
I guess I'd just like the option of the lower notes... it would also hopefully mean that I could play in different (lower) tunings without having to retune, though I guess it might be more awkward to play if there were a lot of open string notes (like if I were playing in Eb, say).
(b) LOL I saw you posted in another thread when I was searching about the M series that you said the 4-string fitted EMG 35s... I was just assuming the 5-string also fitted the 40s, but I guess it would make sense to check that out for sure. Ideally I wouldn't have to swap the pickups... but it'd be nice to know it's an easy swap if I did have to. (LOL about the PJ thing too... I'm not saying I wouldn't go for that, again it'd be nice to have the option, just I wouldn't want to be stuck to it which you pretty much are with a genuine PJ set.)
Just out of interest, do you happen to know what the stock pickups are in the M5 and M7? They look like two jazz pickups put together, and I'm assuming that's what they are, but I could well be wrong about that.
(c) Thanks for the offer, but I really prefer new. I know it's kind of silly, but...
(d) I actually came across one of those the other day- not stupidly small money, unfortunately. I remember when they came out, I seem to remember after they were discontinued they were blowing them out for a pretty low price. Needless to say, I chickened out...
https://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/217433/nbd-sire-m5-5-string#latest
There are loads of sound options, but so far I've found what I want from just using it in passive mode with each pickup in parallel mode. That gives the benefit of close to a Jazz bass single coil type sound but with humbucking mode.
I think the slightly extra scale length might help to give slightly more clarity from the low B string, compared to a Squier Vintage Modified J bass 5 string I had previously.
I've come across your thread about that before when I was searching about the Sires- what you did is a really good idea, the kind of thing I'd never think of! So nice to know it's a fairly easy fix.
What you said about the pickups is what's worrying me slightly- I have more experience of this with guitar but I'm guessing it might apply to bass too- sometimes you have all these supposed extra tones you can get with fancy wiring etc., but you still find that one or two are the most useful!
That's what I was thinking/hoping with the 35" scale- though no experience myself.
How bright is the blue on yours? I know you have pics but it might not be exactly the same as in real life. I'd actually really like a blueburst, it's one of those finishes I've always really liked but never got round to getting a guitar or bass in. But the blue on the M5 seems like it can be pretty bright, whereas it seems to be a fair bit darker on the M7 for some reason. Also the grain on yours is really nice and seems to be centre-matched, too (unless it's a really well-hidden join elsewhere, or single piece)- some of the pics of the M5 I've seen of them had a pretty badly-matched off-centre join and/or pretty middling grain, which is slightly putting me off. Also (though it's out of stock) Thomann actually has the brown suburst M7 for less than the M5, which is a little weird (though it has an alder body, the non-laminate neck, and is supposedly on average a little heavier).
The only reason I haven't messed much with the range of tones is because the parallel mode on each pickup gives something that quickly works for me and sits well in my recordings. I guess the other tones might come in useful one day.
Regarding the colour, I'm not really a good judge of these things. It's kind of a greeny blue that fades towards natural in the middle. My wife loves the colour and says it's an Aqua type blue.
It's difficult to tell (in absolute terms) from a photo, so below is a picture in natural light on a cloudy day to compare relative to my other blue guitars. The Sire M5 isn't as obviously blue as my Ibanez guitars which my wife says are silvery blue (which Ibanez describes as Ice Blue Metallic).
https://i.imgur.com/3Dnhi3X.jpg
No worries about all the tones, I'm kind of the same, lol. I'll deliberately try to buy something which is as versatile as possible, and then probably sit on the same setting the whole time!
That photo helps a lot- I'd say (based on that and other pics I've seen) that you and your wife are spot-on with the descriptions. Lovely Ibanezes (and garden!) too
Also I missed it above, but if they all weigh around 8.75 lbs, I'd be ecstatic! That's around what my Vigier weighs, and is lighter than my other 2 (all 4-strings).
No worries, I appreciate the suggestion. It definitely does sound like it ticks a lot of boxes for what I want...
I've been advised that the extra scale length for the bottom B helps the tone for that string
sounds good, bottom B still floppier than other strings, but the string set is not standard:
DR Strings HI-DEF NEON™ - WHITE coloured Bass Strings: 5-String Medium 45-125
I think 130 or 135 is more normal for the bottom B
Also LOL, white coloured, that's awesome
Grrr, that's what I'm afraid of
Also, just out of interest, how are Ibanez and Jackson basses? The Jackson Pro Series Spectra bass looks quite nice (and I've seen some on offer at the moment), but I don't hear much mentioned about Jackson when it comes to basses, which might be a bad thing! I think Ibanezes are pretty well-regarded when it comes to basses, but obviously there's an absolute ton of models available there. The Soundgears look pretty nice, and there's a headless one (EHB) which also looks quite nice and is (presumably) fairly light. Granted, I don't even know how headless works...