Sire Larry Carlton S7... What's It Like One Year On?
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- Опубликовано: 3 дек 2022
- Today I give you my long term #review of the #Sire Larry Carlton #S7 guitar. What's it like one year on? Let's find out.
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I love my S7….Can’t stop playing it and I’ve had all sorts over the years. I couldn’t get away with the pickups at first and was determined to change them but rolling the tone off really makes a difference and I’m now getting tones I really like.
This is by far the best demo of the S7 on RUclips. I’m definitely getting one. Thank you so much for reviewing it.
I've had my S7, identical to your's btw, for about a year. I'm in the US but bought mine from Anderton's, as I couldn't find one in the states. I came out of the box perfectly in tune with no need for any further set-up. Love your videos John.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! This is exactly the video I've been looking for. I love Strats, but this Sire may be exactly what I'm looking for to maintain that Straty tone and not pay the enormous Fender price. Strats are just literally pricing themselves above and beyond what I can afford these days. But this Sire, I love all of the high end features. It looks amazing, sounds amazing and I can't wait to try one thanks to your video. Best regards!
LOVE the intro! Great review. I just ordered the S7 today!
This video sold me on getting the S7 today..I.own a T7 with no regrets...what an incredible demo and wide range of tones ..well done Sir🎵🎵🎵🙏🙏🙏
I now have 2 of these in my collection. Absolutely excellent guitars, with many aspects being superior to the Fender Strats that I have. First saw them on your channel John, when you were choosing (or the people were choosing) which s type guitar for you to try out. 👍
I bought one after seeing good reviews of it, including yours John. Fantastic guitar, thanks. I see they've brought out a more budget friendly S3 version now.
Nice review John. I don't own a Sire but I've seen the quality first hand at Andertons and there is no doubting their phenomenal value. What kills it for me is that fugly headstock. It's so clumsy, it looks like a right-handed person cut it with a jig-saw in his left hand. I know you are a fan of Gordon Smith guitars so I was wondering if you've looked at their 'Classic S' Stratocaster. That is a monster of a guitar. All hand-built, no CNC, top quality parts and absolutely everything on it can be custom specificied. The average price for a completely custom Classic S is about £1500 and whilst I know that's three times the price of a Sire, the non-custom American Vintage Fender is now nearly £1900 and their Custom Shops strats are £3-4k upwards!! I am astounded at the prices Fender want to charge these days for what Leo designed as basically a cheap bolt together guitar. If Gordon Smith can sell a completely customised hand-built guitar for £1500 how do Fender justify their prices? I've got Fenders and Gibsons but If I knew what I know now when I bought them I would just have a Gordon Smith strat and an Eastman Les Paul. It's time people started looking past the name on the headstock.
Sire made the headstock that shape to pay homage to Larry Carlton’s previous signature guitars made in the 80’s & 90’s by the now defunct Valley Arts guitars in California. I grew up listening and watching Larry Carlton and Steve Lukather play their Valley Arts Strats so the headstock shape is something I’m familiar with and like. It’s all down to things like familiarity and our own taste. Personally, I don’t like the headstocks on the PRS Silver Sky, G&L guitars or Tyler to name a few. These are all great guitars spec wise but I couldn’t ‘live with’ their headstocks.
@@devinsinderwitcz9134 🎈👍😂✌️
So cool you did a bit of Robert Cray. I met him one night after a show, it was bitter cold out and we wound up having a 45 min conversation outside. He signed all my stuff and was extremely generous with his time! GREAT blues artist too! Sire S3 and S7 are both on my acquisition list!!!
I believe the Sire S7 bridge humbucker has an 'auto' coil split in Position 2 which gives the classic tone you'd expect. Look at the guts, the humbucker has 4 lead wires and the switch is like a "superswitch". Makes this a really versatile instrument.
Interesting
Johnny ol boy the lead stuff at the beginning was killer. I have a t7 I'm enjoying.
Hey John, nice playing first of all. Nice to see that you are still rocking it and have kept it. It is the original one you bought, yes?
I had ordered my S7-FM-TBL back in April, make to order, received mid-October. I noticed that a lot of the ones I've seen others possess so far have a slightly lighter toned colored fretboard than the headstock while mine is the opposite as if they used a glossed rosewood fretboard..but it's not, it's just evenly baked I suppose. Love mine a lot. Just an awesome guitar, basically as good as my Fender American Standard Stratocaster HSS Sienna Burst 2008 (Manuf. in 2007 SN# Z7...), basic difference in sound is the HB on the strat does not split and all the pups on the S7 sound clearer...esthetics are amazing on both. I believe you also have a similar Strat as mine...the 4th position on the S7 is where I find the most significant difference...it comes closer to a Vintage Strat sound. I paid under 950$CAD with taxes, I got an amazing deal as they have increased significantly since. Acclaim re-strung mine with EB SS 9-42s, exactly as I was hoping, and it was playable out of the box, with a slight buzz on low E and A which I was able to easily fix with a couple of 0.25 turns on the truss rod and a few turns of screws on the bridge saddles. It's just an amazing guitar!
Cheers!
Some shredding today! Awesome!
Thanks John excellent 👍
Great job capturing Robert Cray and Knopfler!!
Nice review thanks!
Boss playing mate......just picked mine up last week....secondhand.....but what a guitar
You are bang on about just knowing that an instrument is a good un when you pick it up. I have several guitars that i just never touch the fit/feel is not right.
Just LOVEEEEEE your Channel!!!
Great vid& great guitar 🎸🔥🤘thanks 👍
That intro song flippin slayed!
Good review John thanks was thinking of buying one of these so it's just come at the right time for me. Have you still got it?
I had the white S7. It was great as far as my rank amateur playing ability was concerned. Necks feel awesome. I only sold it cause my wife let me get a Fender 60's american original. I had the L7 also, and both of the Sires were very nice.
because my wife let me ? So you're just man on a leash by the sounds of it. That's unfortunate my friend.
@@benallmark9671... Happy Wife Happy Life...but you wouldn't understand, and that's also unfortunate.
It looks and sounds like you’ve hit on a high quality to price ratio there John.
I’m intrigued about the Marshall DSL1C that you have. If you’re running it at maximum volume on the clean channel isn’t it really quite loud for home use? Thanks
I ordered one in early May and just got it a couple weeks ago. After waiting so long I told my wife just to give it to me as a Christmas present. Hope I enjoy it.
So how do you like it?
I think you're right when comparing to the Fender equivalents. That's a Great guitar.
These Sire Larry carlton S7's are far better than the iffy samples that Fender make these day.
I bought one after your review John.
Even at todays higher price, they are still a far better buy.
Watching those chaps at Gillford this morning and they revealed that Sire have released a new range of their Larry Carlton guitars with P90 pickups. I'm seriously looking at their L7 version. I always fancied a P90 guitar.
Just signed up to your Patron 🤘🏼
Cheers mate 👍
I think that guitar was made just for you John! wow ;)
Awsome video thank you, I watched your precedent review and I test and bought a S7, it'sfeel is so good in your hands and good to play, it's my first guitar but i tested a lot beford buying. I love it for clean jazz or funk or rock blues with distorsion but I can't get the clean rock solo sound, fender style, it's lacking clear top end, i think it's lacking clear top end, sparckle, on the clean solo like the dire straits style etc i don't know, what do you think ? Always a "tubby" tone on the clean sounds. Maybe it's beacause of my amps I don't know.
I never had that problem when I owned this guitar. I reckon it's probably your amp that could be the issue.
Cracking review, if I didn't already have a strat I'd definitely get one 👍
Great playing as usual! I'm pretty new to single coil P.U.s. Have you any recommendations on P.U. height to get a good "blend" of the three.
I usually start off with the neck p/u. I lower it so it's flush with the scratchplate. Then I raise it gradually until I get the best balance between volume & sustain. If you raise a pickup too high, the magnetic "pull" on the strings starts to affect the sustain. Find that point then lower it slightly. I then, do the same with the middle p/u. Then check for volume balance between the neck & middle until they are about even. Follow the same procedure for bridge & middle (with a humbucker you want a bit of a volume boost when selecting that p/u), and you should be pretty much right 👍
@@JRobsonGuitar Thanks for the information, I'll give it a try.
May I suggest a different approach? What I do with my strats is start with the middle pickup. Find the height in which it does everything Mr Robson wrote. When it sounds right there, adjust accordingly the other pickups. I find it easier to match all pickups volume and sustain wise. My two cents 😁
Very nice video and very good guitar ! What is the radius ? 12" ?
Let's see, you still have it after a year, sounding great on it, looks like you're still enjoying it. I think I know wha the "talking part" is going to say haha...
As a Tele player I’ve just bought a T3 Sire as the difference between the T7 and T3 didn’t seem a lot apart from locking tuners plus I though the T3 sounded better. I bought it in Anderson’s sale for £330 inc before 12 delivery. For this compared to my £600 and something player series it’s the T3 every time rolled rosewood fretboard plays like a dream fit and finish excellent. I’m afraid these are leaving fender lagging behind.
I love how this guitar sounds!
I will probably never sell it.
Sire pisses all over fender and it breaks my heart to say that as I'm a Fender die hard. The Sires are actually built like the American Ultras with the body contours and locking tuners. They have better features than the pro 2(no locking tuners, no extra sculpted neck contour, no roasted neck). Heres what breaks my heart, i paid £1549 for my pro 2 strat. You can buy a sire for £450, your choice of custom shop fender pickups for £180, a good valve amp for £600 and be left with £319 for some pedals, absolute crazy. Well done Sire, get a grip Fender!!
Hi John, have you seen they've just released as S3 version of the HSS S type for about £350. By all accounts this is a decent guitar and competes with the S7 in many respects. Would you be able to compare the two or give any perspective on which to go for for the budget player. I presume S3 is the way to go for most. The only things you're giving up being the roasted maple and maybe coil splitting of the H. Anyway, I'm sure many would value your thoughts on this. Cheers :)
Great review!
I've just bought one based on this 😁👍
Random question, do you know what the stock string gauge is please?
On the 25.5" scale, you'd think 9-42, but for some reason I'm thinking Sire out 10-46s on them as stock.
Can't find anything conclusive regarding that though.
Cheers 🍻
Yes, mine came with 10s 👍
@@JRobsonGuitar That's great! Thanks for the quick reply! 👍🍻
I bought a Fender Deluxe Nashville tele about 10 years ago for versatility. 3 pick up model with 5 position switch. No tremolo though and no humbuckers. This will cover the rest and that guitar will likely go.
Could you help me and share your pro pickup heights? I tried to balanced them but I have little experience with guitars setup. I fell humbucker is much louder then any of singles in mine S7 HSS.
You can look up the recommended pickup heights online for most types of guitar. For this one, use whatever Fender recommend for a HSS strat. Then use allen keys of the specified measurements as feeler gauges to check the clearance from the strings.
@nGuitar Not for this one. I cannot find that straty sound you get. Guide's 3/2,5mm sounds very bright. That sweet sound is closest when I get bridge pickup about 3,5/2,8mm (when pressed at 22nd fret) and when I lower the tone know to 6. But it's still not that what you got.
Love SIRE GUITARS😊
Seriously considering one of these. Is the neck stable?
Yes. It feels like a two grand guitar. If Fender made a guitar to this spec, it would be that price
Sire setting a good standard for fretwork at that price point 👉
I ordered the sss version.
I get string buzz on my open B string.Any ideas on how to eliminate it. I just had a setup.
Take it back to whoever set it up & ask them to sort it out. If you've paid for a set up it shouldn't have open string buzzing. It'll be a problem with the nut slot which any competent tech should have spotted & rectified.
It’s just the best for the price
John I notice your mic position on the Marshall is very off center. That’s not a problem per se but you’ll find dramatically different sounds in your recording with just moving the mic. I’ve always thought you were loosing some fullness in your recordings never bothered to investigate but that’s an easy and free thing to try.
I experimented with mic placement & found this position gives me the sound that pleases my ears the most. Obviously, you have different taste in guitar tones to me. Each to their own
I sold my S7 vintage really cheaply and regret it!
it's your fault John Robson! i've bought a guitar, and your beginner's level lesson. now my fingertips hurt! LOL. i've now added a bit of chorus to fill out the sound (on the rushead max headphone amp).
Why doesn’t the literature state these S7 come with coil split on the tone pot? No one even mentions it. Mine isn’t the best though, sometimes you have to press a few times to get it to stay down.
Mine doesn't have the coil split on the tone pot.
@@JRobsonGuitar wow, I just received mine, a blue one. I tried pulling the caps off the remove the protective film and the tone one clicked up. It’s a push down to cycle the switch, not sure what you call it but when you push it down it clicks and either comes up then the second time stays down back in humbucker mode.
Maybe it’s an mid cycle upgrade? Be interesting to see how many here have the switch.
One other difference is my S7 has white pickups with a zebra humbucker and white volume and tone knobs.
If someone else has a S7 the same as mine can you please check your tone knob.
@@ChrisJones-l I just got my S7 this week from Sweetwater and they had just gotten it into stock when I bought it. So I'm assuming it's a late 2022 build. It has a zebra humbucker and white bridge & middle pickups. The knobs are white. When you press the tone knob, it pops up for the coil split setting and you push it back down for the full humbucker setting. Also, as another commenter mentioned, when in position 2, the humbucker is split to get the quacky strat tone. In that position, changing the tone knob to the up or down position doesn't change anything. The only odd thing I've noticed is in the neck position. For some reason, the tone knob up/down seems to change the output level of the neck pickup. But the same thing does not happen when on the middle pickup. Can't figure that out.
@@VeloVagabond yes, your like myself and have version 2 which I seen a shop review them talking about the zebra humbucker with coil split tone control. Pure luck on my side, didn’t even know existed.
Far and away best value for circa £550 you can buy if you are after an S type HSS that will give you versatility
Appears to be a great guitar especially for the price. The big deal breaker for me is that pig ugly, or should I say Horse ugly headstock, on account of if your chopped it off, put some ears on it, then put it in someone's bed, they would be convinced that they'd had a visit from the mafia. Strange thing is, looks almost attractive on the newer. S3 in the light maple colour.
Hi, I bought an S7 identical to what you have in your hands. The tremolo/whammy bar is driving me crazy it has no threads. All it has is a set screw which soon enough loosens up and you have a Tremolo bar hanging there like a floppy banana peel. Am I missing something or is there supposed to be a spring in that hole because I didn’t see one. you’re a piece of metal rubbing against a piece of metal, which I assume overtime is going to grind a groove into the arm. It is not easy to put that Allen wrench in the tiny set screw. And then I have to go run to my guitar bag to find that Allen wrench that little Allen wrench is so easy to lose… And then what and then do I do. Run to the hardware store and buy a half dozen and three setscrews for the day set screw falls off. I know I bought a good guitar. This cannot be the way the troll of our works . Is It?
I never had that problem. I just set the arm where I wanted it & it stayed there.
@@JRobsonGuitar Nobody else really seems to be complaining about it but me. But it is a problem for me. I went limp again last night. I sprayed the bottom half inch of the tremolo arm just now with a thin layer of Plasti- dip. Don’t know if it will last, but it feels more confidently in place..
It’s a great guitar but very harsh on the fingertips . Don’t know strings feel awful tight and tear into my fingertips. Think Dave Simpson had the same problem . It’s still a very good guitar …
Can't say I had that problem, myself. I only got rid of it eventually because, no matter how much I tried, I can't find much love for strat style guitars.
"Send in the Klons".
I've never seen a fretboard with such a sheen..
I don't see anything wrong with the headstock, it looks alot better then say a prs😂
I'm sticking with the Mexicans. Ole'
...A-little "bright",but cool!!!....Ceramic or Alnico?...Sort-of sounds Ceramic...Nice guitar otherwise...
7 pounds my limit, bad back y'know. Too bad....
I like the S3 abit more. Like the $200.00 dollar price difference. I don't care about locking tuners or a roasted neck. This will not change the sound. But my walllet sure will like it.