How does the Larry Carlton T7 compare to a Fender American Performer Telecaster?
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- We're wrapping up my Sire guitars series of videos with a comparison video between the T7 and the Fender American Performer Telecaster. Both guitars have a lot to offer and this video was a lot of fun to make.
Here is the original T7 review I did last month if you'd like to take a deeper dive into that guitar • The Sire Larry Carlton...
Would have been helpful if you had shared the issues you had with the Sire
I was thinking the same thing.
I'm a Fender fan boy and have spent thousands on Fenders over the years. I will be brutally honest here, Sire pisses all over Fender. I don't own a Sire but my mate does and brought his S7 around to my house to compare it to my pro 2 Strat and mexican roadhouse deluxe strat. I preferd the look of my Fender, didn't like the headstock shape on the Sire and the upper horn was to big, looked more Ibanez to me but that was always going to happen for me having looked at a Fender for 10+ years. What blew my mind was, the Sire had better body contour at the neck joint, the neck felt nicer and upper fret access was easier, the Sire contours are actually similar to the American ultra. The fret work and fingerboard was equal to my pro 2. Feel and playability was better because of the neck joint. Pickups were brill but i don't really comment on pups as tone is subjective, i put Fender 57/62's in all my strats. Finish was beautiful. Electronics work perfect. I was actually a bit angry because i realised my guitar was £1200 more but the Sire was equal to my pro 2 and if I'm being honest because of the neck contour and locking tuners(which you dont get on a pro 2) it was better than my guitar. If the sire had the exact same headstock shape and horn shape, i would actually sell my pro 2 buy a Sire and put some 57/62's in it, the crazy thing is if i did that it would still be less than half price of a pro 2 😭😭. To any newbies who ain't brain washed by being a Fender fan and the headstock and name. I would say go for a Sire 7 instead. For the price of a pro 2 you could buy a sire and have £1200 change to buy a valve amp and pedals. Well done Sire, i hate to see what they could do with a budget of £1649 for a guitar. They would probably give you a Fender master built guitar or a Gibson custom shop Les Paul.
Another useless review/comparison. So you found a couple of things on the T7 that needed some attention, nothing you couldn't fix yourself. OK, so what were they? I mean why bother making a comparison if in the end you leave it up to the viewers to decide. We didn't play them or eye-ball them close up, you did and you are supposed to give your opinion. Why waste the viewers time when you are not conclusive. Yeah I drove a Ford AND a Chevy, so now you decide which one you like.
I recently got the Sire T7 (I already have a Fender), the Sire leaves the Fender for dead tbh, staggered tuners, beautifully cut around the neck joint, intonation corrected saddles, a bone nut (rather than plastic on the Fender), roasted maple neck, excellent fretwork; good grief! There's just no contest, and that's before we get to the price lol!
I was looking at the Sire T7 Vintage too. Some have said the Pickups are quite bright however. Would you recommend swapping them out for another set? Cheers
@@keithb5612 Hi, it sounds like a Tele, bright and snappy, the tone pot is really responsive so just roll a bit off if you need to, I love it tbh; it arrived, I plugged it into my Fender Bassbreaker and played the 'Born to Run' intro and grinned like an idiot lol! 🙂. I would also say that it does love valves, I have other guitars that sound great whether they're plugged into my Spark amp or the Bassbreaker but the Sire comes alive through the Bassbreaker and seems to lose its mojo a bit through the Spark (still sounds really good of course but something magic is lost without valves).
yes you are right ! come on Fender for 1200 Dollars give me a Bone Nut and a Hardcase amd/or some extra more interesting feature that just a basic tele !
Shows you what a headstock can cost.
The finishing on the roasted maple neck is amazing ! though I found the frets were to over rolled and strings slipped off, also the staggered tuners made the strings slap it really needed a string tree, don’t get me wrong the sound was great but the frets were bucked all over ! you go to any guitar sellers and read customer reviews there are good ones but the QC is not good I had to send mine back after my luthier showed me all the anomalies sire guitars are a great budget version but these seem to have ongoing issues … not the the first time he had one bought in and yes the Bases as well…but I had three fender telecaster pro 2’s inside a month after that until I found the right one …
My advice is get a metal ruler and check the neck and frets on any guitar .. if it’s in a guitar shop make them set it up and check the electrics and compare the hardware…
I could not recommend sire after my experience ( though my brother has an s7 and it seems ok though the hardware is not fender quality) but get a fender and spend some money on a set up with a great luthier 👍🏼
I'm no expert but the difference to me is about $750.
Really not a fair comparison of guitars due to the price difference and seems your preference for US made instruments, rather than a true unbiased review came to the fore, with the telling comment ‘it is made overseas’ 🙄
Your vid made a lot of sense...I got the T3 because I'm disabled in a way and don't have much money and SSI does not pay the greatest, but even if I had money I still would have got the Sire because I don't do gigs or anything, I just write songs and sing them to my wife, she digs it, even though I'm not singer by a long shot...LOL...yea so...thank you for your vid...love the Telecaster guitars too..Peace to You and all of Yours Sir...
S'cool, what you do.
Imagine if the Sire had the logo Fender on the headstock it should have been a 1200 dollars guitar
Probably closer to $1400
The only problem is that it sounds mediocre
I've watched a lot of reviews on this guitar and you're just about the only person that points out that the t7 isn't outstanding. for whatever reason you found some problems. you are the only one so far.
The Sire sounded so much better. The definition of each string was much clearer than the Fender. It was like each string tone on the Sire had more headroom - separation - thanks for the comparison! Subscribed
I would certainly by the T-3 before any Squire these days and likely over the Fender MIM and player series. Same with the S series.
Darrel Braun actually did a breakdown on the T7 ( took it apart ) the craftsmanship is outstanding he as well as I was really impressed, I think I am going to have to go with the Sire on my next purchase. thanks for all the help you provide.
Thank you for watching the video. I hope you enjoy your guitar
Im looking to qet the Sire.
The sire sounds better to me, but it's just a personal preference. Great playing and tune, nice to see someone playing things that your average player can recognise instead of the usual over playing that most guitar reviews suffer from. Thanks for the review 👍
I have a Sire S7. It is high quality. I find the Sire Strat superior to my Mexican Strats and equal (or slightly better) than my American. That’s why I bought a second one. I’m trying a T7 next.
I’m a Fender guy, but I have to admit that I preferred the sound of the Sire in this video. It sounded punchier and the bass note runs popped more.
Well that was a lot of nothing
I don’t know what you’re all smoking… the sire sounded awful compared with the fender to me. It’s actually sounded like there was something seriously wrong it it
Sire: Roasted maple neck, rolled fretboard, bone nut, locking tuners, and is 1/2 the price of the Fender American Performer. I put my money on the Sire ! Even the Player series Tele is more expensive than the Sire. Best Telecaster for the money, hands down the Sire T7 or even the T7FM is less expensive than the Player series Fender.
I’ll take my Sire Larry Carlton Tele and both Sire Larry Carlton Strats over early 70s Fenders any day of the week👌👍
Why would you compare it to an American tele and not a player series, or even a player plus?
Your comparing apples to oranges. One very expensive kind of entry level to the top of the line Fender American made to an everyday telecaster most folks like myself play. Made off shore. Compare it to a more comparable guitar. Feature for feature including price point the Sire smokes it plain and simple. just sayin
That is one of the emptiest reviews I've ever seen. Yes, we heard the difference between the sound (on one particular track) although you didn't play the solo on the Sire and the intonation on the Fender sounded well out but maybe that was you. I would like to have seen more meet in this review rather than than the vague hint 'you get what you pay for'
I would have liked to hear each guitar clean, no effects, no distortion. Telecasters are great country guitars and I would like to have heard that style .
Same to me. Trumming in the tone demo is meaningless
Not all tele players play country. No one scrubbed a tele as good as mick green and wilko johnson
@@GedTheRed I didnt say all Telecaster players play country music.
Yeah. I've got 3 guitars and looking to go tele. When Keith Richards plays a tele I hear some twang and it adds to the song. Also, Waylon Jennings.
It's surprising that the low E on the Fender is so close to the edge at the 7th fret and above. Very disappointing for such a price.
I've got a sire it's a solid well made guitar.. I love it but make no mistake....Fender sounds better.....
Sorry sir, no way to tell on unclean channel they my cell phone. Both sound about same based on sound issues, just my thoughts.
I was a bit surprised but the Fender sounded better than the T7 but i don't think it's 800 bucks better. I love the roasted maple fretboard, the rolled edges and the price tag of the T7. Will have to decide if my next guitar is a Sire or a Silver Sky SE?
Can any T7 owners comment on the feel of that glossy fretboard? I love that it has rolled edges, but does it get sticky or slick or require tons of maint?
Please tell me you have a decent door stop behind that door!! Or is that Sweet axe on the wall in danger?
Did notice that the Fender pickups sounded hotter and through the audio mix sounded a little harsher. That may disappear in a live in person comparison. Thus, I did like the Sire better. And considering they're both great sounding guitars, I'll go with the Sire and pocket the $800 dollar price difference.....maybe buy another Sire model! And if I'm paying $1400 dollars for a guitar, I'm expecting a bone nut which Sire can put on a $600 guitar!
Both guitars are well built. The fender is double the price but it will retain its value better than the Sire so thats pretty much a trade off, well not really but yes, if you get my drift....cant go wrong either way.
Between Muscians Friends & Sire guitar, The customer service totally stinks. I would love to be enjoying my new guitar but, i have no idea where it is!! And yet they hold my money for it in the form a debit card hold and the bonus is every 10 days they hold twice the amount because a new hold goes on before the old one expires. Horrible!! Neither Sire or Musicians Friends keeps me informed as to what is happening. Both are Terrible, Terrible customer service companies.
Nomatter what with these corporations they make bucks on that hold. Combine thousands of holds to interest account.
I know it has been a long time, but had to respond.
Also did you get your guitar and was it good as advertised?
I have a T7 and an MiM Player’s series. The Sire is better appointed based on 2 guitars selling for around the same price. However I do find the Sire is a better for rhythm and the Fender is better for leads to my ear.
I own 2 G&L ASATs, so I'm pretty much set, but if I wasn't I would seriously consider getting a T7 and then replacing the pickups with a Lollar set. Still an excellent value, and better (IMO) tone.
I thought the Fender had a sense of smoothness of tone over the Sire, but that may have been because it was second in line to being heard.
Thanks Alan! I'm looking for a Tele type guitar to add to my collection this price point is affordable!
Thanks for the review. I am currently looking at my next electric and I'm thinking of going with Sire, but I wanted a comparision between it and Fender.
I find it interesting that manufacturers who offer affordable copies of the classics always go for the appointments that SEEM to scream "value", but are indeed cheap now. Those garish dots and that glitzy pick guard are actually cheap, in price, and certainly in looks. I wish a budget maker would make a stripped down, but beautifully built pine telecaster with a bakelite pick guard, great pickups and a no bullshit appearance. That should be possible at the same low price. Slick came close, but they moved pretty far away from Fender in many ways.
the abalone dots are awesome but i have no clue why they covered the whole fingerboard in that awful glossy lacquer. it makes it kinda look like an inflatable toy.
sure, it's a petty and shallow reason to dislike a guitar but when there are thousands of different guitars to choose from, you gotta be picky
@@dirtfriend I'm gonna get tattoo that say GOTTA BE PICKY.
Definitely liked the Sire pickups much better than the Fender! More clarity and a nice bass and mid-range punch. And $800 less? Hell yes, Sire for me all day long!
They sound exactly the same, with maybe a bit more dynamics on the Fender?
I sold my American Performer. It was good but not great. I think the features on the Sire are a significant plus over the Performer. IMO the Sire pickups sound better in a mix.
What didn’t you like about the Performer?
@@JaredSchumaier I didn’t have any issues with the Performer, but I thought it was about same as a typical MIM Fender. On the Sire, I liked the locking tuners, bone nut, tapered frets, rounded fretboard edges and I like the pickups better than the Fenders. The roasted maple is stunning. Overall…I’m not bashing Fender. Their guitars are very good. Sire seems better.
Just bought a red one wow
Well seeing you played more on the fender I’m guessing you’re partial to it. I believe the T7 was louder unfortunately it was hard to hear either because the background music.
I bought my Tele Performer from Andertons in January 2020 and immediately fell in love with it. So much so, that my Fender Strat has been relegated to the back of the wardrobe. All I would say, is that a change of strings to Ernie Ball Super Slinky after about 4 weeks of ownership, and a tweak to the intonation improved the guitar to faultless. Not keen on the highly glossed fretboard on the Sire at all…
There is something special about those Performer Teles. I really like mine too
That shiny neck on the Sire freaked me out.
@@FilmFlam Why? Fender does glossy fretboards on many models.
I don't like glossy fretboards either. They look either sticky or too non-absorbant to me. My sweaty fingers would feel sloppy on one of those.
I have a sire P5 Marcus miller bass and a couple of fender ultra bass’s. Pound for pound sire wins hands down & sire neck is fantastic
Sire guitars are insanely good.
EVEN DOE THE FENDER AND IT COST A LOT MORE THE T7 BEST IT IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE IT IN A HIGHER LEVEL SHAME ON YOU FENDER!!!!!
As a beginner and being on a very fixed income, the T-7 is the choice for me. I love the Tele, but simply can't afford to pay more than twice the money for the Tele. Love to have one though.
The T7 is a great guitar. I hope you enjoy it!
After I can save the money to buy one, I'll let you know. The difference in price is crazy, for the actual differences
@@captainkirk1745 The extra money is often worth it over the long haul- the American Fenders last a lifetime & sound great. Many of the budget guitars are great to begin with until they fall apart after a couple of years, the frets wear out etc. That said - for a beginner the T-7 is an excellent choice, as are Squier guitars. Cheap guitars are made to an excellent standard these days vs the past (when many of them were truely horrible!)
@@PrisonerD That may well be true, however, you still have to save the money to pay for it. If it is twice as expensive, it will take twice as long to save up and buy it. As a 70 year old disabled veteran, that's a tall hill to climb. If money was no obstacle, I'd already have a '51 or '55 Telecaster. Big 'if' and at my age, unrealistic. Reminds me,of the old saying about 'ifs'; "if a frog could, he'd carry a 45 pistol and shoot snakes, and not bump his ass when he hops". 😁 Same odds.
@@captainkirk1745 There’s a big jump from a player series Telecaster at $1100 and a ’51 - I was not implying in my comment that you should buy the most expensive guitar possible. You commented that the difference in price is crazy, but it’s not - in the Fender you’ll get a guitar that will last (as your ’51 example suggests, those guitars are still going after 72 years!) built from proven materials vs one that may or may not. In your situation, that doesn’t matter, so the T7 will be great & I’m sure with all the positive reviews it will work out. The quality of cheap guitars these days is outstanding vs. the past.
The Fender string alignment was off, bass string almost hanging off fretboard and as usual on Am Stds/Performers, the string tree was crooked. I have an Am Std Strat and the Sire S7 easily competes with it.
Yep.
The Sire was superior. It sounds better, has better specs and it half (or less) the price. About the only thing to say about the fender is that the resale value will be better. If you are buying to resale - get the fender. If not, get the Sire. I utterly dislike the fender's 4x4 neck joint. If you have 7 inch-long fingers, the fender may not annoy you. The Big F is clearly not keeping up with the times. Charvel is a "Fender" without all the ancient flaws or look into a Schecter.
I would take the T7 for its neck alone considering as of today it's $100 less expensive as a Fender player series. I can't justify $1300 for a guitar that's just a name. I think companies like Sire force Fender, Gibson to up there quality and value or lose a lot of market share.
Probably plenty of the replies are similar to mine but to my ears fender sounds better. The T7 sounds really good if I was gonna drop 1300 to 1400 today on a new guitar I would probably get T7 and a S7 or a tele with P 90s or something different. That T7 sure looks good on here.
Nice review I appreciate a good review video.. I am interested in a good solid Tele and the Sire T-7 looks great and sounds great🤘🏻
Unfair comparison; the Fender Performer is twice the price of the T7; should compare it more against the Squiers or comparable priced Fender. From the dollar value perspective based on appointments with T7 . T7 gives you more for your money, hands down.
I wish there was a better demo, a great player playing both guitars through a Fender Deluxe without the EFX…that would give a much better idea of how they actually sound. Also, you can’t get an idea of how they feel and their playability from this…there’s really no substitute for actually playing the guitar.
Yeah hmmm..I don’t own either guitar or even own an electric guitar and the Sire just left that Fender in the dust for tone. Disappointing!
The T7 sounds great. I hear more clarity from the Sire pickups. That roasted maple neck looks awesome too.
Very sad to see that two years later Fender still has failed to innovate. Especially sad when you see everyone has copied their products and brought them into the future. Fender need to pull their finger out and stop living in the past or they might end up like Nokia.
Would it not be better to compare to an entry level Fender Mexican that is in the same price range? In terms of tone.
Fender all day long guys 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
Got the T7 and a Fender Player Made in Mexico and while th Sire 7 seems good just doesnt have that Telecaster Sound. It's great for the price if you swap those pickups and definetly need to lower the action as too high at default. Fender Player was perfect out of the box no tuning needed either so for me Fender all the way as well Mexico,Japan, USA. Also have the G&L ASAT Tele and that is better sounding than the Sire as well.
The Sire sounds a lot better
The neck on the fender isn't centered. Hopefully it didn't leave the factory that way...
I have a Fender Professional Tele with a rosewood fretboard but have been wanting to try a roasted maple neck. Is the Sire T7 good enough to make me want to put down my Fender occasionally to play it?
Oh yeah sure, it's a nice guitar especially for the money.
Sire embarrasses Fender. You'd have to get a CS Fender to even come close to this $600 Sire T7.
fender definitely has that vintage sound, sire is definitely more modern sounding like yamaha and ibanez
Give me the Sire T7 all day long.
On my computer they sound the same. But neck is the biggest deal for me.
Love the riff! Very pretenders ! 👍👍sire !!
The Fender didn’t sound twice as good even though it costs twice as much.
I've owned an American Performer for the past three years -- Sonic Satin Blue with a gorgeous rosewood board. The Yosemite pickups really harken back to traditional Tele tones, but to my ears with greater clarity and less shrill, especially in the bridge pickup. And the grease bucket technology is great for rolling back the tone without getting a muddy sound. I think this whole series flies a bit under the radar in the Fender ecosystem, and that's a shame. It really is a great axe, and for the price, a very compelling choice for buying an American-made version of this iconic brand
I couldn't agree with you more. That is a great series of guitars. Thank you for watching the video.
Just got a T7, for 165€ brand new !!! Unbeatable price for a very good guitar !!!
I have a question. You said after the honeymoon period there were some minor QC issues with the T7..At the price point for the Fender does that mean you would never have any issues, or is it common for any piece of equipment at any price?
Any guitar can have a QC issue at any price range. However, the problem with the T7 is the nut was cut too shallow and it was causing problems with the intonation of the guitar. It was nothing major and something that I could fix myself
@@alansamsmusic Thanks..Considering the T7 myself.
Thanks for your time and a very nice video.
Would have liked a touch of lead on the Sire, just a couple of notes and maybe a run through the p/up selections on both. The neck p/up on Teles is...we know........... a critical area in a different way. Two p/up double-stopped country bending is huge on a Tele but it can take a couple of minutes with a screwdriver to balance the p/ups - get that right. Or you can do a gleeful "David O'List" murder-and-mayhem....................and get your record pulled by Leonard Bernstein...........................
Now we know the Sire will do Mid-West frat-rock dumb rhythm. It's bright.
Chicken-picking? ......bu.....bb.......bu.......>burk
This video, once again, feels like you leveled up ;) great work and great video
Thanks man I really appreciate that
i like the sire. never buy a new fender. save yourself a couple hundred bucks. buy used.
You didn’t play any single notes on the T7 but I couldn’t tell any difference in the sound. Question for you, do you think most people have a bias for “overseas” made guitars, like somehow they just don’t measure up to American made?
You know, I do think that some musicians still look down on instruments that are made overseas. It used to be that if a guitar was built in the U.S. that automatically meant it was going to be a high quality guitar. I think that mentality is slowly starting to change some. By manufacturing a really good product companies like Sire are taking big steps in helping to change the old school mentality. The minor QC issues aside you’re going to be hard pressed to find a guitar that is as good as the T7 for that price.Thank you for the question and thank you for taking the time to watch the video
I thought the sire sounded cheap and cuppy.
PERO SI NO HAS DICHO NADA AMIGO,NINGUNA CONCLUSIÓN,NADA
The T7 is a great value. The only downside I see are the weaker pickups.
Thought the sire sounded good, especially for the money. Bought an 59 outfit Epiphone LP. Great value, sings on every fret.
Thanks for checking out the channel
Right, so no conclusion or useful information at all.
Thanks you for this video. My first time seeing one of your videos and I'm subscribed now
I’m glad you enjoyed the video thank you for subscribing
I love Fender teles but I was shocked at how good the Sire sounded! It was sparkly, had more jangle and to me it out teled the tele! The thing we can’t get from this shoot out is that all important feel.
SIRE ALL THE WAY😊
Fender all the way
does the Sire have a gloss finish on the neck?
No. Smooth and unfettered.
Thanks for the comparison.
Really enjoyed this series, keep it up 👍
Thank you for watching the videos
I've always associated Larry with a Gibson 335
New subscriber btw.
Thanks for subscribing
Damn it!! Just be honest.. I'm tired of these channels trying to get guitar company kick backs or sponsors... its turned into a racket.. don'teave us hanging... I won't watch this channel again...
Well, tough subject, would I buy a copy of an instrument that started the revolution of solid body guitars? Frankly, no I would not regardless how good it might be. A copy will never have the tradition, heritage and soul of the real thing not to mention the resale price years later. Companies making copies have come and gone over the years but be real things are still around and continue to be. Remember El Maya guitars of the late 70's? Great copies of Fenders and Gibson, gone for a long time even from search engines on the net.
I own a bunch of guitars, many, but all original and no copies and, interestingly, I can sell any of them for more than I paid for, if needed to, but that will never be the case for a copy no matter how good it is. Finally, all of my guitar heroes, from Clapton to Hendrix, Gilmour, Richards..... played the real things. That is my take on this.
El maya didnt go down because it wasnt selling enough.. el maya went down because of a massive earthquake that destroyed the entire factory and killed about 5500 thousand people with 33,000 wounded and about 183,000+ buildings destroyed being one of the worst earthquakes in japans history that made 300.000+ people homeless in just a night.
no wonder el maya didnt survive.. for the rest of your take i dont really care to respond to it.
anyway just some info for you on why el maya is gone, and would most likely had been around still if not for that earthquake
@@SubutaiTuul I did not know and I am sorry to hear that. I do own an SG copy El Maya from the late 70's and it wasn't cheap, well built, set neck but a bit narrower than the Gibson. I still have it but rarely play it. Thanks for the info.
@@francescotenti193 no problem
How about Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Roy Buchanan, Robert Cray, etc?
@@ChromaticHarp what about them?
I would love to see a comparison between sire s7 and silver sky se
I wondering myself
Great content!! Subbed
Thank you I really appreciate that!
Exactly what were the QC issues you spoke of?
The issue I had with this T7 was the nut wasn't cut deep enough and it was causing intonation issues.
@@alansamsmusic
That could have been a one off situation, good review though, nice guitars
People forget it is always easier and cheaper for you to copy than you invent and design.
What were the small QC issues that you fixed yourself?
I had to file the nut out a bit. It was too shallow on the treble side other than that I think it was more like making truss rod adjustments and setup stuff
@@alansamsmusic cheers!
Honest review! Can you tell us a bit more about the QC issues you encountered?
Sure, the main issues were just setup related. Had to adjust the saddles and pickup height primarily. I also had to file the nut on the low E a bit. They are great guitars, but I would recommend taking it to your local tech for a proper setup.
A little setup work was needed on my T7 also. The B string had a sitar sound. With a little filing it plays great now. No issues besides that. It is a great guitar!
For 60.00 most dealers will set up you guitar before it even ships to you. Worth the money and still 700.00 plus less than the Fender. Throw in a hard shell and a nice practice amp. Sorry Fender.