GEAR REVIEW
SIRE V7 VINTAGE 4-STRING BASS | Mitch Bohannon
KEY FEATURES
• Active / Passive Switch
• Vintage Tone
• Gloss Maple Neck
• Vintage 70 ’ s Pickup Spacing for Punch
• EDGELESS TM Fretboard
Have you ever had someone tell you about a restaurant they recommend only to find out you drive by it regularly , but simply overlooked it ? A friend of mine , Kevin Richard , is the staff counselor at the church where I work and is part of the leadership of Celebrate Recovery . I had been leading worship at CR for a few months when he offered to play bass . After playing our “ church bass ” for a while , he went on the search to buy his own .
One of Kevin ’ s relatives down in Cajun country has one that he likes and all he would talk about are these Sire basses . When he started talking about them , it rang a bell , but I really had an “ aha ” moment when he showed me a picture and I recognized the logo . I have walked past the Sire booth at NAMM year after year . I ’ ve gazed at the basses and guitars but had not yet put my hands on one .
After researching and playing some options , he settled on the Sire Vintage V7 4-string ( alder body ) in antique white . I ’ ve been listening to it for months now and recently had some time to play with it myself . This is most certainly not a bass to overlook . Packed with features that normally come on guitars that are three times the price , I ’ m more impressed each time I see and hear it . If you ’ re not familiar with Sire , all the basses are inspired by legendary bass player , Marcus Miller and bear his name on the headstock .
At first glance of the V7 , you ’ ll find an attractive jazz bass design with an expected alnico set of pickups and more controls than you ’ d expect . The pickups are a bit “ underwound ” to achieve more of a vintage sound and the bridge pickup is set closer to the bridge for added punch . Black block inlays are standout markers on the gloss , maple fretboard with a 7.25 ” radius . The EDGELESS TM ( Sire ’ s rolled and smoothed fretboard edge ) is bound in black and is a nice contrast and enhances the beauty of this guitar . The gloss neck is a bolt-on , C-shape neck that , to my guitar-hands , is very comfortable … not too big . A string-through body and chrome hardware with open-gear tuners complete the package . It ’ s hard to be disappointed that it does not come with a case when you realize the value that you ’ re getting at a low price point .
Detailing the controls , let ’ s start with the micro switch because it determines which pots are 90 November 2024 Subscribe for Free ...