Man, Sire guitars are straight up amazing for the $$$ This guitar can definitely compete with other mid-range guitars, but at a fraction of the price Guitar links: SIRE S3 - sweetwater.sjv.io/y2gQLV SIRE S7 (finally some in stock) - sweetwater.sjv.io/6eW5qK Enjoy :)
Better value than any Fender for sure. The block actually looks like a cheap Zinc alloy, but Steel or Brass blocks can be had pretty cheap if you think it matters much.
Being fascinated is not the worst start to keep keeping at it, @Scott. It'll all come together for you eventually, I've seen it happen with others (and myself at times).
I like it when you play clean through all the pickup settings. It helps illustrate how the pickups actually sound. After that, it’s mostly the amp. Also describing the feel of playing, neck shape, string action, and fret finishing.
Darrell. Tip from a shop repairer. To find out the way they wire the pickup use a screwdriver and gently tap the pickup poles to see which are active. Turn up a bit and watch your speaker cone and you can see the polarity of each coil by seeing if the cone "pushes" or "pulls" as the screwdriver contacts the pickup.
This is true if your speaker polarity is correct. I bought a pair of stereo speakers and one of them was soldered backwards at the external connection.
I saw your review of the S7 and immediately it was on my radar. It was hard to find but Sweetwater was waiting on a shipment and they contacted me. It’s now home with me and I absolutely love it. It feels and plays like a 1k+ guitar to be sure. It’s absolutely flawless!
I love my S7. The S3 would be awesome platform for someone wanting to do some modding. You would wind up with a way better guitar than say using a Squire. Just a fender neck costs as much as a whole S3 and it’s not as good. Sire guitars are bound to increase in price as they become more well known. I would buy one now if you are interested.
Darrell- you're killing me. I've bought 3 guitars in the last 2 years from watching your reviews. We ordered the Dakota Red Sire S3 last night. I'd looked at Fender player series previously but was unimpressed by the neck/ fret edges. My Indio's neck was nicer. But after seeing that S3 it looked like it was everything the player was and more for about half the money. My Revstar finally came-it took 295 days from order to delivery but love it. The S3 is going to be a shared one with my husband. Sweetwater had 2 when I looked, then hours later they were gone. Had to order straight from Sire. Update: "The Darrell Braun Effect"- the S3 is sold out everywhere except directly from Sire. UPDATE: Ordered it Saturday or Sunday night- arrived on Thursday (today). It is every bit as amazing as you said. The rolled neck and fret ends are killer! I checked out a limited edition fender player last summer and the neck can't compare to this. Now I have to quit your channel before I see any more reviews lol. (kidding). Thanks!
I have a vintage Sire S7. When I bought it, I was on the verge of buying a Fender Player series Strat. However, I saw your review of the S7 and you made such a compelling case for it that I took the plunge. So glad I did, it's a true thing of beauty. Apart from sounding great, the neck is outstanding. Streets ahead of my more expensive big brand guitars. Sire are working some magic in their factories.
my s7 fm came in last week, i’m in complete love with the quality of it. if you call a sweetwater sales engineer you can choose from their whole stock not just the 4 models they show you. for a 15 minute call i was able to grab one where all the flames align and the neck/ fretboard were 1 color!
I love my S7 vintage I got a few months back. Easily worth the $700 I paid for it. Better than pretty much anything else at this price point, and they're absolutely beautiful instruments from afar and close up. Sire is a great brand to get into guitar with, highly recommend!
Man I absolutely LOVE what sire is doing with their ability to provide quality sound and construction with affordable instruments. I have 2 of their basses and QC is out of this world. I wish other makers would follow suit, but theyre afraid to let people into quality for cheap, might kill their high end market 😂😂😂
So when you were talking about trem systems on cheap guitars I could see you looking at my Glarry in the corner of my office. This S3 is one of the most beautiful looking guitars I"ve seen come along. Nice review!
Great review as usual. Sweet sounding guitar. Sire makes nice gear. One note about the tremolo block. You mentioned that at least its not a cheap forged block. Think you're referring to the cheap cast blocks some companies use. A true forged block would generally be stronger that a machined from billet one, and more expensive. Yea, I spent too many years in the machining and steel making industry.
@@timtime9167hi Time. I know what he meant, I'm just a stickler for metal terminology. Just saying that when he mentioned cheap forged block he meant cheap cast. And some of the cheap ones are pot metals like zamak or really low grade steel alloy. Lots of people get forging and casting mixed up. Casting quality can be all over the place quality wise. A forged part will be stronger and denser than either cast or machined parts.
@@timtime9167 Bet you have some cool experiences from that. Metal is fascinating. So many misconceptions in the general public about metal. I've worked with 100 pound capacity induction furnace for investment castings up to 125 ton EAF. Fun times. Miss being in the steel mill.
I rolled my fingerboard edges on two guitars based on your previous videos. I rolled my Parker PDF35 and my JS100. They feel like a friendly handshake rather than a formal greeting.
@@DarrellBraunGuitar Thank you so much, loved the video. Hopefully with the obsidian wiring and fret leveling may be able to get my strat to sound like the Sire in the video. 🤞
Amen. Right now the quality around $500 is pretty mind blowing for those of us gray enough to remember when locking trems were starting to show up before Floyd Rose became the standard. If I had been born in the 90's I would never have owned a guitar with more than $1000 price tag.
So true. Cheap guitars, usually made in Japan at the time, were just terrible back in the early to mid seventies. Kids with not much money to spend for their first guitar, are so lucky today.
@@danieltilleru3528 Compare the same Fender with same attributes to a Sire and you'll find the Sire is at least $300 - $500 cheaper AND better quality! Being in school 40 yrs ago isn't much of a fair comparison! In todays money it IS affordable!
08:55, if you want to see which coil of the pickup is activated you can lightly tap on it with a small screwdriver , slug side and screw side. Nice review as always Darrell.
High praise, indeed! I have the T7, and frankly I can’t think of any way to improve it… at ANY price. Now I’ve got my eye on their new P90-loaded models; the H7V “335” and the L7V “LP”. You MUST review those…. please!
@zackpack8 Congrats! I never did order the H7V or L7V, but I'v had a T7TM in Rose Gold on pre-order since March 11 (should arrive late Aug - Sept). This is their new "Tele" F-hole thinline loaded with two P-90s. I nearly fainted when I saw them release all of their new models in January. This T7TM is exactly what I've been looking for, and for SIRE (of all brands) to come out with it is a dream come true. I've also been drooling over their new LP Jr model, the L3 P90 ($399.00??). Not that I had anything to do with it, but I had written Sire a couple years ago and suggested that an LP Jr model would probably fly off the shelves, although I was asking for a double-cut version. I've already got a cheap Epiphone LP Jr rebuild project, so I'm going to wait and see how it turns out before I decide whether to order Sire's version. Let me know how you lke the H7V!
Great review I’m going to have to purchase one of these soon. I was toying with a parts caster or upgrading a Firefly, but this is already together and is very close to what I would have had. I want the three single coil version but the review had everything I wanted to know except the bridge pickup. Great job Darrell! Thanks!
Darrell, when you were first checking out the tremolo, I think you forgot a technique (which I believe I learned from you) where, when you're finished with each particular tremolo bend, you give it one more quick push down and let it snap back up. That helps (at least for me) with non-locking tremolo systems. Deus benedicat tibi
If I had to replace my American Standard Strat like I did then, I'd have definitely gone for one of these, no doubt! The MusicMan Sterling Cutlass could've been a contender, but no longer after watching this, simply amazing bang for the buck, thanks so much! (it shows that you really enjoyed this one :) )
@@j_freed I hear you. That is actually one of the aspects I'd definitely need to check out prior to actually owning one as my fingers are short, so I typically handle flat, modern C shaped necks better than the chunkier ones, which the Cutlass is supposed to provide. Not like a vintage Fender "baseball bat" type of neck contour, but def. chunkier, someone said when demoing and testing them). But to each their own, more power to everyone ;-)
Bought a sire s7 with flamed mapel top and it arrived today! So happy with it and sound sick. Love the split coil in the bridge humbucker and gets me all the sounds I like! Recommend!
Over the last few months I've acquired a Sire T7 (blonde Tele style) and an H7V (think Lucille with p90s). They are *excellent* repeat *excellent* guitars. Fantastic necks and fretboards, solid pickups, excellent materials and super construction. They sound fantastic pushed through my Fender Deluxe Reverb. I'm not the type who goes after gear just for gear's sake. But ... I'm giving some thought to getting rid of my Les Paul Custom in favor of a Sire L7. Man! Those necks are *great*!
I have never been big on Strat style guitars ... but this is a great axe , especially for the $$. Yes I will buy one of these. And they are in stock , today anyway, at my favorite dealer. Thanks for sharing this video. Great job. As always.
Great video, Darrell, but I have a suggestion. I like that you opened the back vibrato cover and looked in at the vibrato block, but you might consider testing the block with a small magnet to illustrate that the block is magnetic like steel. I've seen zinc blocks that LOOK like steel, but magnets are harder to fool than eyes. That Sire is turning my head, too! Darn!😇
I always liked the combination of Sienna Sunburst with tortoise and rosewood. Very pretty. Specs look good. Sounds fine. The unfortunate headstock outline is my only critique.
Typically fresh strings are still getting set, as there might have been slack around the tuning pegs and a little bit of string stretching too. It may not necesarily be the trem. I like it, but I like my maple flamed Strat better. I also like humbuckers in the bridge position but if they are splittable. After all it is a strat style.
The obsession with "full size" pots is really baffling to me. The only reason to have a larger potentiometer is handle more current, and unless you have a serious problem with your amp, there's not much current flowing through your guitar at all. Bigger doesn't mean better in the electronic world...pretty much ever. I'd definitely take a quality dime-sized pot over a cheap full-sized one any day.
True but the worst pots I've had have always been the smaller ones. Scratchy and often blank spots (Squier). The problem being most mfgs that use the smaller pots DON'T use the quality ones.
I saw an interview with Larry Carlton a few years back. He said he had worn out his Fender Stratocaster and just didn't want to get the frets replaced again, IIRC. Then he found the Sire series of Strats and to say he was pleased was an understatement. He especially loved the stainless steel frets and the rest of the handiwork on the instrument and again it left him more than pleased. At $399 US that is an absolutely awesome guitar. Period. 🎸💘💥🎙👽
In another interview he also said he left Gibson (335) because of the inconsistent build quality for their extremely high priced guitars. At one point he had to have them deliver 10 guitars to him to find one "good" one. He now has his own Sire H7 and yes he does play it on tour too! I bought the H7V preferring the P90 pickups and I'm absolutely blown away with the sound AND quality!
I bought the S7 and returned it, lots of issues with the guitar and horrible QC. Bought the Schecter Nick Johnson and liked it much more as an S series. I did buy the Sire L7 and was very happy with it.
My big takeaway: As a bass player, I REALLY wish they used a more calligraphic font for the Marcus Miller basses. That Larry Carlton signature looks so much more premium than the derpy font they picked for the Marcus Miller headstocks. 😅
That particular specimen is absolutely gorgeous. I'm not a sunburst guy. Not a tobacco burst guy. And not a tortoise pick-guard guy. But that particular guitar is stunning. Aaaaaaaaaaand....... already out of stock. LOL
Does this have anything over the Jet JS400 , which has a roasted maple neck and goes for around $200 ? Perhaps the pickups. The Jet has ceramic. Are these Alnico? I like this one for some reason.
Hey Darrell, I just picked one up about a month ago and agree with the initial unboxing for sure. the only issue I had was developing fret sprout, and that in my opinion is just because its so fricking dry in our home in michigan right now. easily fixed and lovine the neck for sure. the only think I would change is the weight. the Mahogany is deffinitly heavier but not bad. Thanks again. I would like to check out the T3 but I will wait for next weeks video first lol. God Bless
"Fret Sprout " ??? H'mmm maybe that's where the S7 with its roasted neck comes in . I'm thinking that as good as the guitar is ... in todays manufacturing environment (grab that wood as fast as you can as opposed to letting it lay around and age) Roasting makes any makers neck more stable . My Sire is a T 7 (stable so far in Crappy Chicago---I'm from Detroit !) and I have a H7V ordered (mahogany neck ? ) but not roasted ...
She's a looker that's for sure.... well I finished watching the rest of the Video 😎.... Nice sound as well..... Anyone should be proud of such an instrument....Oh did I mention she's Purdy 😎
Just bought the S7FM gen2 HSS! Not arrived yet, but cant wait. Ive had an mexican SSS Strat 20 years ago. Missed it ever since. But after a BIG research i thought to by a player plus. The S7 looks WAY better on paper and design and for the price of almost third of the price in sweden. Next week it arrives. Just in time for my new gigs 😏
Darrell that Sire sounded great. Could you please tell us what amp you played in the video? You have so many cool amps, it would be helpful to know what your playing through. Thank you
It has been a long time since I saw a guitar review and was searching for one to buy before the video ended. Love the contours and beautiful wood but its the tone... Very nice
Looks super cool and That 4th position sounds distinct! I just just picked up a very similar Schecter, Diamond series California Classic and It's an amazing guitar but it's not mahogany lol. It's like Murphy's law of guitars. A month after I finance a nice, used guitar, someone will start selling an even better, brand new one for less $. Rock n Roll!
Ah but isn't there always another guitar? I mean you can't get caught cheating on your Strat with a Les Paul lol. I think the mahogany gives it a unique look and for tone it gives off rich texture. I am currently leaning toward ordering one I really prefer to buy new in person but this is a solid strat for under $500 that would look pretty sweet onstage
I'm really glad you reviewed this guitar... sounds fantastic in your hands...still $400 bucks you could get a used Mexican fender strat for that amount...and the Mexican strats are fantastic for the price point..BUT... im a huge Larry Carlton fan...so I would want to support what he's doing.. it's all preference I guess however gear is an investment and I always want the best return for my investment...will a Sire hold it's resale value like a Mexican Strat...? From the looks and sounds of things.... it's looking good for the "Sire"....😎👍
great review as usual. this s3 sounds as nice as the s7. I'm very excited, I've got the blue t7fm arriving from sweet water this friday, can't wait.!!!
Just bought an S3 SSS. Great feeling neck and frets, very good sound, but the guitar arrived with an overly aggressive neck angle that made the action considerably higher as you climbed the neck, and the string height at the nut was a bit too high. A shim and some sanding of the nut (bottom removal) later--it's a fantastic playing guitar. The natural sustain is impressive as well. Far, far better than the Player series Strats I tried at Guitar Center for half the price and a bit of labor. On that note, what the heck happened to Fender? The P-series I played were awful. I have some older MIM models that are infinitely better instruments.
Was watching this during a late lunch. Sire S3/7, Ibanez Azes31/40 and Squier CV series seem to be appealing guitars between €300-600. The Gretsch Electromatics are also solid guitars (got a G5421). Nice video 👌🤠
I don't usually like Strat copies unless they take steps to look more original like the Yamaha Pacifica 612, but it's hard to deny all those good features on the Sire.
The Strats aren't always good , that's the problem ....Here there's only one volume and tone knob , and the tone is adjustable on the neck position ( i suppose ) .... The sound looks amazing or am i too optimistic ? If you want a made in USA Strat on par with that little panther , you can't buy it on internet , you have to go to the shop , trying several , in principle , and be ready to spend at least 2000 $ .... The Fender logo doesn't mean nothing nowadays , they should add PTM too , next to Stratocaster : " Pass The Money" .... They sleep on Leo's legacy , no evolution , i sincerely admire the guys that play with the bridge pickup , appart from reggae rythm , i find the sound atrocious , too trebly .... Of course i'm not Jimi Hendrix , the " Castles made of sand "intro is perfect with that sound ..... I like the Strats or the good copies ( better than the originals sometimes ) but i use the neck pickup 99% of the time .... A Strat with only one neck pickup , but a good one , and i would be satisfied .... I will try to resist , the Vintage series are really good , i got one , it's like a good Strat .... And you can buy a good little amp , a good Tubescreamer copy and you're good to go , less than 750 $ and NO priceless and useless Fender logo .... Sorry i think i tell my life story to resist to this guitar temptation ...
on that price range, I would go for the Ibanez - AZES 40 MGR. Much more versatile guitar with their 9 pickups positions 😉 I tried the S7 and I was quite disappointed with the neck feeling ... I went to the store to buy one but did not get one and ended up taking a far more cheaper guitar, the Ibanez (for 320 euros !) and was blown away with the sounds and playability. Still, there are some flaws, like you need to put locking tuners and if you want more stability, maybe change the trem system which, overall, will still cost you less than the Sire S3 ... 😃
Competition is the best thing for progress and pricing. Sire looks like they are amping things up, should benefit us all as the other companies try and catch up..
I just bought a Strat. After watching many great videos on Sire, G&L etc. I felt sure there was a great deal out there. But every store within 3 hours drive basically stocks Fender, Squire, PRS, Gibson, Epiphone and maybe 2 or 3 other brands (Gretch, lots of 'metal' style). No way to play any value Strat 'copies' for me. I tried every fender from Player to Ultra and a Silver sky SE and bought a used 20 year old Standard. To my ear it was the best in the store. I Can't begin to count the number of videos I watched on strats and in end they played no part in my decision. It seems you have a choice UA-cam + Sweetwater or buy a Fender/ PRS/Gibson etc. after playing the actual guitar you will take home. My experience of spending a few hours over 4 visits trying and listening tells me I'll always take the play it route. Also very happy to put my money into a local store. I know this guitar is Squire price but I think my experience would have been the same at any price point. I can't help thinking that there is a missing retail option that allows you to really test a wide range of guitars - I guess there is , live in Fort Worth.
The best budget strat I've experienced is the glarry gst...lots of cool color options too...I got the red and black one and with the locking tuners on it I love this thing...
Better value than the Squire Vintage Vibe 50s Strat with a modern bridge and better tuners. Better tonewoods. Rosewood fingerboard is the icing on the cake. Was happy to find a Vintage SSS S7 for $400 bucks though, even better value.
In Canada it is $650.(I wish you would say Canada prices).. like everything we get screwed for price. Not sure if that is considered budget. Not I'm my world.
Man, Sire guitars are straight up amazing for the $$$
This guitar can definitely compete with other mid-range guitars, but at a fraction of the price
Guitar links:
SIRE S3 - sweetwater.sjv.io/y2gQLV
SIRE S7 (finally some in stock) - sweetwater.sjv.io/6eW5qK
Enjoy :)
agreed gr8 value and beauty
Better value than any Fender for sure. The block actually looks like a cheap Zinc alloy, but Steel or Brass blocks can be had pretty cheap if you think it matters much.
How’s the shipping and duties when buying from Canada?
The S7 is available on Thomann.
Unfortunately us Lefties are left out . . . . .
My S7 just came in a few weeks ago. It's an incredible value! I highly recommend them.
Congrats Shawn!
I'm terrible at guitar but I can't stop watching this channel.
Keep practising
Being fascinated is not the worst start to keep keeping at it, @Scott. It'll all come together for you eventually, I've seen it happen with others (and myself at times).
I am brilliant at guitar and can't stop watching this channel
@@Nathan-hc2bb 😆
I'm worse than you 🤘🏼
I like it when you play clean through all the pickup settings. It helps illustrate how the pickups actually sound. After that, it’s mostly the amp. Also describing the feel of playing, neck shape, string action, and fret finishing.
THROUGH ALL THE ?
ah ?
Darrell. Tip from a shop repairer. To find out the way they wire the pickup use a screwdriver and gently tap the pickup poles to see which are active. Turn up a bit and watch your speaker cone and you can see the polarity of each coil by seeing if the cone "pushes" or "pulls" as the screwdriver contacts the pickup.
This is true if your speaker polarity is correct. I bought a pair of stereo speakers and one of them was soldered backwards at the external connection.
I saw your review of the S7 and immediately it was on my radar. It was hard to find but Sweetwater was waiting on a shipment and they contacted me. It’s now home with me and I absolutely love it. It feels and plays like a 1k+ guitar to be sure. It’s absolutely flawless!
I love my S7. The S3 would be awesome platform for someone wanting to do some modding. You would wind up with a way better guitar than say using a Squire. Just a fender neck costs as much as a whole S3 and it’s not as good. Sire guitars are bound to increase in price as they become more well known. I would buy one now if you are interested.
Darrell- you're killing me. I've bought 3 guitars in the last 2 years from watching your reviews. We ordered the Dakota Red Sire S3 last night. I'd looked at Fender player series previously but was unimpressed by the neck/ fret edges. My Indio's neck was nicer. But after seeing that S3 it looked like it was everything the player was and more for about half the money. My Revstar finally came-it took 295 days from order to delivery but love it. The S3 is going to be a shared one with my husband. Sweetwater had 2 when I looked, then hours later they were gone. Had to order straight from Sire. Update: "The Darrell Braun Effect"- the S3 is sold out everywhere except directly from Sire. UPDATE: Ordered it Saturday or Sunday night- arrived on Thursday (today). It is every bit as amazing as you said. The rolled neck and fret ends are killer! I checked out a limited edition fender player last summer and the neck can't compare to this. Now I have to quit your channel before I see any more reviews lol. (kidding). Thanks!
I have a vintage Sire S7. When I bought it, I was on the verge of buying a Fender Player series Strat. However, I saw your review of the S7 and you made such a compelling case for it that I took the plunge. So glad I did, it's a true thing of beauty. Apart from sounding great, the neck is outstanding. Streets ahead of my more expensive big brand guitars. Sire are working some magic in their factories.
my s7 fm came in last week, i’m in complete love with the quality of it. if you call a sweetwater sales engineer you can choose from their whole stock not just the 4 models they show you. for a 15 minute call i was able to grab one where all the flames align and the neck/ fretboard were 1 color!
Do you mean that the neck and fretboard are both maple?
I love my S7 vintage I got a few months back. Easily worth the $700 I paid for it. Better than pretty much anything else at this price point, and they're absolutely beautiful instruments from afar and close up. Sire is a great brand to get into guitar with, highly recommend!
player series mexican strat for me
Man I absolutely LOVE what sire is doing with their ability to provide quality sound and construction with affordable instruments. I have 2 of their basses and QC is out of this world. I wish other makers would follow suit, but theyre afraid to let people into quality for cheap, might kill their high end market 😂😂😂
So when you were talking about trem systems on cheap guitars I could see you looking at my Glarry in the corner of my office. This S3 is one of the most beautiful looking guitars I"ve seen come along. Nice review!
Thanks for getting budget guitars back on the channel!
I have now owned my new S3 for two weeks. I am absolutely thrilled with the way it sounds. I would put it up against any bone stock Fender.
Worth a second look, and it looks great. I'm impressed with the features for the price.
I am super pleased with my new Sire S3. It sounds amazing.
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thanks for the review!
Yes sir...all colors are backordered on Sweetwater. Thanks for the demo. Wasn't really thinking about another S style guitar... TILL NOW.
Great review as usual. Sweet sounding guitar. Sire makes nice gear.
One note about the tremolo block. You mentioned that at least its not a cheap forged block. Think you're referring to the cheap cast blocks some companies use. A true forged block would generally be stronger that a machined from billet one, and more expensive. Yea, I spent too many years in the machining and steel making industry.
He's talking about the cheap blocks made out of pot steal.
@@timtime9167hi Time. I know what he meant, I'm just a stickler for metal terminology. Just saying that when he mentioned cheap forged block he meant cheap cast. And some of the cheap ones are pot metals like zamak or really low grade steel alloy.
Lots of people get forging and casting mixed up. Casting quality can be all over the place quality wise. A forged part will be stronger and denser than either cast or machined parts.
@sunn_bass8724 I actually help manage a foundry started as a pattern maker in 84' I'm familiar with it.
@@timtime9167 Bet you have some cool experiences from that. Metal is fascinating. So many misconceptions in the general public about metal.
I've worked with 100 pound capacity induction furnace for investment castings up to 125 ton EAF. Fun times. Miss being in the steel mill.
Darrell/Sire never disappoints. love the videos man, always fun to watch.
This is insane value. The black with T shell plate looks great.
I rolled my fingerboard edges on two guitars based on your previous videos. I rolled my Parker PDF35 and my JS100. They feel like a friendly handshake rather than a formal greeting.
I’m building my second guitar kit next week, a solo Strat kit! Super excited!
Good luck with the build!
@@DarrellBraunGuitar Thank you so much, loved the video. Hopefully with the obsidian wiring and fret leveling may be able to get my strat to sound like the Sire in the video. 🤞
I own a Sire Jazz bass. Man, it’s awesome. Great instruments for not stupid money. Go Sire!
Wow! This is a $399 guitar. Sounds just as good as my USA Fenders. Gonna play it.
Sire makes great stuff. We are living in a great time, where affordable quality guitars are possible now.
Amen. Right now the quality around $500 is pretty mind blowing for those of us gray enough to remember when locking trems were starting to show up before Floyd Rose became the standard. If I had been born in the 90's I would never have owned a guitar with more than $1000 price tag.
So true. Cheap guitars, usually made in Japan at the time, were just terrible back in the early to mid seventies. Kids with not much money to spend for their first guitar, are so lucky today.
Master the old ones, then you can become a master like me
Don't know what you mean by affordable I bought my fender telecaster when I was in high-school for 300 now they are twice that
@@danieltilleru3528 Compare the same Fender with same attributes to a Sire and you'll find the Sire is at least $300 - $500 cheaper AND better quality! Being in school 40 yrs ago isn't much of a fair comparison! In todays money it IS affordable!
08:55, if you want to see which coil of the pickup is activated you can lightly tap on it with a small screwdriver , slug side and screw side.
Nice review as always Darrell.
Sire is really on it with quality and budget. I've seen higher end guitars that don't have workmanship that nice.
Gotta love that they have the updated saddles and cutaways for comfort as opposed to that traditional outdated design. Very cool
High praise, indeed! I have the T7, and frankly I can’t think of any way to improve it… at ANY price. Now I’ve got my eye on their new P90-loaded models; the H7V “335” and the L7V “LP”. You MUST review those…. please!
@zackpack8 Congrats! I never did order the H7V or L7V, but I'v had a T7TM in Rose Gold on pre-order since March 11 (should arrive late Aug - Sept). This is their new "Tele" F-hole thinline loaded with two P-90s. I nearly fainted when I saw them release all of their new models in January. This T7TM is exactly what I've been looking for, and for SIRE (of all brands) to come out with it is a dream come true. I've also been drooling over their new LP Jr model, the L3 P90 ($399.00??). Not that I had anything to do with it, but I had written Sire a couple years ago and suggested that an LP Jr model would probably fly off the shelves, although I was asking for a double-cut version. I've already got a cheap Epiphone LP Jr rebuild project, so I'm going to wait and see how it turns out before I decide whether to order Sire's version. Let me know how you lke the H7V!
Great review I’m going to have to purchase one of these soon. I was toying with a parts caster or upgrading a Firefly, but this is already together and is very close to what I would have had. I want the three single coil version but the review had everything I wanted to know except the bridge pickup. Great job Darrell! Thanks!
Nice from you that you have now in your reviews more „chord and riff“ stuff! That serves me very well! Thank you or this good test!
Darrell, when you were first checking out the tremolo, I think you forgot a technique (which I believe I learned from you) where, when you're finished with each particular tremolo bend, you give it one more quick push down and let it snap back up.
That helps (at least for me) with non-locking tremolo systems.
Deus benedicat tibi
Those pickups are great. What
fantastic clean tones.
If I had to replace my American Standard Strat like I did then, I'd have definitely gone for one of these, no doubt! The MusicMan Sterling Cutlass could've been a contender, but no longer after watching this, simply amazing bang for the buck, thanks so much! (it shows that you really enjoyed this one :) )
For me it still comes down to the neck profile. I wouldn't buy one of these without trying the sterling cutlass.
@@j_freed I hear you. That is actually one of the aspects I'd definitely need to check out prior to actually owning one as my fingers are short, so I typically handle flat, modern C shaped necks better than the chunkier ones, which the Cutlass is supposed to provide. Not like a vintage Fender "baseball bat" type of neck contour, but def. chunkier, someone said when demoing and testing them). But to each their own, more power to everyone ;-)
@zackpack8 , sounds great!
Bought a sire s7 with flamed mapel top and it arrived today! So happy with it and sound sick. Love the split coil in the bridge humbucker and gets me all the sounds I like! Recommend!
Over the last few months I've acquired a Sire T7 (blonde Tele style) and an H7V (think Lucille with p90s). They are *excellent* repeat *excellent* guitars. Fantastic necks and fretboards, solid pickups, excellent materials and super construction. They sound fantastic pushed through my Fender Deluxe Reverb. I'm not the type who goes after gear just for gear's sake. But ... I'm giving some thought to getting rid of my Les Paul Custom in favor of a Sire L7. Man! Those necks are *great*!
H7V here too played through my JC40 and absolutely love the sound!
I have a Sire H7 and I was shocked at just how much better it was than the Gibson Les Paul Classic I had. It actually stays in tune!
I have never been big on Strat style guitars ... but this is a great axe , especially for the $$. Yes I will buy one of these. And they are in stock , today anyway, at my favorite dealer. Thanks for sharing this video. Great job. As always.
Great initial review Darrell. Wow this is nice! Thanks a lot!
Great video, Darrell, but I have a suggestion. I like that you opened the back vibrato cover and looked in at the vibrato block, but you might consider testing the block with a small magnet to illustrate that the block is magnetic like steel. I've seen zinc blocks that LOOK like steel, but magnets are harder to fool than eyes. That Sire is turning my head, too! Darn!😇
I always liked the combination of Sienna Sunburst with tortoise and rosewood. Very pretty. Specs look good. Sounds fine.
The unfortunate headstock outline is my only critique.
Isn't it tobacco sunburst?
No, it's Sienna. Tobacco sunburst is typically black or EXTREMELY dark brown around the perimeter.
Do Sire even sell this in sienna sunburst? The only burst I see in this model for sale is tobacco burst.
Great auto focus; precisely zooming in on fretboard! Very enjoyable. Thx.
Typically fresh strings are still getting set, as there might have been slack around the tuning pegs and a little bit of string stretching too. It may not necesarily be the trem. I like it, but I like my maple flamed Strat better. I also like humbuckers in the bridge position but if they are splittable. After all it is a strat style.
Never heard a split coil sound decent though.
@@matthazelby506 Me either!
The obsession with "full size" pots is really baffling to me. The only reason to have a larger potentiometer is handle more current, and unless you have a serious problem with your amp, there's not much current flowing through your guitar at all. Bigger doesn't mean better in the electronic world...pretty much ever. I'd definitely take a quality dime-sized pot over a cheap full-sized one any day.
True but the worst pots I've had have always been the smaller ones. Scratchy and often blank spots (Squier). The problem being most mfgs that use the smaller pots DON'T use the quality ones.
I saw an interview with Larry Carlton a few years back. He said he had worn out his Fender Stratocaster and just didn't want to get the frets replaced again, IIRC. Then he found the Sire series of Strats and to say he was pleased was an understatement. He especially loved the stainless steel frets and the rest of the handiwork on the instrument and again it left him more than pleased. At $399 US that is an absolutely awesome guitar. Period. 🎸💘💥🎙👽
In another interview he also said he left Gibson (335) because of the inconsistent build quality for their extremely high priced guitars. At one point he had to have them deliver 10 guitars to him to find one "good" one. He now has his own Sire H7 and yes he does play it on tour too! I bought the H7V preferring the P90 pickups and I'm absolutely blown away with the sound AND quality!
I bought the S7 and returned it, lots of issues with the guitar and horrible QC. Bought the Schecter Nick Johnson and liked it much more as an S series. I did buy the Sire L7 and was very happy with it.
Fender cant touch this unfortunately. Good price/good quality! Thanks DBG!
My big takeaway: As a bass player, I REALLY wish they used a more calligraphic font for the Marcus Miller basses. That Larry Carlton signature looks so much more premium than the derpy font they picked for the Marcus Miller headstocks. 😅
That particular specimen is absolutely gorgeous. I'm not a sunburst guy. Not a tobacco burst guy. And not a tortoise pick-guard guy. But that particular guitar is stunning. Aaaaaaaaaaand....... already out of stock. LOL
I agree. The color and pick guard are wrong for me too. But wow, this is good.
@@judih.8754 I know.... right ?
Does this have anything over the Jet JS400 , which has a roasted maple neck and goes for around $200 ?
Perhaps the pickups. The Jet has ceramic.
Are these Alnico?
I like this one for some reason.
Sire S3 has ceramic pickups.
Hey Darrell, I just picked one up about a month ago and agree with the initial unboxing for sure. the only issue I had was developing fret sprout, and that in my opinion is just because its so fricking dry in our home in michigan right now. easily fixed and lovine the neck for sure. the only think I would change is the weight. the Mahogany is deffinitly heavier but not bad. Thanks again. I would like to check out the T3 but I will wait for next weeks video first lol. God Bless
"Fret Sprout " ??? H'mmm maybe that's where the S7 with its roasted neck comes in . I'm thinking that as good as the guitar is ... in todays manufacturing environment (grab that wood as fast as you can as opposed to letting it lay around and age) Roasting makes any makers neck more stable . My Sire is a T 7 (stable so far in Crappy Chicago---I'm from Detroit !) and I have a H7V ordered (mahogany neck ? ) but not roasted ...
She's a looker that's for sure.... well I finished watching the rest of the Video 😎.... Nice sound as well..... Anyone should be proud of such an instrument....Oh did I mention she's Purdy 😎
Just bought the S7FM gen2 HSS!
Not arrived yet, but cant wait. Ive had an mexican SSS Strat 20 years ago. Missed it ever since.
But after a BIG research i thought to by a player plus.
The S7 looks WAY better on paper and design and for the price of almost third of the price in sweden.
Next week it arrives.
Just in time for my new gigs 😏
Have you tried Tagima Stella DW? Is this model better than Sire S7?
Darrell that Sire sounded great. Could you please tell us what amp you played in the video? You have so many cool amps, it would be helpful to know what your playing through. Thank you
This looks nice and sounds great. You can test if the trem block is steel with a magnet btw.
It has been a long time since I saw a guitar review and was searching for one to buy before the video ended. Love the contours and beautiful wood but its the tone... Very nice
Sire are the top dogs of budget and mid-range guitars at this point 🎸 ❤
I need to try a Sire, they seem to be really consistently knocking it out of the park.
I wonder if the S3 can pull metal tones..if it could then it would be a dream guitar
Looks super cool and That 4th position sounds distinct! I just just picked up a very similar Schecter, Diamond series California Classic and It's an amazing guitar but it's not mahogany lol. It's like Murphy's law of guitars. A month after I finance a nice, used guitar, someone will start selling an even better, brand new one for less $. Rock n Roll!
Ah but isn't there always another guitar? I mean you can't get caught cheating on your Strat with a Les Paul lol. I think the mahogany gives it a unique look and for tone it gives off rich texture. I am currently leaning toward ordering one I really prefer to buy new in person but this is a solid strat for under $500 that would look pretty sweet onstage
Would be good to see a follow up video after you've had a chance to really use the trem for a while
This seems like an amazing value guitar. Thanks as always for an excellent video. Hang in there, rumour is that spring will arrive in SA.
EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH IS THE BEST,, you never find any bad ones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The gig bag looks like a Mono. These are pretty nice guitars, not just for the money, but overall
I have an S-7 and I love it. This looks like another winner.
I'm really glad you reviewed this guitar... sounds fantastic in your hands...still $400 bucks you could get a used Mexican fender strat for that amount...and the Mexican strats are fantastic for the price point..BUT...
im a huge Larry Carlton fan...so I would want to support what he's doing.. it's all preference I guess however gear is an investment and I always want the best return for my investment...will a Sire hold it's resale value like a Mexican Strat...? From the looks and sounds of things.... it's looking good for the "Sire"....😎👍
Were all Gushing over this Guitar! I may sell my Fender Standard Strat and buy the Sire S3! Thx Darrel!
great review as usual. this s3 sounds as nice as the s7. I'm very excited, I've got the blue t7fm arriving from sweet water this friday, can't wait.!!!
Is it wierd that i always watch sire s3 videos, eventhough i already have it and satisfied about it? I can't get enough of watching it
Just bought an S3 SSS. Great feeling neck and frets, very good sound, but the guitar arrived with an overly aggressive neck angle that made the action considerably higher as you climbed the neck, and the string height at the nut was a bit too high. A shim and some sanding of the nut (bottom removal) later--it's a fantastic playing guitar. The natural sustain is impressive as well.
Far, far better than the Player series Strats I tried at Guitar Center for half the price and a bit of labor. On that note, what the heck happened to Fender? The P-series I played were awful. I have some older MIM models that are infinitely better instruments.
Nice find! Chords sounded a little gnarly; need to go back and play the S7 video...
Yes, full size pots... Did not check the switch - relizes it is a cheap pcd switch - so.. Full size pots. What a pleasant surprise!
Wow, it does sound lovely. I'm impressed with those pickups
Was watching this during a late lunch.
Sire S3/7, Ibanez Azes31/40 and Squier CV series seem to be appealing guitars between €300-600.
The Gretsch Electromatics are also solid guitars (got a G5421).
Nice video 👌🤠
I don't usually like Strat copies unless they take steps to look more original like the Yamaha Pacifica 612, but it's hard to deny all those good features on the Sire.
The Strats aren't always good , that's the problem ....Here there's only one volume and tone knob , and the tone is adjustable on the neck position ( i suppose ) ....
The sound looks amazing or am i too optimistic ?
If you want a made in USA Strat on par with that little panther , you can't buy it on internet , you have to go to the shop , trying several , in principle , and be ready to spend at least 2000 $ ....
The Fender logo doesn't mean nothing nowadays , they should add PTM too , next to Stratocaster : " Pass The Money" ....
They sleep on Leo's legacy , no evolution , i sincerely admire the guys that play with the bridge pickup , appart from reggae rythm , i find the sound atrocious , too trebly ....
Of course i'm not Jimi Hendrix , the " Castles made of sand "intro is perfect with that sound .....
I like the Strats or the good copies ( better than the originals sometimes ) but i use the neck pickup 99% of the time ....
A Strat with only one neck pickup , but a good one , and i would be satisfied ....
I will try to resist , the Vintage series are really good , i got one , it's like a good Strat ....
And you can buy a good little amp , a good Tubescreamer copy and you're good to go , less than 750 $ and NO priceless and useless Fender logo ....
Sorry i think i tell my life story to resist to this guitar temptation ...
Sire guitar are producing nice affordable guitar and looks good and sound good also nice video Darrel
on that price range, I would go for the Ibanez - AZES 40 MGR. Much more versatile guitar with their 9 pickups positions 😉 I tried the S7 and I was quite disappointed with the neck feeling ... I went to the store to buy one but did not get one and ended up taking a far more cheaper guitar, the Ibanez (for 320 euros !) and was blown away with the sounds and playability. Still, there are some flaws, like you need to put locking tuners and if you want more stability, maybe change the trem system which, overall, will still cost you less than the Sire S3 ... 😃
Nice! I’ve been waiting on an S7 for years. They’re impossible to get because of the demand.
I picked up the Sire S7 Vintage in black for £399. Love it. Fabulous guitar.
Have a T3 and its a blast just to pick up and strum away, feels amazing in the hand for the value!
Where is this guitar made ?
That's a stunning finish on that strat
Do get paid or free gear to promote products???
Competition is the best thing for progress and pricing. Sire looks like they are amping things up, should benefit us all as the other companies try and catch up..
so this is in the classic vibe price range? I like it but man I love the guitars I have atm
All pickup positions all sound great. What a nice guitar!
Why concentrate on the pot size in guitars...when all the pots in pedals are tiny? What am I missing, if anything??
I just bought a Strat. After watching many great videos on Sire, G&L etc. I felt sure there was a great deal out there. But every store within 3 hours drive basically stocks Fender, Squire, PRS, Gibson, Epiphone and maybe 2 or 3 other brands (Gretch, lots of 'metal' style). No way to play any value Strat 'copies' for me. I tried every fender from Player to Ultra and a Silver sky SE and bought a used 20 year old Standard. To my ear it was the best in the store. I Can't begin to count the number of videos I watched on strats and in end they played no part in my decision. It seems you have a choice UA-cam + Sweetwater or buy a Fender/ PRS/Gibson etc. after playing the actual guitar you will take home. My experience of spending a few hours over 4 visits trying and listening tells me I'll always take the play it route. Also very happy to put my money into a local store. I know this guitar is Squire price but I think my experience would have been the same at any price point. I can't help thinking that there is a missing retail option that allows you to really test a wide range of guitars - I guess there is , live in Fort Worth.
The best budget strat I've experienced is the glarry gst...lots of cool color options too...I got the red and black one and with the locking tuners on it I love this thing...
Better value than the Squire Vintage Vibe 50s Strat with a modern bridge and better tuners. Better tonewoods. Rosewood fingerboard is the icing on the cake. Was happy to find a Vintage SSS S7 for $400 bucks though, even better value.
Very cool you got a gig bag...Sweetwater doesn't give you one. 😐
sweet mahogany strat-ish sounds...
i like it.
In Canada it is $650.(I wish you would say Canada prices).. like everything we get screwed for price. Not sure if that is considered budget. Not I'm my world.
How level are the frets? This is an area where typically less expensive guitars scrimp.
The budget guitar to you become some guitar that we'll never got to play to us in our third world country
I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you can get a good guitar at some point.
399.99 for that? You can't even get a squire that sounds that good, it's revolutionary 😮
Try a 60's CV. I bought the S3, the CV was my other choice. Due to availability at proximity bought the S3.
It sounds like a strat for sure!
Crazy, I wanted the S7 but the glossy fretboard was a killer for me. Now the cheaper one is in my sights