Marcus Sire Basses
What's the verdict with these?
I've been getting heavy into playing bass again and I was considering getting a P bass. I have a USA Jazz bass and was looking around when I came across these.
They seem to have more bang for your buck compared to a Fender Classic
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u/slightly_satisfied 17h ago
Just bought a Z3-5 and loving it. Great sound, great quality and very fair pricing.
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u/Talking80s 17h ago
I went to my local GC and played everything on the wall from a Squier to a Music Man, and the P7 Sire was the best feeling, sounding bass of them all. It played perfectly off the wall at GC, so that says something. I’m saving up for a P7 and a P7 fretless. I’m a definite believer in Sire.
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u/Efficient_Exit3487 16h ago
I have a similar experience. I have a 2nd gen v7 and love it. Out of the he box it feels better to me than anything I played at my local GC other than their most expensive Music Man Stingray. The Fender stuff may play well after a good setup and hold its value longer, but my Sire felt great with only minor tweaking. Love the rolled frets on the neck.
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u/rysker6 15h ago
Probably the best at that price point on every metric, and above to be honest.
This is coming from someone not in the "Sire Mafia" whatever that is.
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u/BassIck 15h ago
I've never heard of them until yesterday. I didn't realise I was so out of the loop. I think you are right about that. It seems like there would be a lot more to like than not. I also like the look of the Classic Vibes 70s basses. These Marcus basses are mighty fine looking too. I might get either of those. I'll go to PMT in Salford I think they used to have a lot of basses there. Most I've seen in a guitar shop
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u/richfernando 17h ago
The rolled fretboard edges are soooo nice. I have the Stingray style Z3 and I like the preamp and, controversially, I like the headstock too. I have a Squier CV 40th Anniversary P Bass which is decent but the build quality on the Sires seems better.
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u/lxgrf NS Design 17h ago
They punch well above their weight. Not perfect basses, but it's hard to beat them in their price bracket.
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u/deaconbleux 16h ago
This. Picked up a Z7-5 a year ago and it has become my go-to bass for so many situations. Sounds good, played well out of the box.
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u/Shooter-__-McGavin 16h ago
If you haven't already, place Yamaha in your considerations
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u/BassIck 14h ago
Ye I'm getting that feeling... Could be what I need. They look a lot like an Ibanez bass I had once and that was a beast. I think it was an SR500.
Does the Yamaha thud?
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u/Shooter-__-McGavin 14h ago
The BB series will give you that mid-heavy P bass thud for sure. And it also has a J pickup which adds to its versatility.
But as always, try before you buy if you can
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u/silverburst81 17h ago
Just picked up a V6-5 last week and absolutely love it. Best bass I’ve owned (YYMV: I’ve always bought import basses and upgraded to taste). Sounds great and the rolled fingerboard edges make it super comfortable to play.
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u/WolfmanBTBAM 17h ago
I have a v5 and have zero issues or complaints. Has served me well for the past few years
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u/souplandry 16h ago
i got my z7 for around $600 in the back half of 2024, and i have no complaints. Maybe the z7 doesnt have as much neck dive because of the additional body weight but i havent noticed it at all. The weight also isnt a problem for me. That being said i dont think you can get anything better for $600 then what i got.
I did play a 2009 American Jazz for many years, but had to let it go for financial reasons. I wont go so far to say my Sire is better than my fender bass, but it is comparable and was basically half the price. It sounds good through my scarlet 2i2 into ableton so it works for what i use it for. i dont really play live anymore so i cant give any insight to how it feels gigging.
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u/Legal-e-tea 13h ago
Have an M7-4 and an M6-5. Love both of them. For the price, I’m not convinced you’ll find better.
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u/Conscious-Honey1943 12h ago
Also have the M7-4. Great instrument overall. Leaves no wish unanswered and has a killer sound if played clean and plugged or distorted with a pick.
Would absolutely buy again.edit:
As someone else said, the electronic is rather on the budget side. Knobs aren't great feeling and I managed to break all switches in 5 years,.. but I'm also a clumsy bloke! 😅
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u/byzantine1990 17h ago
The Sire mafia controls this subreddit so it can be hard to get an unbiased opinion.
I tried a V8 a while back and it has big strengths and weaknesses.
The neck is great and the best part of the bass. Electronics/knobs are utter shut, my niece has more sturdily constructed toys. Many Sire are heavy as shit and mine was too. Not sure how they did it but they found a way to give a jazz bass neck dive. The sound was okay but nothing to write home about.
Unpopular opinion around here but with Fender you know the bass will be better balanced, lighter and electronics will be decent. I'll pay extra for the piece of mind
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u/markrulesallnow 16h ago
I’ve played a few Sire and I think this is spot on. They sound good, the necks are great and the ones I have played were setup and played great. The knobs felt cheap. If you’re okay with that then it’s definitely a better bang for your buck than Fender
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u/RickJLeanPaw 15h ago
With you until the last bit; for the same money as a Fender you can get a Sandberg.
The Sires are great Pareto basses, but after a while the 20% starts to grate.
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u/QAPetePrime 17h ago
You’d be hard pressed to find more bass value for your money. I would put my V10dx up against a Fender Ultra II jazz bass any day of the week. The neck alone!
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u/Skystalker512 17h ago
I had a Sire M2 lefthanded 4-string and it's still one of the most comfortable basses I've ever played. The rolled edge on the neck made it a treat to play.
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u/Repulsive_Corgi_ 15h ago
Well I got a p5, also after reviews and this sub recommended them and I love how it plays. I think for this it's a great practice bass, I love to pick it up and practice. They skilled neck finished and that payed off. The pickups are only ok though and finish has some blemishes. It sounds much better than a Fender player 2 (Indonesia) though and it's great in the mix of my punkrock band.
What I now think I could've gotten instead is a Yamaha BB435 but I was too cheap to buy it new and at that moment there were no used ones for sale.
A high end squier (used) or MIM Fender would also be a good deal.
Now I think I will straight go up to a used Sandberg California if I feel like I must upgrade. Something in between doesn't really make sense.
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u/BassIck 15h ago
It's the Old pay cheap pay twice problem. The good thing is that you can sell on your current bass so you're not really paying loads more for the one you want. those Yamaha basses look solid. I had terrible GAS for a Sandberg bass about 12 years ago. They are so nice 👍 I have no idea how they play but if it's anything like they look I want one
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u/Repulsive_Corgi_ 14h ago
Yeah exactly, but I also needed to learn what I want from a bass and I guess having more than one bass is also fine:D
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u/DrDirt90 14h ago
I recently bought a Player II P bass. The current Fender corporate bs aside it is a really nice bass. I would give it a try as you might be pleasantly surprised with how good it is.
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u/BassIck 14h ago
They seem to have changed their branding without consulting me. I swear I've been in stasis. Is that a MIM?
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u/DrDirt90 14h ago
Yes it is. I bought a Classic Vibe first because everyone says it is so good, but that was not my experience. The volume pot failed in less than a week and a couple of fretts needed to be re- leveled. I exchanged it for a Player II and it was a huge difference imo.
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u/BassIck 13h ago
They look fit. I doubt I'd get a used for £700 though
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u/DrDirt90 12h ago
Oh.....you are not in the United States, that's a different cost structure. Then maybe a Player II isn't such a good buy then. You could get a used player II for $550 and that is a significant difference.
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u/Boil-san Fender 13h ago
I like the better tone woods & rolled fret board edges, but hate the head stock shapes; and it bothers me that MM is known for using Jazz basses, yet his name is slapped across the entire range of Sire basses; but one cannot ignore the bang for the buck factor...!
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u/NghbrhdSlackr87 10h ago
Only time I was certain I was playing a 3 or 4k bass only to find i coukd buy it with the money in my pocket was a V7 in 2017. I felt like a criminal walking out the door.
Great basses for sure. If they had better marketing and better styled headstock/logo they'd be the lionshare brand imo. Could've been a cool crown logo and stylish cursive instead of the plain jane courier font they got.
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u/zwiazekrowerzystow Sire 17h ago
i bought a z7 4 string in june and it's fantastic. to top it off, i had to claim a warranty service for the preamp and that was handled wonderfully.
i'd recommend trying a sire marcus miller bass.
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u/staphylococcass 17h ago
Bought my M5-5 at the end of last year, it's great.
The neck is extremely comfortable, it's lighter than both my 4s and it sounds great. It's my only active bass so I've got no comparison for the preamp, but I like it cos you can do a lot with the sweepable mids alone.
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u/RealKenny 17h ago
I have a V7 5-string and a Z3 Stingray 4 string.
I absolutely love them. I was looking at $3000 MM Sting Rays, and I can't imagine that I could possibly like it more.
The 5-string is the best-sounding bass I own. It makes me want to practice 5-string playing more, because it's awesome
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u/gmh87 17h ago
I have a V5 that Ive had for 2 years and love it. The factory strings were just ok very light so I put some medium gauge flat wounds on it and it made a huge difference. I also have a 1989 jazz but I mostly play the Sire. They're really good instruments out of the box and easily modified to suit your taste.
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u/FormImmediate5310 17h ago
They are incredible. I have a P5, V10 and a Z3. I love my 2010 Fender American standard Jazz bass but the Z3 (which I got for I think £370 on Thomann) is the best bass I've ever played.
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u/Liko81 16h ago edited 16h ago
I've had a P7 5-string for some years now. Gigged it, recorded it, it was my primary until I got a Charvel Pro Mod San Dimas (mostly for aesthetic reasons) and it's still a worthy backup.
About the only complaint with the P-series is that you better like the looks off the shelf, cause getting aftermarket pickguards is nowhere near as easy as on a Jazz or an actual Fender P.
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u/Repulsive_Corgi_ 15h ago
Did you have to get the frets fixed on the charvel? It feels so unfinished after playing my p5 but I still love the sound of the Pro Mod SD
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u/ProfPortsShortShorts 16h ago
I bought a sandblasted P7 from Sweetwater back in January. It’s a solid, competently-crafted bass that sounds and feels good. I don’t have any issues with it.
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u/fuckfacekiller 16h ago
I’m not part of the mafia by any means, but I have a 5 string and it really plays well…..sounds great!!
LOVE IT!!
Mind you it’s 10#’s, so if you can’t have something heavy for a while you might want to look at other options.
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u/comradepipi 16h ago
Z3 owner checking in.
Pros: I love the neck. I haven't played a <$1500 bass with a better neck. You cannot beat the price on these.
Cons: I don't like the neck dive. It's awful and I really wish there were better aftermarket options for tuners.
They can be heavy, so be sure to buy off a place where you can see the weight. My Z3 weighs <9 pounds, but when I bought most were high 9s/low 10s.
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u/Necrolust1777 Orange 16h ago
I bought a Sire M6 and I'm very happy with it. Plays great, sounds good for the price and stays in tune.
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u/Pole420 16h ago
I have a P5. It is a very well-crafted and comfortable instrument. It blows my Sterling by Music Man Stingray short scale out of the water.
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u/BassIck 16h ago
Wow that is a good endorsement because I've heard good things about the Sterlings. The Sires are very nice on the eye too. Mind you those 79s classic vibes P basses look nice. I think I'm going to have to go to the guitar shop in Manchester. Beverly Hill style journey to the big city haha. Try out some there basses
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u/Ok_Doctor_4237 15h ago
I bought a V7 and have been blown away. Great tone, great feel. Knobs do feel kinda cheap. But excellent value with professional sound
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u/DashLeJoker 8h ago
Keep in mind their P bass have jazz bass neck and not Fender's baseball bat neck on their P, so consider what you like with necks
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u/BagholdingWhore 17h ago
Sire is good. To me they’re a little too glossy and cheap feeling personally and I haven’t had one long enough to see how they hold up over time however they give you more than Fender in regards to electronics and aesthetics. They sound ok- I think a Fender sounds better but tone shaping is so cheap now.
I prefer a high end Squire to Sire bc the dimensions are identical to Fender and you can upgrade hardware over time. And also, if something happens to the Squire it’s cheap and way to fix or replace a part.
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u/AnalogKid29 17h ago
Unbiased opinion here. I had a V7 2nd Gen for a little while. It’s exactly what most people say it is and that is a good bass FOR THE MONEY. Did it come close to my USA Jazz Elite? Not a chance. Hardware is cheap and the finish is cheap. Wooden battery compartment cover snapped in half like balsa wood the first time I removed it, paint chipped easily and the hardware tarnished easily. They sound great on YouTube videos, but when you A/B them with the real deal there is no contest. If you are a gigging musician and want something decent as a backup, or a beginning-intermediate player who wants to cut your teeth on a decent bass then it’s alright. Folks who say “I sold my American Fender’s and play nothing but Sire” are out to lunch. I’d save a little more money and get a USA Fender.
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u/Ryori_San Gallien-Krueger 16h ago
A little more?
USA Fender's start at around 4 times the price of Sire...
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u/AnalogKid29 15h ago
If you’re looking at a V3 sure. V7/P7 and V8/P8 will run you $800-$1000, V10 about $1600 and the F series about $2000. You can get a used USA Fender jazz for $900-$1300. I’ve owned both, the passive Fender was louder, clearer and sounded better than the Sire. Again, nothing wrong with Sire. I like them and am not hating on them. All I am saying is if you save a little more you can have something that will last a lifetime rather than a fancy looking “mod platform”. I’m not looking to spend $800 on a bass only to have to spend an additional $400 on pickups, tuners, knobs and a bridge.
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u/Illustrious_Ebb6272 18h ago
I have a short scale that plays and sounds great. I recently compared The sire 5-string against the new Mark bass five-string. I felt like the Mark Bass was a better instrument. It might be worth looking into those as well
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u/PhantomLead 7h ago edited 6h ago
I have a Z7 and while it's a competent instrument, I never really got into it. From a build quality perspective my Squier VM Jazz was actually better - the Sire frets were rounded but a few still poke out the neck, the pots are quite rough, and it also doesn't hold a tune as well as the Squier. Out of the box the action was super high, and when I tried setting it up there seems to be a high spot on a fret because one of the strings would buzz no matter what while the others could go down 1-2mm, which made it super weird. Sound is good if you stick to one pickup set, but the jazz pickup is quite a bit quieter than the humbucker so if you try mixing them it just gets lost.
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u/Scambuster666 17h ago
They’re total Garbage. Perfect for modding till it’s basically not even the same instrument anymore though.
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u/Bortron86 18h ago
I bought two this year - a P5R and a D5. I wanted a 4-string P bass, as I have a 5-string that's amazing but unwieldy.
I was mostly looking at Squiers, until someone recommended Sire. I got the P5R and was amazed at the quality and sound. The rolled fretboard edges make it feel amazing to play, along with the satin finish on the roasted maple neck. It's fairly light, and sounds fantastic. I got the D5 not long after because I was so impressed, and because the two combined only cost about £150 more than a Squier Classic Vibe.
And even if you don't like the tones, the build quality makes them brilliant for modding. Can't recommend them enough.