Sire Marcus Miller V7

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KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
edited June 2017 in Bass
Anyone looking for a new bass/jazz bass should take a look at one of these.

Fabulous and versatile-sounding bass that punches (and slaps) well above its' weight for under £300!

I've just nabbed one and can't recommend them enough.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/marcus_miller_v7_alder_4_awh.htm



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Comments

  • Taking a punt on one as my first proper bass...I hope they live up to the hype. Though being a noob I won't be able to tell anyway!
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    edited November 2015
    @Moe_Zambeek - if you're a guitarist first and foremost, the neck won't present you with a problem as it's slim,very comfortable and has a smooth feel - it's a joy to play. The action straight out of the box was good too and I couldn't believe it was in tune despite being shipped from Germany!

    I'd try it first in passive mode (switch up towards you) and get used to the tones that way as you just have the first/nearest control to you which is a concentric/stacked control being the volume and tone. The 2nd control is the balance between the 2 pickups and there's an indent.

    The final controls are purely for the active side and don't put these on full as it's an extremely powerful system. Depending on what you're running this through, and if you are a noob, you might not have a sub-woofer system or even a dedicated bass amp, just be careful but there are some sweet tones to be found when using the various mid controls.

    The active preamp (18V) is powered by 2 X 9V batteries and they're supplied with the bass and already installed.

    Also supplied are some allen keys and chrome pickup rest.

    Let us know how you get on and this thing kills Fender Squiers, MIM and MIJ and even some US ones. For me, only Spector Euros have come close but they cost a good deal more.
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  • equalsqlequalsql Frets: 6084
    Wow... thanks for the heads up.
    The swamp ash look particularly nice:

    image
    (pronounced: equal-sequel)   "I suffered for my art.. now it's your turn"
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  • @kebabkid I'll let you know how it goes when it arrives. I'll be using it direct though so...
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  • Would be a step up from my £60 Vintage!
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    equalsql said:
    Wow... thanks for the heads up.
    The swamp ash look particularly nice:

    image
    The ash ones are a little more expensive than the alder.
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  • Congrats, Cos!

    Cracking Bass, looks and sounds the biz.

    Enjoy. 
    Only a Fool Would Say That.
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    Cheers J ;)
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  • Moe_ZambeekMoe_Zambeek Frets: 3419
    edited November 2015
    So mine arrived today and i've had a quick once over and a wee fiddle, so to speak. I wasn't overwhelmed, to be honest. It is very nice at first glance and plays OK. Here are some snaps:

    Here it is:


    Neck pocket:





    Fret sprout (there are 3 or 4 in total):





    Given the price, I don't think you can complain about the pocket, but then again, it's not particularly hard. The fret spout / binding cracks are also minor, but then it's straight out of the box and they shouldn't be there...I also think the fretwork is a bit basic...in general, I think this should really be a B-stock instrument. Still deciding what to do. I'm tagging @ICBM for a professional opinion and @kebabkid for a comparison with his :)

    In general i'd rate the quality at a smidgen better than my Squire Bass VI, but significantly lower than my Reverend. Probably right given the price at £275-odd delivered from Thomann. 
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  • If you're unhappy I'd send those pictures straight to Thomann.  In my experience they are really slow at dealing with any 'issues' other than straight returns so you might as well get the ball rolling early.  They'll probably offer you a discount to keep it, if you want to keep it.
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  • Moe_ZambeekMoe_Zambeek Frets: 3419
    edited November 2015
    To be honest, given the price it would feel a little churlish to complain. The neck pocket fit isn't really that bad. On the other hand, I've just noticed that one of the battery covers is also cracked, so i'm wondering if I should just send it back as faulty!


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  • Return initiated...lets see what happens.
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    edited November 2015
    Blimey and sorry to hear that. My one doesn't look like that at all and that definitely qualifies as "B" Stock in my book.
    The finishing, frets etc on mine are all good but the fact it has a cracked battery door doesn't sound like this one has been handled too well.

    I hope you can get it sorted (exchanged, refunded or discounted - whatever you choose or is on offer) and it's not nice to get something new and feel disappointed with it..for good reason though :(

    Have you plugged it in and had a play?

    Good luck and keep us posted.
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  • It's not your fault :) don't worry. I wonder if the latest batch has been a victim of their success...
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    Could be that initially, they strove to put out a top notch product at such a low price and as demand has increased, quality has fallen by the wayside. I hope not and I do feel bad :( All the best
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  • Moe_ZambeekMoe_Zambeek Frets: 3419
    edited November 2015
    I appreciate the sentiment :)

    I had a closer inspection of the bass last night - there are 12 frets currently attempting to escape through the binding :) the neck pocket is chipped and lumpy on all sides and there are a few frets not flush with the board at the ends. I've also noticed that all of the pick guard screws are countersink types but the guard doesn't seem to be countersunk, so all the screw heads are sitting a half mm off the guard. Mind you if they were all screwed in the guard would probably crack!

    In general though this is much the same quality as my Squier Bass VI, although that had no issues with binding.

    My summary - based on this one - would be these are on par with other Indonesian guitars. The suggestions on the web that they would rival a guitar two or three times as expensive are just risible in quality terms (sound wise might be another matter - it's versatile for sure), but for under 300 quid delivered they are reasonable value. My experience is probably a one off given this is a factory guitar - these things happen.

    Mine is going back to Thomann later this week.
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    edited November 2015
    Shows how QC can vary so much from the cheapies to the more expensive brands (I witnessed this even with both Fender and Gibsons).

    I've tried 2 of these basses now (including my own) and I stand by comments on sound and build quality and these seeming like they cost much more. I hope your experience was a "one-off". All the best
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  • robwrightrobwright Frets: 736
    Just bought one secondhand for £200 and I'm astonished at the quality! I recently played a US Jazz Deluxe which was £1200 s/h and although that was an amazing bass (great action, incredible range of tones), the Sire is very nearly as good! So i'm no bass player (in fact, i'm only an average guitarist!) but this is the best bass i have ever owned and not far off being the best bass i have played!

    @Moe_Zambeek - hope you got a replacement, cos dey is good! The one you had first was in pretty bad shape but i would say give 'em another go!



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  • Moe_ZambeekMoe_Zambeek Frets: 3419
    I got a refund eventually, though Thomann refunded it into a different card to the one I paid with, which took an age to resolve...
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    edited August 2016
    Still loving mine and going for a second one. I just hope the QC hasn't gone downhill. As Rob mentioned, a fine specimen of these punches well above it's price range and rivals the big boys.
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