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Review – Sire Guitars Releases New Bass Guitar Model – The Sire M7

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Sire Marcus Miller M7

Over the past year or so, Sire Guitars has taken the bass world by storm with their hot selling Marcus Miller by Sire V7 bass guitar.   The Sire V7, a jazz bass type of instrument, hit the market with an astonishingly high level of quality.  That was coupled with a shockingly low price, putting the Sire V7 within the grasp of virtually every bass player all over the world. Bass players all over the world are proclaiming the Sire V7 as a great sounding jazz bass with great playability and very high quality construction at a very affordable price.

Having thrown down as formidable a gauntlet as the Sire V7, Sire Guitars knew that they would have to maintain their high level of quality as well as their low pricing on future models.   That is exactly what they did when they released their fretless Sire V7 and their Vintage Sire V7, which is modeled after the 1975 jazz bass (these basses will be reviewed in the near future).

Sire Guitars recently introduced a new model of bass guitar.  This model is the Marcus Miller by Sire M7 bass guitar.  Like the Sire V7, legendary bassist Marcus Miller was involved in the design of the Sire M7.  The result is spectacular!  The Sire M7 has gorgeous aesthetics, with a well-balanced symmetry with respect to the headstock and body size.  The design of the Sire M7 is modern and, again much like the Sire V7, it compares very favorably with basses costing three times as much as it costs.  Unlike the Sire V7, the Sire M7 offers two humbucker pickups.

M7_4ST_TBK

Okay, Tell Me About It

Although things like neck profile are subjective and hard to describe, the Sire M7 has a fantastic C-neck profile.  It is a very easy and comfortable neck to play straight out of the box.  The finish of the neck is satin, making for a fast neck.  The fingerboard on the review bass is made of Rosewood and the neck is made of Hard Maple.   Although the Sire M7 used for this review was a five string, weight of the bass, and overall length of the bass from tip of the headstock to end of the body all felt relatively small.

The scale length of the 4 string Sire M7 is 34 inches.  The 5 string has a scale length of 35 inches.  Sire Guitars increased the scale length on the 5 string to allow the B string to be tight and focused.  For bass players who prefer to play 34 inch scale basses, most will not notice the extra inch in scale length on the 5 string Sire M7.

Unlike the Sire V7, which has a 21 fret neck, the Sire M7 has a 24 fret neck.  The body cut-away allow for a very comfortable reach all the way to the 24th fret.  The neck is bolted to the body with four bolts for the four string bass, and five bolts for the five string bass.  The nut is made of bone.

The attractive high mass bridge allows for 18mm string spacing at the bridge.  The Sire M7 also allows a player to either string the bass through the body or through the bridge.  The tuning machines feel smooth and tight.  At this time, only black hardware is available for all color variations of the Sire M7.

The Sire M7 shares the same phenomenal preamp with the Sire V7.  Its controls are stacked volume/tone, pickup blend, treble, stacked mid/mid sweep, and bass.  There is also a two-way toggle switch to put the bass in either active or passive mode.  Each pickup up has a corresponding three way toggle switch that allows each pickup to be switched between parallel, series or single coil modes.

Currently, the available options for the Sire M7 are either four or five strings.  The body wood options are either Alder or Ash.  The finishes are Transparent Black, Natural (Ash models only), Brown, Sunburst and Transparent Blue.

Sire Marcus Miller M7 - Natural

But How Does It Sound?

The Sire M7 that was reviewed has an Ash body with a solid flamed Maple top and, as mentioned earlier, Hard Maple neck with a Rosewood fingerboard.  Along with the electronics, the bass has a big, rich full sound.  The low end and midrange are very well represented.  The high end is musical and full, not thin and glassy.

When thumped or slapped, the Sire M7 has a great percussive sound with a hard-hitting bottom end.  The pops are also percussive and have a distinctive sound typical of humbucker pickups.  In other words, the pops have a somewhat subdued high end, however, the overall sound is completely appropriate.

Bass players of all genres will find the Sire M7 a very useful tool in their arsenal.  When plucked, the Sire M7 has a full, warm and fat natural tone.  The M7 sounds great in both passive and active mode.  When adding the effects of the preamp, the Sire M7 becomes an instrument with a very wide palette of tone.

For the bass players who already have a Sire V7 jazz bass, or some other make and model of a bass, the Sire M7 is a great addition.  It provides a very different sound from a jazz type basses.

Sire-Marcus-Miller-M7-Series-Release-4

Okay, How Much Does It Cost?

  • The Alder body 4 string Sire M7 is $599.00
  • The Ash body 4 string Sire M7 is $699.00
  • The Alder body 5 string Sire M7 is $699.00
  • The Ash body 5 string Sire M7 is $799.00

Although it is very reasonably priced, this bass is not a bass that needs upgrades.  Although it is priced to be affordable, this bass will be appreciated by both beginners and professional bassists alike.

Conclusion

Sire Guitars has another hit on their hands with the Sire M7.  The quality, playability and sound of the Sire M7 are astonishing at this price point.  This bass will make a very capable workhorse for a working professional, or a very affordable quality instrument for a new bassist.  It also makes a great addition for a bass player with several basses.

Sire-Marcus-Miller-M7-Series-Release-6

Specifications

Body

Body Material: Alder/Ash with Solid Top Flame Maple Wood

Body Shape: New Modern Bass

Body Color: TBK(Transparent Black) and NT(natural) for Ash Models, BR (Brown) and TBL (Transparent Blue) for the Alder Models all under Satin Finish

Neck

Neck Material: Hard Maple

Neck Shape: C-Shape

Scale: 34’/35? ( For 5 string 35? for clear low B )

Fingerboard: Rosewood

Fingerboard Radius: 12”

Frets: Medium , 24 Frets

String Nut : Bone Nut

Inlay: White Pearl Dot

Neck Joint: 4/5 Bolt Individual Dot (5 hole for 5 string)

Graphite Reinforcement: Only on 5 string M7

Electronics

Pickups: Marcus Miller pure humbucker (MMPH set )

Electronics: Marcus Miller Heritage- 3 with Middle Frequency Control

Controls: Volume / Tone (Dual Pot) | Pickup Blender | Treble | Middle / Middle Frequency (Dual Pot) | Bass, Mini Toggle (Active / Passive ), Three way switch per pickup (Series Mode, Parallel Mode and Single Coil Mode)

Knobs: Modern Black

Hardware

Bridge: Marcus Miller Custom Big Mass2 Bridge (String-Thru Body option Bridge)

Tuning Gear: Sire Diecast Gear

Hardware Finish: Black

Pickguard: None

String Spacing At The Bridge: 20mm for the 4 string M7 & 18mm for the 5 string M7

Approximate Weight

M7 4 string alder: 3.7 kg ~ 4.1 kg ( 8.0 lbs ~ 9.25 lbs)

M7 4 string ash: 3.8 kg ~ 4.2 kg ( 8.4 lbs ~ 9.5 lbs )

M7 5 string alder:4 kg~4.4 kg (8.8 lbs ~ 9.7 lbs)

M7 5 string ash: 4 kg ~ 4.5 kg (8.8 lbs ~ 9.9 lbs)

Gig Bag

The 4 string and 5 string Sire M7 basses come with a gig bag included in the price.

Visit online at www.sire-guitars.com

Bass Videos

Reviews: Phil Jones Bass Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17

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Reviews Phil Jones Bass Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17

Phil Jones Bass Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17 Reviews…

In this issue, we take an in-depth look at two new amps from Phil Jones Bass, the Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17.

For more information, visit online at pjbworld.com

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Bass Videos

Review: BITE Custom Bass – The Black Knight PP Bass

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Review - BITE Custom Bass - The Black Knight PP Bass

BITE Custom Bass – The Black Knight PP Bass Review…

I am sure many of you saw my review of the Snobby Steampunk Bass from BITE Guitars back in February of 2021 and will remember what a remarkable bass it was. BITE has been building custom basses since 2019 and has a unique custom approach where you can configure your bass to your specs.

I am very excited to have another Bass From BITE Guitars in my hands, The Black Knight PP Bass! 

The need for a P-Bass in one’s armamentarium is pretty standard for bass players and I recall chatting about this with Marty O’Brien about a year ago. It turns out that Marty and BITE Guitars got together and came up with this excellent configuration that gives you a P-Bass with a whole lot more.  Marty even played his own Black Knight PP bass at the 2024 NAMM show. You can see his review here.

Join me as I take an in-depth look at this very cool instrument and share all the details.

Here is The Black Knight Bass from BITE Guitars!

For more information, visit online at bite.guitars/product/black-knight-pp

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Gear Reviews

Gear Review: Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass

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Gear Review: Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass

Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass Review…

Throughout the evolution of music, bass players have sought tools to sculpt and enhance their sonic landscapes, and one indispensable ally in this pursuit has been compression. Origin Effects, a name synonymous with premium audio craftsmanship, introduces the Cali76 Compact Bass Compressor, a pedal that pays homage to the legacy of compression and brings forth a new chapter in bass sonic mastery.

As we delve into the world of the Cali76 Compact Bass Compressor, we’ll explore how Origin Effects seamlessly weaves together the heritage of compression and contemporary bass demands, promising a pedal that not only honors the past but propels your bass playing into the future. Join us on this sonic expedition as we dissect the nuances of the Cali76 Compact and uncover the secrets it holds for bass players seeking the perfect blend of vintage warmth and modern versatility.

For Starters, the Cali76 is a studio-grade FET compressor pedal, based on the classic Urei 1176, but with some features optimized for bass guitar. For those of you who are not familiar with it, a FET (Field Effect Transistor) compressor is essentially a solid-state tube compressor emulation that allows for fast and precise control over the attack and the release parameters; allows for extreme compression ratios; and finally adds the typical 1176 color and character to the sound.

Together with the common controls we see in most compressor pedals – Ratio, Attack/Release, input (just like the original 1176, the threshold in this pedal is fixed), and output (makeup gain). The Cali76 offers two more controls dedicated to us bass players.

A Dry control – This allows us to mix in our dry, uncompressed signal to the pedal output. This is great for when we want to add back some of our playing dynamics to the compressed sound or for when you want some volume back in situations where the compression starts taking away the volume.

A High Pass Filter control – Low frequencies on a bass guitar signal normally overwhelm compressors. This high pass filter allows the compressor to only react to higher frequencies, which helps preserve the natural dynamics of our playing while keeping the low end intact.

Metering on this pedal can be a bit hard to get used to at first. There’s a single LED light on the pedal, that not only serves as an On/Off light, but it’s also our meter. It glows red when no compression is applied and orange for active compression. The brighter the light, the greater the amount of gain reduction. Yellow signifies that the gain reduction reached 27dB and maximum reduction occurs around 38 dB.

In practical terms, it’s all about working with the input and the LED to find the sweet spot (turn the input to zero, start playing and slowly increase the input level until you start seeing the LED glowing orange, which means there’s reduction going on).

With 6 highly interactive knob controls, this pedal implies some degree of compressor knowledge and also some amount of tweaking and experimentation to find the perfect settings. The good news is that it is very hard to make this pedal sound bad…

It can go from very subtle compression settings to very extreme, and it can do everything in between. Also, the team at Origin has been kind enough to add a couple of sample settings in the manual to get players started and to help us understand better how the pedal works.

Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass

Dynamic Control is a setting that provides natural compression, balancing dynamics between various playing techniques. It is a subtle compression that will work almost out of the box almost all the time. Having a medium setting for the High Pass Filter ensures an honest translation of the lower string dynamics.

Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass

Parallel compression is a popular studio technique, where both compressed and natural signals are blended. We get the sound and feel of hard compression while retaining the natural playing dynamics.

Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass

Percussive, lively & Fat is a setting that uses a slower attack time to accentuate the start of any note. Then using a fast release allows the compressor to recover between notes so that the phrases sound more percussive. Ideal for slapping and other percussive techniques.

Finally, I would like to mention the classic 1176 tonal coloration. It’s not a secret that engineers all around would sometimes use the 1176 compressor, without applying any compression, just to get the tonal coloration into the instrument sound.

And the Cali76 compressor is no different, it has such a rich, warm, and full coloration that’s super pleasing to the ear and makes you want to have it ON all the time. So be aware, that if you want a transparent compressor, this pedal is not for you!

All in all, it is easy to understand why this pedal became a favorite of so many bass players around the world. The Cali76 Compact stands as a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship and thoughtful engineering that Origin Effects is renowned for. It seamlessly navigates through the rich history of compression, offering bass players a gateway to the soulful resonance of the past while empowering them to sculpt a contemporary sonic future.

Whether you’re a seasoned bass maestro or a budding virtuoso, the Cali76 Compact invites you to embark on a sonic journey where every note is held in a delicate balance between tradition and innovation. As we bid farewell to our exploration, we do so with the realization that the Cali76 Compact is more than just a pedal; it’s a sonic companion that elevates the artistry of bass playing

For more information, visit online at origineffects.com

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Gear Reviews

Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass Review

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Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass Review

Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass Review…

Not long ago, I did a review of the Spector NS Dimension HP 5 Bass and I have just been given the honor and privilege of reviewing the Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass. I have to say, another great bass from Spector that is hard to put down! While there are some similarities between both basses, there are also some noticeable differences which is why I believe having both is essential to any bass arsenal.

Spector, widely used by many rock and metal bassists like Ian Hill, Alex Webster, Colin Edwin, Doug Wimbish, and many more, just to name a few, has a long-standing in these genres. Well, that’s about to change! The bass I used for the review, didn’t see any of those genres, matter of fact, I used it on a few classic country gigs and at church too! However, when at home in the studio, I let the funk out. The NS Ethos HP 4 Bass is an all-around great bass for any genre and will not disappoint.

Let’s get into the specs about the bass, and here we will find the differences between the HP 5 Bass and the HP 4.

Forget that one is a 5 string, while the other is a 4, while that is a difference, that’s not one that I feel needs to be noted as both models are available as 4 and 5 strings. The Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass has a 34” scale, 24 fret, 3 piece maple neck through construction with solid alder wings, ebony fingerboard along with centered and side dots and the 12th fret Spector logo inlay with a brass nut.

While the pickups are different as the NS Dimension HP 5 Bass uses the EMG 45DC and the NS Ethos HP 4 Bass sports the EMG 35DC pickups, they are the same pickup configurations, the difference being, one for 4 string, the other for 5 string. The electronics are the same, consisting of a Darkglass Tone Capsule preamp which consists of +-12dB @70Hz for Bass, +-12dB @500Hz for Mids, and +-12dB @2.8kHz for Hi Mids. Controls for Spector NS Dimension HP 5 Bass consist of Master Volume, Blend, Bass, Mid, and Hi Mid controls. The electronics are powered by a 9-volt battery.

The bridge is a Hi-Mass locking bridge with intonation screws and the tuners are sealed die-cast. All hardware is black. Same as the Spector NS Dimension HP 5 Bass, the HP 4 Bass is available in 4 different finishes, White Sparkle Gloss, Gunmetal Gloss, Plum Crazy Gloss & Black Gloss. The bass also comes with a very nice and well-padded gig bag.

Check out the Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass at a Spector Music Retailer today near you or visit online at spectorbass.com/product/ns-ethos-hp-4/

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Gear Reviews

Review: Italia Leather Straps

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Review: Italia Leather Straps

Italia Leather Straps…

Whenever I get a new bass, I like to get a new strap to christen it and I also like to find one that is “color coordinated” to my new instrument. I recently had a 6-string fretless bass created by a local luthier named Frank Brocklehurst, which started my search for a new strap.

There are a few points that I always look for when searching for a new strap. 

1-Comfort 
2-Width
3-Great color
4-Price

My most recent quest put me in touch with “Italia Leather Straps.” Italia has been in business in California for about 20 years and has been selling factory direct for the past 18 years.

When you order your strap it begins its “made to order” build process and after shipping more than 50,000 straps they certainly have it well in hand!

To answer my 4 questions regarding comfort, Italia uses some of the most comfortable and luxurious leather in a wide variety of colors. I was able to match almost perfectly the color of my bass and the color of the leather.

You can order it in either a 2.5” or 4” width as well as a standard and long model for tall players. I prefer the 4” for all of my basses. 

I received my strap and I must tell you, the leather was soft, supple, and truly comfortable when I attached it to my bass.

I must commend Italia Leather Straps for their attention to detail and beautiful selection of leather. I would say that when you go looking for a new strap, these guys should be on your shortlist.

Call or visit Italia Leather Straps online:
831-324-4277
www.italiastraps.com

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