This is my first bass, i wanted to buy a Sire bass (V7 mostly) since I've heard many good things about them. And I'm glad that I procrastinated long enough for this bass to come out because it's perfect for me specwise and looks gorgeous. You can't beat roasted maple neck, block inlays and natural finish on a jazz bass! Fretboard on my bass looks like ordinary maple since it's much more pale compared to the neck body. But it doesn't bother me so much since it's with perfect balance with the color of the body.
I think that the fact that it's passive is only a plus. It has this raw growly sound of 70's jazz bass and can be very smooth too. It's easy to find the exact sound you want without endless rotating nobs on preamp. No issues with pickups and electronics.
The neck is excellent, rolled edges makes it really smooth and comfortable to play. Setup was very good from the start. Easy trust rod access is also very nice feature. It's pretty light for a jazz bass, at least the one I got.
So basically if you want a 70's style jazz bass you can't go wrong with this one. Especially for this price. So go ahead!:)