Don't Buy a 335 Until You Try This Guitar...
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- Опубликовано: 29 ноя 2024
- Is the Larry Carlton H7 worth your time and money? Let's find out!
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I played one six months ago. Took it home to compare it to my H535 (almost 3k retail). I played them both for a week and promptly sold the H535 and put some money back in savings. This guitar has been amazingly good for the price. The alnico 2 pickups have a sweet vintage thing going on and the neck is better than some guitars costing three times as much. I highly recommend the H7.
I like Sire’s approach to how they build their guitars and for the cost of a Gibson ES335 I can buy pretty much one of each from the Sire lineup.
I made my post before I read yours. EXACTLY
I have played this guitar and I also own an Epiphone ES-335in Cherry, the Sire's neck has a much nicer feel out of the box, but the neck is very narrow at 39.9mm. The f-hole binding is a super nice touch. I'd say the pick ups in each are fairly equivalent with the Epi's Probuckers being a little hotter, which I like, but can be easily tamed on the neck pick up for jazz and pure cleans.
Now I have filed and dressed my Epi's fret ends so they are very comfortable, I also added a Graphtech nut (width 42mm).
Total into the Epiphone is around 500. Cost of the Sire is 659. It's really a matter of how much someone wants to pay for a few more upgrades that can be done by oneself. If I were starting from scratch, I would be hard pressed to choose between them, but my gut says I would still go Epiphone, do the fixes myself and still have a reliable resale value.
Not that I'm selling. Lol
I'm glad to hear a level comparison for the other side too. However right now on Sweetwater, the Epiphone with a flame top is just 10$ less than the Sire H7. It does come with a graphtech nut now, so I think the only real difference would be the quality of the fretwork on the neck, and fingerboard material of indian laurel vs ebony. So I'm not sure when you got yours, but it's not a cheaper deal anymore.
I'm one of those guys with stubby fat hands, so a smaller neck actually sounds more appealing to me. I played an Epi and out of the box I have to say I didn't like it in regards to the neck.
I probably would change the tuners either way - but you've given me food for thought. Thanks!
Very narrow neck indeed. Then again these type guitars are probably not meant to be played with open chords 😉
We really are living in a golden age of affordable quality instruments. I just bought an off brand acoustic guitar called Ruison for $59.99 and couldn't believe the quality. I am totally blown away. I will definitely check these out. Now if only they would start cranking tube amps out.
@@brucifer0 brooooo I got the exact same amp. Got it on Amazon a few years ago, indeed it is good especially if you like the idea of "distortion" when you max it out, has a nice vibe where you can just hit the strings harder to activate natural fuzz.
@@brucifer0 I have the 5 watt 1x8 version. They are awesome amps that sound 👍...
Sam, the interweb glitterati all seem to be going nuts over the Harley Benton 15w tube amp, I`ve no idea where you are, but here in the UK, £200 for a brand new tube amp is a steal.
@@brucifer0 I thought they had EL84 power tubes. I bought the 5 watt one because it has a single 6v6 power tube and sounds exactly like a tweed eea Custom Champ.
@@samboggs3499 mine has dual 6v6 and three preamp 12AX7 tubes
660 may seem like a steep price, but for what you get it's very affordable, the key is that it's an affordable HIGH END guitar, very good quality for a fair price
when you're comparing it to Gibson, which is what it's trying to imitate, it doesn't seem like such a steep price at all
A little over 600$ is right in the ball park of higher end Squier and tbh I'd much rather have this.
Not so sure these guitars are better than their asian competitors
@@Voxguitarsrock squier is much less tgan 600
@@the.communist Squier Esquier at long and mcquade right now is $629?
I have that exact same Guitar.After taking it to my Guitar Doctor and got professional set up it became a great guitar . Great playability and tone ... Nothing less than a Gibson with that price ....
I liked the vintage burst, but man, seeing you show this cherry burst is really a beautiful guitar! How dare you make me change me mind! GLORIOUS!!!
I got to play one of those in a small guitar shop in the netherlands. Such an amazing guitar really it was oozing personality. Talked to the shop owner about them and you could hear that he was proud to be able to sell those guitars. Its an affordable guitar that looks stunning and plays just as good.
Played one of these today at the local GC and was knocked out by the sweetness of the neck. Played clean and true all the way up and was SO easy to cleanly articulate upper register chords. Super impressed.
Finally someone on here whose played one! The neck action really that great? Cause to me that's the big deal. I can upgrade the tuners and even change the pickups if need be, but the body and neck is something I'm not upgrading.
@@itsmark72 Played a H7 today at GC myself and it was awesome. Wasnt the color i wanted or else i would have taken it home. FYI.. I have the S7 and it is just as sweet and the neck is better than my Fender AMPRO strat.. Not joking. I have 3 fender strats and these necks are better. Tuners have been rock solid on mine so no need to upgrade there. I did upgrade the switch in my S7 for more options but that was an easy $80 upgrade.
@@kcartwright2772 Thanks! My big worry is I'm a Gibson guy and won't like a Fender neck.
I literally spoke to my mum back in the UK last night and asked her to buy one and ship it to me as I can't source anywhere here in NZ. This guitar and the things Sire are doing are brilliant for the intermediate guitar world. Thanks for taking a good look over it for me tho... good to know it's worth it
Bought one yesterday, love it.😊
Darrell, you always have the most consistent quality videos. Great content, sweeet licks, top notch video quality and the sound is perfectly mixed with you voice! Awesome review, might get onto the Christmas list...
Great vid Darrell. If Larry and you are behind it , that speaks volumes.
Thanks for taking a closer look at Sire! I just found out about them and can't wait to hear about their Tele version also. You're reviews are REALLY helpful! I was curious about the action on the guitar. Often reviewers talk about fretwork, rolled edges etc but they don't mention the playability and how tight the action is. Did you make any set up adjustments to or play it straight out of the box? I'm curious is you measured the fret to string distance on the 12th? 2mm, 1.5mm, 1mm? Thanks Darrel!
I went to buy one of these, and the only US dealer at the time, jacked the price 100 bucks over announced price. I bought something else, which I since have sold.
I bought an H7 a couple of months ago. Really impressed with the fit and finish and like the sound of it as well. My only complaint with it was how narrow the neck is up by the nut. It reminded me of the pencil neck Hagstroms and Vox's from the 60's. The strings are so close together I find it almost impossible to play a B7 chord at the 1st fret. Did you notice this as well?
Well that sucks… Another one bites the dust! I have big hands…
For someone like me with tiny hands, this is a bonus feature.
I was so disappointed when I found out about the narrow nut width yesterday. It’s a deal breaker for me.
Yeah, I tried one at Andertons and as soon as I felt that narrow neck I couldn't stand it.
The nut width is 1.574" (less than 40mm) according to Sweetwater site. Ouch!
GREAT REVIEW! I have to consider trying one out now. Just got the Donner DJP-1000 335 clone and i cannot imagine anything better for the price, but at 70 years old i still get surprised sometimes. Thank you!
The entire Sire range does seem a cut above anything at this price point. I do wish on the H7 the output jack was on the side rather than the top, but that's just a small issue with a guitar this good.
As a guitarist who plays sitting down, I find the jack socket on the side usually gets in the way. My favourite guitar is my American Tele and the jack on that causes many problems as the plug is almost always buried in my seat. But I forgive it though, because it is a wonderful instrument. I have never got along with Gibsons, although I made a tidy profit when I sold my SG. However, this Sire looks like a guitar I could live with… Stay well, my friend.
I was thinking the same thing
Very nice but I wish the jack was on the bottom- I've never liked the front-mounted jack on guitars except Strats.
Man , that is one sweet guitar Darrell! Aesthetically beautiful and sounds excellent. Sire has created a truly fine instrument ! My hat is off to them. Thanks for the demo and showing the build quality of this jewel. Can't wait to see the other models.
It’s surprisingly difficult to find videos directly comparing the Sire H7 to a Gibson ES335, but in the couple of videos I could find the Sire pickups were much brighter than the Gibson pickups. Of course, you could always install original Gibson pickups in the H7.
Or, you know, roll off the tone…
Thanks Darrell for doing this series, never heard of the brand until u started singing or shall I say playing their praises..Well done ill have to order 1 when it's back in stock at Sweetwater.
Darrell I love your playing. This seems like a well built guitar and the sound is amazing. I don't typically like "bursts" but this color combo is stunning. Cheers.
Quality sounds from this beauty.
I could see myself buying this guitar.
When you were playing your solos I literally felt like I was at a dark, smokey blues joint listening to this guitar on stage. Well done.
The nut is only 40 mm wide, which you could have mentioned.
I want it to be 43 mm wide or at least 42 mm.
You could also have said someting about the size of the neck and the frets etc...
If you are paid to review the guitar you should also say so.
As someone who has owned both the Epi BB King Lucille and a Sheraton II, this SIRE is more affordable, and in my opinion, better built than ether of those!
Guitar link - imp.i114863.net/Yg2aLJ
Enjoy :)
Darrell, this look's like a great guitar and I really don't want to pay for a Gibson 335 right now. How much does this model sell for? Great video, thanks!
I also have a Sheraton II & this seems a significant step up. Might have to move some gear.
Epi 335's are cheaper tho, or less expensive i should say
☯️
My 2012 Sheraton 2 is as good as this Sire H7. No bone nut but beautiful 5 pieces neck. Rosewood fretboard (now PauFerro closer to ebony feel while rosewood look grain), no flamed maple top but beautiful plain grain maple, vintage sunburst as the John Lee Hooker one. Perfect built. Maybe can we discuss the pickups on my 2012, but Epiphone improved them from 2012 with good Probuckers. So that Sire H7 is no better than Sheraton 2 pro, even price wise. Please Darrell , review your thoughts.
I got mine a couple weeks ago and it is one of the best made guitars I've seen. The quality is the best of any Asian made one made. Love it
I played two different colored models of it. I didn't like the neck at all. The epiphone felt better in my opinion
I bought one of these a few weeks ago. Im really liking it. My only complaint was my finger tips on my left hand were getting hard to scrub off black stuff on tgrm everytime i played it. I took the strings off and cleaned the fretboard. A ton of black stuff came off. I put new strings on as well and its fine now.
Darrell, I really appreciate your reviews! You (mostly) focus on the things that I care about when buying a guitar. I say "mostly" because this time, you left out some things! I'd like to know more about the electronics, like the p'ups & pots! Also some things about the neck size, the action...y'know, some measurements. Maybe you'll do that in another review? Like maybe a comparison?
Also I'd like to get your take on the tech (and specific AFFORDABLE options where they make p'ups with changeable "voices." Do ya know what I mean?!
Thanks!
+1 for the electronics, I was hoping for some more info, I think this one has a treble bleed as well but I don't think it was mentioned
Go to Phil McKnight's channel. This guy has all the techs and specs down to sub-atomic level. His review of the H7 is even called "We have to talk about this neck" ... narrow. Although I have small hands, playing chords on frets 1 -3 on really narrow necks is an issue.
What the heck? This has been the most enjoyable video you’ve ever done. What a machine?!? Sounds incredible! Looks great.
Any trouble with the switch placement?
'Imagine' mentioning Epiphone and thinking Casino on the 8th of December..
Sir John Winston Ono Lennon, you still shine on like the moon and the stars and the sun!
🔥 that's a nice two tone beauty, F Holes to the headstock 👏. Great presentation DBG🤘
A good test for future stuff is the blind sound test, have both guitars (the budget vs top brand; the Larry Carlton vs a real 335 for example) played to the same riff and amp settings and get the community to pick which one sounds better or if they both sound the same.
Has been done by Anderton Music of UK. G335 v H7 v Epi Sheraton v Ibz ? v Gretch v D'angelico ? A mini review of each guitar followed by a blind test. The G335 did not 'win'.
How does this compare to the EART E-335 that you reviewed?
I know that whith earth, its a heat or miss, you dont always get the best quality guitar, every single guitar with sire its perfect, it comes from the factory, perfect, and you dont need to change the pickups thats where u save money.
Totally awesome guitar. I love mine to bits - tone, playability, action, looks all great. One thing -the neck is VERY narrow. I cannot believe reviewers don't mention it!? I got used to it quickly enough and it changes how you play for sure...not necessarily in a bad way either - but it is noticeable. Great guitar though and well worth buying.
They now have changed rhe nut to 43mm
Glad you took a look at one of these sires!
Can't wait for the L7 demo.
In the video you give all the good points of the guitar and any bad if there are even bad. Would have loved to see how this would have compared to an actual 335. Even if the guitar does not sound like the 335 it is a bargain and sounds awesome. I just picked up the L7 and have to say it is beautiful and the details on the guitar are superb, I have not compared it to my Gibson Les Paul yet but have to say it is better sounding than my Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro, which sounds nice for what it is. The Sire sounds more open and more quality however seems to be a bit les gain than the Les Paul in the pickups. The sire is worth twice if not more than what it is going for IMO, others have stated something similar as well.
Hey Darrell,
Very well done demo (as always). The pickups remind me of the Gibson 490t and 490r that came on the Gibson SG that I recently purchased. Very clear and chimey, but not overly bright. Yet able to roar with some good drive applied to them. Remarkable at that price point.
I’m sold! I am going to get one of those! Thanks for the excellent review! Love your presentations…well balanced, thorough, concise, and interesting!
I’m actually impressed! Love the color! Great review Darrell
Love the close-up shots, which I don’t remember from your other reviews.
I played both at a store recently, and the Sire at about the same price is miles above the Epiphone 335. However, I'm a guy who plays doom metal, and the Sire's pickups just don't work for loads of distortion. I don't know if it's output or a lack of mids, but they just get really muddy when you crank up the gain. Th 335 has alnico classic pro pickups that worked more for what I need.
Why are you playing doom metal on a semi hollow?
@@squierjoshyt Because I play other things, too. Some days I want blues, some days doom. I'm a bedroom player and mostly mess around with plugins, so any feedback from hollow parts are not a concern. I'm just saying, out of the box, I found the Epiphone to have pickups that work better with distortion. Like, instant Working Man tone
@@squierjoshyt Why would Foo Fighters use a semihollow? Does the music genre need to limit the body style of the instrument you play? So maybe another set of pick ups from guitar fetish would be the trick with any guitar you want to use for something else.
@@j_freed are you really comparing Foo Fighters to death metal?
In your opinion, how does this guitar stack up against an Eastman T386? After looking after at several of these, the Eastman may come with a case, but the price can be an issue. If you the figued T486 you are paying a whole lot more. (The price has shot up tremendously latley) LOL This just gives you continuous content to chat about.
I hope he responds back, cause I'm in the market for a 335/339 guitar. I'm debating about buying a Gibson 339 but it's $3200 so...I'd like to look at some alternatives.
Very nice Darrell. Watching this channel is always informative and creative.
I just bought an Epiphone 335 "Dot". Having tuning issues with the G string. Gets caught in the plastic nut. Paid $360 used at GC. This Sire looks tempting ;)
I got one a few months back and I love it. Mine is transparent red and looks better than my Gibson 335. I leave the Gibson at home and gig with the Sire now. At 700 bucks, I won't go crazy if it's stolen the way I would if I lost the Gibson. Nobody in my band noticed the difference until my bassist asked if I had my old guitar repainted. He's not the most observant person. Ha!
I have the S7 HM and it is a very playable and beautiful guitar. It sits on stage as a backup to my PRS Cu22 and people are always coming up and asking what kind of guitar it is just based on the appearance.
That doesn't look like an ebony board. You can see the pores in the wood, and what looks like dye bleed onto the nut.
Good sound, Darrell. And modest price too. Above my S.S. budget, but those who can afford it, hats off! My tobacco-burst flame-top Grote @ $300 was within my budget. Chinese artisans are excellent! With this guitar, I have fun with alternate tuning playing through my Marshall half-stack & G-Major processor.
I believe they are made in Indonesia, and it is a Korean company.
It seems strange to me that they would stain the fretboard AFTER it is put on the neck. Especially after the nut and binding is installed. I imagine it could be scraped or sanded off the binding, but not the nut.
I have the same one under another trademark called Jack and Danny. Bought in 2005 in Belgium. Thanks for the review.
Nice demo and nice guitar for $659 but I got a Epiphone Dot deluxe limited edition for $340 with hard shell case and I love it. I sound tested against my friends Gibson 335 and it sounded virtually identical. For blues and jazz the neck pickup rules. For rock and edgier stuff, the bridge pickup does it very well.
Thank you it just confirmed what I said..standard gibsin and Epiphone are almost neck and neck..gotta go Gibson Custom if you want the next level....yes it makes a huge difference
Had a ‘69 Gibson 335 . . . played it for 20 yrs. And foolishly sold it. A yr ago I bought an Epiphone figured 335 . . . it was a P.O.S compared to what I had. Hope this Sire h7, which I have on order, stacks up.
I just got a Sire Larry Carlton H7V, with the P90s. Beautiful, lovely sounding guitar. BUT, the neck manufacture was completely faulty. The first position was unplayable. Had to return it. Top of fretboard not aligned properly with neck, nasty long gap / hole in binging between neck and fretboard with rough edges that caught the hand, and on fibres. Wasn't a crack from damage, was made, and painted like this and somehow passed QC, or lack of QC at Sire, and Thomann. Others point out some paint spatters in this area of this guitar too. Thomann took 16 days to deliver it, and the customer service were awful, when I tried to get the problem sorted.
Hi, I am a newbie to your community and I am so glad I found your RUclips inputs. I have been looking for a "335 Type" guitar and I find your reviews invaluable. As I work through your back catalogue of videos I wonder can I ask a couple of questions?
If a 335 type guitar was on your shopping list which would you go for within certain budget groups?
Could you describe the feel of the guitar, particularly neck, a little more in reviews, maybe by comparison to other instruments?
I don't have easy access to any guitar stores where I live and so I am very much influenced by reviews such as yours.
Please keep up the great work I am learning so much as a 50+ year old new "player" (and I use that term loosely!!) :)
Having a "well cut" nut is under-rated. Well cut (low strings and not binding) sometimes makes a big difference in the action overall. The trick is knowing when to quit because if it's overcut, it's generally ruined.
Bowed down and fretted in the second fret until the first fret touches works pretty well. So does filing to a stack of shims set to the first fret height plus 5-6 mils treble side and 10 or so bass side. Have ruined a few nuts by overcutting so it pays to have a spare handy. Those mistakes are $15 and a wasted hour.
I've been gassing for a 335. Budget said no. I stumbled on the Sire and couldn't believe it. Larry wouldn't put his name on junk but all my senses agreed. As a matter of fact they speced out his early 60s axe. That's why the narrow neck. I love it but it's not for all. You can buy an epiphoney. The quality is amazing at any price. I've owned and played Gibson's for years. Get the Gibby experience without the steep price. A working musicians dream. Thank you Larry and Sire.
I think that staining with the binding is happening across the range, I played an acoustic A4 dreadnaught yesterday , it has same issue, although its not a major concern guitar sounds impeccable but just aesthetically its not pleasing.
What I'd like to see in these types of reviews is durability. Does it stay in tune? Is the action set well? How is it holding up after playing it for 6 months? I'm in the market, and I'd consider a secondary brand if I knew how they hold up.
What a great review of what looks like an absolute Epiphone killer! I'm not sure there is a reviewer on RUclips that I rate higher than Darrell, consequently, I'll be getting a H7 soon. Thanks Darrell.
You're right there!
Epiphone are immortal so, can't be killed.
@@greenfly1264 😄😄😄 agreed
Great demo thanks! I'm wondering replacing pickups with Gibsons will be an upgrade or not needed?
How do you get along with the 40mm nut width.. homage to the late 60's and 70's Gibson 1 9/16 nut width.. those guitar had narrow top necks but widened nicely down low and had a great rounded C profile.. how would you say the neck profile is overall.. great review!!
Okay, I've been waiting for this one!
Purchase a sire H7 Larry Carlton model from the Guitar Center a couple months ago it had uneven frets. They were leveled by the guitar technician at the Guitar Center then more Frets became unlevel the Qatar was exchanged for another sire Larry Carlton H7 model that one was in even worse condition when it arrived at the Guitar Center Fred buzzing at the first fret and when it was set up it still had uneven frets. Guitar was refunded and I was given a store credit that was applied to the purchase of a Epiphone Slash Les Paul Standard Anaconda burst
Man you could buy 3 of those Sire guitars, les paul, strat and semi hollow. L-7, S-7 and H-7 for under 2 grand and cover all bases with pro quality instruments and the ebony fret board is killer on that H-7. # very nice guitars for under the price of a Gibson les paul standard with money left over to buy cases for them. I heard that if you can articulate how you want it set up it will be done at no extra charge. This guitar also has a maple top, not veneer and maple center block so if you wanted put a dusenberg Les Trem II tremolo on it you could do it for 120 bucks and do it your self because they are simply remove the stop tail and put it on. however you may might a roller bridge also bit not expensive upgrades and better than the bigsby. no alterations required. The dusenber slaps right on any les paul stop tail pieve set up with a center block or solid body. I'm thinking about selling my vintage guitar for 6 grand, buying these 3 ! and walking away with 5 grand in my pocket and never have to buy another guitar. I'm keeping one old tele though. just because. A tele is a tele and I have 3 good ones.
Watched your reviews of all the Sire series. Thank you so much! Looks like a great group of guitars for the budget minded player.
Will definitely consider this brand based on your videos. Thanks again!
Beautiful guitar, your demo was very LC style, nice. I was on a tour of the Gibson factory in Memphis about 15 years ago and there were two whole racks of cherry burst 335's sitting there. The tour guide explained that they were going to be a limited run custom item, but got canceled, they all were going to be destroyed on Monday!
Sounds sweet, thanks, Larry made sure that quality goes with his name on the Site guitar! Good video
Would love to see a direct comparison with how this stacks up against Gibson and Eastman!
I second the Eastman comparison. I’m torn between getting an H7 or a T486, even though it’s twice the price of one of these
@@DerokLee FWIW I have a T486B and I'm completely blown away by the quality. Believe it or not I think the fretwork is better than my American PRS Custom 22.
@@francischang then I am sold. I’m holding out for an Eastman. Cheers!
Those licks are sweet as maple syrup! Great reviews. I always search your channel prior to buying a guitar to see if you demoed it. Great attention to detail, and you seem cool. Keep the vids coming.
Great video helped me decide to buy one, it arrived 2 days ago. Needed the bridge lowering, and the nut lubricating. The tone pots don't really soften till you're down at 3 or 2, but it's still nice. The dye on fretboard is an unnecessary pain in the arse, and I cleaned and oiled the board thoughoughly (there's liberal use of filler here) when I put new strings on. If I was to change anything I would upgrade the tuners, as it wasn't holding tune very well. But that might be a new string thing. The more I play it the more I like it!
I haven’t got the Sire and I’ve never tried one but I can tell you: in my Gibson custom historic Sg (more than 4k) the tone pots work only from 0 to 3. Also in my Emerson custom wiring harness CTS pots for 335 they work from 0 to 4,5. I think it’s something usual for vintage Gibson 🤷🏼♂️
Just got me one. I got it set up the way I like…now it is fantastic. Just an amazing player!
I know these are inexpensive,but I think you can get a Gretch or an Ibanez hollowbody for even a better price.
Doin' those sweet Carlton licks, nice!
This was a great review but can you go into more details about the size and type of the pots used? Also it would be helpful to get an idea about the neck width and shape and thickness. Can you share how wide and how thick the neck is at the first fret and the 12th fret?
Yeah, this is where Trogly kicks this channel… No offence to my Canadian brother! But the neck carve and nut width are 98% of a guitar…
The nut width on this is 39.9mm, so it's a no go for me, but they are overall very nice guitars for anyone who can make due with that.
Hey wait a minute. You already sold me on the Harley Benton. Now you say but wait there's more? Just messing with you. I love the Harley Benton. I actually like the sound of the pickups better on the Benton. Granted the build quality might be better but it's the sound I care about. Love your channel
I have a couple of Vester MOD 700 which are Korean 335 types. Easily as good as the Gibson. Even the ceramic splittable pickups are great. Spec isn't necessarily important. Very gig worthy.
Sire guitars are just different class, i bought the S7 blue flame maple top, man its beautiful, so glad great guitarist are giving them their opinion and good reviews, Sire are onto a winner.
What's the Acadamy Awards of Guitar Manufacturers? How many Academy Awards did Edith Head win? How many fret-end Awards would the guy - or team - on the Sire assembly line win?
I tried one. It's got a fatish neck with nice shoulders and skinny nut. I would say it's very nice for bending and blues not souch for jazz chords because of the small string spacing.
Darrell! Finally someone who’s played a sire and Dangelico lol. Out of the two which one would you go with?
It would be helpful if you would tell us what gauge strings the guitar has on it. You could also mention the fretboard radius.
There are vids posted with LC playing this model in a live setting. Very cool to see him stand behind the guitar
Thanks for your focus on guitars in my price range.
Boy this thing sounds great! Guess I found the perfect Christmas gift for myself. Or shall I wait for the other Sire guitars video? As always, thanks for an excellent review, Darrell.
This guitar sounds amazing. Just a small thing to consider is the narrow 40mm nut width. I think that’s the only thing stopping me from playing this guitar as much as I’d like to.
They now have changed the nut to 43mm
So the fretboard is stained? Is it actual ebony, but stained for color consistency? I remember Gibson staining rosewood and calling it ebony, a few years back, as I recall.
Hey Darrell! - Thanks for the review! I have a question and request. Have you ever played any of the Tokai 335 style guitars? They are supposed to rival the Gibson ES 335, at least the Japanese made ones. It would be great if you would review the Tokai ES78 SR which can be picked up for around $630 USD plus shipping. I'm wondering if its at least as good as the Sire H7 or the Epiphone ES-335... Thanks for considering! - Lou
Well, I must have received a bad one. Bridge was leaning towards the tail piece. The bridge recessed inserts were not in all the way and in leaning back. The frets had very sharp edges where it looked like filing splinters on the fret ends. Also the finish was cracked on the base side of the neck. Neck pickup seemed bright for this style of guitar. I ordered it from guitar center and allowed me to return it. Very disappointed after all the hype for this guitar and brand. Had similar quality issues with a Eart 335. Ended up with a slightly used Epiphone ES 335 IG and very pleased with the quality, playability, and tone from this affordable guitar. It does not hurt that I was able to play 6 or 7 epiphone 335s before purchasing. Very disappointed with the Sire H7 but perhaps I had a bad one. Hope they are not all like this now.
I am so conflicted with what my next guitar will be. I was completely content on playing my G&L Tribute S-500 for strat tones, my Fender Player Series Telecaster for Tele tones, and here and there playing my PRS SE Custom 24 (not a fan of their pickups at all), but after fixing up and playing my friends 2017 Gibson SG Standard ive been longing for a humbucker guitar thats not the PRS. Dont get me wrong that PRS is an awesome guitar. I just dont connect with it sonically. I cant decided if i should try new pickups in the PRS since i like the feel and finish of the guitar just not its tone, (i should add that i dont know how to solder, so it would require me sending it to a tech) or try a 335 or Les Paul style of guitar. So far im on the fence with the Limited Edition Epiphone 1959 Les Paul, Epiphone Les Paul Custom in Alpine White, Sire L7, or the Sire H7. Since i prefer single coils and always wanted to try p90s the Sire L7 with p90s has me intrigued as well, but at the same time kinda defeats the original intent on wanting a new guitar.
Really nice demo and beautiful guitar! That middle position was hot, loved the sound.
Hi Darrell. Yet another nice review! Thanks!
When you will review the L7, please open it up! There are 2 other in-depth reviews (The guitaristas and Phillip MacKnight), both reviews are from 2021, but the hardware for that L7s is different (different pots and one has treble bleeding). It is strange!
Hey Darrell another great review. How does this compare to the EART? Im about to pick up a 335 type guitar and was wondering if you think the H7 is worth the extra $$$ over the EART. Thanks
Darrell that is a nice guitar. I’m not usually a fan of anything red but I’d buy this one. Again thanks for playing the middle position clean - I thought it sounded awesome and TBH I’d probably be there and the neck position on this one.
Good review mate 🎸🍻😎
EDIT: i do like the bridge pickup with your distortion/overdrive too. Ticks all boxes for me
Nice axe for the money. 👍🏻 Carlton uses a graphite nut. Curious why Sire didn’t use that type of nut. 🤔 … not that there is anything wrong with bone.
i got one a year ago from the "first"batch....no complaints here....looks and playes great......at 550.-GbP a fair price....
Very nice. Love the headstock and logo.
That headstock was the first thing I noticed. It looks Badass!!