The Sire Larry Carlton H7

[@KittyKatMan93]

I've loved watching the evolution of the sock test. The photo negative is the perfect illustration.

[@jazzsounds8159]

Could you please review the new Sire H7V for a thicker neck? P90's. Thanks.

[@kjguitarman]

You set the standard for guitar reviews. The detail is truly top notch. Well done!

[@Jack-zc1qp]

I think you’re one of the few reviewer on KZbin that I can trust. Thanks for doing these honest reviews!

[@alexandereisen3486]

Was at guitar center the other day. Picked one of these off the rack and plugged it. Fell in love with it immediately. Bought it on the spot. Awesome guitar for the price.

[@andreapasillas5803]

I played a sunburst Sire H7 two days ago at a big box store. I really liked it. Great sounding and easy to play with my smaller hands. I plan to purchase one later this year.

[@cpanaretou]

I’ve had a H7 in Red finish for nearly 9 months from Andertons in Guildford UK and am blown away by everything about it. Is a great all round guitar for most styles, Great job Sire.

[@trushack]

Going with unpotted pickups gets a tip of the hat from me...that's some real attention to detail (if the goal is to get as close to vintage spec as possible).

[@stevieboy444]

I bought one. I love it. If it gets stolen I'll buy another one. I don't want to change the pickups, they sound great on their own & they play nicely with my Strat biased pedal-board. It looks exactly as presented in Phil's excellent review. If the 3 way switch broke I'd replace it with a switchcraft but as the soldering's so good I won't. My hobby is building partscasters. This is a great buy for the price.

[@Andrew_182]

I appreciate you touching on the string spacing and all that. Im a big guy with very big hands (can easily palm a basketball) and had kind of been considering trying one of these to see how it stacks up to my Epiphone. But now knowing it is a narrower one makes it easier to keep the GAS at bay, or really just means maybe I'll have to try out a different Sire instead lol. Thanks Phil!

[@garrettmundy4914]

Yeah I'm one of those that likes a chunkier neck also. I would have to really see if this one felt comfortable. Sure is a nice instrument though.

[@bradwebber3211]

All the Larry Carlton models have the narrow nut, he prefers it as he can play some really stretchy chords easier. It's the same size as his 1968 Gibson.

[@Andrew_182]

@Brad Webber Well, shoot. Thanks for the heads up.

[@StayHomeEatGreat]

Super comfortable neck. True to Larry it's a soloists dream.

[@1967whaley]

My exact guitar. It's great, powerful pick ups...louder than my PRS on same amp volume. Neck is defo narrow...Great for lead playing. It bites, it sings, it cries...love it.

[@barondavis5692]

Do you like the Sire more than the PRS? Which has better “playability?” Thanks

[@chancemiller9340]

So much more thorough than anyone else who reviews guitars. Sounds like that guitar was created with jazz solos in mind. Thanks again.

[@jfar3340]

Really? It doesnt sound like jazz at all (or maybe very very modern jazz)

[@AAllinsonNN]

@@jfar3340 you don’t think that had more to do with Phil’s amp choice? Gibson ‘57s should be really nice for jazz w/ the right amp.

[@jfar3340]

@@AAllinsonNN Funny that you mention that because blackpanel type amps are ideal for jazz, and he's playing on a stock deluxe reverb. What tube amp would you have been ''the right amp''? Unless you are referring to solid state henricksen polytone etc.

[@henrysmith187]

Low output humbuckers are such a dream in a 335 style guitar.... or any guitar for that matter. They will hit the front of a pushed amp just fine. Much more articulate and just better overall than higher output pickups. Great demo.

[@jfar3340]

Articulate for some is bright city for others.

[@AAllinsonNN]

Couldn’t agree more. As someone that grew up playing metal, I’ve found that low output pickups can give you everything you want, if the rest of the rig is tuned in well. High output pick ups push everything too much, and by the time it hits the amp, it’s just a mess. && dang - if only there was something you could put between a guitar and an amp that tuned the EQ…. 😮‍💨

[@rickc2102]

And if you really need it, just use a boost.

[@jfar3340]

@@rickc2102 boost color everything and tend to make things muddy. Outside of a mix or band situation, I avoid boosts. Once my pickups were so low output that I could hear anything even with the amp on 10.

[@StayHomeEatGreat]

Good observation. Yes this is one of the very few humbuckers that I like. All the other I've tried have been Duncan's and just too muddy.

[@jamescoughlan8193]

Wow what a very thorough honest review , well done.

[@Beatedelic_Records]

Wow...what a great review and very nice enjoyable playing! I bought the same guitar last year, but mine had string buzz, many dead spots and the frets were uneven like a mogul field. I had to invest some money and now it is perfect....no buzz, no dead spots and a perfect intonation! The guitar looks beautiful and sounds great!

[@amessica]

It is the best guitar review I have watched ever. Very very informative & professional. Chapeau.

[@Anjohl]

Watching this again, this guitar sounds *magnificent* Phil!

[@mattevans060972]

Thanks for doing this. I bought an L7 partly due to your review and I love it. (Only my second guitar ). I’ve been thinking of getting one of those semi hollows too. It’s Larry Carlton after all! So great timing for this review.

[@josephzita]

Those are some of the sweetest sounding pickups I've ever heard. Like a less angry P90

[@vince8081]

Love the sound of these pickups, very sweet on cleans and creamy on overdrive, sounds so good. Great guitar.

[@drvee1983]

You do great, short, concise reviews. Thanks for posting.

[@thoughtprovoking001]

Super detailed review. This helped a lot and filled the gaps in the manufacturers info 👍

[@PDXDrumr]

Just bought one, and what impressed me is that they made a lefty version for the same price, which isn't always the case. It's a good guitar.

[@pdlawson-venusloon359]

Yeh, I recently got a lefty H7 too and I absolutely love it.

[@paulbradshaw431]

Great review. I have a 1968 335 that I'm just not prepared to take out of the house anymore. I picked up one of these to use when I need a 335 style guitar and am absolutely thrilled with it. I use it quite a bit for my trio gigs and exclusively in church were we have a silent stage. it goes straight into my HX Stomp XL with a ToneX pedal providing the amps. Works for perfectly for the wide variety of songs we cover.

[@davedavem]

That seems extremely high quality! Great deep dive, Phil, and well done, Sire!

[@el0blaino]

Excellent review. No dilly-dallying, just awesome information, sensibly chosen playing to reveal the tones - much appreciated! Sire sounding like a great brand!

[@rexrathtar3893]

Excellent review, Phil. Very thorough and useful for anyone considering a 335 style guitar. Fantabulous bit of Van Morrison you slipped in there.

[@seangoddard5800]

I just bought one, ,trusted Phillp and am not disappointed at all, wonderful guitar

[@crabbybastardguitars9955]

Phil is a great reviewer. I have one of these in red. It has a great looking top and very good fretwork. The nut is slightly more narrow than most guitars but after a few minutes of playing you adjust to it. No guitar is perfect and you manage to find work-arounds to their imperfections. That is all guitars.

[@jackhargreaves1911]

First time watching your channel, and I find…. the perfect review! You really do set the standard (not just detail but style).

[@cruzincondo3395]

With all of his inside knowledge of build quality it’s safe to say ‘this dude is a guitar’ Great vid per usual.

[@Zilegil]

It's been my main guitar for like a year now. It's a lovely guitar!

[@SiddharthKarunakaran]

What do you like and hate about it? Do you like its playability?

[@bartm5485]

Thanks Phillip, I always like your videos... I've purchased items you have reviewed, and always been very pleased...

[@marklawrence8518]

Well rounded review. Nice playing on that neck pickup demo, too! Sounds nice. Thx

[@KSETONMTL]

Adding a few notes what is already a great in-depth review, that smaller neck profile-shape is modelled directly from LC's guitar, and matches the typical 33x-series necks circa '67 through '70. For the mahogany necks, my H7 is a 1-piece completely including the heel. Sire has made a point of these being 1-piece mahogany neck as per LC's, and any other review I've seen so far have 1-piece mahogany necks as well. Looking at the grain on yours in the posting I'd suggest that what you might be looking at is simply the natural curve of the mahogany's grain lines? Also, the ebony fretboard is more appropriate in hardness and density to the brazilian rosewood boards used at the time as well - modern rosewood in-use today is a different species and is not as hard or dense. Last note, according to Elantric on the vguitar forum, who worked at Valley Arts and on Larry's guitar, LC's pickups were/are neck= 7.32 ohms, and the bridge= 7.03 ohms. Sire then, has done a stellar job! I've got quite a few G's myself, but after playing the Sire H7, bought it on the spot! I added Schaller tuners, M4/M8 bridge post converters and a Nashville bridge with titanium saddles, a TP-6 tailpiece, light-gold top-hat knobs, lowered the switch by removing the washer and using two underneath, and added a 60-degree bevelled 60's-style 335 pickguard with the 1' foot, and ... WOW I love my H7!

[@swordfan1330]

Very thorough reviews, I'm enjoying your attention to detail!

[@tramlad2]

I have the S7 fantastic in the Blue flame, such a brilliant guitar for the money, leaves the Epiphone and Squire standing, these will become collectable, such a user friendly guitar, your model was so nice had a great finish

[@deeman1]

So concentrated qualifiyng stuff, man that is really professional. Great videos here, so much info in short time, thanx !

[@Time-Trvlr]

impressed upon me your use of closed cell foam to protect the finish from scratches.

[@ron.v]

I love your reviews. This one is a topper. I once had a vintage '60 ES-335 but, sadly, let it go several years ago. As you played the Sire H7 clean, I heard what (to me) was the classic sound I grew to love from my old Gibson ES. That's a pretty amazing guitar.

[@markseverson3358]

GREAT REVIEW AS USUAL PHIL, BEEN LOOKING FOR A LEFTY L7 👍

[@Patriot1777]

Got one used for $550.00 and love it😊

[@danielguimaraes8705]

Wonderful checkout! Thank you Phillip!❤

[@44totalmassretain]

Have one. You’re spot on. Loved it out of the box. I have options. This one is right at the top. Would definitely buy again. My hands a pretty good sized and usually I don’t like smaller necks. This one’s a keeper.

[@VintageRadius]

Super helpful review. I would have been really disappointed to buy one online and then feel the neck. I’ve come to realize that a somewhat thicker than average neck is just a must for me.

[@wesboundmusic]

Sweet presentation and compared to other presentations of this very model, it would even rate as a deep dive where I'm concerned. The thin, smaller neck wasn't even mentioned in the other demos I watched. Great, thanks, I've entered the give away somewhere already, so I'm good there. 😇

[@joeschmoe1301]

Your guitar reviews are in a class by themselves!!!

[@СергейЧетвериков-й6ч]

Thank you for a deep and interesting dive. Great guitar. Acceptable price. Made well. Apparently at the Cort factory. Although they do not produce semi-acoustic models under their own brand. Larry is a great musician. And if he made an effort to create this brand, you can hope that there will be no disappointments. Moreover, he himself played on the Gibson 335 model and may have made some adjustments based on his experience. Good luck.

[@Spahr62]

Very helpful information! I haven't found any Sire guitars near me to play... I think the guitar is beatiful and am impressed with the build quality, but the darn neck is much thinner than I like or want. This is where you shine with this grat info! Thank you!

[@yesto9676]

I have one just like this and honestly I LOVE the look of it. I also really enjoy the tones coming straight out of the guitar, I can get a nice jazz tone just by DI'ing and turning the tone knob down.

[@patrickcolclough2423]

Thank you Phil, exemplary as always. You'll have to do the Sire S7 next, personally I'm blown away. :)

[@elguapo9628]

Really nice guitar! Digging that Vans t shirt, too 👍

[@barrywinter8770]

I have one in red and love it. The is narrow and open chords need more precision than say on a tele, but get past fret 5 and the magic starts. It looks great, it feels quality.

[@hlyangel1]

Hi Barry how is the nut height? Mine is a bit high and I’m hoping lowering it a bit will make those first frets a bit easier to negotiate

[@6stringedpsycho718]

Best review ever of this instrument, i just pulled the trigger on a black one and will be delievered 1 week from now.

[@lazvt8469]

...how did you like the guitar????

[@monmixer]

Hey there it is. I asked, you did with the L-7. thank you!! they are making some nice guitars. I'm so tempted. Back to work now. Live entertainment workers really suffered. time to buy now!! I have small hands and am not into shredding.

[@deannafisher2658]

Have this in red and absolutely love it

[@ryangunwitch-black]

These are killer. I just played one today and I couldn’t believe how good it was. The neck felt great and it was acoustically louder than any fully hollow guitar on the wall. And I tried a few. This thing felt so good. With a pick or fingers. I’m so tempted.

[@danparry834]

Nice to hear a bit of Van Morrison there Phil! Awesome video as always!

[@luigizanellato2959]

Definitely a smooth sounding axe for jazz playing. Very nice, great review Phil!

[@JazzGuitarScrapbook]

Given Larry’s 335 is a 1968 it makes sense. I have a 68 ES175 and the neck is super narrow. The guitar sounds like a Gibson, it has that distinctive upper mid nasality! I think I’ll have to try one ….

[@dennischurgovich1904]

Recently purchases a H7V. Price was just under $750. Looks good and the tone is marvelous. Very good quality for the price.

[@tlister67]

Larry made his name on a 1966 es335, that era was known for narrow nut width. I have a MIJ tokai es with block inlays and it too is narrow, like 42 mm. No problems except the first 3 frets are tight. You get used to it.

[@fernandog9684]

Damn. I’m not even in the market for this but it looks and sounds amazing. I think I would enjoy that smaller neck too. Great review/demo!

[@skwissgaar_skwigelf_kdz3251]

i tried one of the sire strats and it was very easy playing and looked great

[@mpf44]

Great review. Very in-depth, which we need to make an informed decision.

[@FarrellMcGovern]

Nice guitar. The sounds it gave reminded me a lot of Randy Bachman's guitar sounds in The Guess Who.

[@hotdotdog]

Hey Phil, I have a '69 ES335 like Larry Carlton does and it has a very small neck. So this Sire seems to track along with Larry's.

[@Russell_Optics]

I have the white one and like it a lot. It plays good and the pickups sound great. The stock tuners & hardware are fine and do need to be changed. I like the neck and while having a narrower nut width, the neck carve is nice and full and fills your hand. It took me 9 months before I found a white one in stock to buy.

[@JohnFraserFindlay]

wow this is a serious review. probably the only one this detailed on the net.

[@dubblyewjay1133]

Love your straight-forward techie approach.. only 1 gripe- you didn't mention that Gibson and Epiphone scarf joints - esp on Les Pauls- is prone to breaking off unless they've (Gibson and Epi) changed their neck angle. Otherwise, spot-on, Phil. neck-headstock angle. Kudos.

[@forddriver8827]

I'm in Sydney, Australia and have my eye on one of these H7 in see through red. The Joe Bonamassa Epiphone es335 is $2800 where the Sire H7 is $1300. I can buy an amp with the change. Thanks for the great insight and I appreciate your neutral stance in the review. New subscriber.

[@ManlyMcBeardFace]

This was so gratifying to hear that I’m not crazy regarding the neck. I purchased one a few months back and felt like the neck was super cramped. I ended up returning it and I was really bummed. Still trying to find a good budget semi hollow.

[@dubblyewjay1133]

Corey-If you don't mind semihollow treetrunk bodies.. I LOVE my Epi Wildkat Anniversary.. albeit a heavy guitar in that midrange price pocket, it sounds and feels great.

[@ManlyMcBeardFace]

I will check one out. Thanks!

[@Gs-nc4jx]

Guilds tend to have wide string spacing (and you get a lot of guitar for your money with their import models). they make a good semi hollow “star fire”

[@ironmikezero]

Check out the AIO SH-335 (actually a 355 copy) @ $469 (with 1SKB-35 case - $584); neck isn't so thin, nut is 1.688"/42.88mm. Comes with a custom setup (your specs). Worth a look. I've got three and I'm tempted to go for another one.

[@ManlyMcBeardFace]

@@ironmikezero wow that’s awesome I might check that out. I love the figured red.

[@alexanderwernet9881]

Great Review - just ordered one some minutes before and now waiting excited how the neck will suit me, I have not big hands...

[@rjb7569]

Very knowledgeable review! Enjoyed the full breakdown before playing. Particularly the neck description emphasis as this neck would be right for me, based on your detailed commentary.

[@brett1965ge]

Damn cool demo vid. Thanks for your work.

[@davidharris794]

Fantastic review, Philip, as usual. The point you make about the neck width at the nut is interesting. Other reviewers have also commented about that. For some it's an advantage, but for me it would probably be a deal killer. I have broad fingers with broad tips and pads and need that extra space that a 43mm nut provides. As a lefty, it's almost impossible to find one of these H7s in a shop to try out the neck, so reviews really help. This guitar has many excellent features, it seems.

[@Pannemat]

I have the same "impossible" fingers and I bought an Epiphone because of the 43mm neck.

[@rufusevans7844]

Phil this level of information is like a dream for me! Love this format!

[@Claimjumper55]

Nice review. I think I'll keep an eye out for one of these once they become available. I have a couple Sire bass guitars and they've been great.

[@marcohermans3207]

I bought one today at a music shop in Belgium . They changed the nut to 43mm because of a lot of people had complained that the earlier ones it were to narrow. No blemishes or whatsoever, absolute stunning laquer,binding, and fretwork at this price point. The nut on mine was 43,15mm. We tried it against a Gibson ES335 custom shop that costs €5995 ... The playing experience was the same. The sound of the Sire is 95% of the Gibson. The Gibson has a litlle bit sweeter overtones and it's louder acoustic and sounds more woody acoustic but the playing experience was the same. As soon as you plug in there's no major difference. I find the fretwork on the Sire way better then the Gibson. For the price these guitars are insane good. I also have a H7V which is a P90 version and that sounds also awesome but a different character.

[@daviddalziel884]

Thanks for this review . Just recently heard that these have a really narrow neck and many other reviews had never mentioned this but glad you’ve pointed this out too . I was lucky to play 66 Gibson 335 but it too had a really narrow neck and I believe they only made them like this for a year . Hard for bends as you clunk really quickly into the other strings . There’s a lot of competition at this price point eg Epiphone but it’s difficult to find a store which stocks both .

[@stevewehner9540]

It's reviews like this that I decided to buy a T7 sight-unseen. Now I'm waiting on August for it to get here and I keep asking my self the question, will it be worth the wait. But due to your and other reviews it keeps my hope alive.

[@davidpatrick1813]

Unbelievable great review.. helpful. I am looking for clean sound ... and my first semi-hollow

[@lancetownsend6226]

Love my sire bass. More than any fender J bass I've played

[@Barbarapape]

Sire are making good quality guitars at sensible prices, and well below the big names ever increasing prices. I bought a Sire Larry Carlton S7 last year, and it realy is a great guitar that played well out of the box, with only a few tweaks required. The spec is way above most other brands, if than can keep the quality consistent, they will do well.

[@tobiasryan8378]

Phil's pickups in jars remind me of a mad scientist's laboratory - a very helpful mad scientist :)

[@BrianSGuitars]

Loving the Deep Dive format!

[@deanz9161]

Ok now the real deal. I don’t have a youtube channel so nothing at stake here. I bought this at Guitar Center for over $700 but I had a 20% coupon so it was in the 550 range. I had a Quality Control issue where the qtr inch input collapsed and I had to fish it out. I didn’t want to screw it up so I had the GC tech put it back on for me. No big deal.. i do love this guitar and the highlights to me are the looks, playability and the pickups. They are not high output pickups but so what? I can push an amp just fine. The rolled edges on the neck are really nice! A+ for that. The bone nut is nice but as a player I can’t tell what its doing. The neck is small but not too bad. Basically Phil is spot on except for my two cents.. the pickups sound very professional. Don’t take my word for it. Many KZbinrs with killer sound playing the H7. Goes into your DAW really smooth!!

[@DavidHBurkart]

These reviews are really valuable. Such a great guitar. Contemplating the purchase of one of these... or do I wait and spend more for the real deal?? Such a dilemna 😂😂

[@Superjet113]

I love everything bout this guitar except the 40mm nut width. My minimum is 42mm and prefer 43/44mm even. Very good review Phil, you left nothing out! Thanks again!

[@n8cook]

I returned mine because of it - loved it otherwise. Went with an EART and it's awesome thus far.

[@telee19]

Agreed agreed

[@Superjet113]

@@n8cook Nice!

[@jonconger3527]

Sounds great. Nice demo!

[@mikecullen6488]

Got the L7. Have a Harley Benton 335 and was interested in learning more about the sire h7. Answered a lot of questions. Sounds great. I’m kinda on the fence about the neck. I’ve had a couple of schecters and I felt those necks were a little thin so there is my quandary. But great review and great info

[@mikecullen6488]

Did go ahead and get one with the red finish. Love it.

[@briansimpson8116]

My favorite style of guitar. This one was nice.

[@michaelcantwell3652]

Phil, what a good review, very thorough, very technical. Based on your review, I’m going to look for a Sire LC locally. I do have a question, online sellers have a stock spec sheet listing the nut width at 1.69 mm. This seems typical for a lot of hollow and semi hollow body guitars. Not too wide, but not IMO really small, either. What was the actual width of the one you reviewed. Thanks

[@MrTraewilliams]

I liked the new pricing info part but as with the Epiphone Les Paul 59. IMO I do see the need in pointing out the joints . Love the channel

[@GlenCraytonJr]

Yes!!!! Phill I know I saw you do a review on the DAngelico LOL how do you think the sire compares to that guitar? I’ve played both. I actually had a Dangelico premier but sold it but I remember a long time ago, clean a sire guitar Center and remember it sounded great. But never got a chance to do a head-to-head comparison.

[@ernieb3626]

great review thanks Phil. I have been looking for a while. when I find one I will probably pick it up. thanks again

[@rrrripbing]

Great review Phil. I love your format of going through 'specs', 'geeky stuff', etc. Sub'd.

[@canufathomit6728]

Thanks Phil. I bought the H7 Hollowbody in see-through red. Gorgeous vintage sound. But, there were some finish issues that were cosmetically obvious -- on the back, luckily. And, I was shocked to find that the fret ends were so bad -- super rough as to make the guitar un-playable. I went to work on the fret ends, and in a half hour, I had what should have come from the factory -- a smooth, polished, playable neck.

[@stringbender57]

Very good look at the Sire! These guitars have caught my eye. Very nice guitar at that price point. I sincerely appreciate and value your opinion...well done!

[@bjstein4242]

Phil, another great review.. honest and complete.. funny thing is that I LOVE the neck on my 1976 SG standard.. with its 1 9/16th nut but rounded C shape.. just feels great to the palm.. I was wondering if this H7 would be similar.. it might be for me.. I love 335 style guitars but dont like the WIDE nuts on many of them.. 1.75".. you are one of the first to comment about the neck.. this is missing from most reviews as the NECK is the single most important feel of any guitar... Thanks >> !!!

[@budgreen7764]

Absolutely right about the neck. If the neck doesn't feel "right to you , then the rest just doesn't matter.

[@ayayron9243]

Wooooo! I hope he reviews the S7 FM next!