I bought the Sire s7 over a Fender Professional II. No regrets whatsoever! Great sound, great feel and plays like buttery smooth! Pickups are really good too. The neck feels custom made for my hand too. Saved $1k so bought a new Roland JC40 to go along with. Incredible combination for sound!
I've purchached the S7 natural flame maple top also. I love it! I've several Strats, Mexican player, USA, Custom Shop. I've bought it because it's a HSS and therefore is more versatile in a Coverband where you need a lot of different clean and high gain sounds and not want to switch guitars too often. It was a suprise for me that the neck, neck-middle, middle pick positions sound exactly the the same as my custom shop Fender Strat. The S7 has the better tremolo bridge and when you use it heavy the locking tuners are a welcome addition. The neck is suberb. The only thing I want to change is the tone control pot and some Dunlop straplocks. There is also a treble bleed circuit on the volume pot. If you cut off the resistor/capacitor the guitar loses some of it's high end harshness.. That's personal preference. Nice video!
For me the Fender has a more strat jingle twinkle, the Sire is more round, warmer midd... It almost sounds like a real strat.. I like the two. OK let's get a Gretch :)
I liked the Fender better in every position except one: the humbucker in the S7 bridge position sounds better than the single coil in the Player bridge position.
I bought the Sire S7 FM Blue V2 with coil splitting in the bridge and it's not a just for the money comparison, it actually plays better than the Fender. Frets are better finished, no sprouting and I get better tonal variety from the Sire pickups compared to the Fender's which are very narrow sounding. The locking tuners are also stepped so I don't have to bother with a crappy string tree resulting in much better tuning stability! I know fanboys will standby their selected favorite name brands but I KNOW I got a much better guitar for even less money! The big 3 have rested on their "Made in America" BS for way to long putting out mediocre quality guitars and just like the arrogance that ruined the auto industry, they're now losing ground daily!
I can’t play yet but bought the same exact sire and it’s a beauty. Put fender on the headstock and we would have paid what? $1800 or better you think? At least $1500
I just got a S7 vintage a week ago. I love it. Pickups are great and tone variations are too. Craftsmanship A plus. I agree that it is better than the Fender. Fenders in the 1200.00 and signature models are better, but you pay for it a small difference. You can't compare a maple fingerboard next to rosewood. Completely different tonal qualities. Should have compared the S7 vintage to the player with a maple fingerboard. Also every guitar has to have a set up done for your playing style, especially a Strat type guitar.
I certainly think the Sire has a better spec. My only reservation is that with the Fender, you can change the electronics, pick guard colour, and the neck if you're into periodically changing the look and sound of the guitar. If Sire sell replacement necks and pick guards (and I don't know if they do or not), then for me, the Sire would be a hands down winner.
I give the Fender the advantage on the neck pickup, other than that the Sire shines. If you wanted to replace the Sire pickups. You could install a pair of say fender custom shop Texas specials and still be into the Sire for a bit less money and have a ridicules guitar for under $900.
Well I really like your playing I think I should get a few lessons in, nice playing. Regards the two guitars I thought the S7 sounded a bit muddy as you rolled off the tone and was quite harsh compared to the Fender but that could be me. Anyway, most helpful as I was considering a Larry Carlton. Thanks.
I agree. The Player sounds more Straty in this demo. The pickups are sweeter, with a bit more mids. The Sire’s middle and neck pickups are brighter and ,with less mids…thinner. In a playing or recording situation you could likely eq the guitar, amp or modeler to dial in (or out) what you want to hear from the Sire’s single coils. As with all shootouts, in a real world situation you wouldn’t be a/b-ing against another guitar, so it’s just ‘does it work for you.’ I currently have the pure Strat thing covered nicely and am looking for an affordable HSS. The Sire is looking and sounding very good. Thanks for this demo, it really shows all the tones the Sire can produce against a good reference point- the Fender Player Stratocaster.
Sire is thinner in sound but an upgrade with the pickups would make it something amazing. So buying a sire and buying USA pickups instead of a MX strat and putting in USA pickups. However a lot of UA-cam guys on site and that neck needs rounding and frets . This is where MX strat would win due to the workers ergonomically making these guitars and small hands makes the final touches a lot better.
Fender sounds better to me with gain. Sire gets a bit muddy. Without direct comparison i don’t think most could tell to make a huge difference. Most people change pickups at some point anyway so get which speaks to you looks and feel. I went S7 fm because of neck, quality features and i think the transparent blue looks amazing personally. Also just starting out i don’t even know what my favorite tones or sounds are yet. Plus with amp, pedals and computer you can pretty much get sounds almost identical anyway. I will give another nod for fender because upgrading is way easier with drop in parts but only upgrade i think sire would ever need is pickups if the stick ones aren’t your flavor
Thank you for the review! To my ears the Sire sounds like it has a more buttery smoother tone that blends nicer in the mix, while the fender has a more sparkly one with a bit of attitude that gets a bit more in front. I prefer the sire's sound in the mix from what you've shown us. I feel like they complete 2 different roles. If you're a live guitarist that wants his guitar to cut through when he's soloing i'd say fender is the way to go, for me, i'm getting a sire for the studio sound. But then again, if you're a live guitarist the locking tuners are not a bad idea either so....... dunno, you can upgrade later if you feel the need for them i suppose.
@@QuantumGamingUploads Possibly, but I think with the quality they're poised to give Fender a run for their money. Either way these impressive mid priced guitars are forcing the established builders to step up their game giving is better choices.
Would have been cool to hear you compare a Strat HSS with that Sire. Obviously, price wise there's a big difference and would love to be able to compare the two. I own a American Strat HSS and would consider selling it to swap for a Sire if the tone is right...but need to hear them in comparison. That Sire sure sounds good for that price.
I think the Fender sounds the best and l am happy since l am lefty and Sire doesn’t make strat style in left. They say they do but extensive search in USA yields no luck.
Close enough that I would definitely take the Sire over Fender. Price, imput jack placement and fretwork. Still not sure if I like the gloss fretboard but maybe there will now be no fretboard maintenance besides a quick dust off.
Hi Johnny, thanks for this video, great comparison! I've just received my Sire S7 and am absolutely loving it! The only thing I think I'd upgrade on it would be the pick ups, maybe just the middle and next position picks... would you recommend any good single coil pickups ? Many thanks again! :)
Hi. I swapped out the Sire S7 HSS Pickups for House of Tone boutique hand wound pickups (Alnico 2/2/5 magnets) and also had a Freeway switch selector (from Amazon) mod fitted which gives a total of x10 series/parallel tone positions. I'm much happier with the tones now.
@@keithb5612 Thanks! Nice one... i'd never heard of that brand, will check them out. I was thinking of some Suhr pickups and also the Fender Texas Special ones... but in the end someone recommended to me some hand wound pickups made in Argentina, it's a brand called Diliberto Pickups, I live in Spain and they have shop in Madrid... so I ordered a HSS set of these for 200€... can't wait to get them up and running! Interesting too the Freeway Selector thing! Cheers :)
I don't know .... what is the definition of 'Strat tone' ???? Most people would refer it to 'Fender stratocaster' 's tone , right ??? Then a Fender should sound like a Fender .... isn't that normal ??? So, saying Fender sounds more like a Fender is weird in this kind of comparison. We might compare peach and plum to see which one taste like mango more but compare peach to a kind of mango to see which one is more like a mango ... is it weird ??? Strat shape guitar should sound Straty ???? ... really ??? where did the idea come from ??? If so, what a point that we should have hundreds of Strat-shaped guitar brand ??? I don't think Larry Carlton had tried to copy Fender tone ... he just make it sound like what he prefer. So the comparison should be the quality, price, playability, tone difference ... but not ... which one is more Straty. At the end of the day, if you want Fender sound, then go buy Fender. If you prefer Gibson sound, go buy Gibson. It doesn't make any sense to buy a guitar and want it to sound like another. (Your wife wouldn't like that idea too hahaha) And that 's why I have a few of Sire and a few of Fender myself. I play Sire more cuz it's more comfortable for me and my hands. But sometimes I do need Fender's tone or sometimes I miss playing Fender. Each of them is like a total different girls to me and that's why it makes perfect sense to have them both. ^ ^
Everybody seems to compare the Sire to a Fender with Pau Ferro fretboard, maybe because of the dark color of the S7's roasted maple. Tonewise, the better choice would be the One Piece Maple Version of the Strat, which to my ears has much more of that bell-like tone many are looking for. BTW, you sometimes find issues like frets sticking out of the neck sides on both Sire and Fender guitars - I wouldn't buy either one unplayed.
Nice video but IMO the Larry Carlton HSS & SSS Strats are vastly superior to the Fender players and more expensive fenders. Tuners are not just locking they are stepped the nut neck rolled off frets and body cut is superior . I have the white Tele version and that’s also a fender giant killer.👍
i’m about to buy a new guitar and want a strat like guitar. I was really thinking about buying a player but now this has changed my mind a little. How do the specs compare?
Unfair comparison, you should test it with a maple neck Fender, it has differend and much glassier tone than pau fero. Sire has also one peace neck here?
I liked all the features of Sire S7 and and was planning to get one.Also very goo for my budget.However, comparing to fender, even player series, Sire sounded too simple and artificial against it.
Я купил s 7 в белом цвете на синглах! Я буду менять звукосниматели на сет Dimarzio! Гитара превосходного качества! У меня был Фендер Де люкс мексика и он намного хуже по качеству!
Sire by a mile! The Fender isn't even comparable, costs more, less features, less quality hardware and the so called revered pickups pale in comparison overall. Sire also has straight pull going to the headstock so no need for those terrible string trees that f up your tuning! Sire STAYS in tune, Fender? Retune after 1-2 songs every time! And forget the whammy bar on a Fender, use, re-tune, use, re-tune, use, re-tune. Wash, rinse, repeat!
That may be, however the build quality on the Sire guitars are much,much better. If Fender would pay more attention to detail on their necks/ fret construction on the Player series they'd have a winner.
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.
![Fender Player Strat vs Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage [closer than I expected]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/g4uCYfjjBGI/mqdefault.jpg)
I bought the Sire s7 over a Fender Professional II. No regrets whatsoever! Great sound, great feel and plays like buttery smooth! Pickups are really good too. The neck feels custom made for my hand too. Saved $1k so bought a new Roland JC40 to go along with. Incredible combination for sound!
I've purchached the S7 natural flame maple top also. I love it! I've several Strats, Mexican player, USA, Custom Shop. I've bought it because it's a HSS and therefore is more versatile in a Coverband where you need a lot of different clean and high gain sounds and not want to switch guitars too often. It was a suprise for me that the neck, neck-middle, middle pick positions sound exactly the the same as my custom shop Fender Strat. The S7 has the better tremolo bridge and when you use it heavy the locking tuners are a welcome addition. The neck is suberb. The only thing I want to change is the tone control pot and some Dunlop straplocks. There is also a treble bleed circuit on the volume pot. If you cut off the resistor/capacitor the guitar loses some of it's high end harshness.. That's personal preference. Nice video!
Where is that resistor specifically located? I would like to do the same to my blue S7 fm
@@robz1980its in your volume pot a small orange circle things attached with two wires
For me the Fender has a more strat jingle twinkle, the Sire is more round, warmer midd... It almost sounds like a real strat.. I like the two. OK let's get a Gretch :)
I liked the Fender better in every position except one: the humbucker in the S7 bridge position sounds better than the single coil in the Player bridge position.
my man really said: 🗿 on 1:35
Fantastic playing. I got a S7 and its just wonderful.
Good vid
I bought the Sire S7 FM Blue V2 with coil splitting in the bridge and it's not a just for the money comparison, it actually plays better than the Fender. Frets are better finished, no sprouting and I get better tonal variety from the Sire pickups compared to the Fender's which are very narrow sounding. The locking tuners are also stepped so I don't have to bother with a crappy string tree resulting in much better tuning stability! I know fanboys will standby their selected favorite name brands but I KNOW I got a much better guitar for even less money! The big 3 have rested on their "Made in America" BS for way to long putting out mediocre quality guitars and just like the arrogance that ruined the auto industry, they're now losing ground daily!
I can’t play yet but bought the same exact sire and it’s a beauty. Put fender on the headstock and we would have paid what? $1800 or better you think? At least $1500
They're both fine. I probably buy the Player, but I'd be happy happy happy with the S7 also.
loved your cover of dire straits : )
I agree with @dannyplaysguitar: Sire is insane for the money!
The S7 vintage would have been a better comparison here. I’m my opinion it knocks the Fender out of the park !!
I just got a S7 vintage a week ago. I love it. Pickups are great and tone variations are too. Craftsmanship A plus. I agree that it is better than the Fender. Fenders in the 1200.00 and signature models are better, but you pay for it a small difference. You can't compare a maple fingerboard next to rosewood. Completely different tonal qualities. Should have compared the S7 vintage to the player with a maple fingerboard. Also every guitar has to have a set up done for your playing style, especially a Strat type guitar.
Thanks for the interesting video Johnny. It made my buying decision much easier. All the best for 2022!
I certainly think the Sire has a better spec. My only reservation is that with the Fender, you can change the electronics, pick guard colour, and the neck if you're into periodically changing the look and sound of the guitar. If Sire sell replacement necks and pick guards (and I don't know if they do or not), then for me, the Sire would be a hands down winner.
I give the Fender the advantage on the neck pickup, other than that the Sire shines. If you wanted to replace the Sire pickups. You could install a pair of say fender custom shop Texas specials and still be into the Sire for a bit less money and have a ridicules guitar for under $900.
Well I really like your playing I think I should get a few lessons in, nice playing.
Regards the two guitars I thought the S7 sounded a bit muddy as you rolled off the tone and was quite harsh compared to the Fender but that could be me.
Anyway, most helpful as I was considering a Larry Carlton.
Thanks.
I agree. The Player sounds more Straty in this demo. The pickups are sweeter, with a bit more mids. The Sire’s middle and neck pickups are brighter and ,with less mids…thinner. In a playing or recording situation you could likely eq the guitar, amp or modeler to dial in (or out) what you want to hear from the Sire’s single coils. As with all shootouts, in a real world situation you wouldn’t be a/b-ing against another guitar, so it’s just ‘does it work for you.’
I currently have the pure Strat thing covered nicely and am looking for an affordable HSS. The Sire is looking and sounding very good. Thanks for this demo, it really shows all the tones the Sire can produce against a good reference point- the Fender Player Stratocaster.
You deserve a much bigger audience Johnny
Thanks very much! 👍🎶
Sire is thinner in sound but an upgrade with the pickups would make it something amazing. So buying a sire and buying USA pickups instead of a MX strat and putting in USA pickups. However a lot of UA-cam guys on site and that neck needs rounding and frets . This is where MX strat would win due to the workers ergonomically making these guitars and small hands makes the final touches a lot better.
Thinner sounding? Not on my Sire at all. Much better mid-range than anything Fender offers. Amp settings in these videos has a lot do with it.
If you think so then use your guitars tone control' that's what it's made for and learn to EQ the amp.
Fender sounds better to me with gain. Sire gets a bit muddy. Without direct comparison i don’t think most could tell to make a huge difference. Most people change pickups at some point anyway so get which speaks to you looks and feel. I went S7 fm because of neck, quality features and i think the transparent blue looks amazing personally. Also just starting out i don’t even know what my favorite tones or sounds are yet. Plus with amp, pedals and computer you can pretty much get sounds almost identical anyway. I will give another nod for fender because upgrading is way easier with drop in parts but only upgrade i think sire would ever need is pickups if the stick ones aren’t your flavor
Thank you for the review! To my ears the Sire sounds like it has a more buttery smoother tone that blends nicer in the mix, while the fender has a more sparkly one with a bit of attitude that gets a bit more in front. I prefer the sire's sound in the mix from what you've shown us. I feel like they complete 2 different roles. If you're a live guitarist that wants his guitar to cut through when he's soloing i'd say fender is the way to go, for me, i'm getting a sire for the studio sound. But then again, if you're a live guitarist the locking tuners are not a bad idea either so....... dunno, you can upgrade later if you feel the need for them i suppose.
Good to see you back - great video, both strats sound nice.
Thank you! 👍🎶
The Sire is better in every way. Even if you upgrade the pickups, you're coming in cheaper than Fender.
Hi! Would you recommend any specific single coil pickups to upgrade the Sire? I'm thinking of upgrading the pickups on my S7
@@QuantumGamingUploads So far the Sire's I've checked on Reverb are holding their value very well.
@@QuantumGamingUploads Possibly, but I think with the quality they're poised to give Fender a run for their money. Either way these impressive mid priced guitars are forcing the established builders to step up their game giving is better choices.
Would have been cool to hear you compare a Strat HSS with that Sire. Obviously, price wise there's a big difference and would love to be able to compare the two. I own a American Strat HSS and would consider selling it to swap for a Sire if the tone is right...but need to hear them in comparison. That Sire sure sounds good for that price.
I think the Fender sounds the best and l am happy since l am lefty and Sire doesn’t make strat style in left. They say they do but extensive search in USA yields no luck.
Close enough that I would definitely take the Sire over Fender. Price, imput jack placement and fretwork. Still not sure if I like the gloss fretboard but maybe there will now be no fretboard maintenance besides a quick dust off.
I bought the Sire S7FM over a Fender Player Plus series. The Sire is just overall a killer guitar! Hard to beat!!
Wow sire easily beat fender. I need to go and buy a sire. Great guitar 😂
Dzień dobry mam pytanie Który Gryf jest grubszy który jest bardziej wygodny bo ja wolę raczej grubsze gryfy? Pozdrawiam serdecznie z Polski 🇵🇱😊🧐☕😎
Who plays with the tone all rolled off super dark?
Perfect! Thank you!
Hi Johnny, thanks for this video, great comparison! I've just received my Sire S7 and am absolutely loving it! The only thing I think I'd upgrade on it would be the pick ups, maybe just the middle and next position picks... would you recommend any good single coil pickups ? Many thanks again! :)
Hi. I swapped out the Sire S7 HSS Pickups for House of Tone boutique hand wound pickups (Alnico 2/2/5 magnets) and also had a Freeway switch selector (from Amazon) mod fitted which gives a total of x10 series/parallel tone positions. I'm much happier with the tones now.
@@keithb5612 Thanks! Nice one... i'd never heard of that brand, will check them out. I was thinking of some Suhr pickups and also the Fender Texas Special ones... but in the end someone recommended to me some hand wound pickups made in Argentina, it's a brand called Diliberto Pickups, I live in Spain and they have shop in Madrid... so I ordered a HSS set of these for 200€... can't wait to get them up and running! Interesting too the Freeway Selector thing! Cheers :)
@@keithb5612 So does the Freeway switch substitute the 5 way toggle switch or do you have to make another whole for it?
I don't know .... what is the definition of 'Strat tone' ????
Most people would refer it to 'Fender stratocaster' 's tone , right ???
Then a Fender should sound like a Fender .... isn't that normal ???
So, saying Fender sounds more like a Fender is weird in this kind of comparison.
We might compare peach and plum to see which one taste like mango more
but compare peach to a kind of mango to see which one is more like a mango ... is it weird ???
Strat shape guitar should sound Straty ???? ... really ??? where did the idea come from ???
If so, what a point that we should have hundreds of Strat-shaped guitar brand ???
I don't think Larry Carlton had tried to copy Fender tone ... he just make it sound like what he prefer.
So the comparison should be the quality, price, playability, tone difference ... but not ... which one is more Straty.
At the end of the day, if you want Fender sound, then go buy Fender. If you prefer Gibson sound, go buy Gibson.
It doesn't make any sense to buy a guitar and want it to sound like another. (Your wife wouldn't like that idea too hahaha)
And that 's why I have a few of Sire and a few of Fender myself.
I play Sire more cuz it's more comfortable for me and my hands.
But sometimes I do need Fender's tone or sometimes I miss playing Fender.
Each of them is like a total different girls to me and that's why it makes perfect sense to have them both. ^ ^
Great video!
hello! Thanks for the video! Can you do a T7 vs Player Tele?
I've had both, the Sire was much better. The Player Tele frets were horrible. Having said that, my player strat was great!
Hi, I haven't played a T7 yet. If I can get my hands on one, I'll do a video. 👍🎶
@@johnnycoxguitarbassschool3957 thanks in advance!
What great playing!
Everybody seems to compare the Sire to a Fender with Pau Ferro fretboard, maybe because of the dark color of the S7's roasted maple. Tonewise, the better choice would be the One Piece Maple Version of the Strat, which to my ears has much more of that bell-like tone many are looking for. BTW, you sometimes find issues like frets sticking out of the neck sides on both Sire and Fender guitars - I wouldn't buy either one unplayed.
Nice video but IMO the Larry Carlton HSS & SSS Strats are vastly superior to the Fender players and more expensive fenders. Tuners are not just locking they are stepped the nut neck rolled off frets and body cut is superior .
I have the white Tele version and that’s also a fender giant killer.👍
i’m about to buy a new guitar and want a strat like guitar. I was really thinking about buying a player but now this has changed my mind a little. How do the specs compare?
@@Smokey_bearz i am selling my strat player for The fire s7 tiger blue. They dont compare not even close
@@ybissonnette thanks for the input. Definitely going to buy an S7 in 3 tone sunburst this week 👌
@@Smokey_bearz How do you like your s7?
Thinking of buying one!
I'm thinking that the roasted maple neck on the sire guitar gives it the better tone.
I love fenders but if my sire s7 with flamed maple veneer had fender on headstock my guitar would have started at at least $1500-1800 guaranteed
Fender pickups sound way better.
Unfair comparison, you should test it with a maple neck Fender, it has differend and much glassier tone than pau fero. Sire has also one peace neck here?
. Are you asking a question on one 'piece ' neck... or I already know the answer to the question I'm asking ?
Only real problem is the helix amp models
Should have compared it to the American Deluxe Strat. At least that would have been fair for fender.
One has locking nuts bone nut shaved conture better Wang bar better neck strats ask way to much money. But good video
I liked all the features of Sire S7 and and was planning to get one.Also very goo for my budget.However, comparing to fender, even player series, Sire sounded too simple and artificial against it.
Swap the tuners and nut and you have a gig monster
Why? The locking tuners and bone nut.
The Old tuners and nut comment lives on LoL
Я купил s 7 в белом цвете на синглах! Я буду менять звукосниматели на сет Dimarzio! Гитара превосходного качества! У меня был Фендер Де люкс мексика и он намного хуже по качеству!
Sire by a mile! The Fender isn't even comparable, costs more, less features, less quality hardware and the so called revered pickups pale in comparison overall. Sire also has straight pull going to the headstock so no need for those terrible string trees that f up your tuning! Sire STAYS in tune, Fender? Retune after 1-2 songs every time! And forget the whammy bar on a Fender, use, re-tune, use, re-tune, use, re-tune. Wash, rinse, repeat!
It’s just a brand but Sire is the best
Sire è una bella chitarra ma il suono fender è unico !
The Sire sounds "glittery" here.
S7 is way better
Fender player is much better on this test...
Fender sounds better!
Yeah, I agree. Sounds more like a Strat, as I want to hear a Strat sounding anyway.
That may be, however the build quality on the Sire guitars are much,much better. If Fender would pay more attention to detail on their necks/ fret construction on the Player series they'd have a winner.
Fender es fender
The Fender is just a significantly better sounding guitar…
😌 P R O M O S M!!!
Actualy the S7 is lighter
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.
Sweetwater had mine setup, inspected and shipped to me within one week.
I've seen this fake review on over 15 different videos now. Sounds to me like you aren't much of an actual player?