This Sire S7 sounds great but we have a problem
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- Hey ya'll, pardon the brief hiatus. Getting closer and closer to a consistent schedule. Stay tuned.
Today we look at the Sire brand of guitars. In association with the legendary Larry Carlton, these Indonesian made guitars have great specs and features for the money and sound great, but, you might have a big problem should you get one before doing your due diligence. Let's discuss that:
Links for the guitar in the video, Larry Carlton S7 SG
Thomann (lowest priced): thmn.to/thopro...
Sweetwater (US dealer): www.sweetwater... 
Видеоклипы
Update. Sire has responded to my emails. The response is ... Interesting. Working on a part 2 to this video.
7/29/23 edit: Here is part 2 to the video:
ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
Hey there ! Thanks for the review; I feel bad for you that you had this experience with Sire. I have an sire h7 and T7 , both of them beautiful guitars and almost flawless quality . I say “almost “, because on my H7 the stop Tailpiece posts are slightly out of their holes on the Center block. But I hear this can be an easy fix , and I have had no other “ functional” problem with the guitars. Infact the neck and fretboard are so good that I can hardly put them down when I play .
However I’m Curious to know how Sire addressed your issue , do let us know on what their response was :) it would surely be representative of their attitude towards customer feedback and long term reliability as a brand . Thanks!
You ever do follow up pt 2?
@@PaulEubanks Not yet. Broke my finger so everything's been pushed back
@@RafsGearReviews OUCH!
Can you at least expand on "Interesting"?
To fix that rough routing, reinstall the cover plate.
Ha ha ha....solved. This guy.
Just the idea of something that amateur craftsmanship under the plate is unsettling.
👍🏻
I received my 3S7 FM 3 weeks ago and my fretts are super smooth and the routing is great. I own 3 Fenders and none are better and all 3 cost more
I agree.. my S7 and L7 are perfect.
Man I must of got a good one. Smooth frets, Lowered action, plays great.
I have that exact model and it is flawless
Me, too!
Same here!
yours is the only negative review ive seen and i seen quit a few so ide say you just got a bad one and people need to consider this when they watch your review mine is flawless none of the things you point out.
Yeah, It's always a lottery when you buy an import guitar. Some just have much better odds of getting a great instrument when the QC is better. I only know of my experience and one other and I do have a T7 that is fantastic so definitely recommend it. Thx for watching 🙏
I own an S7 and an L7. Both are fantastic and a hundred times better than their competitors.
I just didn’t have those problems with mine.. Frets were near perfect…
QC missed that routing job....Id be pissed to BUT!!!! Doesnt take tone away from the guitar. Eddie Van Halen's frankeinstrat looked like hell but the tone was always in the pickups/amp and hands.
It definitely sounds amazing. Just wish it had been taken better care of at QC
Great guitar. Mine had great fretwork, needed intonation and bridge adjustment. but its excellent. you may have gotten a fake.
It is not a fake (bought directly from Thomann, validated by Sire) just a bad one. It still sounds great though.
Surprisingly all those tremolo routs you showed were... pretty poor. Just because it's under a cover?! Slack. Why don't they use fresh / sharp templates (assuming they use them at all - which I'm not even convinced they do). Overall a 5/10 is also pretty poor - Sire ought to listen even if they don't feel inclined to replace your guitar. BTW - if they don't want to replace your guitar it will be mostly because ALL of them are probably routed like that so they know they'll be unlikely to find one that meets your expectations. Going to look to see if you made the update video now!!
Took me a while to do it but here's what Sire had to say: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
I have a S7 FM and all the frets were perfect, so far I've found nothing to complain about
It looks like a B stock if you got it from Thomann they'll replace it or refund you( probably a bit late now 3 months later) I have a Sire bought from Andertons in the UK and it's absolutely perfect 👍
That as surprised me because I’ve got the same guitar and it’s absolutely flawless, seen a great deal of reviews for sire guitars and the main components were saying how great the rolled necks are, that one as obviously been stored somewhere and dried out.
I have an L7V model (reverb bought - new), perfectly set-up, gorgeous looking, plays like a dream with the satin neck finish...My band mate has the S7 (Thomann), also no problems whatsoever. Not defending anyone, just adding to statistics :)
Seems that dry neck and fret sprout would be connected and *very* out of character for everything I've seen from the brand. Every one I've played had had one of the best necks, fretboards, and fret finishing I've seen under $1k in over 20 years playing. I would have returned this as soon as I noticed and demand a refund with images, video, and written description of issues. I've never dealt with Thomann, but that's some bad service.
Does the routing hinder the use of the vibrato bar? Personally, I don't care about things like that. As long as is feels good in my hands and I can play it, that's all I care about.
U seem to get a waste product. Mine has no such fret issues and not the neck dry at all
Head Larry Carlton play Kid Charlemain instrumental on the Sire it sounded terrible
Sweetwater will dress those frets.
To e fair I would rather oil the neck myself. As I said before Sweetwater will dress the frets.
I was going to buy an S7 or S3 from Thomann. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen or heard of dreadful QC and customer service coming out of Thomann. But I was thinking Sire guitars would surely be okay (as opposed to Harley Benton).
Now there is *no* way I would buy a Sire from Thomann. I wouldn’t buy anything from Thomann.
And I have reconsidered buying a Sire. If this what can leave the Sire factory… no - not for me. 😢
*Good points and EXCELLENT observations!* It's a shame "SIRE" didn't work with you to resolve the issues BEFORE you uploaded this video on RUclips.. to save themselves the embarrassment!
Appreciate you pointing out the low quality issues; something w Carlton's name shouldn't look like a home made project.
Can I offer constructive comments? you can hear "sparkle"? from THIS demo? you have so much effects on ...can't hear what that thing actually sounds like, bro. Suggest you briefly play a strat clean, then play THAT guitar clean, so we can HEAR how close it sounds to a Strat, and judge whether or not we players could actually USE the thing...
Thanks for watching
Yeah I guess I meant to say it's a very treble heavy and percussive sound. Twangy? Spanky? Lol not sure what the best way to describe it is.
Comparing it to a strat is a great idea. Would definitely do that comparison if I had an original strat. Maybe I will in the future.
I guess that was the Lemon in the bunch. (Stuff Happens). I would have put the back cover back on. Outta sight and all that. I wouldn't go so far as to call it Disgusting. It's a Mid Price not a Custom Shop. But that's your opinion & experience so that's OK. But what I didn't understand above all the slight imperfections was doing this review on a guitar you've had for 5-6 months and doing it with the tags still hanging from the head stock. That's disgusting & frankly a bit strange (to me). I saw your 2nd report and the response from Sire. That's Speaks Volumes as to the company integrity, in my opinion. And I appreciate that you had the decency to post that part of the Sire company. Thanks for your input.
Thanks for watching. Interesting comment and feedback. I tend to review guitars after I've had them for a while so I can speak on, if there is anything worth mentioning. I couldn'y get to this one sooner as I was out of state for a few months. And I put the tags back on because I still had them and felt like it but I guess that's weird? lol. But if you can call that behavior disgusting I can do the same for the rout job as the definition of disgusting is something that arouses revulsion or strong indignation, the later being relevant to how I felt when I saw the rout job (knowing what some much cheaper options looked like) and uhm appearantly how you felt seeing a guitar with tags.
Either way I think Sire did a great job addressing this and was worth sharing.
I believe you just got a one off. Mine is perfect!,.
I was lucky enough to find one used (it's from one of the earlier batches the best I can tell) for 420$ with that price I wasn't saying no. The neck and fret work were amazing it's the most comfortable feeling neck I've ever had and the frets were never sharp winter or summer, but When I got it I had one complaint that being the treble bleed it was not my style as it essentially made volume less than two into an off switch so swells weren't possible. I had that removed upon my next luthier visit.
Now that I've had it for 9 months I have some fret wear in the form of fairly noticable divots, and if I switch positions without a little upward pressure the pickups won't be engaged. Still hands down my favorite to play.
I personally wouldn't care if they made the route in the back with a hatchet as long as it didn't affect playability (such as binding the trem block). They have to find some ways to cut cost to keep the prices low and if they choose to do that in a spot that no one will ever see, that's fine by me. It's no different in, say, the furniture industry. The top of a wooden table looks fantastic, but the underside is an unfinished mess. I'd be willing to bet they knew perfectly well that the route wasn't great, but chose not to scrap the body because it has no real impact on the aesthetics of the finished guitar or the playability. That's how you keep prices low.
The fret ends (and maybe the neck dryness?) are certainly a different story as that impacts how the guitar feels. All I can say is that the S7 I bought from Sweetwater in January doesn't have those issues and I'm very happy with it.
One other comment about neck dryness. I think this has a lot to do with individual pieces of wood. I have a butcher block top on a kitchen island. I oil it at least once a month to keep it from drying and splitting in the arid Arizona climate. Some slats of maple wood in that top will soak up all the oil you put on it and look dry in 5 minutes. Other slats won't soak up the oil even if left for almost 24 hours. So, I would guess that the dryness of a particular neck just has to do with the natural variation in the pieces of wood used to make guitar necks.
I agree with you. I think he's overstating that the routing is disgusting. I get it though. Nobody complains about it but I think the tremolo held on with the set screw
Needs constant adjustment with a tiny little Allen wrench. Then not that holds my banana plug is always coming loose. And my low E string broke in less than 7 days. These are minor annoyances I can fix. But I would still hope for better. No regrets at all from this customer.
You seem to take things very personally dude. You talk a lot about disrespect etc. They are a guitar company, not your buddy or someone who know. They don’t know you to respect you or disrespect you. It’s business, some are good, some not so
@@thelolguy007fair point.
I did do a sequel and their response was interesting: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
My v3 fretboard is pristine, really nice fretboard ends for the price. You received a bad sample
Agreed. Here's what Sire had to say: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
I bought one when they first came out directly from Sire and have not had any of the problems that you described the routing on mine is very nice
Yeah this looks like the exception instead of the rule.
With all these high quality-low price new brands that we see (although $700 in this case isn't exactly low price, it's squarely in the mid-price range competing with Yamaha Pacifica 612s, PRS SE Silver Skys, etc.), something is eventually going to have to give when their investors decide they have enough market penetration and start looking for profits. High quality doesn't come free. Inevitably, they will either have to lower their quality, or increase their prices. One thing I can say about my six Shijies, which date between 2018 to 2022, is that they haven't lowered the quality even slightly, although they did raise their prices. So that was their answer, which personally I prefer over the opposite.
Valid points. Every Shijie that has crossed my path has been superb.
I own 3 Shijies and each one is impeccable. Great quality guitars.
@@LuvhandleR Agreed. Shijie's are phenomenally well built instruments.
700 dollars???
@@robersniper OK, I guess the most expensive one is $650 at Sweetwater
Interesting. I bought one of these used and it's on par with other modern Indonesian made guitars - blowing me TF away with its quality. It seems like maybe you got a lemon. I hope they respond positively to you.
Thank you, here's their response: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
VERY VERY VERY MINOR DEFAULT YOU GOT MUCH MORE ON FENDER STERLING ETC THIS GUITARE SIRE ARE JUST ONE OFTHE BEST FOR THE PRICE AND YOU CAN HAVE THE T SERIE FOR 400 MAX IN ACAJOU
I recommend you watch part 2 😃
ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
Mine was perfect and sounded better than my $2,000 superstrat - straight up!
I ended up getting a replacement unit and it's fantastic.
My trem routing is good! I judge a ax by the playability being a serious working musician. Replaced the P-Us with custom wounds. I have no complaints on my Sire.
The tremolo cutout really looks as if someone made it by hand and with a Dremel. I also had the protruding frets here in Germany on a US Made Fender Strat for 1900 €. My currently best guitar is a Thomann Harley Benton SG Copy for €239. Perfect Guitar 😉
Someone else so said that about the fender strat at that price range. I can only say my S7 frets are as smooth as their reputation. Nice when you get something great a great price
Yes, the price-quality ratio is not linear.
No guitar comes out of the case or box in perfect condition. How do you get more likes? By being the one who has negative comments when everyone elses is positive. Got my Sire two days ago, closest to perfect that I've ever pulled out of the box. Even over much more expensive guitars! If this is bad quality I'll take it everyday of the week over most guitar mfgs!
I can name dozens of guitars I've had that have been perfect out of the box and several even more affordable than this. We're not talking about perfection here, but BARE MINIMUM STANDARDS. When a $42 guitar from Wish.com comes out of the box with better fretwork, fewer finish flaws and better route work there is a major problem and only fan boys of the brand would be blind and oblivious to it. And making a positive video on a guitar which has this many flaws would be unethical and untruthful on my part.
I don't do these videos for 'likes' or subs. Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate the support but that's where it stops for now. The vast majority of my videos are positive reviews of affordable guitars. However, if I received a heavily flawed instrument and kept quiet about it I would be doing the viewers a disservice.
Also, you getting a good example of the brand does not magically make mine perfect. I got a guitar with very poor fit and finish BUT as I called out in the video several times it DOES sound great. I also called out I have a Sire T7 that is fantastic. On a final note, this isn't the only negative Sire video out there but these type of videos are in the minority, overall they are fantastic. No doubt. But they need to sharpen QC as it's taken a slight dip over the past year or 2 vs when they started.
Well good luck with your whiney posts.
It constantly blows my mind that people do guitar reviews and have playing examples that have tons of effects all over the sound. Effects are great, but you can't tell what the guitar sound is when it's soaked in reverb and tons of delay. Hello! How about playing clean and some distortion so we can ACTUALLY hear what the guitar sounds like.
The only person looking at the bad cavity rout is my belt buckle. You know what I would like to know? How does the gloss finish on the fretboard feels like? Rickenbacker? Can't tell what it sounds like from this video....kind of important.
Thanks for watching but are you referring to clean and distortion sounds like the ones that start at 2:49? They are there.
Also your belt buckle and based on the comment thread, a lot of people. Does the bad rout work affect tone or playability? No. Is it an indicator of bad qc? Absolutely! Hence why there's also: finish flaws, rough spots on the neck, fret sprout, hazing on the clear coat, etc. All noted on the video. Perhaps I should have emphasized more on that than the rout, I was just blown away by how bad it was. But it happens, it was an exception not the rule.
Also, Rickenbacker? I'd bet my house 99.99% of the people who've watched this video have never tried a Rickenbacker. I've owned a little over 1,300 guitars with everything from a $30 wish guitar to a $30,000 Prs Dragon and have only tried one proper Rick with a clear coat on the board, an early 90s 381, which yes was somewhat similar from memory but a more useful comparison for everyone else, given this is a $650-$700 guirar, would be a Squier Classic Vibe which is also similar. Hope that helps but thanks for calling it out. I still suck at this YT thing, so every comment and suggestion helps. Thanks!
could you add a little more reverb so we won't hear the guitar at all 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Sure thing! Right after I lower the brightness on my screen so I can't read any silly comments 😎
I have a Sire L7. You need to send that guitar back. That's unacceptable.
Glad to know I'm not alone on this. Thanks man.
It's MUCH less expensive than a Fender "Player" of which I returned TWO because they were virtually unplayable. Besides giving them grief over the trem spring routing that is COVERED is kinda LOW RENT Raf. Now if that was a high end Fender or PRS I could understand but at $600 it IS a cheap guitar.
There is a lot more going on here than just a bad route. I'll touch more on it in the follow up to this.
I just bought TWO Sire'. A T7 and an S7, Flame tops, Transparent Blue from Sweetwater. THEY ARE FLAWLESS.
Here's what Sire had to say: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
just stop buying things
Is the fretboard covered in high gloss or is that just a crazy reflection from your light? Also, screw Thomann! Those guys never did anything for me even after they admitted that the one guitar I bought from them was manufactured wrong. So yeah, screw 'em! 😄
Yeah I was a bit dissappointed that Thomann basically told me to take a hike lol.
And it is a gloss finished fretboard! I actually quite like it with the satin neck.
Meh, seems like a minor thing that no one will see when the covers on so why does it matter. Just put the back plate on and rock it
I bought my son a Sire Les Paul. We are very happy with it but it also has lousy fret-end finish. Jagged.
Funny; My S7 has smooth fret ends. Maybe you received a bad one. My routed back is smooth also. I would reach out to them. My guitar has no visual flaws. They should take care of the problem. I would contact again.
Here's what Sire said: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
please with that I have one and your talking shit
You clearly didn't watch the video or the follow up video.
You got the one in a million bad one
Surprised to see this. Mine is immaculate.
Yeah this seems to be part of the minority
Here's what Sire had to say: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
dry? it's roasted
Yeap. Dry. Also rough. Even roasted maple necks need to be polished, oiled and hydrated with minerals for a smooth playing experience. I'm surprised several people have asked about this, I thought it was more common knowledge.
@@RafsGearReviews I have a few guitars with roasted necks and have never had to touch them, and they are perfect.
@@rickhammel9541 typically you wouldn't need to. More affordable budget guitars with roasted necks sometimes have that issue but most are usually fine. I have some examples from HB and Eart that are amazing. My Sire T7 was great too. Just not sure what happened here. I have a follow up vid coming soon and the 'issue' is a bit more visible. It's a super easy fix though just annoying it came out that way.
Very nitpicky imo
I tend to be. I think I was stressed out beforehand and when I opened it up got triggered lol.
But I did sing it's praises on sound and after a proper set up, feels great too. You should check out part 2 that I did where I reached out to Sire and go over what they said. Really shows the type of company they are!
alright thanks, will do @@RafsGearReviews
Dont have a S7, but my T7 and my L7 are flawless.
Update; reached out to Sire. We will see what they say 😕
Watching as I have the new gold champagne one in my basket
@@MrSmoothasfhere is what they said:
ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
Try buying from Sweetwater, they usually get the guitar setup and ready to play right out of the box, I don't think they let any guitar leave the floor with frets like that, as far as the routing in the back, that's a different story, that comes out of the Sire factory like that, that's on sire, good informative video appreciate it thank you 👍
Thank you, I just uploaded a sequel video on Sire's response: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
Man you must be very unlucky , coz I have owned a fender strat(USA) 4 Gibson Les Paul’s 1 prs and a couple more . I just received my sire s7 a couple of weeks ago and it is easily the best guitar quality wise out of every guitar I have owned . It’s just beautifully built .
I'd really appreciate it if any S7 owners could let me know how your whammybar/ tremolo is treating you. Sire wants to replace my whole tremolo unit but its going to be a major amount of trouble finding a box, sending it back to Sweetwater. I just want to know if yours is working great. Mine is constantly coming loose. I would feel more confident accepting a replacement if other people are not having issues. I don't know how a new one could be any different. Last night I went to tighten the set screw and it was gone! Here is the pecular thing It appears the set screw hole doesn't go all the way through as I thought it would. It appears there is a lightly ridged tube sleeve in that little hole. Looks like plastic or rubber???? And maybe the set screw presses against the tube? That might make more sense than a tiny set screw against a slick chrome rod. I just know mine is not working the way it was intended. I can't imagine a professional tolerating having to constantly tighten that tiny screw during a performance.
Mine just goes in the hole but nothing holds it in place, is yours like that?
oh btw these are $659 at sweetwater
I was fsctoring tax in my head lol
I had a Sterling Cutless CT 50 guitar and the finish was much worse.
I have Fendre Player Plus Mexico and Sire S7 and the guitars are on a similar level. After unpacking the guitar, I set the string action from 1.5 to 1.2 mm and it plays cleanly, no problems, and in Fender I had to do a delicate frets polish.
So every guitar is different.
I will not buy Sterling because I was disappointed but Sire I will be happy to sell other models
Regards
Obviously there are useless video's on youtube too and I think this is one of them
The same can be said for comments. This is a fantastic example of one of them 🤣
Nah, I'd say it's pretty accurate in this case.
@@sh4rkbyt3 Another great example 🤣
Hey Raf, first time watcher of your videos here. Awesome playing btw.
I purchased a make to order S7-FM-TBL myself last year, ordered in April, received in October and the reviews I had watched after months of searching are why I bought it. I own a good 8 guitars now, previously already had a Fender American Standard Stratocaster HSS Sienna Burst with a Diamondback HB and two Fat 50s singles and Rosewood fretboard but was considering selling it if I would have been happy enough with the Sire...suffice to say that I am more than happy with the S7, but I decided to keep the Fender, it's a rare one, also own a Gibson Les Paul Studio 50s Tribute Gold Top with P90s, an Epiphone ES-339 Pro with P90s...for examples. I honestly haven't opened up everything on any of my guitars because I like them the way they are, everything works great, but if I opened one and found that the boring/routing was choppy I'd probably be surprised, but that wouldn't set me off into disappointment mode, it's not something anyone sees anyway and what I presume is you are just one of the few unlucky customers who got a lemon in that regard (and there are lemons in every brand, even Fender and Gibson) and I presume the routing is done by hand as if I remember well reading that Sire hand craft a lot of those guitars which is why there are so few in stores, they can't keep up with demand. I honestly wouldn't worry about that nor would I bother spending time on refining the routing unless you are planning on selling it and believe that would weigh on resale value, imho I highly doubt that makes any difference, in fact on the contrary, that gives it character and rarity...something some guitarists would pay higher price for. As for the neck, it's normal that it seems dry because it is baked maple and has a very fine coating of poly which is sanded finely and recoated and sanded multiple times so as to obtain the satin finish...which you want because is makes it smooth and easy to handle. However, the other esthetic defects would bother me and I would contact Sire directly about it if Thomann aren't willing to do anything for you (not very good Customer Service). I had purchased a 12 string Takamine back in the mid 90s from Steve's in Montreal and after a few months I noticed that the neck unglued/cracked at the seem, they took it back and gave me a store credit (they didn't have a replacement and I wasn't really liking it enough to order and wait for another)...I think that credit still has a balance of some 17$ lolll, which I never bothered to go back for anything since as it would cost me more in fuel than the money ha!
Overall, that guitar sounds astounding if you ask me, the pickups on that model are the same as mine and are far better than many other brands, even better than SD's according to some other reviewers I watched. Again, I would write to Sire and provide them with the link to this video and get them to consider taking it back or compensating you. Otherwise, again, those little details give it character and after a few years you will have other nicks and scratches and you won't notice them as much...unless you wanted a prize piece for display haha. Anyway, try contacting Sire if you really want to take it a step further and let us know if you get any support there. I get that you feel cheated out of quality, I would write to Sire for sure myself, but I wouldn't discard the guitar even if I didn't get any compensation, it sounds too awesome.
Cheers!
Hi Rusty, thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.
I agree on the sound of the pickups. It's a sparkly/snappy tone with great sustain and nice clear note articulation. I really like the way it sounds and feels despite it's hiccups. I do agree that I got a lemon based on how nice my T7 is in contrast but it doesn't make it a bad guitar, I just felt like all these little details might mean that QC could be a big problem for Sire if more of these slip through the cracks. I'm hopeful for the brand nailing and finetuning the consistency becausr they do make fine guitars.
I'll reach out to Sire to see if they can help. Thanks again.
@@RafsGearReviews Let us know what you hear back.
@@russtyruss_i-Investhere's Sire's response. It merits it's own video lol
ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
$641 before discounts... As far as fret ends go, a $5 diamond FINGER NAIL file and 20 minutes working on the individual frets will solve that. The neck? Scotchbrite, then some oil and some time to absorb it, then wipedown with microfiber or substitute to wipe off the excess oil bleed and another round of scotchbriite and the neck should be good to go. I suspect that some units may need level and crowning as inexpensive guitars often do.
I get what u are saying ...
I own few Sire basses n had s7 which didn't have your issues ... i own a l 7 ....
I think u were unlucky and should have complained immediately on receipt.
I 'm sorry u picked a friday afternoon one ...
I own 4 Sire V7 a V10 and a L7 and never experienced all them qc flaws all together in one instrument
Yeah it was more bad luck than anything seems like it. Thank you
Here's what Sire had to say: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
Send it back. Thomann wouldn't accept that either. I have one without ANY of your issues here. This is why I buy all my guitars from Sweetwater. 52 point check after receiving any guitars and basses. This would never be shipped out from Sweetwater and they have a real 2 year warranty. They would never ignore a customer and you have personal sales engineer.
Disgusting is very strong language especially judging 1 guitar in a very successful line of guitars. Fender guitars have had shotty quality control for years and still do. I’ve had no problems with my L7, T7 and S7. Like you said your 2 cents.
Fair point. I think I got particularly irate with the rout because there were also a lot of minor issues some I forgot to share here but I did do a follow up and I think Sire really showed what they're about!
ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.htmlsi=gA1aAfPp1rx7EE4m
What i saw at glance that strings aren't in middle of neck. Nut wasn't cut properly. E bottom String is almost on edge of neck while upper E string if further from the necks edge. That's obvious at exactly at 6:21 minutes of the video. My comment is related only up to that point of the video.👍
You're the only one I've seen looking over tons of sire reviews that has said any of this ... 🤷🏻♂️ I'm thinking You're a "lemon" attractant
If guitar has sharp fret ends as video host mentioned?? I'm actually very surprised.???. If that's a fact then guitar with sharp bodily finsh frets ends Guitar is then.👎
I'm gonna let you in on a little secret' not just one time but everytime you buy a new guitar' doesn't matter if anything is wrong with or not' get in touch with the seller and complain about it' they'll give you the option to return it/swap it out or give you an percentage of the sale price back and refund that money to your credit card. They would rather do that instead of going through the hassle of sending you a return label and having it shipped back and then shipping out another one. You can fix minor issues for near to nothing or just live with it. Any way you look at it' you discounted the guitar yourself since they overcharged for them to start with.
Just send it back....
Did you see the video?
This video actually inspires confidence in the brand for me. It’s nothing major that would be a deal breaker. Put the cover back on, oil the neck and polish the feet ends… easy as with no major faults. Thanks for the videos and your perspective
Glad to help! And glad you got it! While I was a bit let.down that is exactly what this shows. This is the 'worst' example (that I have seen) of a Sire and ... it still sounds great, holds tune and looks great. Just needed some TLC and has a pretty sloppy route.
You definitely had bad luck with this guitar. I have a Sire S7 FM in black and the the edges of the fretboard are beautifully rolled and the routing work is also fine. I can't complain at all. Thank you for your video, absolutely interesting and well done.
If it plays great,,, why worry about a route that you never see for this amount of money?
I do see it. Every day. I like using my trem guitars without a back plate for easier string access when I change or break a string. A lot of people do the same. While the sloppy route is my biggest gripe here it is still a great guitar that sounds phenomenal.
I have had my S7 and L7 for a long time…. Neither of mine have the issues you pointed out in this video… you have bad luck…
That's a super minor issue; easily fixed. And, for a $700 guitar, that's not a big deal.
Darrell Braun reviewed the s7 with a much different opinion. Are you sure you didn’t get a counterfeit guitar?
Love Darrell's content! But yeah unless Thomann is selling counterfeits then I'm 100% sure 😅. I stiil had loads of positive things to say about it's sound and tuning stabiluty in the video, my critique was all about build quality. Doesn't seem to be the norm among them but it looks like a few bad ones like this one can slip through the cracks as I know of 2 other similar scenarios. If you see Darrell's recent vid on the S3 where he removes the plate, you can kinda tell the route isn't perfect either but it's definitely better than on this one. I'm surprised they don't just CNC see that part, sounds like they dremmel it or adjust themselves. There is a part 2 to this video coming at some point!
Here's what Sire had to say: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
Honestly, Darrell Braun never really says anything bad about any guitar. His channel is so big that I’m sure companies send only the best.
I love the neck but hate the body shape and look in general. That said, the teles T3 and T7 seems gorgeous and great.
I ordered an S7 from Andertons. It had a small ding on the headstock. But I didn't want to bother with sending it back and waiting so I asked for a partial refund and we had an agreement on the amount. So far I've added my own dings to it 😭
Not really a fair assessment unless you do your homework and see if this is a CONSISTENT problem. There will ALWAYS be anomalies like that time to time. Gibson makes 3000 dollar guitars that have defects you wouldn't find on a $500 guitar (and at a time they were fairly consistent in their problems, not sure how they are now...they are a brand I will never touch again) I agree Thomann is difficult to work with, they sent me a guitar with a REALLY poorly cut nut that had to be replaced and the bridge was missing an allen screw. I simply asked them to send me a new nut and the screw and I would move on from there, yet they told me to RETURN THE GUITAR FOR ANOTHER ONE. The guitar itself was pretty much flawless. I wasn't going to send it back to get another guitar with a functional nut and screw only to have other defects on the guitar. It was a stupid policy. They do have a resolution committee that they can escalate to. After some back and forths and how I explained how insane it would be to lose a customer and get bad reviews because they couldn't send a simple nut and screw they sent me a nut and a NEW BRIDGE. Moral of the story: Thoroughly analyze your guitar when you FIRST get it and be persistent. I think you kind of half-assed it when you went back to Thomann. There will always be defects. . The 'shame' lies in how many defects there are in production and how they handle them.
I'll agree and take accountability on the fact that I should have thoroughly inspected this on arrival.but I was away for a couple of months right after it arrived so my initial inspecrion was pretty half-assed. I didn't look with a fine tooth comb because my T7 was flawless do I kind of banked on that. That much is on me.
Dude seems like the type to complain about everything in life.
Don't see the problem with mine...
I have another one that build quality seems to be good. I think the problem is that it seems like they can be a bit inconsistent.
Funny thing is Corey Congilio channel had a review praising their fret ends and a ad from Sire saying they make sure to roll the edges... 🤣
i have one and my only complain is a losse wammy bar
Another great review from Raf! Nicely done mate.
Thanks!
Here's part 2; ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
Holy cow. Did Fred Flintstone do that trem route with a hammer and chisel?
🤣🤣🤣 Probably
I have the second of two Donner DST-400S on my lap right now. I just double checked the route in back. Fine. It's what your route SHOULD look like. The other axe is pretty much the same, I feel without looking, because had the route been bad, I would have notice and noted. Not MINDED, necessarily, but I think something like that would make an impression. Neither of these guitars cost more than $200 USD to get to my door. The are currently acclimatizing to the local weather conditions (as am I -- It's been HOT!), then they get a fret job, hopefully the best ever. Finally, I'd like to put a setup on these gals that would make Jimi Hendrix and Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers green with envy. Doesn't mean I can, but I WILL try!
I don’t give a rats ass about what I don’t see and won’t hear. I look forward to the update.
Granted I've played a LP for the past 8 years and a SG for like 8-10 years before that. But what's the issue with the routing job? To me this seems like a non issue. It's something that you won't be bothered by unless you start removing stuff from the guitar?!?
Not a real issue as most pointed out, just an aesthetical thing and within expectation on an affordable guitar.
LIke others, I have this guitar and the fretwork is immaculate, the neck silky smooth and not "dry" in any way, and as for the quality of the routing, well I didn't see much in the way of differences in your photos, and to me that's immaterial. It's a hellah guitar for $600 or so. Okay maybe (?) you got some kind of a dud...but I don't hear anybody else reporting similar. I DO have a slight issue with the guitar, but nothing you cited. I find the highly rolled edges take some getting used to on the high (1st string) E side. Aggressive vibrato down can slip off in a way a nice flat edge Gibson doesn't. So for all considering this guitar, try to get some time on one before committing and decide if the feel is right for you. My constructive $0.02. "The guitar quality is very poor because I don't like the routing" isn't real constructive.
There was a lot more to it. The routing I had just found right as I was recording, hence why maybe I was a bit more irked than normal. Still, a $40 wish guitar should not have better routing. Like I said several times in the video, this seems like a one of and not the norm. I reference my T7 being an excellent guitar and I make note of.how great this one sounds
I made a part 2. Here's what Sire had to say: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
Yea the routing was an amateur job at best but since it is the least important thing on a guitar , if everything else was spot on I could live with it. Since I am a technician/amateur luthier I would route it properly - paint the routed surfaces with conductive paint and that would be the end of it. There are many high end guitars that come with sub standard fret dressing - poor nut slotting - etc so this is pretty minor in my opinion.
Honestly if it had been the only thing I would have been too but there were a few more hiccups (some I forgot to mention). Still a great sounding guitar. I got a 2nd part coming this week!
I think you are knit picking. The back comes with a cover, right!? Who sees it? I’ve seen other videos on these guitars and they love them, and they are not sponsored. Maybe you received a fluke. I have the T7 and it’s perfect, especially the neck edges. They are selling for $641 new at the main stores, and all are out of stock, so that says something. Nice blocks, locking tuners, great sounding pickups and trem system. All for $641, which even if paid $700, that’s a low price, not expensive. Sorry to bash your video, but on this one, you are way off.
No offense taken but I don't think you watched the whole thing. Which is fine, I get it. But it wasn't just the rout work (which to me is meh on a cheap guitar but a $650ish one? I mean I dunno. I kind of care, but I get it if others don't)
There were multiple issues; rough neck, rough fret ends, multiple finish flaws, the rout work, etc. All details not in line with what is 'atypical' of a Sire. And you know what? Sire agreed! They reached out and sent a new one which was much better than the one in this vid.
While I respect everyone's thoughts and opinions, they don't change the fact that 'their good Sires' still don't make the one in this video any better. Just like this Sire doesn't make the good ones any worse. That is why the video is titled 'This' Sire. I have a T7 and it's fantastic. Pretty much perfect. I'll need to make a vid on it.
Phew long reply but appreciate you watching and sharing your thoughts man!
Send it back order another one. Put it on the dealer.They are there to help.
I think you are slightly over exaggerating but I get what you mean for the price
Nah. They should be called out for the sloppy router and fret work.
I have an Epiphone and Sawtooth with better workmanship than that and they cost a lot less.
I play metal on my sire s7 and it does shockingly well
Thank you for this review. I am interested in a Sire guitar. I am confused by the "Dry Neck" issue. Unclear if that is a real issue or something that can be changed if you don;t like it dry? The routing and fretting issues are really disappointing though
Yeah, I think moving forward I'll modify the term dry to 'unpolished, rough or unfinished/gritty'
It's a tad difficult to convey because, technically the neck IS excessively dry and needs moisture (oil provides that) but it is also obviously dried out as part of the toasting process which creates confusion for some. Ideally, when a neck is roasted (and really any neck) it should then be buffed, polished, sanded to a smooth finish and oiled. This retains an ideal level of moisture while providing a smooth playing experience and a nice shine that is not to be confused with a gloss finish. It is not difficult to fix and a little tlc will do the trick but should be taken care of at the factory imho.
Hope this explanation helps.
Dry?? I have only bought three guitars which didn’t need setups. Yeah u are talking about the routing and a “ dry” neck. Ridiculous. No I don’t own one but I’m gonna buy one. The guitars sound amazing and the playability is fantastic
Yes. Dry, rough, not polished, not oiled, some bumps, etc.
When done properly the neck will feel smooth, this didn't until I took care of it since It hindered the playing experience.
I never said these were bad instruments. Notice both title and thumbnail say that it does sound great, and after a HEFTY amount of TLC it play great but what would you prefer I do on the aesthetics? Lie? Say it came perfect? Ignore any finish flaws? Ignore rough fret ends? Say the routing that looks like a drunk guy did it is acceptable when a $40 Wish guitar has better route work? Yeah, no, I won't do that to anyone watching. THAT would be ridiculous. I'd prefer to do an honest and thorough review even if it rubs some people the wrong way.
Here's what Sire had to say: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
yours where fucked up. Those are great great guitars!
Wow, Raf, you totally killed my buzz. I just placed an advance order with Sweetwater for a Sire S7. I've been waiting 2 years for them to become available. This is the first negative review I've seen. Now I'm as worried about my new guitar as I am excited and I haven't even received it yet. The shipment is expected in around a month. Fingers crossed.
Hey Don, don't let.my one bad experience reign in on your parade! This is the minority vs the majority from what it seems. I have a T7 that is fantastic!
I just got mine a little over a week ago and it lives up to its reputation. But my E string did break in less than a week. I've never had a string break on my current acoustic. The nut that holds on my socket for the banana plug I've had to retighten three times because I didn't have a wrench that size handy. The only thing I really dislike is the tremolo arm being held on by a set screw. It's constantly getting loose in having to run and find that tiny allen wrench to readjust it is a major pain in the ass. For some reason I never hear anybody complaining about that.
How is your Sire?
@@BigBSinclair Sounds great. Everything was fine with it. No worries so far. I like the cream pickup covers, but I think I prefer the black ones on the original roll-out.
@@BigBSinclair I just sent you a note in your most recent broken finger post both asking how you are as 7:00 isn't telling you how mine they really took care of me and gave me a complete pro setup in addition to solving my problem
The routing on mine was horrific. The drilled holes for the trem backplate were so close to the edge of the cutout ,that the screws broke free. Sire customer service was very bad. I had the same issues with the fret ends, the QC was the worst I've ever experienced. I paid to get the guitar all fixed up and it's great,but it cost me an extra $150 or so to get it right. I'll stick to the PRS SE line if I buy anymore Indonesian made guitars.
Sorry to hear that. I reached out in hopes of a favorable response from Sire and here's what happened: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html
U want quality u play and ur a reviewer they should fix it and send u one back so u take the video down.
@@justinfern6326 They actually did offer a replacement and no request of the video being taken down. I actually did a follow up video going over it.
I like the brand and overall was impressed with their response. I figured the video still helps point out that 'hey you can get a bad apple but they will own up to it'. I'm hopefull videos like these, while rare, help them and other companies keep eyes on what they can improve upon.
Thanks for watching.
I've taken the plate off the back of my S7 and the routing is as good as any other guitar I've seen. Mine had no problems the neck and fretwork are great and better than my American telecaster. Perhaps as you say you have a Friday afternoon guitar and was unlucky. It is a shame really I guess I would be disappointed if I found the same.
Of all the reviews of the S7 I've seen, your's is the only bad one. You've dissed the entire brand just because YOU got a bad one. Seems kinda extreme, don't ya think? Your negativity notwithstaning, I took a risk and ordered one. The fretwork, neck wood and routing puts my Fenders to shame. It even sounds better than the Player series. Dunno what you're yammering about. Either you've got a hidden agenda or a rare, rare, rare Sire product that escaped their quality control. If it's the latter, you've sure got shit luck.
Thanks for the feedback.
I certainly didn't bring the brand down. If you look at the title and header I am referring to this example and still praising it's great tone!
I got a really poorly made one and I felt it. neccesary to share. Also sharing Thomanns response which was dissapointing. I also tout how amazing my T7 is in this video several times. In the comments there are folks with similar issuse but they are in the absolute minority. I'd say this was simply a bad one that slipped through the cracks. No weird hiddeb agenda here lol. Not much purpose in bringing down one of my favorite budget brands but rather sharing an experience to hold them accountable. From a build quality perspective, this guitar is definitely unacceptable even by standards costing half as much. It does sound great though but when my T7 is so nice, it's hard to stay quiet.
@@RafsGearReviews , apologies. Perhaps I jumped the gun when you said you'd be holding off any future orders for Sires. My reaction was a defensive one as I feel Sire have scaled new heights to offer quality at affordable cost. Yes, you did praise the tone. Hope you got your S7 fixed. It really is a great instrument.
He has his opinion and takes time to show off his guitar skills on a guitar he downgrades ... I listen to Darrell Braun instead.
Good for you. Darrell puts out some great content! He is also paid to do so.
I'm just a consumer like the rest of you. I made a part 2 vid with Sire's response you might want to check out: ruclips.net/video/Ud75IFrOR_M/видео.html