Show Full Spec Comparison
| Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String | Ibanez EHB1505MS | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Sire | Ibanez |
| Year: | 2023 | 2020 |
| Configuration: | SS | Split S |
| Strings: | 5 | 5 |
| Made in: | Indonesia | Indonesia |
| Series: | V | EHB |
| Colors: | Sunburst, Natural | Black, Blue, Green |
| Left-Handed Version: | Yes | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Swamp Ash | Selected light weight African Mahogany |
| Bridge: | Hipshot Kickass Bass | MR5HS |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Bolt-On | Bolt-On |
| Tuners: | Hipshot USA Ultralite Bass Tuning Machine | Ibanez |
| Fretboard: | Roasted Flame Hard Maple, Edgeless (Rolled Fretboard Edges) | Bound Panga Panga |
| Neck Material: | Roasted Flame Hard Maple (Satin Finish) | 9pc Pangapanga/Walnut |
| Decoration: | Abalone Block | Off-set abalone dot inlay |
| Scale Size: | 34" | 35" to 32" |
| Shape: | Bass C-Shape | Bass EHB5 |
| Frets: | 22 Medium Nickel Silver | 24 Medium Stainless Steel |
| Fretboard Radius: | 9.5" | 19.685" |
| Nut: | Bone | Plastic |
| Nut Width: | 46mm (1.811'') | 45mm (1.772'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Marcus Premium-J Revolution (Single Coil / Passive) | Nordstrand Custom Big Split (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | ||
| Neck Pickup: | Marcus Premium-J Revolution (Single Coil / Passive) | Nordstrand Custom Big Split (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Switch: | 0 Way | 0 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | Dome |
| Pickup Mods: | None | None |
| Volume Controls: | 2 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 4 | 0 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | Yes |
| Hardware Color: | Gold | Black |
Reasons to Get
Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String over Ibanez EHB1505MS
Reasons to Get
Ibanez EHB1505MS over Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String
Other Key Differences
Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String vs Ibanez EHB1505MS
Shared Features
Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String vs Ibanez EHB1505MS
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Frets
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
- Active/Passive Preamp
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Weight Relief
- Retainer Bar
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
Price History Comparison
These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.
Hand Size Comfortability
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String favors large hands more than the Ibanez EHB1505MS.
Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String:
Ibanez EHB1505MS:
Beginner Friendliness
The Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String meets 4 out of our 6 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Ibanez EHB1505MS meets only 2. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.
New Player Friendliness
Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
New Player Friendliness
Ibanez EHB1505MS- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in the Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String
Roasted Maple is just maple without a finish. It's technically cheaper than regular maple, but it doesn't have any extra disadvantages because of this. The color is darker, and it's lighter weight and very stable even when there's a lot of humidity.
Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.
Woods Used in the Ibanez EHB1505MS
Panga Panga is an African wood very similar to Wenge. It comes in a very dark color with tight grain. Its tonality favors the low-to-mid frequencies.
Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.
Winner: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
The Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String has an SS configuration while the Ibanez EHB1505MS has Split S pickups.
SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.
On the other hand, A Split S, or split single-coil pickup, has a classic, warm, and punchy tone, characterized by a strong midrange presence and noise reduction. Its design cancels out interference, making it suitable for various musical styles and ideal for live performances and studio recording.
Pickups Quality
Both come with some of the top pickups on the market. You can't go wrong with either of them. You'll probably never need a pickup upgrade.
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Preamp Circuit
A preamp in an electric bass functions as an electronic circuit that acts as an interface between the bass's pickups and the amplifier. Its main purpose is to amplify and customize the bass's initial signal before it reaches the amplifier, offering enhanced control over factors like tone, volume, and sound attributes. Preamps typically come equipped with tone adjustments, equalization options, and sometimes built-in effects, empowering bass players to fine-tune their sound to suit their personal preferences and the musical environment.
Both basses have a Active/Passive preamp.
Active/Passive: This type of circuit combines both passive and active electronics in one instrument. This versatile setup allows the player to switch between passive and active modes, providing a wide range of tonal options. In passive mode, the bass relies on traditional passive pickups and tone controls for a warm and organic sound. In active mode, the onboard preamp circuit is engaged, offering enhanced EQ shaping capabilities and sometimes a signal boost. This flexibility caters to a broader spectrum of musical styles and playing preferences, as it allows the bassist to switch between the classic, vintage tone of passive operation and the more versatile and finely tuned active mode, all within the same instrument.
Winner: Tie.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.
Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String compares to the Ibanez EHB1505MS.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.
Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.
Winner: Tie
Nut Material
If you want your bass to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
The Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.
On the other hand, the Ibanez EHB1505MS comes with a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.
Winner: Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
In this comparison, the Ibanez EHB1505MS is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the bass. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.
Winner: Ibanez EHB1505MS.
Tuners
In this case, the Ibanez EHB1505MS has no machine heads because it is a headless guitar. Instead, the strings are tuned at the bridge. This gives the guitar a better balance and will prevent neck dives. It also makes it more travel friendly.
Winner: Tie.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a bass is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Active/Passive Preamp
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- No Strap Lock
Ibanez EHB1505MS
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Expensive Wood
- Top Brand Pickups
- Luminescent Inlay
- Active/Passive Preamp
- Strap Lock
- Made in Indonesia
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a bass might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a bass feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String has the wider nut with 46mm (1.811'') vs 45mm (1.772''). This is a 1mm (0.039'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
In this case, the Ibanez EHB1505MS features a multi-scale of 35" to 32" while the Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String has a regular scale of 34".
A multi-scale fingerboard incorporates two scale lengths at the same time. This is present in some instruments with long scale to give a different tension to the lower strings than the higher strings. The thickest strings need more tension to avoid fret buzz (especially when tuned low), so the scale is longer for these strings, while the thinnest strings will need less tension (because they have a lower gauge), so they have a shorter scale to reduce stiffness for bends.
It can feel awkward if you've never played a multi-scale because the frets will have more separation for the higher strings, but a lot of people love their versatility.
On the other hand, the Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String's 34" regular scale means it has a fixed scale for all the strings.
This is a scale used for baritones and guitars with more than 6 strings. Since the scale is so long, the tension of the strings will be higher. This means that bending will require a lot more strength than with a shorter scale. However, it also allows you to use really low tunings without causing fret buzz and without needing to increase your string gauge too much.
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String and the Ibanez EHB1505MS have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
Fretboard Radius
Most bass fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
In this case, the Sire Marcus Miller V10dx 5-String's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Ibanez EHB1505MS's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Ibanez EHB1505MS.
Still, both are closer to a Stratocaster radius than a Les Paul, so both of them will favor chord playing rather than soloing.
Fret Size
Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.
