DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY.... Larry Carlton L7 Review

[@greekfreak1980]

The guitar sounds kinda bright, because Larry Carlton apparently wanted a more bright tone and they have ''treble bleed'' capacitors in the tone pots installed. That goes also for the regular humbucker version the Sire ''Larry Carlton modern'' humbuckers are supposedly less warm & more bright also. According to some people, who replaced the stock humbuckers and removed the ''treble bleed'' circuit from the tone pots, the guitar can give you the classic Les Paul tone. The stock full-size humbuckers are also very low output and designed more for jazzy/bluesy tones and not really for heavier rock but with other pickups you can get that fat L/P rock/metal tone. I'm actually tempted to get the ''Black Beauty'' replica with the humbuckers, swap a Duncan JB/Jazz or JB/59 set on it and some chrome scratch plate/ knobs and turn it into a John Sykes ''tribute model''.

[@SuperEssenceOfficial]

great info!! i forgot why I discounted the Sire from my search for a modern les paul and this video was why: the brighter tone. Glad to know I can fix it with pickups replacement.

[@greekfreak1980]

@@SuperEssenceOfficial Remove the treble-bleed circuit and I'm sure you can get the classic L/P tone even with the stock Sire pickups and some tweaking of the amp settings. For Blues/ Classic Rock, they should be fine, for more high-gain styles you might need some higher output pickups though. It's not very difficult to remove the treble-bleed, if you don't know how, there are tutorials online, takes less than 5 minutes. This treble-bleed thing is something that many old school session players really liked.

[@SK__Guitar777]

I have one of these (L7V with P90s) since Jan this year, I've done a few lengthy demos and a new follow up demo on my channel, mine arrived flawlessly and I still love this guitar deeply.

[@ericschwartz8778]

I throughly enjoy your honest, interesting and informative reviews. Your diverse guitar playing is fascinating. Thanks!

[@prestige35able]

Ive been watching for years now. You have really improved in your playing. Sounded great!

[@ramencurry6672]

He needs to be on TV

[@orryfishburne5326]

Ive been wanting an LV7 since they came out. They always sell out so fast

[@sabtekmusic8967]

I have a Gold top version with humbuckers. I agree that it sounds a little thinner than a Les Paul but it is a great Guitar and I think the sound is what sets it apart. It also does not break your back like a Les Paul can! I think it kind of sounds like a cross between a Les Paul and a Telecaster. I actually have the Telecaster from Sire with Humbuckers on with a floating trem and it's a beast! Always like your reviews Henning as it's no nonsense and straight to the point. Cheers.

[@alanlatimer1024]

I like bright humb😅ucking tones with clarity and not muddy which Les Paul's can be sometimes but this has P-90s which sound fantastic to me great clarity and some fatness as well

[@DonnieDailey]

Greetings from Long Island NY USA. Thank you for an enjoyable and informative video. I'm a recent subscriber. I learned about your channel through Phil McKnight. I chose the Sire S7 FM for myself and have been happy with it. All the best, DD

[@vasotoe]

Bonus points for the Tube Screamer pillow 🤗

[@robertaugustine5350]

I own a first Gen L7 with the Humbuckers. One on my main gig guitars. Great tones all around and no noise like those. Only mod I have done is a push/pull in the neck pickup for single coil mode. Best $700 I’ve ever owned.

[@menschlicheswesen84]

How many L7 Gen's do exist...? And how do i know wich Gen is mine...?

[@robertaugustine5350]

@@menschlicheswesen84 My guess is anyone with humbuckers is a Gen 1. Build date of 2021 or 2022.

[@slowlane2518]

I think the smooth cutout on the back at the neck was done more to prevent Gibson from suing them for copyright infringement. Same for the pointing horn.

[@Patriot1777]

I own one in black and Gold with humbuckers, absolutely love it.😊

[@danwoodmusic2025]

I got the exact same guitar two days ago and it's instantly my favourite of my 15 guitar collection. I can't get over how nice it feels and the sounds are incredible, especially from the the middle switch position, a truly superb instrument. 🥰

[@Jakobus22]

20:08 love this riff, is it from a song?

[@slythespacecat]

Henning is so down to earth and funny that sometimes i forget how much of an incredible proper beast he is on the guitar

[@Сунђербобан]

Even when he makes a mistake while playing he doesnt edit that out

[@johnnymac2201]

There's a lot of repaired Sire guitars at Thomann. Do you think there is an inherent problem with them that's causing so many neck breaks?

[@Rummy73]

Ja

[@fp3359]

Self makeup ?

[@niallshakeshaft1524]

I have a Sire / Larry Carlton electro-acoustic dreadnought that I bought for open mics. The price/quality ratio is phenomenal so now I’m really curious about the rest of the line.

[@tjbitt65]

Tnx for the great review, Henning, been waiting for one of these to get out of backorder. Tnx also for the your reminder at the end of the video to support your local animal shelter. They do such a service and are always in need of support. 👍

[@dkelban]

Great playing and very informative

[@edwardlopez5457]

I have a white L7 with dual humbuckers and I prefer playing it over my 2 LPs. Something very smooth about it.

[@Metalfreak-vv2yc]

Thanks for doing all this research. Looks tedious, but we'll executed. I mostly tinker around and never did a deep dive into reverbs. Thanks for sharing and looking forward to part 2.

[@bassnsax]

The L7 with the Tone King Royalist sounded STELLAR!!! Definitely glassy sounding, but a great sounding guitar. I wonder if a different set of P90s might sway your opinion of the guitar?

[@johnhummer1064]

Well, this is the most helpful review on this guitar (or maybe any guitar) on youtube! Thank you for the thorough review and thoughts.

[@sargeeeltebak4624]

Bought a Chapman ML2 at Bax musicstore in Rotterdam. It had wrongly cut nut. Brought it back for repair--> total mess, and they sell you BS about it too to put it mildly. So dumped it and had my money returned. QC at Chapman uh and they don’t answer your mail. Then bought a Sire L7 same as in this video. It’s perfect. Love the finish and the sound and playability. The P90’s are something else if you don’t want the mandatory humbuckers. I am happy with this one. Love the video! Keep up the good work.

[@andrehahn3089]

I would attribute most of the spankyness and clarity to the aluminium stop tail. I put one of those on my Harley Benton SC-550, which changed the tone from modern LP more towards a Telecaster - brighter sound, more twang. The aluminium tailpiece is also historically correct for P90 Les Pauls from the 50s. These were brighter, had more clarity and more of an „acoustic“ sound when played unplugged. So, if the sound is too similar to a Telecaster for you, try swapping the tailpiece for a modern one.

[@tomcaron9113]

I replaced the bridge on my gold top l7v with a TonePros. Also replaced the output jack with a metal one. The plastic broke while tightening.

[@juana1483]

Where's the buzz/hiss coming from? Amp? Cord? Speaker?

[@ret01101]

If it is not Gibson or Epiphone brand I prefer rectangle inlays instead of trapezoid. Like some Gretsch and some Fender guitars have.

[@Lalairu]

Have you tried the p90 L3? They seem nice. Thanks for the review :D

[@BasementGuitarSuperstar]

Both of these pickups sound great. Holy crap!

[@Czeslaw-d4e]

It make sens for the cutting in the back for lesser weight !!!!! THATS smart

[@nathanhill9006]

I have the the L7 with LC Modern Humbuckers and they sound great although a brighter sound than previous PAF Gibsons I’ve had but it’s hard to remember.

[@X-boomer]

Paired with the tone king that's a nice jazz setup. That's unexpected

[@orryfishburne5326]

This week im finally going to be able to order a new guitar. Im quite sure im going to go with the Yamaha Revstar Standard with p90s, but a slight chance i might give the Sire L7V a shot. Ive been wanting both guitars since they both came out and the stars have not aligned for either one until now. If u could only get one, which one would u pick? Im thinking Revstar, but im curious what your opinion would be.

[@EytschPi42]

I would go for the Revstar

[@orryfishburne5326]

@@EytschPi42 sweet thanks man. I was pretty content on the Revstar, but was having second thoughts. Im definitely going to go with that. Thanks

[@Chip_57]

​@orryfishburne5326 None of the new Revstars have a finish close to that Sire, they are basic colours apart from the unusual burst one. In addition, the new iterations of the Revstar are more expensive but no doubt they are solid guitars.

[@hubieh3374]

I have a theory, that the Sire guitars are a secrets Schecter line... They saw the need for affordable vintage modern guitars after the Nick Johnston model success..

[@greekfreak1980]

No, Sire is a completely different company, originally founded in S.Korea although all their current models are produced in Indonesia. Schecter is owned by the owner of ESP, Hisatake Shibuya and ESP has the Edwards sub-brand who has various, more affordable MIJ vintage style models. They make L/P, Flying V, SG, Explorer, ES, Strat & Tele copies, but you can only get them online in N. America & the Europe, because Gibson & Fender threaten with lawsuits. There are some shops who directly import them from Japan though but prices have gone up. Schecter itself has some models who are more geared towards ''classic rock'', like the Solo Custom-II series, which has L/P, Explorer & V- style guitars loaded with their custom shop ''Pasadena'' humbuckers which are their ''hotrodded P.A.F. '' combo.

[@michaelgallegos8811]

U got fingers prints on it I can see them from here Henning 😂😅,,just kidding man 😂great video yes those Larry Carlton guitars are ok I was kinda interested in the 335 style model but these days I can't afford nothing merry Christmas bro.🍻🤘☃️🎸🎄🎅✨️✨️

[@priorwitness]

Where do you find these crazy hoodies and shirts? They're kind of cool in that nerdy sort of way

[@EytschPi42]

Link in description

[@Guitarpaul666]

If I closed my eyes listening to the sounds, it's almost like hearing a telecaster. It's very bright for a LP clone, perhaps the P90's are not doing it justice.

[@MashaT22]

Or maybe the P90’s are doing it justice! Depends what someone is looking for. If someone likes Tele tones and the LP look, this is their guitar! Although I did hear some darker tones that lean more into LP territory on the bridge pickup. So I’d argue it’s a little of both. To be fair, lots of LP’s have P90’s that sound a bit brighter - Gibson, Epiphones, and clones.

[@grayman7914]

Yeah, how many times you hear that LP owners are going for that tele on steroids tone that old PAFs give you 😅

[@andersbarfodsvaneskolan9378]

The larry carltons have treble bleed on the volume pot.. those circuits can sometime brighten the sound..

[@markhill9275]

Yep, i was thinking crappy tele! It just sounds really thin! Wondering if they are running .22 caps on the P90's. Yeah they have treble bleed, but thats only relevant at lower volumes. I have an Agile AD 201, 2 x 90, and it sounds so much better than this. Was actually thinking of getting this, but now, nup!

[@kmichaelp4508]

@@markhill9275, do you know what a tone control is?

[@redtwox9708]

Forget the guitar... where do I get the Tube Screamer pillow?!?!?!

[@EytschPi42]

Thomann!

[@philippherrberg]

Is it worth the extra money compared to the better Harley Benton not-Les-Pauls?

[@kavemen71]

I have this in a goldtop and love it. I think of it as my LP Special than I didn't pay 1500 dollars for! Something to tune down a half step to play punk. It's really great for the price.

[@davetrombetti4240]

I’m glad you point out the useless cut on the back. I see this on so many guitars now and it’s pointless. Having said that I love the humbucker version of this guitar. Even though I play more of a 70s style rock I love high gain tones. I really want to get this guitar as well. P90s are very nice for mid gain tones and noise is just a fact of life with single coils.

[@antennahead]

My thoughts to the cut in the back: So the brand with the G can not say: It is a Les Paul so you have to pay license fee! 😁 Because there is no G with a cut in the back...

[@ahall3823]

It’s glassy, because that’s what Larry Likes. For working, musician, brighter pickups will be more useful than ‘thick’ pickups. I have the humbucker version and it also has bright sounding pickups too. When it comes to playing in bands, live, in the studio, or anything other than playing by yourself in your bedroom, brighter pick ups will be more useful. Dial the tone knob if you have to.

[@BkBk-gy6vr]

These pickups are more useful? Lol

[@ahall3823]

@@BkBk-gy6vr yes, they are.

[@BkBk-gy6vr]

@@ahall3823 Ok rookie

[@BkBk-gy6vr]

@@ahall3823 Ok rookie

[@ahall3823]

@@BkBk-gy6vr haha. Rather than name calling (and I’m not a rookie), how about you reply with a solid argument as to why Larry Carlton’s choice of pickup is wrong.

[@MichaelSchuerig]

If this guitar is less pauly, is Henning more pauly?

[@Charlieboy2680]

Thats a L7V just a reminder because the title say L7 which has humbuckers the L7Vintage he has , has the p90s..

[@quickwashtheraccoon7601]

I have many friends with a les paul and a Tokai LP. We tested them all. And also Jack and Danny and Harvey Benton LPs. The Sire, I mean Larry is one of the best. And the original Gibsons did not win every time. On one Album of a friend is the Gibson on the Photos and they recorded with the Jack and Danny which sounded better and stayed better in tune.

[@RulgertGhostalker]

my second electric guitar was a "Memphis Les Paul Copy"....the body was made of laminates ( like ply wood, you could see in the electronics cavity ) but you see how " Les Paul" is in the description ? ... so that is a Les Paul, no matter what they call it. i just got a Spark GO for a practice kicker, and there are two Rodger Mayor Octavia fuzz pedal models, both only available by purchase, labeled J.H. ( and when you click on them, a picture of j.H. comes up, with No Mention of Roger Mayor )

[@johnnyguitar-uu3zr]

you never get a fretboard in that price range from no body !!! there necks are fantastic you wonder gibson LP standard for $3,000 doesn't come close to what Sire gives you...

[@soulagent79]

Sounds like a Strat with higher output pickups. I recently bought a Stagg LP-copy for half the price of the L7, which does the trick very well.

[@keeferdog5617]

DIG THE GROOVY HOODIE

[@BillyTheKidsGhost]

So it sounds like a vintage 1954 Gibson Les Paul but plays like a new one?

[@EytschPi42]

No idea

[@Case_]

I don't know if I can tell the quality of guitar from the finish, but that guitar sure is mirror-like.

[@johnnyguitar-uu3zr]

I love you channel your the best,,,,, 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸👍👍👍👍👍👍💯💯💯💯

[@menschlicheswesen84]

I have no noise problem with my Sire but it's the humbucker version, no p90's... Very bright indeed, on clean tones i have to turn down the bridge pickup vol and both tone pot's... But it's the best made neck i played so far... I have a 1800€ Schecter E1 and the fretts are not as smooth, the fingerboard is not as rounded as on the Sire L7... It's my workhorse, otherwise i have some nice one trick pony's but u need a "bread n butter guitar", your'e "go too girl" u can trust on...😇 And then what..? Your'e "bread n butter girl" goes out of tune... A bonenut is nice but the d and g string's are not stable, at least in this point the Sire is like a gibson les paul...😅 Update: i put a seymour duncan sh6 in the bridge and now it's a fat and chunky sounding beast with enough low end good string separation... Love it even more now...🥳

[@johnnyguitar-uu3zr]

I LOVE THE Neck body contour i think its Genius.....OK That said .. Damn the Noise /hum is horrible on the stock pickups..... i just ordered the Seymour Duncan Silencer p90's for neck and the JJN silencer for the bridge Replacing the p90's in my Sire Larry Carlton LP p90 guitar ... stock Horrible also good if you play low volume , forget about turning on a pedal .. Bad !!!!!

[@Nostrebor59]

If you like the Les Paul look but not the weight , these are a good starting point but it will take some mods to get it right. I bought one not expecting to have to do this so it went straight back. Lovely look and finish but Pots are drastic and pickups are neither one thing or the other. Went for a Revstar P90 ( Standard ) which blows this guitar away away in every department and only minimal price difference between the two.

[@fogdart]

I got rid of a revstar p90 because this guitar ate it for a snack. you must have got a lemon. {or my revstar was a lemon!?}

[@fraenkiboii]

Henning I know you don't like the Big "G" so much so you've probably played and tested lots of "other" LPs. Have you come across a lightweight LP you'd recommend? I'm aiming for something around 3,2kg - so very light for a LP. 🤔

[@EytschPi42]

This Larry Carlton is ridiculously light! Maybe try the Humbucker version.

[@guilletjean-jacques5107]

@@EytschPi42 Comparé a une Harley Benton SC 550 II PAF , quel est votre choix ?

[@valendis]

there's something special in the sound of that guitar, I love it but I don't really need it 😅

[@-processdrone-]

This has a place. As someone who detests the telecaster shape (there is no shape that suits everyone) this has something aproaching telecaster bite in a LP style shape. @18:58 not everyone will know why this made me laugh so hard, let's go to the music shop together 😀 good work !

[@TrickyTrav967]

I will say this with the UA Lion reminds me of a thicker strat sound into a marshall

[@SpartanPridePod]

This guitar with the P90s is really solid

[@zvirb]

This guitar sounds more like a semihollow than lespaulish or strat-like.

[@Rummy73]

Even if I do not like the product, Hennig's narrative is priceless. PS I love the hoodie. PSS "It's a noisy a bitch" should be the title of Henning's next single with Andy on vocals.

[@OliverAmberg]

No woman's tone. Says the dude who's also playing the brand that not shall be mentioned on your channel. Besides the headstock the L7 looks great. The dude who's also playing (you know the drill) doesn't need fancy things like easy neck access and locking tuners. That said, I love Larry! Thanks for the review Henning!

[@bassmanchristian1431]

Henning, wo hast Du immer diese verrückten Pullis her? Ali Express?

[@EytschPi42]

Link und Code ist in der Beschreibung

[@Czeslaw-d4e]

" P- 75 " in P90 COVER 🙂🤗

[@T0neXIII]

How did you know?

[@EytschPi42]

Know what?

[@santana1002001]

Great review! For shure I would save more bucks and buy a Larry Charlton before buying a HB rubbish ....

[@rhk4680]

The sound is a bit Lespaulinessless, you are right

[@PooNinja]

Priest conceived notions aside, thats a pretty Larry.

[@JayKughan]

Wait! is this the 1st time you're playing a double P90 single-cut guitar?

[@EytschPi42]

No

[@JayKughan]

@@EytschPi42 So, what's the conclusion on the P90-ness of this setup?

[@RA-ew8rv]

Excellent video, there is a love/hate thing going on here, and I fully agree with your assessment on tone - "not what I expected". The tone from the bridge is better than the neck pup, and after 5 decades of playing I am done buying a guitar (new) knowing full well I'd gut the electronics to "fix" the tone. I know that P90's are by nature a bit thin, but they should be designed to be driven (edge of breakup), and they just don't cut it.

[@johnbray6832]

I ordered one online but the quality wasn't up to scratch for the price. Sprouting and sharp frets, pickups jamming in the cavity, paint blemishes. I sent it back. Very dissapointed. Hopefully just a one-off.

[@BcBaxley]

Best Guitar Compositions in the World go Beyond that 15th Fret Range 🤔🍻🤘

[@StepanVasylyshyn]

Absolutely any guitar can be raised according to its merits, and it can be lowered. Give me your expensive guitar and I will play it so that it will seem much worse than a cheap guitar. These are very famous marketing tricks. Timbre sometimes determines your playing style - it’s definitely not your instrument.

[@paulmitchell5349]

Binding ivory ? Elephants ?

[@EytschPi42]

Name of the color

[@shckltnebay]

"ARP. 10 1989" ?

[@ahampel22]

Maybe the humbucker version sounds better.

[@russellzauner]

"why do they make this cut here" *proceeds to hold guitar by the cut* (it's basically a hidden set neck version of Ibanez's AANJ, check the curve of the carve)

[@cchavez248]

I just figured it out! Henning is the little, bald dude that Benny Hill always slapped his head!!! 👍😁. Dang, I must say, I'm a big fan!!! Okay, okay, I'm just kidding! Cool review.

[@etat131]

Double like fot the cat in the end.

[@fiddlix]

You could definitely hear the overly pinky, bright tone right off the bat. Not what I would expect from that style of guitar.

[@jacobbockover1628]

Mostly blind but my phone reads rhumbnails n writes for me. So yeah no worries

[@lichterwald]

Die rote Lego-Gitarre habe ich auch.

[@9unslin9er]

I hate the headstock.

[@akasgsvirgil9503]

Even bad P90's sound good.

[@rahulmenon4357]

L stands for Larry, obviously

[@strongarm65]

This is an L7V, not an L7. The L7 has humbuckers.

[@EytschPi42]

close enough

[@GuitarJawn]

Not a Les Paul but it is

[@houseofshred3725]

I thought the same thing until I heard it

[@ravenslaves]

There are so many guitars out there that are "better" than the Gibson Les Paul....for much less money. It's the reason Gibson will sue anyone and everything that resembles competition. Because the only other option would be to make a better product, for _less_ money. You know, capitalism? Which is why they send out that smarmy douche (in French it could be considered a compliment) to intimidate everyone he thinks he can, including the players.

[@johnborger]

I'm illiterate AND lazy. Hence, why I'm here. 🙂

[@adilsonobelard9690]

Excellent Guitar for the money however be prepared to sell it to nobody I have 3 on sale for more than 5 months even 130 euros less nobody wants to buy it

[@ickebins6948]

You did not review a BOOK!!!1111elf CLICKBAIT But the violine was nice to listen to.

[@Illuminatus5]

At least the to of it is "Bookmatched"...

[@hanspellikaan3248]

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 v😊😊

[@Rummy73]

Sorry folks, this brand is schiess. Go try one. It is "cheap" in the worst ways.

[@vlada71bg]

I have totally different opinion. My L7 with humbuckers is gorgeous, most playable LP I have tried till now. And I have S7 too. Necks are beautiful on both. Pickups on L7 are brighter, similar to P90s.

[@mindthemac]

I've tried several ones (humbucker version) in a big store in Rome, and I asked to myself "why all the hype" , they were nicely put together but very "soulless" , anemic, sterile sounding. I didn't liked them at all. just my 2 cents

[@rickc2102]

get a black one, start a punk band

[@aaronm.1998]

First! I rule!

[@DMSProduktions]

The closet!

[@aaronm.1998]

​@@DMSProduktionsWhat are you trying to say? Is your brain exceedingly smooth?

[@DMSProduktions]

@@aaronm.1998 LOL! No. Just the usual 1st baiting, welcoming you OUT of the closet! :o)

[@johnhetherington8830]

Grow some hair for Christ's sake

[@ajpeagle]

Sounds terrible,

[@andrehahn3089]

I would attribute most of the spankyness and clarity to the aluminium stop tail. I put one of those on my Harley Benton SC-550, which changed the tone from modern LP more towards a Telecaster - brighter sound, more twang. The aluminium tailpiece is also historically correct for P90 Les Pauls from the 50s. These were brighter, had more clarity and more of an „acoustic“ sound when played unplugged. So, if the sound is too similar to a Telecaster for you, try swapping the tailpiece for a modern one.

[@hanspellikaan3248]

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 v😊😊