Marcus Miller V3 5 AWH 2nd Gen

The Sire Marcus Miller V3 is a five-stringed J-style bass that, in this price category, has set a new benchmark in terms of quality and hardware. Visually, it's a classic J-bass with an Antique White finish but the V3 also comes with a whole host of modern extras, including an immensely flexible set of tone controls that gives bassists access to a broad palette of sounds. The result of a collaboration between Sire and bass legend Marcus Miller, this is a high-end, flexible instrument at a fantastic price, ideal both for ambitious beginners and more experienced players who are new to five-string basses.

Mahogany body, maple neck, palisander fingerboard – Sire has gone for some really choice materials, considering the instrument's price. For the five-string models in this series, the neck has been reinforced with carbon fibre and the fingerboard has rolled edges for a more comfortable playing feel. This combination of woods, together with the Marcus Standard J-Revolution pickups, gives the instrument its warm, mid-rich tone – and the ingenious electronics expand its sonic capabilities even further. Even in passive mode, musicians can adjust the volume, balance, and tone control. By flipping the switch for active mode, the sound can be individualised even further thanks to the V3's three-band equaliser, and as well as controlling the highs and lows as usual, the frequency affected by the parametric midband can be dialled in at anywhere between 80Hz and 2kHz. What is more, the electronics' 18V operating voltage means there are always enough dynamics to play with.

The Sire Marcus Miller V3 might be low in price, but thanks to its ingenious pickups and electronics, it's high on flexibility. There are almost no limits to the instrument's musical capabilities: For old-school sounds à la Motown, Soul, Blues, or Rock, it can simply be used as a passive bass. For all the more modern tones and techniques, on the other hand, the three-band equaliser provides more than enough options. The components are very high quality for this price category, which, along with the overall workmanship, makes the V3 a robust instrument for musicians who are on stage or in the studio day in and day out: With an operating voltage of 18V, the V3 functions virtually without distortion or interference, which is especially important when recording tracks.