I Genuinely Prefer the Sire Larry Carlton L7 to my Gibson Les Paul Standard

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[@zeno99]

Once you get over the nostalgia and brand name on the headstock. You realize the best single cuts aren't made by Gibson.

[@ListenHereOldMan]

lmao then name some brands?!?! i don't even necessarily disagree, bc i can't possibly, bc you didn't name a SINGLE brand. what is the worth of this comment?

[@alwan1414]

@@ListenHereOldMan prs? gretsch? esp? yoou name it. All of guitar brand makes better les paul than the gibson itself

[@jonseyrocks3226]

@@alwan1414 Don't forget Heritage

[@dragonsquare2802]

Basically anything that isn’t Gibson (or Epiphone) is better than Gibson. Not only because of the honesty embarrassing QC but also because imo the Brand completely burned any sympathy with their "play authentic" campaign and the mafia strategies that they employed alongside that.

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

Yeah, keep telling yourself that. ha

[@slicksalmon6948]

My L7 is my #1. I'm going to get a second one. The ebony fretboard is perfect; the frets are perfect; the rolled edges are perfect; the satin-finished neck feels great; it stays in tune; and it's beautifully balanced. I changed to PAFs and 50s wiring because Jeff McErlain recommends it. No treble bleed. What's not to like?

[@harryharris1619]

I do not know about Jeff McErlain or any other guitarist recommendation on changing the pickups it all depends on what you are going for. However would be interested in your PAF selection and your thoughts after the updates etc.

[@slicksalmon6948]

@@harryharris1619 I put in Seymour Duncan Seth Lover PAFs, because I'm generally shooting for old school British blues tones. McErlain, himself, uses Throback SLE-101s, which are a bit out of my price range. The 50s wiring provides a different and somewhat broader range of tone control. This kind of wiring is also recommended by Joe Bonamassa. He has a very interesting video in which he demonstrates getting everything from Nashville country to Clapton Beano out of the same Les Paul.

[@menschlicheswesen84]

​@@slicksalmon6948 And i put a seymour duncan sh6 in the bridge of my l7 and now it's a beast...

[@NC17z]

You know John, I sometimes can't even finish watching your videos because I'm just out of sorts on so many levels watching your introductions. Your phrasing, feel, touch, choice of licks, and when to play them just astounds me. On top of it, I then have to wonder,... amp or plugin? DSP? Which one? and so on... Truth be told, I eventually come back to finish watching however, My God! You sure can get a guitar player hooked! I suppose that's what its all about! Thank you for taking the time to do what you do. I really enjoy your "Full" Videos, and not just the introductions... and by no means, Don't Stop with the Introduction! Love'm... All the Best!

[@jetset9561]

I picked up a LTD EC-1000T - Traditional Les Paul single-cut shape in my local guitar shop a few years ago and fell in love with it. It's been my only LP guitar since then, and I still love it - much more than any Gibson I've tried. Like the Sire it has a carved heel thanks to a set-through neck, ebony board, stainless steel frets and Fishman Fluence Open Core pickups - sweet PAF tones, hotter, sweeter tones and the best "coil split" (i.e. Voice 3 on the Fishmans) for sweet single coil tones. Best of both worlds and much cheaper than a Gibson.

[@WhiskeyBiscuits23]

I love that dude, It's great to have a guitar with such tonal versatilities.

[@DS-nw4eq]

Learn how to turn the knobs

[@grumpyrocker]

Can't go wrong with LTD. I've got an EC-1000FR and it's a wonderful guitar. I play it more than my Les Paul.

[@hhatexas]

Ec-1000 amber burst here, it blends prs and Gibson energies

[@markde9904]

Your post reads like a cut and paste of an advertisement. Wouldnt be surprised if it is

[@bryantwalley]

Your discovery would be the same as most people if they were honest with themselves.

[@DS-nw4eq]

Learn how to turn the knobs.

[@bryantwalley]

So true@@DS-nw4eq . So true.

[@csharp57]

We (Myself included) are so fixated on what’s on that headstock. I would probably enjoy an Eastman 335 copy, but everyday of my life I’d want the headstock to say Gibson

[@bryantwalley]

​@@csharp57That is the only thing that keeps them in business. Nostalgia is a really powerful drug. You can get 3 really nice guitars for the price of that nostalgia on the headstock. The sooner you get past it the sooner you can have some nice things.

[@bonesbginnis]

"Andersons sent me a couple, Sire sent me a couple", that's all I need to hear. "Or you can always use your consumer rights and return one", I'm not one looking for super low action. None of these statements give me any confidence, Sounds like he got one good one and you can do that with any brand.

[@Vintage35MM]

I would recommend you look at the string break angle between the bridge and tail piece on the Gibson. It appears to me (on my tiny iPhone screen) to be much more aggressive than the L7. One can either raise the tail piece or top wrap the tail piece to soften the angle. This will make the strings feel more compliant, finger vibrato will be more expressive and tuning should be a touch more stable as the strings will not bind on top of the bridge. This attention to detail is what is making the Sire L7 desirable. I liked this video!

[@TheMasonator777]

I second this. It will should improve tuning stability significantly with a fairly conservative adjustment.

[@EricCPOP]

Each their own i guess. I'm happy with my Gibson Les Paul Tribute that I got for £999 and it's satin. Sounds fantastic.

[@AlainChatignon]

Thanks John, a few weeks ago I bought a Sire Larry Carlton L7 and I think it's great

[@markosimonic]

You didnt waste your money. If you wish you can sell your Gibson LP and get most of your money back. I have a Gibson LP Standard and it is a fabulous guitar. Plays great, sounds great. All the hate Gibson gets on social media and online forums is in most cases unjustified.

[@pierrygomes]

Man, that Gibson looks and sounds AMAZING.

[@andreapasillas5803]

I was going to get a Gibson gold top with p90 pickups but got the Sire L7V instead. I really love the Sire. It looks great, plays great and sounds great.

[@PolarBimbi]

this is why i'm excited for the 2024 models, particularly the jazzmaster model. Sire gives their own touch to the models and they're not just 'another strat' or tele. but it's the neck that really gets to me. it's so great on the hands.

[@BluesBrogio]

Two things to help with your Gibson: 1 - Raise the stopbar a bit, perhaps half an inch; 2 - Put a Graphtech nut on it. Worked wonders for me :)

[@gtr1952]

I put a Graphtech nut w/string saver saddles on my 335, and over wrapped the stopbar. People have different opinions on the over wrap, but I like it a lot that way! JMHO --gary

[@WhiskeyBiscuits23]

I feel the same way, John. I ordered a used 22' PRS CE24 for 1500 because of a scratch, but returned it and picked up a 22 Epiphone Modern Les Paul and I'm more in love with the veneer, Prs played well, but for $500 the epiphone LP feels at home in my hands. Oh, and Sire are amazing! I have a Sire V5 Bass, oh rolled edges.. so good at that price point.

[@stelivesey489]

Never tried a Sire but in a similar way, I ended up with an EC1000 Duncan instead of a Gibson when I went to buy a Gold Top last month. I have a 20 year old Studio that just sounds amazing but it's had a headstock repair and I've never found another with a neck and sound like it. I didn't want to risk it out of my home so bought a 50's Standard 18 months ago and was completely underwhelmed, so moved it on. Need another LP for a project and went to my local store to try some and was persuaded to try the EC1000. Fell in love instantly. The 59/JB combo works perfectly and only drawback I found was that it didn't have as much natural sustain as a Gibson. Pedals fixed that though. Don't think I could justify Gibson money again.

[@christophedelamusiquedesar7878]

Such a helpful review John. I've always steered clear of Les Pauls as, much as I love them, I've never really associated them with the kind of clean tones that you used to demonstrate this Sire. I am attempting to play jazz with pretty clean tones. I was blown away by how good the Sire sounds in your hands, and your comments about its playability have been inspiring. That said, I know you can get great clean tones with the Les Paul, too. Obviously a real great amongst guitars, just way out of my price point, whereas the Sire might not be. Thanks man. Food for thought.

[@trickfall8752]

I’m sure the Sire is great and it might be down to the after market pickups, but I thought the Gibson had superior tone.

[@ruffrider6653]

The Gibson sounds a bit more solid and fatter.

[@nigelcrawley9830]

I have an L7 and find it a great guitar to play. My only concern before buying was comments about the pickups, so I contacted the factory to check their recommended pickup heights and they advised: 'Press last fret (22 fret) and check distance between bottom of string and top of pickup 1 string : 2.5mm 6 String : 3.0mm.' With this setup this guitar sounds great to my ears and very playable - great fretboard and perfectly balanced. Mine weighs 9lb dead on and didn't come with the treble bleed, but this doesn't bother me.

[@slicksalmon6948]

Those are huge gaps compared to Les Paul. Gibson recommends 3/64 on the bridge pickup and 4-5/64 on the neck pickup.

[@nigelcrawley9830]

@@slicksalmon6948 I agree. When I first got it I set the pickups to Gibson recommendations and they sounded rubbish - so that's why I contacted the factory direct and got their recommendations - and with those values it sounds great.

[@slicksalmon6948]

@@nigelcrawley9830 That’s fascinating. Mine might be set too high.

[@didamnesia3575]

I hate treble bleed. So to me, you scored

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

As the great Tom Bukovac said a couple episodes ago responding to a question about Les Paul G string tuning issues and intonation. He said, It's BS. If your guitar is giving you tuning issues you only have yourself to blame. If you can't set up your guitar/ file the nut properly then take it to a guy that can. If he can't, find another set up guy that knows how to work on guitars. There is no excuse for having a guitar that has tuning stability issues. Para phrasing. I totally agree. After working on many of my guitars I can resolve any and all tuning issues.

[@jamrackmusic2198]

I have two newer Gibson Standard Les Paul’s, a 2022 Gold Top and a 2023 with the new white top. Both have beautiful fat 50’s necks, both are excellent guitars in every way. These newer Gibson LP’s are some of the best the company has ever built. You can’t beat the ‘original, the best, the people who started it. GIBSON ALL THE WAY.

[@skellyngton]

My Sire L7 is the only guitar that I own that I have left completely stock. I love everything about it and found that mine had none of the qc issues others may have reported. I was set on buying a Gibson LP at some point, but honestly don't think it will give me any more than the Sire. Lovely playing BTW.

[@richfiryn]

I have a pair of Sire guitars, the H7 and a T7 FM and both are truly exceptional instruments. I might also add that I traded my 2020 50's Gibson Les Paul Standard away for a primo original 1967 Fender Super Reverb and didn't regret it one bit.

[@mladen.kalinic]

Gibby sounds a bit sweeter and warmer to me but for the price, it should also have superior playability and tuning stability than a much cheaper guitar.

[@killianlpc]

The L7 is an amazing value guitar. No need to change pickups on it, what it comes with are super. The value in getting an L7 compared to a Les Paul Standard is a no brainer. Sire do a great range of acoustics as well. Gibson and Fender are woefully overpriced considering what you can get from Sire, Ibanez, PRS etc these days.

[@ChrisPanagopulos]

Sire's are sweet guitars, have great specs and are priced well. With Gibson, let's be honest, you're paying a premium for the name and the nostalgia of it being the original Les Paul. There's nothing wrong with that, since that argument could be made for any legacy brand. Gibson just seems to milk that more than other brands. I've owned a few, but it also took me a few to find a good one.

[@Scott__C]

Yeah, I had that too, but the fact is you shouldn't have to hunt. Got one I thought was good, but over time I found it wasn't as good as the initial "Oh, I have an LP now" excitement. The 10.4 lbs didn't help that.

[@ChrisPanagopulos]

@@Scott__Cexactly. At Gibsons price points, they should all be good guitars.

[@tonedowne]

I only listened on my phone, but the Gibson seems to have more bite and upper harmonics. The Sore has more of a scooped fusion kind of tone.

[@leftymadrid]

Well, apart from which brand name we guitarist prefer there is the fact that every guitar sounds and feels different... I don't know , maybe it's just me and in my head. I wanted a Gibson Les Paul in the 70's And was not pleased after trying the forth Gibson I almost gave up! After I dedicated at least an hour and a half to each one, I finally felt it with a Custom Gibson Les Paul!! It played and felt amazing! The tone was just head turning! I thought, how can that be!? I took it home, and it's not left my side until a few years ago😢

[@stevethompson386]

2022 Gibson Standard, not up to standard these days. The neck finish is second rate compared to other less expensive guitars. They just don't build them like they used to.

[@BrandonOutside]

In terms of listening, I can barely hear a difference between the two in the opening jam, so I think it def comes down to feel. Having said that, you could make a rubber band attached to a cardboard box sound amazing! 😄

[@Scott__C]

And if he put the LP's pickups in the Sire, that would get smaller to non existent.

[@mikeandrulonis6553]

You stole my thunder! JNC is just a great player, no matter what he's using.

[@lastdaysguitar]

I ordered an H7 during COVID outbreak, it took what seemed forever to get here but it was worth the wait: a wonderful guitar and Larry's own pickups are magic! I used it extensively on the lead parts of my album "Highway Cruiser" - have every expectation the L7 is just as nice. Still using Gibson LP but am very interested in the L7 - my only concern with Sire is (I found out after ordering) they use nickel frets vs. steel.

[@JakeRommer87]

My custom shop les paul is one of the nicest guitars I’ve ever played setup wise, but pickups wise it’s actually not the best sound! Even at the high end level there is discrepancies with their guitars compared to other companies.

[@timholtguitar6999]

My 2023 LP CLASSIC is one of the best guitars I’ve ever played or owned. But, I can’t tell you how many Gibson’s I played before I found it. I have a special connection to that guitar because of when I got it. It’s also everything I’d ever want a LP to be. At the end of the day, we play what sounds and feels right to us…nothing else really matters.

[@jimsmith4611]

I've liked the look of the L7V Electric, Gold Top as I love P 90's . Unfortunately no local shops for me here in Scotland that sell them so thatI can try one out... I'm not keen to buy on mali order so will need to check if there is any one selling them.

[@valendis]

I agree that L7V is very tempting! But same here, no shop has it and the few sire I saw were not that great on the fit and finish part...

[@johnplaystheguitar123]

the best thumbnail so far. well done.

[@craigtodd8297]

I didnt like Les Pauls until I impulsively bought one online just because of a sale price. The best move I ever made. My Fave guitar out of 20 guitars. (And the rest are all good)

[@lassekalhauge4801]

Amazing playing as always. Definitely like the sound from the Sire better. I have a Sire Strat myself and play it a lot more than my American Fender Strat❤

[@martymcpeak4748]

i love the tone of the Sire, and your playing was top shelf. Cheers

[@fr3ak1shh]

I bought a couple Sires overseas! Ordered from Thomann's and they shipped to the US. Ended up being about $550 a piece including shipping and import tax. Absolutely fantastic value.

[@crazygirlfun1]

Do you have plans to review the recent new Sire models?

[@MidoriMae]

I got my first lespaul recently and I'm convinced that everything that's good about a gibson lespaul is all in the memory of our guitar heroes. The sound and the looks, you need the whole package. My prs s2 is more comfortable and reliable. But it dosent have the history that the gibson headstock has and as shallow as that sounds, that inspires me to play more than my s2.

[@jessefillmore]

Gibson is owned by shareholders . And they want to see a big fat return on their investment . IMO this is why we are seeing them make these $10k-$20k+ collector items . Gibson has a reputation of paying their employees low wages and treating them unfairly . This IMO is why they have a lot of QC problems . Most of the workers are not passionate about who they work for or the instruments . Companies who have their stuff made in Asia , their workers are probably scared to lose their job which is their livelihood so they will go above and beyond in most cases . There are probably more stricter repercussions too . Plus companies that outsource get away with a lot of stuff in foreign countries that would get you into trouble here in the US . Like low wages , safety and pollution . I'm noticing a lot of youtubers astonish at the quality of instruments coming out of Indonesia & China . The big guitar makers in the US are more worried about making $10k-$20k+ for well of hobbyist . Sire and some others are making guitar for working class people . And some say , "Yeah but there is Epiphone and Squier . True but those brands have been known for years as the "low budget" instruments for Gibson & Fender . With a Sire or Solar ect , you don't have that constant reminder on the headstock that it's the "low budget" or "Made in China guitar . Sire and Solar , most players have never heard of them .

[@jrenner325]

Guitar tech/ repair man here. I had a relatively new Sire L7 come across my bench recently. It is a very adequate and “predictable” guitar for the price range. I personally feel that there are better guitars in this price range. The fit and finish QC is okay. However, there is some sort of odd bleed over from some sort of staining that (I can only guess) gets applied to the fingerboard that bled onto the binding of the neck. My guess is that it is to give the fingerboard a uniform appearance due subpar wood and grain pattern 🤷‍♂️. It creates a very visible unclean line. As expected it has cheap hardware and no name pots/electronics. The biggest issue was, and always seems to be with guitars in this price range (however some are better than others) are the frets. Corners have to be cut somewhere with budget guitars and the first place is usually with the fret work. This instrument was riddled with uneven frets which caused dead spots and buzzing. Also, the frets ends, which claim to be rolled, are very sloppy feeling. They just sort of taper down towards the fingerboard edge robbing you of fret real estate and give the feel that the string is sliding down a slope. Also, the fret density is very soft. So they will definitely wear very fast. I had to perform a complete fret level and dress. The nut was also cut sloppily. Two high strings were pinched and had that choked string sound. The slots were also an array of depths, all of which were way too high for a comfortable first fret action. After a fret level/dress and filing the nut slot, the guitar did play very nicely and intonated very well. So buyer beware, this may not be the case with every instrument, but it is something to consider. With the majority of people buying these guitars online, sight unseen and unplayed, thanks to giant online retailers, I feel that the QC should be a lot better.

[@komapilot1]

Great video, I’d love to see you compare these to a PRS McCarty 594 singlecut core. Very light (mine is 7.7lbs no weight relief) and have very usable coil splitting which I think would be a great option for you to have on top of the hum buckers… they ain’t no k-line but they have their own single coil vibe/voicing which is quite beautiful. For the coil splitting I would stick to the cores over the SE’s in this case. I think you would absolutely tear it up on one 🤟🏼

[@Magik1369]

Great playing and fine tone. Both guitars sound identical. The Gibby seems to resonate a bit more but it's difficult to judge through my computer speakers. Peace.

[@pkflash2004]

Some lovely playing JNC. To my ears the Gibson sounds like a Les Paul, the Sire doesn't. That doesn't mean the Sire sounds bad, just different. The look and feel of the guitars is as subjective as their sound is. I've never tried a Sire although I'm keen to give one a go. I've got a Gibson 50's standard and I also have Monty's PAF's in it. Love the sound but it feels extremely heavy and tuning is always an issue, feel like I have to compensate half of the time. To someone new to the Les Paul, I'd probably steer them in the direction of an Eastman, which are slightly cheaper than a Gibson.

[@jimbeam-ru1my]

I'd steer them towards 80's-90's burny, greco, orville by gibson or tokai. When you buy a new guitar it immediately depreciates in value, when you buy an old guitar it increases in value, and japan was making really great instruments back then. You can buy the more inexpensive japanese models and they are still great guitars. You buy a low end modern guitar and you'll probably never get your money back out of it

[@matthewgordon2655]

I’m in the same boat. I’ve got a 2013 Standard with Monty’s PAFs. It’s just too heavy - well over 9lbs. If it didn’t have any sentimental value to me, I’d probably sell it.

[@harryharris1619]

@@jimbeam-ru1my I try(?) not to buy any guitar based on what value it may have in the future. The value for me is it a good fit for what I am doing now.

[@jimbeam-ru1my]

@@harryharris1619 you think like a woman. Irrational and emotional. Men need to be more pragmatic than that.

[@telekarma]

I want to get my hands on the upcoming S10. On paper it has everything I wish for.

[@compucorder64]

Have a Gibson Les Paul Special (P90) and just got a Sire Larry Carlton L7. I really like them both, but P90 and single coil are more often my thing. I appreciate the Special for it's earthy, growly, gravelly dirty vibe & the L7 for it's crystal cleans and bite. I like the Special with Vox AC and the L7 with JTM; balances them out, Vox bringing the air to the P90s and JTM bringing the growl to the humbuckers. But with the Gibson LP Special it's the sound, and look more than the feel that I love. Whereas, what I like most about the L7 is how well it plays, with the rolled, satin neck, ebony board. I think that makes it a great candidate for upgrading with great pickups, like Lollars, and the electronics too, with a pro setup. When you look at what the older generation of Epiphone 59 Les Pauls with that meh Indian Laural fretboard are selling for, the Sire is a bargain.

[@TheCluelessConman]

This is very relatable. I owned a Gibson Standard 50's Les Paul in Tobacco Sunburst. In all aspects, what I thought was my dream guitar. After having it for a few years, I sold it. I disliked so much about it, and while some of it may be related to just that guitar (Weight, tuning stability), I realized I was definitely blinded by the name and Brand on the headstock. There are SO many options for single cuts, and I didn't consider them before going with my Gibson. Went an entire different route and used the funds to buy a Fender AV2 1951 Tele and it's the exact opposite in every way (Stays in tune forever, balanced, comfortable, ease of use). Overall a good learning experience for me at the cost of some wasted years on a guitar I rarely enjoyed.

[@dragongoff]

Phenomenal playing. Thank you for commenting on the L7's neck profile being in between '50's and 60's which is important to know, that for some reason is not mentioned or stated on the guitar site's descriptions. Been looking for some feedback on the profile. But serendipitous that Carlson is involved in making Sire guitars, knowing his background to be a Gibson 335 user, blues players can feel some comfort of sorts that a seasoned pro player has lent his insight to making such guitars to his specifications but at an affordable price. I noticed on the Gibson you, Mr. Cordy, were slightly hampered by the fingerboard compared to the Sire's and tended to not venture too far in your riff sections. But to its credit you tended to get some real resonant tones out of the Gibson where it shone. Can the Gibson and Sire be compared to each other? Other than the LP shape, perhaps not really. They are two different guitars that happen to resemble one another. As Larry said in his Sweetwater interview he wanted an affordable Les Paul guitar made for those looking for one. That it happens to have important features and playability out of the box is where Carlton/Sire came through. Sweetwater offers a Plek Pro upgrade which may be the next step for a player who needs more. I'm not affiliated with Sweetwater or any sales outlet. Just a muso looking into the L7 discovering Sire in 2024.

[@bluzzjazz]

Have a couple 70s LPs and they are great guitars. I also have a Heritage H-157CM and it is a killer LP style guitar. Heck, it’s even made on some of the original Gibson tooling equipment. Their semi-hollows, the H-555s are every bit equal/better than Gibson’s 335s.

[@jesusmachado9087]

Have you tried the hagstrom les paul? Or the high end harley benton ?

[@giuseppefabbricatore4314]

I played a Sire Telecaster some days ago, picked up in a store to try out an amp… and it’s… fuck… it was perfect. Really really a great guitar (for the price). I think Sire are the new Top Brand for medium price guitars. There’s no Squire Classic Vibe or Epiphone… Sire are overwhelming all of those brands with quality and sound.

[@damonwolf7222]

That Sire NAILED the ever so hard-to-find PERFECT gold top finish. It has the same "pointy" ESP-like treble horn as my white Arbor Les Paul Custom copy I got for $199 with a brand new hardshell case from GC, and I absolutely LOVE that guitar! Price point and country of origin are NOT everything! My cheap af Arbor has a rock solid neck, NEVER goes out of tune, feels fantastic, and with a couple tiny taps of the fret hammer, plays like a dream with super low action. Literally my ONLY complaint is that one of the potentiometer holes was drilled off-center, so the knobs don't form a perfect diamond aesthetically, but you really have to be looking for that! This thing is AWESOME, especially for $199! 😅

[@michaelolz]

You’re playing in the style of Larry Carlton! That sounded awesome!

[@MrVishnuu]

What about mounting the Monty's in the Sire, wouldn't that be perfect ?

[@MakerMark13]

I'm about to hit the purchase button on one of the these Sire L7s . They really do look great! I'm on the fence between Sire and Epiphone. I know what you get with the Epiphones and I've come to except the fact that a fret dress and setup after purchase ($250.00 in my neck on the woods) is just part of the deal. I'd love to not have to do that. I mean, I can adjust neck relief and set action/intonation on my own but buzzy frets and/or dead frets, I leave that to the luthier to fix.

[@genegoof7449]

I own a Les Paul standard. I agree on many of your comments. I mostly play strat but I will say that the Gibson after eight years is growing on me. It actually sounds amazing but you are right on the tuning and intonation issues.

[@matthewtrow5698]

I eventually "bit" after reading so much about Sire LC guitars and this and other videos by John were part of that - thanks for the reviews! I scored a bargain "B-Stock" purchase on a black L7 - £370 The damage? An almost imperceptible crack in the binding below the 12th fret, low-E. You'd need to know it was there, be in good light and have good eyesight to spot it. I haven't played it for more than 5 mins, doing the setup first. Sadly I've either bagged one that didn't pass QC, the crack in the binding was just one issue, or fret issues are normal at this price range? The fret levels were all over the shop. Really bad. For the price point though, £370, I can hardly complain. About 6 hours work and the frets are levelled and polished - some serious crowning had to be done, the levels were that bad! Looking forward to actually getting down and grooving with this guitar, but still need to setup action (probably some nut work required due to extensive fret levelling) and then intonation. Oh, and have a quick gander at the electrics to make sure hopefully _that_ is reasonable soldering etc.

[@yunsuhhuh]

Once you play Sire guitar, you will understand what John means. The playability and build quality of Sire are insane. It has the best neck not just for its price range.. the best among all..I am waiting for their new model, X5, which will be released shortly. If the neck of their normal guitar such as L7 or S7 has this kind of amazing neck I wonder what the neck of the guitar, which they specifically designed for shredding (X5), looks like. It will be definitely something.

[@jaymax3201]

It's about time we realized the folly of comparison.It's important to recognize the difference.And I play the guitar that I love the best.

[@clivegeorge9740]

Hi. My english is bad, i understood that there was a first version of this guitar, with less good frets, before you sent e-mail for the company for it change this, and that Sire would have reworked this model to improve it. Is this a version that has been marketed? I'm about to buy a used Sir L7 and I'm wondering if there are years of production to avoid.

[@targa44wt]

The tokai love rocks you played sounded better than the gibson and the sire.

[@garywaddell6309]

Hey John, I also have L7 because of your older videos. I’ve always wanted a Les Paul style guitar and this guitar looks and play beautifully. I also bought the H7 which is also a lovely guitar.

[@BenEvansUSA]

I’ve been seriously eyeing one of these for months! Only hesitation is that I’ve been far more into single coils lately. Have you tried the L7V with P90s?

[@Tyrell_Corp2019]

At Guitar Center, I compared over 2 dozen Les Paul style guitars including some very expensive vintage Gibsons. (Which I could have purchased). For the VALUE based on sound and feel I chose the Epiphone '59 - used $629 on Reverb. I mean the thing was made in collaboration with the Gibson custom shop. The quality is incredible. There are lots of good options today with nothing go be ashamed about if it isn't 'Gibson'. Tokai is another good option.

[@markde9904]

It doesnt need to be Gibson is very true. But berating Gibson for nonsensical reasons is pathetic. I have owned a few tokais and have not been impressed TBH. They really do feel like cheap copies to me.

[@Tyrell_Corp2019]

@@markde9904 I’m not berating Gibson at all. I’m praising Epiphone. But frankly, if we want to berate Gibson, I will say some of the “better guitars” absolutely felt like junk. There seems to be zero emphasis on consistency with them throughout the decades. Even Fender has better consistency than Gibson If you want a contemporary authentic Gibson? The only brand to consider is Heritage.

[@clivegeorge9740]

Salut, désolé pour la question (et le commentaire en français) mais je n'ai pas bien compris quelque chose dans la video et je pense que la traduction que yoitube fera de ce message sera meilleur que la mienne. J'ai cru comprendre qu'il y avait une premiere version de cette guitare, avec des frettes moins bonne, et que Sire aurait retravailler ce modèle pour l'améliorer. Est ce que c'est une version qui a été commercialisé? Je m'apprête a acheter une Sir L7 d'occasion et je me demande si il y a des années de production a éviter. Thanks

[@Patriot1777]

I got the Black Beauty L7, love it, but change out the wide adjustable bridge, the string's are to close to the back 😊

[@bratskiy.ostrog]

Hello! I want to buy a guitar. What do you recommend Epiphone custom or SIRE L 7? I'm facing a choice!??? Thank you, my friend.!

[@babylon_bob]

Oddly I've recently bought a S7 Strat and wow, the quality for that guitar at under £500 has blown my mind, it plays perfect holds tune perfect, frets setup was nearly spot on just need to lower the action but it even came more or less in tune. I've therefore started to debate a Les paul over the years to see if I'm missing anything and the Epiphones I've played I've liked but for the price the quality really is not there for me, good but not to the sire level. So I'm not looking at an L7 for in the future so this has helped to make my decision.....along with the fact clearly Sire make really nice guitars.

[@FJB74]

Great review.I have a Les Paul Traditional from 2016. It is a gorgeous flame top but I'm just not feeling these heavy guitars anymore. It's 9.2 lb, and it really does not stay in tune well after everything I've tried. I have since moved on to budget guitars like Jet and Firefly. I also have moved to the dark side by only playing strats now and I couldn't be happier! I'm currently selling my Les Paul. You can bet your behind that big guitar companies like Fender and Gibson are having meetings all the time regarding these budget guitars starting to pop up with Incredible features. Hopefully these budget guitar companies will hold the big guitar companies feet to the fire. Like my recent Firefly purchase. Locking tuners, bone nut, stainless steel ball end frets, spoke wheel adjustment at the neck bottom, Canadian roasted Maple neck but a FLAMEY( the kind of flamed roasted Maple neck you used to have to spend a couple thousand on with a Musicman or Fender Custom Shop), great high-end fret access for $215 including tax and it plays wonderful. Of course they could use better pickups, but I can no longer justify purchasing or keeping a guitar that is over 9 lb and doesn't stay in tune too well.

[@FretFriendGWaL]

That Goldtop one in the video retails at £499 GBP: For my American friends, that's around $630 US. It's my experience, most new budget guitars need some fret work out of the box (unfortunately) but for me, that's not a problem. Maybe factor the price of a fret level in if you do buy one! No brainer if you get a good one though...

[@5.15]

I have owned many single cut LP style guitars of many makes but mostly Gibson (I used to collect). I still own a modest collection (I have sold most of the real expensive ones but kept the best ones) The Sire L7 hangs nicely with them. My 1960 Cherryburst is worth about 400 times the price of the Sire L7 and, granted, sounds better to my ears. However... the Sire offers a great and quite different flavor and has excellent playability. I have upgraded the pickups (I needed a LP for 80's rock so put in a vintage Dimarzio SD and 103 set) but the supplied ones are adequate for PAF like tones. I like the feel of it so much that I cherrypicked an L7V that feels and plays on par with my L7 (I installed a very meaty 50's Gibson Soapbar bridge pup: the original was just a bit to thin sounding for my tastes, the neck sounds sublime). The L7V is now my main squeeze at home and in the studio (I would play it more often on stage but most of my gigs require humbuckers) because it sounds better than any of my P90 equipped guitars! Bar none! In summary: the L7 has its own thing going on soundwise (it is a tad brighter, lighter and more airy than most LP style guitars) and the playability (although, of course, purely based on my personal preferences) is fantastic. Fit and finish on my pair is flawless but I've tried a bunch and encountered one or two with minor imperfections. A no brainer for me, especially considering the price.

[@gtr1952]

I sold my 3 Les Pauls during that crazy C19 time when people would buy and pay anything. I'm 72 and I've never seen anything like that in my life. Now I have 2 sets of PAF type pups and I need 2 husks to put them in. I know, strange way of doing things, but it just happened. LOL I learned to do all my own work when my collection got so big I coudn't afford to have someone do it. That wasn't cheap getting started! I really enjoy it now though. The L7 LP may be a good candidate for a husk. 8) I have 1 magic 335 I'll never let go of. Since I learned how easy it is to build Strat/Teles I have a boat load of them! LOL A new one pops up every time I find an interesting piece of wood! Warmoth builds the necks these days, I finish them. Thanks for the advice, I'm going to give Sire a shot. It's not hard to compete with Gibson these days, sadly enough. Peace... --gary

[@ThatHuskyisCrazy]

Look for an Agile LP from Rondo music.

[@gtr1952]

@@ThatHuskyisCrazy I have 5 Agles. 3 are LP type, a 3100, 3010 and 3200. The 3100 was first, nice but no maple cap. The 3010 was second, has the maple cap but multi radius fretboard I don't care for. The 3200 is the neck-through. Very nice, but an "Ibanez" type really thin neck. The others are an LP-Jr type and a better quality, limited production Strat type. I have a new neck from Warmoth, and loaded pick guard coming for that. I have a set of Parson Street pups from StewMac also, they are going in the 3100 along with new pots, switches and wiring. The Sire will get PRS 58/15 LT made in Maryland pups, and Sire 2 will get Bonamasa/Duncan Custom hand wound PAF's, they were spares Joe was saving for backup in a 59 burst on the road. A little long, but that's the story. Thanks for the suggestion!! --gary

[@che2335]

Gibson dont roll the fret binding do they?

[@daniellowry660]

Usually no

[@CargoShorts7]

I would be curious for your thoughts on how Heritage guitars factor into this discussion. I've always wanted a Gibson ES-335, but they were often out of my budget, for the one's I liked. Later on, I found out about Heritage and their unique background. I then scored a 2004 Heritage H535 that already felt worn in and had some great finish checking and playability at a fraction of the cost of a lightly relic'd Gibson ES 335. And while I'd still like to have a Gibson 335 or 330 one day, I'm quite happy with my Heritage 535 for now

[@Kcapgar]

I owned a 71 Les Paul custom for many years. It had a pro fret job. Good pickups etc. I ended up getting offered a hefty amount of money for it. I sold it and few weeks later I was in panic - the reality set in that I no longer had a custom. The appointment like the ebony fretboard and blocks. So I picked up one of the 2013 Electra omega lp custom style. 500 dollars. That thing seriously smokes every Gibson I’ve ever touched. It has all the goodies. Chunky neck. Ebony , blocks , and premium tone pros bridge etc. I did replace the bridge pickup with a Duncan. But that was a minor cost. The only complaint is the Polly. But it’s ok.

[@Brykk]

Ive got a prs 245 with seymour duncans that ill take over a les paul any day of the week, but i am interested in trying these L7’s.

[@waldoval]

After 3 Gibson Les Paul's I got the L7, so I 'm just keeping my NightHawk. my BluesHawk and my ES 139 Gibson Guitars...I have the L7 stock (I sent it brand new to my guitar Tech and we found some issues with one fret (14th), and he fixed easily) after that I have recorded the guitar a lot for Libraries and Rock/Pop Artists with great results! Greetings from LA.

[@petergedd9330]

My LP frets came flat (School Bus) and not crowned, I was stunned, for what I payed for it. I had to crown them myself. That was my LP dream down the tubes.

[@garymcaleer6112]

Agreed. The L7 has noticeably less hacksaw. In fact, it is a soft caressing edge, which I assume you kept the A/B in parallel.

[@TeleTonemonkey]

Preferring a cheaper product doesn’t make another purchase a waste of money. I thought that was obvious. You are one of the better content creators…. Stay there!

[@TeleTonemonkey]

TBF I’ve had the slippage off the TradPro .. any budget guitar can be upgraded 1k with a £/$ 100 visit to a decent luthier.

[@donniejean]

Man, I've been looking for a certain color LP for years now. I finally found it. And it's a Sire! I never even heard of them. But the neck feels great and smooth, the headstock design looks elegant. You get locking tuners. I own close to 80 Les Pauls, and this just feels so much better in my hands. I've always been a LP guy, but recently have ventured out and picked up some really nice and cheap guitars.

[@Scottuz]

I bought Myself a Sire T3 from Andertons and the Neck looked out, with gaps around the neck pocket? anyway took the Neck off, and the Pocket, was completely unfinished, and Half painted?!?! I had to chip back the Paint, and then Sand the Raw, Splintering Wood, in the Neck Pocket Before Shimming the Neck, and Sorting the Angle, Action, and Finish, out Properly. I know the T3 is the Budget end of a Cheaper Make, but still. for £379, I know No Squier would look like that even at Half the Price?

[@edmiglia]

There's a video of Joe Walsh setting up a Les Paul on KZbin. He said that newer ones use a neck angle that forces the bridge pickup and bridge to be way off the body of the guitar. Look at how high the bridge, strings and pickup are on the Gibson and compare it to older ones and various copies. I'm keeping my PRS 245 that has a bridge that's slammed down as far as it'll go. Joe Walsh knows a thing or two about what makes a good Les Paul

[@shawnmcginnis2508]

Yeah, sadly, sometimes you do have to ask yourself if some of the $$$ guitars are really worth it, especially when there are some great guitars for less. Like in your case, the PRS DGT vs SE DGT. I settled on a PRS CE24 in my case, though I do really like my SE, the CE24 is on a slightly different level. A lot of the core features including the US pickups which I like better. The CE has really jumped in price so Idk if I could still justify it if I had to buy it again, but to me it's a perfect midrange offering a lot of what the core guitars have to offer without the as insane price. Nothing wrong with wanting an actual Gibson or Core PRS or whatever if you can afford it, and it does a thing for ya, but if you can find something close or better for less than what does the prestige of the name or particular model in the brand really matter? On the flip side maybe if you never got the Gibson and had the experience you may always be longing for it. Maybe it's good to have tried and realized it wasn't for you vs always wondering ?

[@davidpriebe7293]

John...I never comment on anything, but I'm subscribed. Just had to mention I really liked the LP tone and playing style on the LP. I have '96 with similar issues as yours but I love the tone. My biggest issue is the weight.. I have a CS-336 that does it best for me now. The playing at the end of the video makes me think it's right for you. One other option, not sure if you tried, is a Heritage. Much Luck

[@dejavoodoo7204]

*expanding on "affordable guitar" factory fret leveling standards; If you prefer a slightly high action the entire guitar world becomes your oyster. I finally got around to some higher end guitars with incredibly low action,...they will still buzz if you really lay into them tho (Idles level strumming intensity as a reference point). I am at the stage now that I may as well just have one guitar for legato and other light touch based playing and keep the rest of the collection heavy playing style compatible...I hate to be another one of those guys that says they prefer a guitar that fights back but:)...

[@TheMasonator777]

I just handled my first L7 today… It’s better feeling than most LPs I’ve ever serviced or played.

[@Youtuberkit7]

Thanks bro. Had just got my Gibson Les Paul Standard huh 3k. I will get one of this. Crazy good and price too

[@sid35gb]

I have a L7 gold top I’ve got Paf style pickups, 50 wiring with paper and oil caps. It plays lovely and it’s comfortable I have no urges to buy a lp standard. If I was to buy a high end single cut I would probably go PRS. The bottom line is the sire L7 is a very good guitar that satin neck just does it for me. Oh as for the nut I did round the edges with a file because it did look a bit square to make it look a bit more pleasing to the eye.

[@MrMarac63]

Well, I own an L7 myself. I even changed the pickups, but still, playing a good Gibson LP is still a different feeling. Not only in the head, but also under the fingers. But I agree that it is absolutely worth the money! Even with the changed pickups, Sire L7 guitar is under €1000....

[@wolfgangcordsen3430]

I was considering to get one used Would you suggest?

[@RF_Burns]

It depends how you look at it. If you buy used Fender or Gibson at the right price, they make you money, plus you get to play them as an added bonus. I view them as I would an antique or a piece of art. It's nice to have a free hobby, but nicer still to have a profitable hobby.

[@crazycarpes]

Both sounds great! The L7 cut a little bit more on the mix... more mids...

[@harryharris1619]

Purchased an L7 about a year ago. 7lb 13oz, really no flaws except that the bone nut was cut to high. After recutting the nut for 10s and lowering the guitar plays great. The pickups are not bad but maybe a touch on the darker side. Some might want to replace or not. Overall a really good guitar that compares well above its cost to others incl the Gibson LP standards. Of course the branding . . . . . might be an issue for some but to me not worth the extra $2K.

[@danbelladonna792]

OK, I'll have your Les

[@colinburroughs9871]

People who don't have a Gibson bitching about Gibsons is a internet gold mine of content. I don't care which one you have, if you're not plugging it in and playing it loud, you're missing most of the point as that's what they do well and they do do that well (and better than a Sire..)

[@minnaaminetj102]

I wouldn't be surprised if this is a paid ad by Sire. I scrolled through the comments and I found at least 10 people writing about buying a new Sire guitar based on this video

[@iwanttoplaywithspringsteen9188]

So true .. I got epiphone t 1950s burst which I love at almost half retail , however the brand snob in me lusted after the Gibson standard which I got . Do I notice a marked difference certainly not . Maybe it’s quite sad and the brand snob in me bit but I’m still happy I have both ..

[@robbyclark6915]

I wonder why more people aren't playing Kiesel guitars? They seem to be very well made and offer everything from headless, compound radius, fanned fretboards, neck through, set in, or bolt on, whatever your preference? Multiple and varied models of 6-8 strings and can build to order. They can basically do anything to your instrument you want done, it seems. They are American made and use nothing but professional quality materials. I have an older super strat S style guitar from them when they were called Carvin guitars, and it's probably the finest guitar I own, and I own two LPs and an American pro ll strat. All of which play and sound fantastic. It just slightly out plays them in feel, comfort, playability, and so on. They aren't cheap by any means, but they aren't any more expensive than a new Gibson and are likely 5x the instrument? Both my LPs are more than 10 years old, and both have the slim 60s neck and play great. But my Carvin is a rare instrument. Flawless. Actually, I might just order myself another one now that I think about it?

[@olifilipe]

So, you complain about intonation in the Gibson but flat frets is ok on the Sire?