It's now October 2022, a year after this review, and Thomann in Germany is selling this bass for $377. That's not a misprint. My P5 (in tobacco sunburst) arrived 2 days ago for a total price of $433, including shipping. I'm no bass expert, playing or otherwise, but this bass is comparable to my US and Mexican Fender basses. It's as amazing as all the reviews say it is.

@LowEndLobster

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the heads up!

really beautiful bass... thanks once again for your review Lobster!

You are making me buy a P type bass!! Thanks for your review. Always so insightful and objective

Thank you Lobster for another excellent review. I do like the crustacean crimson of this instrument.

That slap solo was AMAZING

Love it! The idea of a gloss finished fretboard combined with a satin finish neck is uber custom sounding. And speaking of sound, I really love the mid/treble sound of the stock pickup. That mexi Fender sounded dull as dishwater by comparison. One can always add more sasnsamp bass to woof it up. This bass reminds me very much of the Bass Centre’s Limited Edition Bruce Thomas bass. (Which has a dark rosewood fretboard).

Dig it, think I need one of these! Thanks for yet another great review!

Thx for the great review ! Ordered one in green and now just have to wait patiently for it to arrive. Looking forward to your pickup mod video!

@davidvitale9338

2 жыл бұрын

I did too. I have a fiesta red Jazz with tortoise, and a fiesta red Pbass with tortoise. That green looks awesome and different.

Great data beautiful base thanks

An EMG-GZR pickup would probably sound amazing in this bass. Great review as always Lobster!

I don’t know why but I’m always rooting for Sire to do well. I’m glad this new model is going to be a winner.

@russellzauner

2 жыл бұрын

Because Kyle Kim is actually a pretty nice guy trying to do good things. :-)

Great review, Lobster! Very informative. I thought the slapping tone was great as well (at least through my speakers). Looks hard to beat for the price, and looks great too!

Thanks so much for this review Lobster, I buy this bass last week to replace my Mexican fender precision who have neck issue, I put the seymour duncan spb3 of my precision on it, really good sound

@LowEndLobster

Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Glad you're enjoying it

Another stellar review Lobster! I'm going to have to keep my eyes open for one of these. I need a second bass and would like one lighter than my maple bodied Ibanez (it's a boat anchor, but a great sounding one). Looking forward to you modding that one!

If that is the same neck as the D5 it might be the best on the marked for anything under 2000. Feels good, stable and finally something else than a jazz neck. I don't need a new P-bass but for Sire I usually make exceptions. They are perfect platforms for moding. Only issue I have is the screw pattern for the bridge. I wish Sire would go for standard 5 hole. PS! I asked you earlier about the D5 pickup. It's a single coil that squeal like a stuck pig. I have a Fralin 51 split P 5%+ on the way. Can't wait to get it in. Don't hold back on the videos. More Sire stuff pls. :)

The first candidate for my first bass in my whole life :))) if it is Lobster approved I will go to the store :)

Thank you for the review. I really was interested in the G&L LB-100 in the same color/pick guard but the Sire with a Fralin p-bass pup upgrade, premium wires harness /CTS pots may do just fine. It’ll hopefully be my Fender Pino C.S. copy!

Great review, thanks! Looking forward to the 5 string review too. That's the bass I'm personally interested in getting (when they become available that is!). Keep up good work sir 👌

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you Si Fi!

Hey, brother. Love your channel. Based upon this video (and a couple of others), I've gone back to the music store to play some Marcus Miller Sire basses. I mainly played a P3 and a P7 (w/ 1 J & 1 P pickup). The P7 played _smooth like butter_ and sounded excellent. The P3 was set up pretty badly (super high action, etc.). That made the P3 difficult to appreciate but I'm 99% sure I'm going to order the 4-string P7 Marcus Miller in White with the red-ish pickguard. It's such a great all-around bass for the price. Thanks for making great videos.

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Alex!

I just can't wait to watch that video about the pickup mod for the Sire P5. Please release it fast! I too think the stock pickup is too bright and this is why I hold myself from preordering a P5 but this is the best offer plus I am a 5 string player. By the way, I performed the tone cap swap on my Sire V7 after watching your other video about the subject and the result is amazing! I am reallly happy I did it.

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Benoit! Just waiting on the bridge and then we'll get it underway :)

Great Review!

Love that color.

You gotta love the color. It matches your claw...

Great review of a great bass! A buddy of mine has one in the same color (lobster red, hell yeah! lol) I was super impressed by it, especially the neck. Looking forward to seeing what you do with the pickup mod! 🤘🐈🐈🎸

These sires are always calling a siren song so me. I def don’t need one but they look so good. Hey lobster, I’m doing a mod project on the squier bronco this week. New pickup, wiring harness and pickguard. All in the mods add up to ~$140. Pretty excited to hear to change.

Great review brother! I totally agree about the pickup. The bass is absolutely beautiful tho especially that neck, I would totally buy a sire! Especially a fretless jazz sire!

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks man! I had to take some time to sit with this one as I was smitten by the finish and overall look and feel. I'm just waiting for the bridge to come in before doing the mod vid, already got the pickup :)

I love it. Can't wait for my P5-5 :)

This would be a great bass for a P bass pickup show down, that or your gorgeous DIY Fender, love that bass, I want to build my own someday!

That's a great sounding P-Bass, a bit brighter than what you'd expect but it's not a bad thing. I agree, the weak point seems to be the pickup itself. Can't wait for your mods! Sire is sure getting more interesting with the options on the market.

Nice! It's got that Pino Palladino look. These things are crazy bargains.

What a slap tone. Nice bass, but comes short of the actual “classic” Pbass tone for me - I was very disappointed with the P7 in this aspect as well. After 2 years I decided to go big instead of going home and snagged an American Ultra a month back so I am set in the P department. Think I’ll stick with Jazzes when it comes to Sire. Great review as always!

Lobster that is a nice bass , I think the color is cool . I wish someone would make replacement pickguards for Sire basses

It's Low End Lobster and he is not in the Hobo Depot but he is supporting the channel.

I cant wait for the P5-5 review!!!! Tremendous instrument considering the price. Love it!

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I can't wait to get my claws on the 5'er as well :)

love the johnny long shirt and sick bass

Great review as always brother! Seriously considering one of these, cant remember if you mentioned this but is there any neck dive to speak of? Again great work my friend🤘.

Love the look of that neck. Wish they would change the bridge screw pattern, but what the heck. Looks and sounds great for short money.

I never liked red basses, but this one with the fretboard and all looks amazing!

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Bleron! Same here, would never have picked the red but now I absolutely love it!

I just ordered that beauty yesterday and I'm watching this review compulsively while waiting for it :)

@LowEndLobster

10 ай бұрын

Congratulations!

@DadBodBass

10 ай бұрын

@@LowEndLobster I got it yesterday, mine wasn't hand-picked it's just a random one bought in a online store, the setup out of the box was a bit ridiculous, it needed tweaking and the neck pocket on mine could be like 10% tighter, there is a tiny gap that brealy fits a sheet of paper but it's there, definately not the worst I've seen out there but could be better even for the sake of not to triggering my OCD :), but thats about the only flaw I could find, the gap doesn't seem to have any influecne on the sustain and the bass has 0 dead notes (which is very important to me), the fret work is flowless the trust rod is super smooth, paint job looks great. I love the bright sound, I have another p-bass thats a bit dark and mushy so this one is on the other side of the P-bass sound spectrum which suits me well. Overall ill be keeping it. And thanks for the review once again!

I would bet the pickup is voiced that way because of Marcus. I actually like it more mid focused, you'll probably cut through the mix better. I really like how Sire is providing a quality instrument for an affordable price. Sort of like Fender did way back when. I love the Fender P and J platform but if were to buy a new bass, it would probably be a Sire. They appear to be a great gigging instrument. I'm rooting for their success.

@LowEndLobster

Жыл бұрын

Great comment. It's really interesting you say that. I have an upcoming review with the P5R and I do a brief comparison with the P5. They're very different sounding. The P5 having more aggressive midrange where the P5R is a warmer sound with fuller low end. Might as well get the pair LOL

Hey Lobster; cool shirt you got there. I love Johnny Lee Longs' videos! Shadakaka! As far as pick ups go I would put in Geezer Butler EMGs on that badboy and make it a rockin machine.

Got mine yesterday! Perfect low action right out of the box with a slight truss rod adjustment. The neck really is amazing. Much better than a Mexican Fender. I put a set of Labella's on and it sounds great too. I'm not disappointed with the pickups so far. I think they have a nice vintage tone. Only complaint is some neck dive because this one weighs in at 8 pounds. I'm going to try some lightweight tuners to help with that

@LowEndLobster

11 ай бұрын

Congrats! Gotoh GB528s will be drop in replacements to alleviate the neck dive. Happy modding and enjoy the bass!

@jerryjb

11 ай бұрын

@@LowEndLobster thanks for the info! You're the best, Lobster

Fender Pure Vintage pickup and Flatwound strings !!! Perfection! (That's what I did with my Classic Vibe 70's P Bass.) 😀👍😆💕💕🎵🎵🎵🎸🎸👍👍👍

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Nice! I have a set of flats slated for the D5 after that review is out. I'm stoked!

@willistaylor4077

2 жыл бұрын

@@LowEndLobster 👍👍❤️❤️🎵🎵🎸🎸😀

With the tone up it sounds almost like a Jazz bass neck pickup. Not that I'm in the market for a new P (my trusty 96 MIK Squier is still going strong) but if I were and got one of these I'd be tempted to stick some EMG GZRs or Bare Knuckle 65s in it.

That neck is beautiful! I’m not a big fan or the standard P neck, it’s too chunky for me. And the pickups got some nice grit but it really does lack some bottom. The 5 string should be sweet! I’m surprised you weren’t at Bully’s live chat last night! You were mentioned a few times😉

A Kloppmann PB63 pickup would be a nice upgrade.

Hey Lobster! Great vid as always! - hey is the is a 1st or a 2nd Generation product? (And what’s the difference?)

I had been waiting for this!! *edit:* She's a beauty, she just needs the DiMarzio "Model P".

Good honest review. Great looks and features. I’m sure it plays well. I’m glad you did the comparison to the Fender (same one that I have). It’s easy to hear that it isn’t even close to sounding like a real Fender P bass. For the money, if you want a good looking passive bass for slapping or playing with a pick I think you have a winner. For slapping I’ll take my Sterling by Music Man with the roasted maple neck, or Squier with Ernie Ball strings. As for a P bass I still find no substitute if you really want the real Fender sound .

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Raymond!

Good looking bass... Maybe you could measure the resistance of the pickup and tell us, be good to know how hot it's wound.

I'm considering trading in my '62 Jazz Reissue (made in '94), which I rarely play, for the Sire. I have a '62 Reissue P and 2004 MusicMan SUB; those instruments are my main ones. The Sire P5 reminds me of the American Standard Bass I had (mine was a '96), which I sold, and was quickly bought! While the comment about the pickup/lack of low end is "of concern,' I do want another P Bass/P-style Bass. I plan on putting LaBella 760FMs (49-109)

cant wait for your review on the d5! any idea why the d5 did not have the string through body option? i think the p5 is a very good p Bass...but i am personally more hyped for the d5 to be honest...

I wish I could find one of these in stock, that neck looks amazing! I've been looking for the last few weeks, might have to just settle for a P7 to scratch the itch.

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Indeed there's quote the backorder for these

Good review thanks. I do think it defeats the object (a little) to speak about hardware being under par when we are talking about a “ budget” bass. Something has to give to get to this price. I get you talking about changing the pickup, a good mod on most P basses I feel. If you are however talking about changing, tuners, bridge and pickup you are putting the bass into a different bracket in terms of $$$/£££. At that point you could be looking at a better brand that comes with good kit as standard. Just a thought. Personally I love this bass and I like the idea of that pickup being snarly and middle heavy. It would suit my band. I’m in the market for one and my very disappointing (to me) Yamaha BB434 will be moved on.

Like my sires. Have the v9 swamp 4, but the tuners and bridge and some pickups need to be upgraded then I would say they get close to a fender which marcus loves

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Indeed, Sires have great bones

You make me want one. Haha Great presentation 👍🏻

I think I may need one of these... I actually like the mid-forward articulation of both the stock P5 and D5 pickups. Increase the low end sustain with a high mass bridge and fix the response with a preamp EQ. Add wool with a Darkglass Vintage Microtubes (or clone). The green one or the red one?? Hmm...

@LowEndLobster

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Both colors are awesome. I just got a green 5er that pops

Well, I did need a new a PBass. But at the last second, I ordered the red. The red, the roasted maple neck and the tortoise pickguard work well together. I think the green may fight the pickguard and neck - or at least not blend as well. I think too damn much about this stuff 😂😂. April/May delivery! Good thing my V7 arrives tomorrow!

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Congrats! Double congrats! Enjoy the basses!

I'm considering getting one of these (5-string) and putting a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound on it.

Hi ! thanks for this video. In your comparison, can you please compare different types of precision PU ? (Stock Fender, Fender custom shop, DI marzio.....) It 'll be great !!

Sounds like a P that Marcus would like, but I agree it needs a little more low-end juice

Aye! Lovely

Great review and looking forward to seeing the mods on this bass. When comparing the Sire P5 to the G&L Tribute LB-100 what are your thoughts? Taking out the QC issues you had with the G&L (great vid on that too). Both are similar price with some nice different spec's, also the playability of them in comparison. I'm a little torn between the two.

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

I'm partial to the P5. It's very well thought out overall and punches well above its weight. I just finished filming the mod video and am VERY pleased with the finished result

$500! This would be great for a 1st bass and you could rock it for a long time. My first bass was a plywood p-bass back in the early 90's. Kids are spoiled these days.

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Cappy! Yeah these absolutely slay for the price

awesome, but up here in Canada..these are between 800-950 Canadian..

I definitely want this bass. I am a new player and the bass that I have right now need a lot of work it’s a good bass for Learning don’t get me wrong, but I would prefer not to spend the money on the upgrades, I would rather purchase this bass and be done with it.

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Leon! Don't mistake my critique points for serious flaws, out of the box this is an absolutely killer P that would only benefit further from those mods. The bridge works fine (though I'm not a fan of the ridged saddles), the tuners aren't too heavy and work well, and the pickup sounds great but just lacks a little bit of low end. IMO nothing here would be a deal breaker or really detracts from the instrument.

Patiently waiting for the modding video... Wonder what brand will the new pickup will be? Vintage/modern voicing? I'd love to see some flats on it too!!!

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

To help your unquenchable thirst for mods, I have the mod series of the D5 dropping this week and we put flats on it! The P5 is gonna stay with rounds methinks, currently just waiting on the new bridge and we'll be golden!

Only $500???? If I ever get good playing bass again, this would be a no brainer. Replace that pick guard/scratch plate with a black one, and it will have PERFECT visuals along with that roasted maple neck.😎👌 Replace that pickup with a Geezer Butler Pickup,the sound will be amazing, I'm sure.

Its funny because i always liked the bark of a Fender P bass pickup played with a pick, but this bass, itself, Sounds SO much better with Fingers than pick, imo!! Did they maybe voice this pickup to have more mid/treble bite while playing finger style?

Want!

I'm a guitar guy, but that sounds sweet.

Great video thanks! Just wondering if you’ve put any Hipshot Ultralites on a P5 yet? I’m thinking of putting the USA HB6C chrome ones on mine - do you know if the 1/2” will be a perfect fit? I used those one my V7 and they fit perfectly. Many thanks!

Kind of unbelievable how much bass you can get for a moderate price nowadays. I've got my P bass needs covered but if I was in the market I'd feel spoiled for choice as compared to when bought my P bass over 10 yrs ago

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Right!? So many amazing budget basses nowadays

Thanks for your reviews. But I cannot make up my mind, what should I get, the Sire P5 or the Sire V5? Which one has a better low end and slap sound? Which one has more tone variety?

OOOoooo Yeah !!!! SIRE is the BEST. I feel like SIRE is the new Peavey. You're getting TOP quality on a musician's salary, which is minimum wage, for most of us. I have yet to play a Fender that has the same mojo as a SIRE. $500 bucks for a NEW Pbass that destroys the competition ! That roasted maple neck - OMG !!!

Nice colour good looking your mecican fender p bass sounds much better less grumpy

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Ram!

Hey guys, this is really a Fender killer, unbelievable bass , I own it for 2 days...

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing! I agree

the slap tone was the best, good bass, but not my favorite wish it sustained longer duration

I agree, a lot of bass for the price. When you mod it would you think of DiMarzio Relentless pups. They are a big time upgrade, for that beauty. Thanks

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks John! You're in the right ballpark but wrong pickup. Already done a bunch of Relentless stuff, but we have yet to try out their new 60's P (hint hint!)

@johndelong9230

2 жыл бұрын

@@LowEndLobster Sorry, I need to go back and watch all. I'm a little slow, still got 8-Track in car.

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

@@johndelong9230 no need to apologize! I have some double relentless content coming very soon as well. Good guess on the Dimarzio! I always appreciate your comments :)

Loving the content! I have a P7 and not a fan of the rubber knobs. Anyone know where to get some aftermarket replacements. Ideally chrome etc. Cheers !

Hello, I'm undecided between the squier classic vive 70's. I like it for its lacquered maple neck... or this sire p5... I want it for a motow-type sound, with flat strings, which one do you recommend?

Hey Lob, which pickups are you upgrading to?

Now I want one 🙂

I hope that the people at Sire (and other companies) take a serious look at your critiques to improve their products. How long will Sire keep an oddball bridge and heavier tuners? The cost of changing these would be minimal to them. Enjoyed the video and hope to see the 5 string come out.

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks David! Kyle Kim at Sire has done a great job of taking my feedback and has encouraged me a lot. I feel like he is heavily invested in the continued growth of Sire and the improvement of their instruments as time progresses. The tuners aren't super heavy, but this as most basses in the price range would absolutely benefit from Hipshots. However at $500 it's unlikely that we'll see any change in the tuners. That being said, an instrument like the $1500ish P10 should have something like that from the factory! Great comment David! :)

I guess Sire was listening, the one complaint that people had about the Sire P5 is that the pickups were clean but bland sounding and didn’t have the lower mid-range thickness of the Fender Precision. Now I see they came out with a new Sire P5R with new pickups to sound more like the fender P.

...this bass coupled with Seymour Duncan SPB-2 hot pickups....is all a P-bass player would ever need.

I have a question. Ive been playing guitar for a long time but want to try bass. Im looking at the Mexican P Bass Player from Fender. Is this bass as good as the Player for learning on, but getting the P Bass sound?

You should try the Human Base BaseX oc 4 - imo much better than the StingRay 🤷‍

You have reviewed quite a few versions of the Sire V & P series ....hopefully we will get review of the new active bass Player Plus series from Fender....help me I'm on the fence

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Heyo! I'm not a big fan of the current MIM stuff, IMO I think they're a bit overpriced but I haven't played the new Active Player Plus

Hey if you're looking at a pickup swap for that thing, you should try Lollars P90 Precision Pickup, looks cool as hell I just haven't seen any info on it. Would be a good idea to have someone make a video on it... *wink*

I would like to have a mint colored one...

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

That was my first color choice, but I'm glad I got the red

I feel like it needs flats.

@David-pf3he

Жыл бұрын

I am new to bass. Why do you think it needs flats ?

@jdmarino

Жыл бұрын

@@David-pf3he A passive p-bass with flats gives the old-school tone that I like.

@maximco1050

Жыл бұрын

@@David-pf3he he means flat wound strings. To get that beefy vintage tone.

@paulklement4511

Жыл бұрын

Flats on p bass allways rocks

@southpaw_from_southport1522

Жыл бұрын

Nah, A P Bass with rounds with the tone cranked up is the quintessential punk tone. P Bass stands for Punk Bass hehe.

That's a real nice bass for the price. I love the look of it too !!! I listened carefully and you took out the pick about 8:30 or so into the vid. Before you swap out pickups - try a volume boost. I use a "Vertex". Clean as a whistle. It adds about 16 Db of very clean boost.

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Al! I appreciate the suggestion, but the volume boost would mean the playing field isn't level. All the basses on the channel are played with the same amp, EQ settings, interface settings, etc.

Wow 4 claws for the P5. That's a pretty good value bass right there. What are your thoughts on the P7? I see you haven't reviewed it.

Is the neck radius 9.5 or 7.5? I'm sure when they were first marketed it was listed as a 7.5, but recently I have seen 9.5 on various websites. Works for me, as the flatter the radius the better!!

Could you compare this P5 VS yamaha bb734a? Thanks for your video!

I considering parting with my fender player precision series for this bass, any suggestions?

And again a great review LEL! 😊 I just ordered a P7, … but after your P5 review … hm … I've been wavering a bit about whether a P5 might have been the better choice after all. If you had to decide … which one would you go for? Thx!

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Heyo! Both are great basses but quite a bit different.... Get both ;P? Nah I kid (partially), but I think you need to ask yourself if you'd benefit from the added J pickup and preamp over just the passive P setup on the P5. The P7 has a lot more bells and whistles, and is probably a better 'all rounder' when it comes to fitting into more scenarios, but the simplicity of the P5 can be a benefit as well. Hope that helps!

The original authentic fender P bass pickups were kind of like this - they weren't wound nearly as much as later pickups were, and so were very top-heavy and low-output.

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Interesting! Thank you for sharing, Derek

@kingstumble

2 жыл бұрын

I used to have a 1962 P Bass which had a 45mm nut and a fantastic low end. Hardly any treble. Exactly the sound I want. I foolishly sold it about 25 years ago and have never been able to find another bass which gets anywhere near it. So I don't think this Sire is for me.

I didn't know I was in the market for a new PBass - but apparently I am now. I gotta stop watching your Sire reviews 😂 Looove the Mild Green!

@LowEndLobster

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you David! I originally wanted the green, but did not specify a color when I ordered. I'm glad with how things turned out as I absolutely fell in love with this red.