Ladies and gents, sire basses does it again. As long as I can remember I wanted a Sting style bass and now that Sweetwater stocks sire basses, I couldn't resist the great deal I got, thanks to my guy Michael S. I'm in the mix. I now buy all my guitars from Sweetwater they are great. Nice bass that will set me apart from all other players I'm happy.
M

The bass is great and not as bad as I thought when I initially pulled it from the box.

Not sure who set it up but the 55 point inspection did not cover the action although it was supposed to at least come more or less playable. The action was about 1/4" from the fretboard. I play very hard and that is way too high even for my crazed power playing... just sayin'. Work a little harder going forward.

The tone control is wonky and I will eventually replace the electronics other than the pickup, of which I am surprisingly pleased with.

If you are looking for what is now a lower priced bass, you can't go wrong (my first bass was $50.00 in 1976).

It has the P Bass sound and the feel with a narrower neck is nice as well as the finish. Although I would have been happier with a burst on the back of it rather than a solid color. But that's just me.

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I've had a couple of '51 style basses and I must say this one is the best. I love the way the frets are rounded at the edges so sliding is smooth and effortless. The action is fairly low right out of the box. The pickup is fairly hot and responsive.
It's not a '51 P-Bass sound, it's more modern in my opinion and that's one thing I like about it. The old '51s were a bit thin sounding, but this one has some depth to it.
This is definitely a keeper and at this reasonable price, it's a steal!
Thanks so much to my Sweetwater guys, Ryan and Matt. You guys rock!!'

Of all the basses I have had or have including a Sire P7, Fender American Professional Jazz, and a Sire V5 among others this is the first bass I received where the intonation is spot on (using a a Peterson Virtual Strobe), and every note on every string perfect. The action is quite nice too! The stock D'Addario strings are good but a set of GHS Pressurewounds .044-.106 took this bass to the next level. The deep clear piano like tone on the low E is incredible. I am totally loving this bass. I once had a Fender 51P Re-issue which was a really good bass but the contours on the body of this bass are so much more comfortable.

Years ago, I played hundreds and hundreds of dates with a 1956 P-Bass, which I loved but let go. I recently bought the Sire D5 to see if it would bring back a little of the unique mojo those original P-Basses have, but without the $ price tag for a Fender reissue. Now I'm certain that this bass probably doesn't stand up to the Fender, but it's pretty **** cool and pretty close to what I remember. This bass is incredibly well made, and the neck is the star of the show-- it feels like an old soul. Back in the day, the pickup in my '56 bass had an issue and I replaced it with a Duncan Quarter Pounder, which was the only option at that time. I did the same thing with the D5 and it just sounds fantastic. Very happy.

After a five-month wait and a couple of false starts, my Tobacco Burst D5 finally showed up in mid-February, but I didn't want to post here until I had a chance to play it in a live situation. Been lusting after a '51 Pbass for years, but even the Fender Tele reissues and MIJ Sting models are not inexpensive. Was hoping that this low-risk, modern take on the legendary axe would suffice. Oh boy, does it. Materials, build quality, finish and hardware are all really top notch, wildly exceeding expectations. And everything you've heard about the Sire roasted maple necks are true. Smooth as silk and a joy to play. With new La Bella flats, string lowering and a much-needed nut filing (my only real issue), the bass already feels familiar and like an old friend. In a live band situation, the single coil (?) pick-up is quiet and has loads of luscious Pbass low end, clarity in the upper registers and a nice bark when pushed. Tone control provides surprising sound versatility. From what I've watched/read previously, I thought I'd want to change out the p/u asap, but the original is more than capable—certainly for now. Solid, highly playable, a great platform for future tweaks and a real looker. Amazing value for $, IMHO.

A shoutout and thanks to SW's Jordan Firstenberg, who was engaged and proactive in getting me this beauty. Another shoutout to Alex and Jimmy at Jimmy's Music in Durango for the nut work and great service.

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