Short version: Sire neck and neck join a bit more like a Suhr, locking tuners and slightly better saddles (probably) than the PRS PRS Neck is a nice slightly larger than most necks at this price point. The neck for me would be the deciding factor - if you want more vintage feel - go PRS, if you want more modern - go Sire
Unless you absolutely love the neck on the SE SS the Sire is just by far the better specced up guitar. Alder body, roasted maple neck, locking tuners and a bone nut vs poplar, regular maple, regular tuners and a plastic nut. In the UK a Sire S7 is £400-500. The SE SS is £895. Sire for the win.
@@lestercheng1454honestly none of those things inherently makes one guitar better than the other. Except maybe the bone nut, nothing clearly is better than the other alternative…. I have a sire s7 though
I subscribed not only for the great tone comparison but for the way you seamlessly handled your doggo climbing into your lap during it. All dog owners know what it's like to have them climb on you when you're in the middle of something. The way you just naturally helped your dog get into a secure cuddling position while playing was just great. Edit: Looking at the comments section, you'd think the Sire S7 was the best seller and the SS SE was not moving any units. ahaha
I like the Sire. You may have already answered this …… your playing is very advanced to my ear. What is your musical education and background? Your above the average player. 🤓👍
Thanks for the review @johnnathancordy! After 3 decades buying expensive guitars, I recently found myself buying the Indonesia made lineage. Got a Squire Classic 50s earlier in the year and am blown away by it. The hardware isn’t up to par but, it’s great for what you pay for. Received my Schecter Nick Johnston a couple weeks ago and it’s basically a $900(US) Suhr. Fantastic guitar! My Sire S7 has been ordered but won’t arrive until January 25. I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Tried the Silver Star SE the day I bought the Squire and wasn’t impressed. Side note…the Squire was bought at the now defunct Sam Ash on Sunset Blvd. It was the only store that had the butterscotch blonde.
I received my Silver Sky a few days ago and just ordered a Sire S7 from Anderton's. I've got to say, it's a bit bonkers that Sweetwater has pre-orders available for the Sire S7 at $600 USD, which ends up being $641 after taxes (free shipping!). Meanwhile, ordering the same guitar from Anderton's, who has it in stock, costs $565 USD after converting from GBP, accounting for customs (free!) and accounting for shipping (also free!). I know I won't keep both guitars, but at $565 USD and hearing these comparisons, it's hard to imagine keeping the guitar that is $908 USD after taxes. How it plays matters the most, but pocketing $340 sounds pretty great too! Thanks for the great, in-depth review and ESPECIALLY the comparison. Yours is the only channel that I've seen put these two guitars head-to-head, and I greatly appreciate it since I essentially ruled Fenders out months ago in this price bracket.
I’m upgrading from a Squier Bullet Strat, so the way I see it there will be a big improvement only any guitar I choose in this price range, and I get a feeling that that is what a lot of people’s experiences will be. Most likely there will be a lot of people that are just looking for an upgrade, not just another tone machine to put in the arsenal. Just my thoughts though.
Very similar sounding, and good demonstration of how significant pickup height affects tone and volume. Personally, I think the Revstar is a better guitar, and a comparison between your favorite Strat type guitar and a new model Revstar might be fun. You may done something like that before, as I seem to recall you reviewing a Revstar long ago.
Greetings from across the pond! I’m new to your channel, but I gotta say that your phrasing is brilliant! You play with taste and know when not to play as well. Plus your sense of melody is beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your craft with the rest of the world.
I have an s type Sire with the humbucker in the bridge. I am gigging with it now and have been very happy with it. Was hard to find new in the states so I purchased it on Reverb from France. All in all, a very good guitar. I do plan on replacing the pickups soon. Thank you for the comparison and all that you do !!!!
Hi John, I want to commend your highly incisive analysis and review of the Sire; I concur with you wholly that the Sire S7 is superlative in playability and build to that of the PRS, in fact comparatively against most Fender start alternatives; I'm even surprised by the sonic quality of the stock pickups ion the S7, in conjunction with the neck profile; I'll certainly embark on testing a Schecter Nick Johnston.
I own both, purchased both online from different stores. The PRS arrived perfect. Well balanced light guitar, sounds great and the fret work was perfect. The sire neck is beautiful and feels great. The nut is not well done, too low... Buzzing all over, basically unplayable. The PRS did a stellar job on building the silver sky SE. Should not have to spend a ton of cash on fretwork, redo the nut etc on the Sire
Hey Tommy - thanks for sharing the experience! I think I'd have sent that Sire back if possible. Same experience with the PRS Silver Sky SE too though - neck/frets on point
@@johnnathancordy I waited, so I think it may be a little too late now. I talked to another guy who had a similar problem. The PRS SE was so perfect. I did try the PRS silver sky core version in the store and it seemed really ordinary & the action seemed a little high. I prefer the se that I have in every way so far and soundwise too.. As for the poplar body on the se, all I can say is that it was good enough for Allan Holdsworth and Evhs 1984 Kramer which were chosen for light weight and resonance. With all of that, must not forget to say thank you for the great videos, your playing is as beautiful as it is inspiring. Just my opinion, I think you are slowly coming to enjoy your PRS se more by the day. Both great guitars, I got to get the sire some extra love to where it plays as it should. Thanks again so much for all of your great work & playing
Tommy I understand I bought a t7 the nut was horribly cut. The top e would slip out of the nut while playing it was uneven just terrible, like you I love the neck and the tone so I had a friend put a custom bone nut and a setup 160.00 extra made this one of my favorite guitars. Good luck.
Nice playing. Also, I’ve noticed that on every video in regards to Silver Sky Se, you mentioned same thing “no wow factor” considering the price in the UK. I love it even though I don’t own one yet, but I would actually buy the Schecter Nick Johnston Strat style on ATOMIC FROST
If your left-handed, there is only one choice. Sire despite being a relatively small company make a range of left handed instruments. PRS makes one SE custom 24 model.
Your playing is excellent and makes it hard to tell between the two in a mix for my ear. The Silver Sky SE sounds just a bit softer to me which is down to personal preference really, both sound pretty good though. I have a SE on the way (live in the US) and your videos were very helpful while trying to decide if I should try one out or not. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Nice video and nice touch to let your dog climb on you while you were playing, it happens to me all the time with my Pug Lily! My next guitar will be an S7 even I love John Meyer’s work
I had to lower the pickups on my SE just like you did. The note seperation is much better now and I'm pretty happy with the tone. It's definitely different to the average strats as the SE SS is much more mid focused
I haven’t played a sire yet but I played the PRs silver sky USA made, it is one heck of a great guitar. As good as anything I’ve ever played. I hear the sire is really good . Right now I have the PRs John Mayer se.
JNC is a wonderful player who uses his preferred processed sound; keep in mind. Having said that - the Sire sounds smoother to me. I have had a similar experience. My PRS guitars sound 'colder'. Sire requires tweaking and mine took 9 months to settle in. I am confident the roasted necks will pay dividends.
I got a green Sire just like this, 2023 with cool push knob to split pickup. I think it is a really awesome guitar. The neck is one of the fastest I've ever played, almost perfect for me. I think the pickups sound great! Nice full sound but very poppy and stratty. And the whammy bar works great, super fun to mess with. All in all a fantastic guitar. Haven't played the SE but I'm guessing it wouldn't compare for me.
Not good, do not buy them. My story. Beginning of September I purchased one from Thomann SIRE S7 HSS. To my dismay the action was nearly half inch high, electrical configuration was a disaster both dials stop at 5 not 10 dull sound from G string on fret one and two. So sent it back and they sent me back same guitar action dropped perfectly but dials still messed up , quiet frankly they are a heap of shit. It’s also a 50/50 of getting a perfect guitar online so my advice is. No matter how far away you are before you purchase online to go to a store and play them and deposit on the guitar you want to buy or just buy it there . Because if you have to send it back for the second time your faith is gone on the guitar you have never even played yet. Now I go for refund and never buy a Sire ever again . Absolutely the crappiest guitar I bought and anyone on TH-cam telling me that they got no discount or a free guitar perfectly designed and checked before they put it on TH-cam are joking me. The time I spent 6 weeks total to send it back and now I send back this heap of crap also and refund my money and now I travel over 300km to try other guitars like fender Strat MN for and extra 280€ What a disaster of 6 weeks and now another month of travelling to find a left hand that I can play and feel good about when I play it. Please and I say please again do not purchase from anywhere online, go to the store and purchase it there.
Sire sounds good, Dislike the glossy fretboard, purely cosmetic. Check out a Schecter Nick Johnston strat. I put some Klein S-5 mid scooped pickups in the nick johnston and it kills for the $450 I picked it up for.
I literally just did this comparison yesterday. I prefer the rosewood fingerboard of the PRS, but the tall skinny frets put me off. Great for bending and vibrato but not so good for sliding. The urethane fretboard on the Sire S7 is not may favorite, but I prefer the medium-jumbo frets. Also, the PRS neck is thicker than the Sire. By itself, that wasn't a deal breaker. But, along with the tall frets, the PRS neck just didn't play as well as I would have liked. There were differences in the pickups, as well. I thought the Sire sounded better, particularly in the bridge position. Finally, I can't prove it, but I think the Sire has linear taper pots while the PRS has audio taper pots. Whatever, I could control the tone of the Sire better than the PRS. FWIW, both blew away a Robert Cray Stratocaster. It wasn't a close call.
I prefer the Sire. However you can get a secondhand G & L tribute legacy (Made in Indonesia) strat for around 300 euros and they are outstanding guitars. I almost cried when I sold mine but I had no choice because I upgraded.
The Sire looks like an extremely high end instrument in comparison, kinda crazy the PRS is more expensive. I like the Sire, in sounds and looks. I do like the Silver sky though, just not as much.
I was about to criticise your Silver Sky video where you compared it to your K-Line….. then I found this and the Mexican Strat comparison! Great content, thanks.
Hey Ben! It wasn't about comparing it like for like with the K-Line, it was more that I needed to pick up a strat that I know I really like and have compared with a real US silver sky to feel what it is that I'm missing. Because there's nothing particularly wrong with the Silver Sky SE if that makes sense? It is put together well, and I think looks pretty nice, but it was just a little on the flat/dull side? Does that make a bit more sense?
Just bought the SS SE Dragon fruit. Beautiful sound and very good player. I bought the most resonant one, whatever the colour..It happened to be the Dragon Fruit one :) The SE series really are not that consistent. Even the core models differ in sound and playability. I would advise to go play them live, next to each other. Every single guitar sounds and plays different in the end. I also like the Sire S7, but I was looking for those SS (SE) clean/breakup JM sounds.
Yah was just going to post this. Sweetwater has the Sire as “hot new item coming soon” and they’re available for preorder. Player Strat is $849 as well.
@@jessenicholson1777 FYI - I just purchased the Sire 3-tone Sunburst at Sweetwater and was told the expected arrival date is August 2022. Some other places are showing May 2022 on their websites.
"neither particularly stratty" actually interests me more because i'm not really looking for a default trebley strat since I have a Jaguar I really like, i'm more of a fan of the "Bigger" sound of a Jazzmaster but haven't found one of those that fits my needs. The Silver Sky definitely sounds more "stratty" to me. I'd get that one if you were playing Surf, and the other one for alt rock
I bought a Silver Sky SE, and sent it back, I was NOT impressed. I bought a Sire S7, and it's a much better guitar IMO. Looks better feels better and seems better made.
The PRS Silver Sky here in the U.S. is $850 vs the Sire S7 which is $650 ...in my opinion they're both good guitars however if you were to eventually sell, I have a feeling the PRS would be easier strictly due to the name on the headstock. BIG plus re: Sire's S7 & T7' is the roasted maple necks, rolled fretboard edges, a bone nut and the locking tuners...something you don't get with the lower price point Silver Sky...BUT all PRS's come with cases ! I would take a Sire S7 over a Fender Player anyday for the features I mentioned above.... I tend to lean more on the feel of the neck, how it plays, how it sounds and the features than the name on the headstock.
Were you comparing the furry pup with the non furry pups, I didn't get any audio from the furry one? Otherwise yes very similar sounding "modern" pups on the Silver Sky SE and Sire S7. Whereas a Player Strat Al5 pups will get you the chimeyness, though may be a bit thin for vintage lovers.
The FGN Standard I had was a great guitar - played perfectly, well built, nice pickups - essentially an Ibanez AZ Prestige without the logo or roasting!
@@johnnathancordy Thanks for responding. I only ask because I’ve seen one come up for £100 more than the Sire. I guess then it’s really about the pickups and the neck? A difficult decision.
I don't need to spend more than $1500 to be happy. The PRS SE models are starting almost $2k where I live. I'd take the Sire. It seems to be punching well above its weight class.
I got a Sire T7 and a H7 , and I have an Ibanez AZ Premium ( Indonesian), and a 2008 Fender American deluxe strat as well. The Ibanez AZ costed 1299 dollars , and surprisingly had issues with Frets . The frets were not level , nut slots were too high and I couldn’t lower the action to my preferences . Had to send it to a luthier and get them levelled ; since they were Stainless steel frets , it took more time and effort . The Sires definitely had better quality control . They had nearly perfectly Levelled frets , the frets were polished as good as my Fender American deluxe , the nut was cut well , I could lower the action on the T7 to very comfortable levels. The best part is -the neck on the Sire guitars compel me to pick them more often because of the Rolled neck and the rounded frets . Overall I think any guitar, Sire or not , has to be played a little and inspected by the buyer before it’s bought. But 9/10 Sires will be great quality mostly , if not with one visit to the luthier in the worst case scenario. Again John as ever - lovely playing , music and tones !!
Maybe it's me, but you seem to navigate the PRS fretboard easier than the Strat or the Sire.. However, I notice you seem more comfortable holding Strat and Sire
It seems that if you want a trad Strat tone, better stick with a Fender. One could "upgrade" pups in either the SS or S7, or simply put those extra $s into a "better" (that a MIM Player) Fender.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on Shijie guitars, they seem like another guitar in the mid-price bracket going after the high end guitar feel.
Very nice. My personal conclusion is that (for me) both guitar's pickups are too hot for a "vintage" strat. Considering a good set of pups and the cost of having them installed properly, I am well in the price range of the new Fender JV (made in Japan) strats (slightly below 1200 Euros here), which are definitely better than both of these.
Yeah, the new JV look nice, but I think they were intentionally spec'd down with some of the features so they would not "cannibalize" Fender's AM Pro/Professional series... The original Fenders MiJ were much better instruments, almost on custom shop level, at an affordable price. In that price range of the new JV series in the EU I'd look aroung for a new FGN Expert Odyssey, which can be found for around 1300e new in stores... (in DE und AT) I'd say even the FGN Standard Odyssey (with Seymour Duncan pups) at around 850 euros, would give PRS, Fenders MiM and Sire run for their money...
Interesting . I had opposite experience. I went to try the sire , broke 2 strings. Found the locking tuners to be terrible . Thats was my bad experience ....
Sire would get my money all day long over the PRS. Not huge differences in the sounds, but the modern strat neck join and that roasted maple, also much prefer the green of the sire as well in this case… - yes please drop this preset in the folder, your presets really help me to understand the (relatively new to me) Helix world
I sold my sire s7 ssh because I got a good deal of a Fender American pro II new 1400€ . However I regret I sold the Sire it was really a good guitar with a super nice neck. I’m considering buying a sire H7
I'm not really interested in tone of the instrument, it can be changed with pickups, strings and pick choice, I think the most important thing is how a guitar plays, is it easy to play or hard to play, how good is the neck, action etc. I've got a 1996 Fender USA Strat the neck is fat like a baseball bat, where as my 2012 Fender USA strat has a thinner neck, the tone is fatter on the strat with the thicker neck, I think it does make a difference to the tone of the guitar.
I tried to like the SE PRS but sound dry and even on the U.S version the tuners felt cheezy. Much prefer S7V’s neck and tone. Better features too. I bought the Sire un the end.
@@johnnathancordy Yeah so since I'm going to buy another first guitar for like the 10th time to try to learn to play the instrument for like the 10th time. Yeah can't wait that long so going to have to look at something else. Maybe an fender player hsh or something. Thinking back to your guitar inspiration/idol video my biggest problem is nobody effected me more than Mr. Govan and half the time instead of inspiring me he makes me want to quit lol.
To me the Sire sounds more expensive than the PRS. I have a Sire P5. I’ve owned many basses from many different brands ranging from Fender to Yamaha, Ibanez, Schecter and even Stagg. In my honest opinion if you ignore the name on the headstock, the Sire comfortably beats everything I’ve played. I don’t understand why reviewers (and I guess this really applies specifically to those who are either in the business of selling instruments or those who have channels that get paid to do reviews of instruments) have this tendency to say that Sire instruments are great “for the money” and then they will often recommend other brands and make comments that might indicate that Sires are somewhat comparable to other budget instruments in terms of quality. I flat out disagree and while I haven’t played any of the new American Fenders and whatnot my experience with my P5 is that not only are Sire instruments great for the money, they are great full stop. I would bet my last pound that they are (at least in terms of general build quality like wood and finish) on par with American Pro series Fenders and other big name guitars. I know that a lot of people have had certain gripes about hardware or pickups. But again in my experience these issues seem to be exaggerated. I’m sure that the tuners and bridges are cheaper than what you’ll get on an expensive name brand bass or guitar. But from playing mine, I don’t see that there’s a significant negative impact on the tone or playing experience. Sure, they could be better, but I don’t find them to be bad. I’ve played real budget basses and the hardware on those instruments are vastly inferior to what you’ll find on a Sire. I would say hardware on Sires is a little better than a Mexican Fender and I own one so I can say that with some degree of authority. Sire actually do make some more premium instruments like the P9 and the hardware is better. But to me the P5 feels like it should cost around £1500 - £2000. That’s definitely ballpark what Fender would ship something like a P5 for. Maybe even more with the rolled fretboard and the roasted maple. It’s actually pretty crazy how much you get when you buy a Sire. And they look amazing too. In my view Sire are a serious brand. If you’re new to playing and you really want a good bass or guitar that makes you feel good about playing and that you’ll want to keep forever you really can’t go wrong with them. And my advice to any beginner would be not to even bother wasting time with a budget instrument from a bigger brand - buy a Sire instead and save the money you would waste on a better instrument down the road when you would otherwise decide to upgrade to a premium guitar. Buying a Sire is like buying a premium Fender for 1/4 the price. It really does feel like you’ve cheated somehow. I am still blown away by my P5 after 5 months. My Schecter Stiletto Studio 6 used to be my favourite instrument. It hasn’t left it’s case since the Sire arrived and I’m actually going to sell all my other basses. I don’t feel like I need another bass, or that I’ll ever need another. I might upgrade the bridge and tuners at some point. And maybe put in a set of Dimarzio relentless pickups. But I can’t see myself playing anything else. They really are that good. And if I were to do all those upgrades I think the finished article would be just as good as an Attitude bass and they retail at somewhere around £4000. I think the cost of the upgrades would be on the region of £500. To me that’s amazing.
Remember every guitar is going to have it's own personality and it certainly won't won't appeal to everyone. I like the Sire, but I'm not sure about the Silver Sky. I think the Silver Sky is trying to be like a Strat and not be a Strat at the same time. I own a Nick Johnston S style and I would say it would be something you should try out. I like it a lot, but it's certainly not for everyone. It's one person vision of what they want in a guitar.
Sire all day. The silver sky looks like it’s been dipped in plastic several times. The horrible pick guard plastic sticks out in every video no mater who does it or the lighting involved. The pickups on the sk get to the edge of breakup and fart out no matter how you adjust them. They have to be swapped out. The Sire pickups do have similar sonic characteristics but they don’t fart out on the edge of breakup. This can be heard in several places in this video and many other videos out there. The Sire also doesn’t look like it has 5 layers of plastic dip on the body.
Hey Bryant, I have to say that the Silver Sky does look very different in person to on camera, it's very strange. Jake says the pickups on the Silver Sky aren't shaped exactly the same as normal strat pickups which could make swapping them out a challenge?
Not if you get a heap of crap like they sent me twice for a so called Sire S7 HSS Not good, do not buy them. My story. Beginning of September I purchased one from Thomann SIRE S7 HSS. To my dismay the action was nearly half inch high, electrical configuration was a disaster both dials stop at 5 not 10 dull sound from G string on fret one and two. So sent it back and they sent me back same guitar action dropped perfectly but dials still messed up , quiet frankly they are a heap of shit. It’s also a 50/50 of getting a perfect guitar online so my advice is. No matter how far away you are before you purchase online to go to a store and play them and deposit on the guitar you want to buy or just buy it there . Because if you have to send it back for the second time your faith is gone on the guitar you have never even played yet. Now I go for refund and never buy a Sire ever again . Absolutely the crappiest guitar I bought and anyone on TH-cam telling me that they got no discount or a free guitar perfectly designed and checked before they put it on TH-cam are joking me. The time I spent 6 weeks total to send it back and now I send back this heap of crap also and refund my money and now I travel over 300km to try other guitars like fender Strat MN for and extra 280€ What a disaster of 6 weeks and now another month of travelling to find a left hand that I can play and feel good about when I play it. Please and I say please again do not purchase from anywhere online, go to the store and purchase it there.
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Short version: Sire neck and neck join a bit more like a Suhr, locking tuners and slightly better saddles (probably) than the PRS
PRS Neck is a nice slightly larger than most necks at this price point.
The neck for me would be the deciding factor - if you want more vintage feel - go PRS, if you want more modern - go Sire
Where'd you manage to get a green sparkle s7 vintage!?
I believe I saw a video somewhere that the slimmer neck is to appeal to female players which is the next target market
Curious how the schecter diamond nick Johnston Trad SSS compares with its contour neck
Unless you absolutely love the neck on the SE SS the Sire is just by far the better specced up guitar. Alder body, roasted maple neck, locking tuners and a bone nut vs poplar, regular maple, regular tuners and a plastic nut.
In the UK a Sire S7 is £400-500. The SE SS is £895.
Sire for the win.
And looks way better😎
double the price for worse specs lol, but idiots will eat it up bcus of the name on the headstock
@@lestercheng1454honestly none of those things inherently makes one guitar better than the other. Except maybe the bone nut, nothing clearly is better than the other alternative…. I have a sire s7 though
Man I swear every comparison I wanted to search so far you have all of them! Just insane videos and the jam is all too good
I subscribed not only for the great tone comparison but for the way you seamlessly handled your doggo climbing into your lap during it. All dog owners know what it's like to have them climb on you when you're in the middle of something. The way you just naturally helped your dog get into a secure cuddling position while playing was just great.
Edit: Looking at the comments section, you'd think the Sire S7 was the best seller and the SS SE was not moving any units. ahaha
I like the Sire. You may have already answered this …… your playing is very advanced to my ear. What is your musical education and background? Your above the average player. 🤓👍
By the looks if it I'd say a pair if old cream curtains, not to sure about the education though :)
Your, it belongs to you. You're, you are.
Thanks for the review @johnnathancordy! After 3 decades buying expensive guitars, I recently found myself buying the Indonesia made lineage. Got a Squire Classic 50s earlier in the year and am blown away by it. The hardware isn’t up to par but, it’s great for what you pay for. Received my Schecter Nick Johnston a couple weeks ago and it’s basically a $900(US) Suhr. Fantastic guitar! My Sire S7 has been ordered but won’t arrive until January 25. I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Tried the Silver Star SE the day I bought the Squire and wasn’t impressed. Side note…the Squire was bought at the now defunct Sam Ash on Sunset Blvd. It was the only store that had the butterscotch blonde.
I received my Silver Sky a few days ago and just ordered a Sire S7 from Anderton's.
I've got to say, it's a bit bonkers that Sweetwater has pre-orders available for the Sire S7 at $600 USD, which ends up being $641 after taxes (free shipping!). Meanwhile, ordering the same guitar from Anderton's, who has it in stock, costs $565 USD after converting from GBP, accounting for customs (free!) and accounting for shipping (also free!).
I know I won't keep both guitars, but at $565 USD and hearing these comparisons, it's hard to imagine keeping the guitar that is $908 USD after taxes. How it plays matters the most, but pocketing $340 sounds pretty great too!
Thanks for the great, in-depth review and ESPECIALLY the comparison. Yours is the only channel that I've seen put these two guitars head-to-head, and I greatly appreciate it since I essentially ruled Fenders out months ago in this price bracket.
Sire all the way, the S 7 is a lovely guitar with excellent hardware , incredible for the price !
I don't know if i´am impressed more with the guitar or your outstanding playing!
I’m upgrading from a Squier Bullet Strat, so the way I see it there will be a big improvement only any guitar I choose in this price range, and I get a feeling that that is what a lot of people’s experiences will be. Most likely there will be a lot of people that are just looking for an upgrade, not just another tone machine to put in the arsenal. Just my thoughts though.
Sire all day! If I were going to buy a PRS, I will buy a proper PRS. The Nick Johnston looks fire!
Very similar sounding, and good demonstration of how significant pickup height affects tone and volume.
Personally, I think the Revstar is a better guitar, and a comparison between your favorite Strat type guitar and a new model Revstar might be fun. You may done something like that before, as I seem to recall you reviewing a Revstar long ago.
Thanks! I think the Sire has some more mojo in the tone, the PRS sounds a bit lifeless.
Greetings from across the pond! I’m new to your channel, but I gotta say that your phrasing is brilliant! You play with taste and know when not to play as well. Plus your sense of melody is beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your craft with the rest of the world.
I have an s type Sire with the humbucker in the bridge. I am gigging with it now and have been very happy with it. Was hard to find new in the states so I purchased it on Reverb from France. All in all, a very good guitar. I do plan on replacing the pickups soon. Thank you for the comparison and all that you do !!!!
Thanks for this demo, man! I really like both of them!
Thanks for making this video. I have a first generation Sire jazz bass and it has become my main gigging bass.
Hi John, I want to commend your highly incisive analysis and review of the Sire; I concur with you wholly that the Sire S7 is superlative in playability and build to that of the PRS, in fact comparatively against most Fender start alternatives; I'm even surprised by the sonic quality of the stock pickups ion the S7, in conjunction with the neck profile; I'll certainly embark on testing a Schecter Nick Johnston.
I own both, purchased both online from different stores. The PRS arrived perfect. Well balanced light guitar, sounds great and the fret work was perfect. The sire neck is beautiful and feels great. The nut is not well done, too low... Buzzing all over, basically unplayable. The PRS did a stellar job on building the silver sky SE. Should not have to spend a ton of cash on fretwork, redo the nut etc on the Sire
Hey Tommy - thanks for sharing the experience! I think I'd have sent that Sire back if possible.
Same experience with the PRS Silver Sky SE too though - neck/frets on point
@@johnnathancordy I waited, so I think it may be a little too late now. I talked to another guy who had a similar problem. The PRS SE was so perfect. I did try the PRS silver sky core version in the store and it seemed really ordinary & the action seemed a little high. I prefer the se that I have in every way so far and soundwise too.. As for the poplar body on the se, all I can say is that it was good enough for Allan Holdsworth and Evhs 1984 Kramer which were chosen for light weight and resonance. With all of that, must not forget to say thank you for the great videos, your playing is as beautiful as it is inspiring. Just my opinion, I think you are slowly coming to enjoy your PRS se more by the day. Both great guitars, I got to get the sire some extra love to where it plays as it should. Thanks again so much for all of your great work & playing
It comes with warranty
Sire comes with a real bone nut
Tommy I understand I bought a t7 the nut was horribly cut. The top e would slip out of the nut while playing it was uneven just terrible, like you I love the neck and the tone so I had a friend put a custom bone nut and a setup 160.00 extra made this one of my favorite guitars. Good luck.
Nice playing. Also, I’ve noticed that on every video in regards to Silver Sky Se, you mentioned same thing “no wow factor” considering the price in the UK. I love it even though I don’t own one yet, but I would actually buy the Schecter Nick Johnston Strat style on ATOMIC FROST
Yep those Schecters are getting talked about a lot!
If your left-handed, there is only one choice. Sire despite being a relatively small company make a range of left handed instruments. PRS makes one SE custom 24 model.
i like the dog, great improvement in video and tone quality
Your playing is excellent and makes it hard to tell between the two in a mix for my ear. The Silver Sky SE sounds just a bit softer to me which is down to personal preference really, both sound pretty good though. I have a SE on the way (live in the US) and your videos were very helpful while trying to decide if I should try one out or not. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Let me know how you get on with it if you are able to! I like to hear how real people get on with this gear!!
Nice video and nice touch to let your dog climb on you while you were playing, it happens to me all the time with my Pug Lily! My next guitar will be an S7 even I love John Meyer’s work
I had to lower the pickups on my SE just like you did. The note seperation is much better now and I'm pretty happy with the tone. It's definitely different to the average strats as the SE SS is much more mid focused
Great great cleans from 7:20 onwards! Beautiful!
Line 6 Metallurgy!!
I like the warmer tone of the Sire.
I haven’t played a sire yet but I played the PRs silver sky USA made, it is one heck of a great guitar. As good as anything I’ve ever played. I hear the sire is really good . Right now I have the PRs John Mayer se.
The dog is completing the Hero's Journey in the background.
JNC is a wonderful player who uses his preferred processed sound; keep in mind. Having said that - the Sire sounds smoother to me. I have had a similar experience. My PRS guitars sound 'colder'. Sire requires tweaking and mine took 9 months to settle in. I am confident the roasted necks will pay dividends.
liking for the dog. up next: dog reviews
I got a green Sire just like this, 2023 with cool push knob to split pickup. I think it is a really awesome guitar. The neck is one of the fastest I've ever played, almost perfect for me. I think the pickups sound great! Nice full sound but very poppy and stratty. And the whammy bar works great, super fun to mess with. All in all a fantastic guitar. Haven't played the SE but I'm guessing it wouldn't compare for me.
Not good, do not buy them.
My story. Beginning of September I purchased one from Thomann SIRE S7 HSS. To my dismay the action was nearly half inch high, electrical configuration was a disaster both dials stop at 5 not 10 dull sound from G string on fret one and two. So sent it back and they sent me back same guitar action dropped perfectly but dials still messed up , quiet frankly they are a heap of shit. It’s also a 50/50 of getting a perfect guitar online so my advice is. No matter how far away you are before you purchase online to go to a store and play them and deposit on the guitar you want to buy or just buy it there . Because if you have to send it back for the second time your faith is gone on the guitar you have never even played yet. Now I go for refund and never buy a Sire ever again . Absolutely the crappiest guitar I bought and anyone on TH-cam telling me that they got no discount or a free guitar perfectly designed and checked before they put it on TH-cam are joking me. The time I spent 6 weeks total to send it back and now I send back this heap of crap also and refund my money and now I travel over 300km to try other guitars like fender Strat MN for and extra 280€ What a disaster of 6 weeks and now another month of travelling to find a left hand that I can play and feel good about when I play it. Please and I say please again do not purchase from anywhere online, go to the store and purchase it there.
There was way more high end character whenever you had the dog. Roll the dog down a bit and the tone is just right.
You NEVER roll off the dog. I've installed a dog bypass on my tone knob so it only filters cats and chinchillas.
Listening to the intro jam without watching, I couldn't notice the guitar change. I'm considering trying the Sire S3.
Sire sounds good, Dislike the glossy fretboard, purely cosmetic. Check out a Schecter Nick Johnston strat. I put some Klein S-5 mid scooped pickups in the nick johnston and it kills for the $450 I picked it up for.
Thanks for this John...very helpful review for me...if you can swing it, would also be good to hear your views on the Nick Johnston Traditional.
I literally just did this comparison yesterday. I prefer the rosewood fingerboard of the PRS, but the tall skinny frets put me off. Great for bending and vibrato but not so good for sliding. The urethane fretboard on the Sire S7 is not may favorite, but I prefer the medium-jumbo frets. Also, the PRS neck is thicker than the Sire. By itself, that wasn't a deal breaker. But, along with the tall frets, the PRS neck just didn't play as well as I would have liked. There were differences in the pickups, as well. I thought the Sire sounded better, particularly in the bridge position. Finally, I can't prove it, but I think the Sire has linear taper pots while the PRS has audio taper pots. Whatever, I could control the tone of the Sire better than the PRS. FWIW, both blew away a Robert Cray Stratocaster. It wasn't a close call.
I prefer the Sire. However you can get a secondhand G & L tribute legacy (Made in Indonesia) strat for around 300 euros and they are outstanding guitars. I almost cried when I sold mine but I had no choice because I upgraded.
I just came her to listen to your awesome guitar playing ☺ 👍
The Sire looks like an extremely high end instrument in comparison, kinda crazy the PRS is more expensive. I like the Sire, in sounds and looks. I do like the Silver sky though, just not as much.
I was about to criticise your Silver Sky video where you compared it to your K-Line….. then I found this and the Mexican Strat comparison! Great content, thanks.
Hey Ben! It wasn't about comparing it like for like with the K-Line, it was more that I needed to pick up a strat that I know I really like and have compared with a real US silver sky to feel what it is that I'm missing.
Because there's nothing particularly wrong with the Silver Sky SE if that makes sense? It is put together well, and I think looks pretty nice, but it was just a little on the flat/dull side?
Does that make a bit more sense?
@@johnnathancordy makes total sense 😁👍
Just bought the SS SE Dragon fruit. Beautiful sound and very good player. I bought the most resonant one, whatever the colour..It happened to be the Dragon Fruit one :) The SE series really are not that consistent. Even the core models differ in sound and playability. I would advise to go play them live, next to each other. Every single guitar sounds and plays different in the end. I also like the Sire S7, but I was looking for those SS (SE) clean/breakup JM sounds.
Thanks to your video I have been able to make an informed decision: I want your dog!
Silver Sky SE $849, Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage $599, both at Sweetwater.
Wow... Thats a massive difference.
@@dejct Exactly.
Ah thanks JL, I wasn't expecting the gap to be that big!
Yah was just going to post this. Sweetwater has the Sire as “hot new item coming soon” and they’re available for preorder. Player Strat is $849 as well.
@@jessenicholson1777 FYI - I just purchased the Sire 3-tone Sunburst at Sweetwater and was told the expected arrival date is August 2022. Some other places are showing May 2022 on their websites.
"neither particularly stratty" actually interests me more because i'm not really looking for a default trebley strat since I have a Jaguar I really like, i'm more of a fan of the "Bigger" sound of a Jazzmaster but haven't found one of those that fits my needs. The Silver Sky definitely sounds more "stratty" to me. I'd get that one if you were playing Surf, and the other one for alt rock
Man…that dog 😀 i love him
I bought a Silver Sky SE, and sent it back, I was NOT impressed. I bought a Sire S7, and it's a much better guitar IMO. Looks better feels better and seems better made.
Thanks for sharing your experience, definitely interesting to hear from real people!
The PRS Silver Sky here in the U.S. is $850 vs the Sire S7 which is $650 ...in my opinion they're both good guitars however if you were to eventually sell, I have a feeling the PRS would be easier strictly due to the name on the headstock. BIG plus re: Sire's S7 & T7' is the roasted maple necks, rolled fretboard edges, a bone nut and the locking tuners...something you don't get with the lower price point Silver Sky...BUT all PRS's come with cases ! I would take a Sire S7 over a Fender Player anyday for the features I mentioned above.... I tend to lean more on the feel of the neck, how it plays, how it sounds and the features than the name on the headstock.
nice review john~ thanks and so cute your dog :) what's name?
That's Reuben!
Shocking how similar the pickups sound, sourced from the same manufacturer?
The Sire is gorgeous, for starters!
I wish they sold it in that color. Only black, white, and sunburst.
Were you comparing the furry pup with the non furry pups, I didn't get any audio from the furry one? Otherwise yes very similar sounding "modern" pups on the Silver Sky SE and Sire S7. Whereas a Player Strat Al5 pups will get you the chimeyness, though may be a bit thin for vintage lovers.
Sire wins for me ... more so for price tag ! Some fantastic playing btw ! Awesome phrasing & timing , beautiful melodic lines !!!
I have a question, what about the Sire S7 vs a FGN Standard Odyssey?
The FGN Standard I had was a great guitar - played perfectly, well built, nice pickups - essentially an Ibanez AZ Prestige without the logo or roasting!
@@johnnathancordy Thanks for responding. I only ask because I’ve seen one come up for £100 more than the Sire. I guess then it’s really about the pickups and the neck? A difficult decision.
I don't need to spend more than $1500 to be happy. The PRS SE models are starting almost $2k where I live. I'd take the Sire. It seems to be punching well above its weight class.
I got a Sire T7 and a H7 , and I have an Ibanez AZ Premium ( Indonesian), and a 2008 Fender American deluxe strat as well. The Ibanez AZ costed 1299 dollars , and surprisingly had issues with Frets . The frets were not level , nut slots were too high and I couldn’t lower the action to my preferences . Had to send it to a luthier and get them levelled ; since they were Stainless steel frets , it took more time and effort . The Sires definitely had better quality control . They had nearly perfectly Levelled frets , the frets were polished as good as my Fender American deluxe , the nut was cut well , I could lower the action on the T7 to very comfortable levels. The best part is -the neck on the Sire guitars compel me to pick them more often because of the Rolled neck and the rounded frets . Overall I think any guitar, Sire or not , has to be played a little and inspected by the buyer before it’s bought. But 9/10 Sires will be great quality mostly , if not with one visit to the luthier in the worst case scenario.
Again John as ever - lovely playing , music and tones !!
You never mentioned anything about your Fendrt Deluxe?
Is that sire’s color a one off for you? Or is it a coming option for everyone? Great playing as always.
Maybe it's me, but you seem to navigate the PRS fretboard easier than the Strat or the Sire.. However, I notice you seem more comfortable holding Strat and Sire
The sire holds it own and the price is amazing. thanks
It seems that if you want a trad Strat tone, better stick with a Fender. One could "upgrade" pups in either the SS or S7, or simply put those extra $s into a "better" (that a MIM Player) Fender.
Do you prefer the vintage S7 or the Newer Larry Carltons that have the humbucker?
I can't stop looking at the shiny neck on that Sire !! Don't like the grey plastic tuners on the PRS etc so Sire for me
I can tell, the dog likes the Sire more!
I would go with the Sire even in the US. Sweetwater sells them.
A cute doggie, snuggling up.
guitars are great ; but the tiny dog win this vid ! he needs attention ! grat work
How did you get the sire s7 vintage in green with that pickguard. That is beautiful
I asked to build them!
i would probably go for the sire reason the small neck so thanks for comparing them
@7:20 is really the most useable comparison. The Sire wins handsomely.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on Shijie guitars, they seem like another guitar in the mid-price bracket going after the high end guitar feel.
I’m a Sire fanboy for sure
Both sound way better with added dog 🐕
Very nice. My personal conclusion is that (for me) both guitar's pickups are too hot for a "vintage" strat. Considering a good set of pups and the cost of having them installed properly, I am well in the price range of the new Fender JV (made in Japan) strats (slightly below 1200 Euros here), which are definitely better than both of these.
Yeah, the new JV look nice, but I think they were intentionally spec'd down with some of the features so they would not "cannibalize" Fender's AM Pro/Professional series... The original Fenders MiJ were much better instruments, almost on custom shop level, at an affordable price.
In that price range of the new JV series in the EU I'd look aroung for a new FGN Expert Odyssey, which can be found for around 1300e new in stores... (in DE und AT)
I'd say even the FGN Standard Odyssey (with Seymour Duncan pups) at around 850 euros, would give PRS, Fenders MiM and Sire run for their money...
The FGN Odyssey I had was a great guitar, basically is an Ibanez AZ - a very well built guitar!
Great video for me both are excellent s style guitars I personally have the sire s7 and I really like it...
I like the Silver Sky Se better.
Interesting . I had opposite experience. I went to try the sire , broke 2 strings. Found the locking tuners to be terrible . Thats was my bad experience ....
Thanks for sharing Gary! Important I think to share real life experiences!!
Same here. Mine was unavailable. I have to send it for a set-up and the nut is too low
Sire seemed to sound smoother and creamier. Now I want ice cream🤷♂️
Any chance we mortals can get a green Sire SSS like yours?
You could ask them?!
Sire would get my money all day long over the PRS. Not huge differences in the sounds, but the modern strat neck join and that roasted maple, also much prefer the green of the sire as well in this case…
- yes please drop this preset in the folder, your presets really help me to understand the (relatively new to me) Helix world
I bought a Sire S7V . Changed the strings, locked the trem down, good to go.
Oh, and I lowered the action a bit.
I have an L7 also. Both are stellar.
The dog didn't give up
After finishing this video, I'm going to go workout at 2AM.
I sold my sire s7 ssh because I got a good deal of a Fender American pro II new 1400€ . However I regret I sold the Sire it was really a good guitar with a super nice neck. I’m considering buying a sire H7
im sorry can't believe im gonna say this but the Sire looks and sounds better
without a doubt, the question is what are they like in the flesh
Adorable doggie.
i bought the sire s7 and i love it
Which one did your doggie like best?
I'm not really interested in tone of the instrument, it can be changed with pickups, strings and pick choice, I think the most important thing is how a guitar plays, is it easy to play or hard to play, how good is the neck, action etc. I've got a 1996 Fender USA Strat the neck is fat like a baseball bat, where as my 2012 Fender USA strat has a thinner neck, the tone is fatter on the strat with the thicker neck, I think it does make a difference to the tone of the guitar.
I tried to like the SE PRS but sound dry and even on the U.S version the tuners felt cheezy.
Much prefer S7V’s neck and tone. Better features too.
I bought the Sire un the end.
Sire's are on backorder in the states to mid 2023
Man, the supply to the USA has been....not good...from Sire right? I think as far back as 2020 I remember people saying they couldn't get them?
@@johnnathancordy Yeah so since I'm going to buy another first guitar for like the 10th time to try to learn to play the instrument for like the 10th time. Yeah can't wait that long so going to have to look at something else. Maybe an fender player hsh or something. Thinking back to your guitar inspiration/idol video my biggest problem is nobody effected me more than Mr. Govan and half the time instead of inspiring me he makes me want to quit lol.
Suhr, Sire, ...
We don't want to be petty.
I have a green s7 and love it. I can't stand prs headstocks, they look ridiculous to me.
2:04 bookmarked run
To me the Sire sounds more expensive than the PRS. I have a Sire P5. I’ve owned many basses from many different brands ranging from Fender to Yamaha, Ibanez, Schecter and even Stagg. In my honest opinion if you ignore the name on the headstock, the Sire comfortably beats everything I’ve played. I don’t understand why reviewers (and I guess this really applies specifically to those who are either in the business of selling instruments or those who have channels that get paid to do reviews of instruments) have this tendency to say that Sire instruments are great “for the money” and then they will often recommend other brands and make comments that might indicate that Sires are somewhat comparable to other budget instruments in terms of quality. I flat out disagree and while I haven’t played any of the new American Fenders and whatnot my experience with my P5 is that not only are Sire instruments great for the money, they are great full stop. I would bet my last pound that they are (at least in terms of general build quality like wood and finish) on par with American Pro series Fenders and other big name guitars. I know that a lot of people have had certain gripes about hardware or pickups. But again in my experience these issues seem to be exaggerated. I’m sure that the tuners and bridges are cheaper than what you’ll get on an expensive name brand bass or guitar. But from playing mine, I don’t see that there’s a significant negative impact on the tone or playing experience. Sure, they could be better, but I don’t find them to be bad. I’ve played real budget basses and the hardware on those instruments are vastly inferior to what you’ll find on a Sire. I would say hardware on Sires is a little better than a Mexican Fender and I own one so I can say that with some degree of authority. Sire actually do make some more premium instruments like the P9 and the hardware is better. But to me the P5 feels like it should cost around £1500 - £2000. That’s definitely ballpark what Fender would ship something like a P5 for. Maybe even more with the rolled fretboard and the roasted maple. It’s actually pretty crazy how much you get when you buy a Sire. And they look amazing too.
In my view Sire are a serious brand. If you’re new to playing and you really want a good bass or guitar that makes you feel good about playing and that you’ll want to keep forever you really can’t go wrong with them. And my advice to any beginner would be not to even bother wasting time with a budget instrument from a bigger brand - buy a Sire instead and save the money you would waste on a better instrument down the road when you would otherwise decide to upgrade to a premium guitar. Buying a Sire is like buying a premium Fender for 1/4 the price. It really does feel like you’ve cheated somehow. I am still blown away by my P5 after 5 months. My Schecter Stiletto Studio 6 used to be my favourite instrument. It hasn’t left it’s case since the Sire arrived and I’m actually going to sell all my other basses. I don’t feel like I need another bass, or that I’ll ever need another.
I might upgrade the bridge and tuners at some point. And maybe put in a set of Dimarzio relentless pickups. But I can’t see myself playing anything else. They really are that good. And if I were to do all those upgrades I think the finished article would be just as good as an Attitude bass and they retail at somewhere around £4000. I think the cost of the upgrades would be on the region of £500. To me that’s amazing.
Where can we get that Sire SSS in green ?
Kind regards
They made it for me
@@johnnathancordy they should sell ir for all 🤣🤣🤣👏👏👏👏
Remember every guitar is going to have it's own personality and it certainly won't won't appeal to everyone. I like the Sire, but I'm not sure about the Silver Sky. I think the Silver Sky is trying to be like a Strat and not be a Strat at the same time. I own a Nick Johnston S style and I would say it would be something you should try out. I like it a lot, but it's certainly not for everyone. It's one person vision of what they want in a guitar.
I don't care about the guitars ... I want to play like you do 😂
Sire headstock at least has all the tuners on one side; I always find it a bit annoying to tune the top 3 strings on my PRS.
Sire all day. The silver sky looks like it’s been dipped in plastic several times. The horrible pick guard plastic sticks out in every video no mater who does it or the lighting involved. The pickups on the sk get to the edge of breakup and fart out no matter how you adjust them. They have to be swapped out. The Sire pickups do have similar sonic characteristics but they don’t fart out on the edge of breakup. This can be heard in several places in this video and many other videos out there. The Sire also doesn’t look like it has 5 layers of plastic dip on the body.
Hey Bryant, I have to say that the Silver Sky does look very different in person to on camera, it's very strange.
Jake says the pickups on the Silver Sky aren't shaped exactly the same as normal strat pickups which could make swapping them out a challenge?
The Sire is still $250 cheaper here in the states, so it still has a bit of an edge.
Not if you get a heap of crap like they sent me twice for a so called Sire S7 HSS
Not good, do not buy them.
My story. Beginning of September I purchased one from Thomann SIRE S7 HSS. To my dismay the action was nearly half inch high, electrical configuration was a disaster both dials stop at 5 not 10 dull sound from G string on fret one and two. So sent it back and they sent me back same guitar action dropped perfectly but dials still messed up , quiet frankly they are a heap of shit. It’s also a 50/50 of getting a perfect guitar online so my advice is. No matter how far away you are before you purchase online to go to a store and play them and deposit on the guitar you want to buy or just buy it there . Because if you have to send it back for the second time your faith is gone on the guitar you have never even played yet. Now I go for refund and never buy a Sire ever again . Absolutely the crappiest guitar I bought and anyone on TH-cam telling me that they got no discount or a free guitar perfectly designed and checked before they put it on TH-cam are joking me. The time I spent 6 weeks total to send it back and now I send back this heap of crap also and refund my money and now I travel over 300km to try other guitars like fender Strat MN for and extra 280€ What a disaster of 6 weeks and now another month of travelling to find a left hand that I can play and feel good about when I play it. Please and I say please again do not purchase from anywhere online, go to the store and purchase it there.