Sire V5 Fretless & V7 Vintage Heavily Modded - The ULTIMATE Jazz Basses - LowEndLobster Fresh Look

[@OjoMSIC]

Wow. That Sire's tone is so warm I feel like it's wrapping me in a blanket and putting me right next to a campfire on Christmas morning. So, pretty warm.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you!

[@bassimprovjams3772]

I know rite! He makes me want to pull the trigger and get one ,then send it to him to mod up lol

[@michaelkeefer4293]

My gosh that V5 is gorgeous looking and sounding! The V7 is pretty incredible too but man! I really dig that V5 fretless!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Michael! Indeed, the V5 is the true star of the show here

[@hunybadgerbill]

Dayum! Lobster nailed it again!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! Veeeery happy with those these came out

[@ewetoo]

I have to thank you Lobster, you've pointed me towards good gear that makes a solid difference in tone and quality and I feel more confident that I can make these upgrades myself now. I'm doing up my Sire V5 fretless along the same lines as yourself because I love the sounds you're getting.

[@papachung6639]

The aesthetics of dimarzio pickups and roasted maple 😚 👌

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you!

[@fistinair1979]

Agreed, the cream pickup covers were absolutely the right choice here.

[@bassimprovjams3772]

Damn the fretless sounds amazing! Probably the best fretless I have ever heard, great job on the mods!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you!

[@chriswenkle2635]

Ah..Lobster. You have hit it out of the park once more. I too love taking inexpensive basses that are well made and "hot rodding" them with better hardware and electronics. That V5 is the BOMB! Really nice upgrades on both basses. Those Albridge bridges look amazing, and I'm going to get one for my next build. Cheers again!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Chris!

[@infoboyzero]

Thanks for doin’ all these profound and enlightening reviews. Always a pleasure watching you LEL!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! So glad you're enjoying the content

[@MrDriepinter]

I tried the V5 today and i would not change anything. Really killer sounding bass

[@thebassbuilder]

That fret less sounds great!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Meyers! I'm super happy with how it turned out.

[@bassmanjoe83]

That V5 keeps sounding better every time you feature it!

[@jasondoe2596]

No kidding - and it's gorgeous, too!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you!

[@thenightlifezero9154]

The mods you made sound amazingly crispy. The DeMarzio Aria J's sound fantastic all around.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! Indeed, super happy with these pickups.

[@PorchBass]

Brother you are smashing these high quality bass videos out of the park. Almost daily GAS Labellas were too stiff for me

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks James! I appreciate it :)

[@FarrinD12]

Woaaaaaaah that V7 Vintage! My eyes were watering while you were playing it!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you :)

[@Mariodupree]

They both sound AMAZING! Now I know how to fix mine! Your videos are so informative! Keep up the great work!

[@DevilsFourString]

That V7 sounds great, especially the slap tone. I've always been curious about the Area J's, so I'm glad I got to hear them here.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Landroid! They do such a good job of keeping the J character alive and not sacrificing on the tone while still providing silence through their split coil design.

[@selfhelp69]

@@LowEndLobster I have seymour duncans in my vintage Fender. What do you think about them? I generally dont like active pre amps but the Sadowsky is amazing.

[@marks5s603]

That V5 fretless is just killer! Thanks for sharing both of these!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Marks5s!

[@stephenclarke9512]

My GOD front pickup sounds soo soo much like an Upright Bass wow!....I own a V7 vintage 2nd Generation....you mods make what was Great Better bro Lobster 😁

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Stephen!

[@crocholiday]

Dude... The fretless is unreal. That sounds so awesome. And just like that... it hits the must have list lol.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Croc!

[@twiglurid666]

AHHHH THAT FRETLESS SOUNDS INSANE !!!!!!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks! :)

[@joecasa85]

Damn! Over 10k subscribers! These are great news for you, buddy!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Joe :)

[@Bassic778]

WOW!!!! You've really got me thinking of replacing the pickups and preamp in my 2016 Sire V7 5 with those DiMarzio pickups and maybe the Sadowsky pre!!!

[@guy5359]

I love the sound of that fretless LowEndLobster!!!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Guy!

[@jasminr.671]

Hey there! thank you so much for the awesome review - the pick ups on my V5 are so noisy that it makes it very tough for recording! Thank you and great playing!

[@GozhouCS]

That fretless! It wins in both aesthetics and sound, imho. It is necessary to mention that it was no easy choice though, they're both great basses. Awesome job!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks! Yeah man, I looooooove this fretless. If it came like this from the factory it would be a 6/5.

[@josephjordan2883]

Holy cow man!!! I mean... I'm already a Dimarzio fan.. but, if you keep making vid-yuzz like this, I'm gonna have to start liking J basses! Shew!!! That's some great sounds bro!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks man!

[@Jitobass]

You have the ability to wake up my interest in things i never did before.... Now I want to check a J with this sadowsky preamp!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Jorge :)

[@njtguy]

The fretless sounds awesome.The V7 has a cool vintage sound.Very nice mods 👍👍👍

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks NJT!

[@BenD_Bass]

Lobster!! I finally purchased my Sire! I almost got the white fretless V7, but your vintage V7 review changed my mind. So, I went with the fretless 4 string V5 in sunburst. I wanted the vintage white one but they didnt have a fretless one anywhere and I don't have the patience to wait 4-5 months. I too, plan on modding the 😮 out of mine

[@paulvanwal4875]

A very good Sound and high Quality , is a smile for every bass Player ! To feel we are Alive ! 💕💕💕💕💕

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Pa van :)

[@bernaonbass]

100% agree with the sadowsky preamp. I have it on my MIJ marcus jazz bass and is a beast, true quality sound, clear and each frecuencies don't overload the other. Sometimes i miss a mid boost control but for me its not THAT important. Hightly recommend preamp

[@hunybadgerbill]

It's Jaco time!

[@jamesmarkham7489]

I love the look of the fretless a lot. Tones on both are great. I own many basses, but at heart im all about the J's.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks James! Me too, love this thing.

[@jeffjones1359]

I don’t know how I missed this one! That fretless sounds tremendous! I’m going to seriously look into this Lobstermod idea. That V7 is sweet too. Thanks Low! Great stuff. Those pickups are excellent. I’m not sold on the preamp but I’m getting closer, lol.

[@alanscharrer5255]

Love the fretless in every setting. Very very useful.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Alan!

[@clementealfredoobrador4822]

Hot damn those tones! I was looking at a text when you grabbed the V7, thought Marcus Miller himself had come on! And that fretless. Damn! I want one of those!

[@etpslick100]

You and me both! Wow!😳🎶👍🏾

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Clemen!

[@hassanoba8090]

Thanks for the Sire recipe Lobster , I will start gathering my ingredients ,as I Wait on my V5 fretless to arrive then straight to the Hot Rod Mod Pot.😁

[@LowEndLobster]

Happy modding Hassan :)

[@Snibborwocky]

I love the look and sound of that V5 fretless. Those cream pickups with the burst finish just screams "vintage mojo" to me.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! Indeed! The whole vibe of the bass is mojo-city

[@handybunny]

I adore that fretless. Looks and sounds incredible.

[@bizibetiko9778]

Nice! That V7 really nails that Marcus sound. I may have to pick up one of those Sadowsky Pre's.

[@LowEndLobster]

I absolutely love em. You can see why I was so let down by the RSD not including the 'full' preamp.

[@PushSueAside]

That fretless is so beautiful and just an amazing bass. The V7 is definitely what I would love to do to mine. I think you have perfected that bass. I went to your link on the bridge and when my phone showed me the page I was so confused....first thought was...”my MPD is really acting up and I need to get it under control, before I wake up in a hospital, a little lighter below...and a little heavy on top...” then I saw your picture under it and thought.....”good for you...a weird way to make the announcement....but, I support you in making the change, and I’m proud of you for being so free with your decision...” then I looked a little closer and saw the whole word, and went.....”oh...stupid Tomm, that makes more sense” and ...”I wonder the Bassexchange thought hard enough on that name for their website, and realize all the letters don’t fit in the little browser area, but only the last 9 letters show when the page comes up???” I took a screenshot shot and wanted to show you but don’t know how. Maybe I’ll use it as my Portrait or whatever my little picture avatar thing is called and you can see it that way. Anyway, Cheers thank you for sharing (and over sharing)

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Tommy! Those guys at the Amp Shop really liked the vid and got a little excited hahaha... also... LMAO.... Bas... Sexchange XD.

[@PushSueAside]

@@LowEndLobster it was mind bending and so funny at the moment, I was hoping it “trans”lated properly.

[@brandonmalone1893]

I have the same white V7 bass. And it's absolutely the best neck I've played on. I'm modifying mine with the Fender pure vintage 74 pick-ups. I'm keeping the stock preamp (for now) but excited to be getting them.

[@dirkjanklijn9949]

That V5 fretless is the bomb.

[@Oscaraha]

I think the stock preamp is great, but I really appreciate you showing this.

[@bassrob88]

Any chance of a vid showing/explaining the bridge, preamp and pickup mods?….looking to do that on my V7 vintage 4 and 5 strings

[@jeffjones9448]

Yes! Both basses sound tremendous! Great work Low! Those Sires are great mod platforms. Do you like the playability of them? They both sound so good with your mods. And I agree with your assessment of the Sadowsky preamp! (Did I spell that right? Well you know what I mean). You turned that V7 into a true slap monster!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Jeff! Yes, I LOOOOVE the playability. That's one thing I have never knocked a Sire for is the lack of playability. They deliver an excellent package that usually is just lacking in hardware quality (bridge/tuners). However, we definitely took it a step further with the pickup and preamp mods. I absolutely love the finish products here, especially the fretless which I pickup all the freakin time. It just sounds so good and expressive

[@etpslick100]

That V5 sounds great! For some reason I like the V5 better than the V7. I just wish they offer more colors. You did a great job on both basses! My favorite pickups for Jazz Bass is Nordstrand Big blades (warm & wooly). They sound beautiful in ‘passive’ mode. But those Dimarzio’s sound great as well.😌🎶👍🏾

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks etpslick!

[@johngeddes7894]

Good tone for both basses. I think I prefer a nicer than East Indian rosewood for the fretboard, but it’s just money after all. I do prefer the scooped mids compared to Fralin or Lollar. Slap isn’t really my thing right now, which makes me prefer flats at this point. Loads of possibilities with a Jazz bass!

[@bassimprovjams3772]

Freaking awesome job brother!!! Love the fretless!! I'm such a sucker for white pickups lol

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks man!

[@paultraynorbsc627]

Nice great to see this 👍

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Paul!

[@bassman2457]

Definitely going to look into those Dimarzio j’s. 2 killa J’s!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Don!

[@ricardojmestre]

Your permasmile is gold 😁

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Ricardo :) It's hard not to smile when I get to play all these basses!

[@jonathangroomsbassist]

The neck pickup tone on the fretless-wow. The lows are so "woody" with a ton of definition to the note.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Jonathan! I agree, so happy with the results here.

[@jonathangroomsbassist]

@@LowEndLobster you did an outstanding job with that one. Kudos. The fretted one is just as impressive and primo perfecto mods. Two kudos. That's more kudos than I give in a month. Lucky Lob! 😀

[@Belman5]

Perfect mod work on these two basses! Well done. Makes me wonder what changes you'd make on a Sire P7 2nd gen 4 string. I just purchased one in natural which weighs a sweet 8.6 pounds, 3.9 kg. Fantastic body, neck and fretwork.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Belman! Hopefully will be looking at a similar P7 in the future. We shall see :)

[@handybunny]

That v5 is special.

[@chrismorris3897]

I enjoy listening to play, good stuff 🎉

[@samlelowitch]

Cool basses!

[@LowEndLobster]

MJC for the V7, LaBella DTF for V5

[@bassimprovjams3772]

You know what would be a killer bass to review, there freaking expensive as hell, but a dingwall super J and possibly a super P i want a super J so bad!

[@LowEndLobster]

Ooooh yes. I'd love to get my hands on one

[@derek71w1]

Love your vids Man! I’m new to Bass after playing guitar for many moons and your Info is so helpful and fun to watch. Quick question on the area j pickups…gonna put some in my jazz bass….Do you need to change to 500k pots for a hum cancelling type pickup or will 250k pots still give good tone? Seems like with reg guitars we always swap to 500k pots with any humbucking or doubt coitype pick up. Thanks man. Need a Sire now!!!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! So glad you're enjoying the videos! Either 250k or 500k will work.

[@derek71w1]

@@LowEndLobster Awesome. Thanks Man! They sound amazingly good in your jazz.

[@mikesanders80]

Nice tones man, have you tried the Dimarzio Ultra jazz pickups? Thoughts?

[@mikeburford3005]

I have DiMarzios in one of my jazz basses and love them. As you put them in both basses, I'm curious to know if you prefer them over other pup makers.

[@jdmarino]

LowEndJaco and LowEndMarcus were portrayed by LowEndLobster. Any similarity to actual crustaceans, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

[@LowEndLobster]

XD

[@cajuare]

Thanks a lot for this video. Both basses sound great. What is the difference between Dimarzio area J and ultra Jazz? Which one fits better into that jazz bass sound?

[@cperch37]

Great vid and the basses sound incredible. Are the Dimarzios a drop in replacement in the V7?

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Cliff! Great question, yes - they'll drop in (though it is a snug fit, but no modification was needed). These pickups each have 5 wires. Two will be wired together for the humbucker to be wired in series (unless you want parallel, there's instructions for everything), and the Sire V7 has a solder point for the hot and ground for each pickup. The shield you can solder to ground or attach to the cavity. Hope that helps!

[@cperch37]

Yup it does, i’m going to mod my vintage 5 exactly as you did and call it the lowend lobster special edition.

[@LowEndLobster]

@@cperch37 Be sure to join our discord channel and share some pics and sound clips :)

[@cperch37]

Quick question, did you use one of the battery compartments for the install?

[@LowEndLobster]

@@cperch37 I used the stock battery compartment on the V7 and am running 18v, forgot to mention that. I just soldered up the stock Sire connectors to the preamp. V7 could fit a preamp that was made to fit with a battery in the stock compartment, not sure if the Sadowsky can do that. The V5 here is passive.

[@christaylor463]

Love the Area J's in your basses. What pot values did you install on the Sire V5? I put Areas in my Fender with a .033 Sozo cap and 250k pots and they seem a little dark. (DR Pure Blues strings.) Thinking about putting 500k tone pots in, as per DiMarzio specs, hoping that will brighten things.

[@LowEndLobster]

I used the stock pots, didn't look at the values but I'm guessing they're 250k. Great question!

[@arwynhowells7440]

Really love the Sadowsky preamp on the V7. About to install one myself. I have one query to which I have been unable to find an answer for - ground wire to bridge - simply from pan pot to bridge or from each pot? Love the channel, keep up the good work

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! Great question. It seems the Sadowsky unit is pretty self contained. I did full shielding and stuff on my V5, however the V7 only needed the jack ground, pickup grounds, and bridge ground connected and it's dead quiet. The V5, I shielded everything with copper, grounded the pickup poles, and made sure the shield was grounded. The Sadowsky setup was much more of a 'drop in'

[@twiglurid666]

I have a sire v7 alder. I never use it as an active bass so I’ve always been curious about modding. Thanks for the info lmao

[@LowEndLobster]

Absolutely! I'm very much not a fan of the stock Sire preamp in a jazz config. IMO works better in the M and P series. There's a lot of great (and simpler) options out there that are a swap away

[@TheGAMEGod_YT]

Let’s goooooo

[@raine5300]

Much enjoyed your review! Thanks! Does the Shadowsky preamp fits directly V7? Maybe i need one too :)

[@LowEndLobster]

Yes, you need to connect your battery harness and solder the pickups to the preamp and wire your grounds, but it's extremely straight forward

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! Yes, some soldering is required but no modification was needed on my V7's body for the Sadowsky control plate

[@joannalewis5279]

Great video. Do these have the passive switch working?

[@NoWayJose85]

Found about your channel while looking for Sire basses, great reviews! Just subscribed too! What are your thoughts on the Aguilar 5J-HC vs the Dimarzio Area-J ones? I'm currently looking at getting a Sire V5, and started thinking about upgrades.

[@LowEndLobster]

Great question! I've never tried the HC aggies, only the single coil ones. That would make for a great comparison! I'm very much a fan of these Area J's however, definitely nail the classic J vibe without the noise.

[@MrCalifornia0]

nice mods! you definitely inspire me to tinker. I can't make up my mind between the V5 and V7 fretless. Unfortunately, I can't try them in person. Any advice?

[@martingesser3846]

Did you wire the area Js in parallel or series mode? And why did you choose one mode instead of installing push pull potentiometers to select both? Fantastic sounding basses, btw.

[@LowEndLobster]

I did the pickups each in series. The push pull is a nice idea, I just didn't have the parts handy.

[@daviddesmond2143]

V7 nice but many very heavy and lack of a pickup tone switch can get you lost finding tones. Great video. Thanks, Lobsta (as we call them in Connecticut)

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks David! That's why I popped in the Sadowsky preamp in my V7. Much less fiddling, much more tone!

[@quin.em.harris]

epic I have an m7 with swamp ash body. It slaps like a beast

[@LowEndLobster]

Those M series basses are suhweet. We have a M2 mod coming Wednesday :)

[@quin.em.harris]

@@LowEndLobster noiceeee

[@michaelblaney4461]

I've got to get one of those V5 fretless , like those Area J's. When I go from playing my Sire basses to Fender I really notice the much less rounded neck profile . I like the rounded edge profile of the Sire much better. Hey Lobster have you ever though of the Tony Franklin p bass?

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you and yes! Trying to snag a Franklin!

[@michaelblaney4461]

Yeah Lobster I really want one of those Fender fretless p basses , without the fret lines ( like my old and gone G&L L2000 fretless)

[@RealerArtist]

I’ve got a sherwood green 5string sire. Enjoying the preamp but I do feel the pickups could be better. The stock ones seem a bit on the quiet side. Dimarzio the way to go for non fretless, or do you recommend another type of pickup? Thanks! Great content!

[@LowEndLobster]

It's very odd, but the stock pickups are actually super bright and the preamp is doing a lot of cutting and shaping. I will be doing a J pickup test series in the future (hopefully before the end of the year). DiMarzio would work great though

[@MrJohnnyorange]

I thought the (original) preamp was the defining feature of the V7!

[@osodelcity]

Really enjoyed this video 🦞…15:30 😆

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Ozzie! I enjoyed making it :)

[@TittiPotestaBP]

Hi LowEndLobster, were the pickups and the bridge a direct replacement on the V5?

[@LowEndLobster]

Hi Titti! Great question. The bridge on the V7 is a drop-in Sire replacement from Albridge. However, the one on the V5 is a 'Fender' bridge with a different screw pattern and required drilling (they were out of the Sire bridges). What I did was used some allen wrenches and stuck them into the ferrule holes through the back of the body, and then mounted the bridge so the wrenches went through the string holes. This allowed me to align the bridge properly and drill the mounting holes precisely. Pickups were a direct replacement, and the Sire drop in replacement bridge that's on the V7 will work here as well

[@TittiPotestaBP]

@@LowEndLobster Thank you Lob, I just received my V5 5 strings and will upgrade the pickups ASAP with DiMarzio's Area J. Will look to replace the bridge and tuner later, but will check the Albridge site. Thanks!

[@oscarsantos2608]

It would be great if you could do a fender roscoe beck bass review! 🤩

[@LowEndLobster]

Indeed! I'd love to get my hands on one. I actually might know someone with one...

[@oscarsantos2608]

@@LowEndLobster it's always good to know someone who has one! Hope to see that review soon!

[@dominicrossitto5890]

Wow, that fretless V5 bass sounds beyond amazing. The V7 sounds like it was custom made to be moded for slapping. If you have a preference for Jazz Basses, ...what else would you need? Just unbelievable tones.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you!

[@Idontlikethisever]

Totally agree on this👍 just awesome

[@sidbates3423]

Lobster that part when you were playing that Marcus Miller lick and shook your head and mumbled that was funny 😆

[@philipmcadam5339]

Hi Lobster, great video. In your opinion, who else is making a really excellent "J" bass preamp?

[@LowEndLobster]

Great question! We're going to do a separate video comparing a few drop in options for j preamps in a V3 soon!

[@philipmcadam5339]

@@LowEndLobster Well alright, another video to look forward to. Thank you Lobster.

[@georgeohara6743]

Are you using 500k or 250k (or another value?!) volume pots with those Area Js? Just got a pair today to put in my CIJ Jazz!

[@LowEndLobster]

Hell yeah! They're the stock pots which I believe are 250k.

[@yngve6640]

Hi. Does the Albridge fit with the stock screwholes and stringthrubody holes on the V5 ? (sellers only mention V3 and V7 drop in fit)

[@LowEndLobster]

Yes, though I have the FEnder bridge mounted here. All of my Fender styled Sires have the Albridge bridges with no fitment issues, though someone reached out with some issues they had with a V5. I have another V5 coming soon and will be swapping out the bridge on that :)

[@warburgaby]

@@LowEndLobster ...the new V5Rosewood? 😍😍😍

[@LowEndLobster]

It's on the way ;)

[@warburgaby]

@@LowEndLobster okkkk 🔥❤️ also for me 🤩🤩🤩 alder 4 strings

[@naughtscribe]

Have you tried the EMG JV52 set? If so, what did you think of 'em? I'm very interested in those pickups.

[@LowEndLobster]

A loooooooooong time ago when I was a wee lad. Back in highschool, I snagged this second hand Warwick Thumb NT at GC for like $1200 USD (I think this was in like '03-'04) and installed a set along with an EMG preamp. I don't think I can give you a real answer based on those old memories, but I will definitely try em again!

[@Cheloo95ful]

Where did you find the bridge replacement? Or what hipshot replacement bridge do you recommend? I’ve been looking for it please Lobster

[@Cheloo95ful]

Is for a 5string Sire V3

[@LowEndLobster]

Link to the vendor is in the video description. You can contact them directly and ask about 5 string Sire bridges, they should be able to help you out! They do make a drop in Sire bridge, I have it in my P10 and it's a great upgrade.

[@Cheloo95ful]

Ok thanks a lot i’ll contact them again thanks 😁

[@andre257]

Hi Nice video , very informative what kind of all parts bridge is that that you put on that side of fourth string? The preamp Sadowski do you get that off of the Sadowski site thank you peace

[@TheGAMEGod_YT]

I’m a good crustacean!!!! (Patrick star voice)

[@FilipBass2]

How did that chrome plate on Sadowsky fit in Sire? Sire doesnt fit Fender pickguards well, so i thought it wont fit control plates as well....

[@LowEndLobster]

The control plate lined up no problem. I didn't have to replace or re-drill anything. It seems that the stock control plate is close enough to fender sized not to cause any issues (or if you wanted to go to a 4 knob/hole setup from 5, or a passive conversion)

[@WizardOfArc]

I see fretless... I click 😁

[@LowEndLobster]

:)

[@olymoon2008]

Thank you for the video. I have a 5st V7 Which have heavy neck dive. How much neck dive do you take out by changing to light hipshot and the high mass bridge?

[@LowEndLobster]

With a 5 string, you will improve your balance SIGNIFICANTLY with a set of hipshots. With a 4 string, you save 1/4 lb at the headstock and it would be even more with the 5.

[@olymoon2008]

@@LowEndLobster Thank you very much for your answer.

[@dupajas4671]

The Fretless turned out amazingly! Have you tried rounds on it? You know, I’ve been thinking about your “lobster claw” problem….how long does it usually take for your hand to turn back into a claw. Seems pretty quick that by the end of each video, it is back to a claw by the conclusion and rating. But I guess it’s quick after editing. How many sub’s do you need for it to stay permanently as a human hand?

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! I tried pressurewounds but didn't like the brightness I got. I really like these LaBella DTFs on this though. I don't have the scientific credentials to definitively answer these questions ;P. Though I suspect.... ONE MILLION SUBS huehuehuehuehueh

[@Ronofthedead07]

How do the regular LaBellas compare to the Chromes that you originally had on it? I have a set of Low Tension Flats on my fretless and they feel great, but I found the tone deadened pretty quickly so…good for certain genres, not so good for others. As you’d expect, they smack against the fretboard if you dig in at all. The .118 low B is surprisingly usable, though.

[@thierrylemetayer3371]

HI lowendLobster , i have a sire V5 , I would like to change the original pickups, because I find them a bit weak in output power, what do you recommend as replacement pickups? thany you regards Thierry of France

[@LowEndLobster]

Hey Thierry! The ones in these vids are what I'd recommend. DiMarzio Area J

[@barondavis5692]

Hey Lobster, I got the DeMarzio relentless J. The guy said that they don’t fit in the V7 without routing. Does that sound right? Thanks

[@LowEndLobster]

I have the Sixties J in my V7 Vintage right now, which is in the same type of housing and didn't require routing.

[@barondavis5692]

@@LowEndLobster I thought so. Thanks for the reply.

[@NathanALee]

This is admitted a lazy question but, Lobster but how much room is in the V5's electronics cavity? Would I have to do routing to squeeze a battery in if I wanted to make my fretted V5 active?

[@LowEndLobster]

Great question! It depends, but some drop in jazz preamps leave room for a battery in the main control cavity. I ran a J retro in a J for a while with the battery in the cavity, and it looks like the Audere might fit one too. However, battery changes become a bit more troublesome

[@jasminr.671]

Did you have to rewire the entire V5 bass in order for it to work with the new Area J pickups?

[@davidaubuchon7309]

Are the fretless V5s still available? Can't seem to find any for sale.

[@LowEndLobster]

Yes, I believe so

[@TraceElliot42]

Would you choose a V5 with an external Sadowsky preamp pedal or V7 Vintage played passive with the same Sadowsky external? Which one give you a better passive sound to be switched active as needed?