Love when there's an early morning video to enjoy from you, sir. Eastern time zone here. Had a rough day yesterday, this intro is good medicine, Dr Cordy.

Jesus, I'm so glad to have found this channel! Don't get me wrong, old blues licks are my main love but your contemporary and occasional jazzy playing is such a breath of fresh air

I have a Sire L7 in black/gold and it’s a very fun guitar, I use it when I teach lessons and as a spare guitar. Do you think it would benefit a lot from a pickup upgrade? My Gibson Les paul (it’s a really good custom shop one, with Custom buckers) sounds brighter and with more output, and the Sire is a bit more mid focused, it’s nice but it doesn’t have the same weight sonically. I don’t know, just wondering… If upgrading the Sire makes any sense…

Cool playing and both sound really nice. I like them both but went with the Sire H7 in white/gold. I have seen some pretty nice laminated tops on the H7's so if that is one's thing you could find them. For mine I have no complaints with fit and finish as I expected to see some tooling and minor inperfections. My FB was dry AF and not sure if the cause was the strings it comes with or the frethboard but it turned my fingers black. After a string change, cleanup, fret polish, board lubed and set up to my preferences it plays and sounds really nice. The quality at the price point is fairly hight really, from many other brands as well. The neck on the Sire and overall playability is great, it just feels comfortable in the hands. For the comparison record I primarily play USA made guitars and have some custom shops from others builders, Fender/Gibson/GMW/Jackson etc and the Sire is fun and not unworthy in the slightest. I've been playing the crap out of it as a nightly wind guitar where I shut off all electronics and just play unplugged for an hour or 3 by candle light before going to bed. The 335 type semi hollow helps hearing over an old school metronome when running scales/sequences. I've had it a couple months and already the gold finish is wearing off the bridge/TP. I didn't expect to like it this much but I do LOL

On my H7V the burst, fit and finish is all really nice. That one you have there the burst is def weird. Frets were good on mine but very scratchy, needed a full level and crown as the tooling marks were too deep. But the edges are very comfy and after the frets were fixed the guitar is pretty much perfect.

I tried two Sire, the H7 (Vintage burst) and the H7v (black). The frets on the H7 were awfully sharp on the edges, all of them ! And the body was slightly asymmetrical. The H7v had just some mark of tool on the biding and some black paint spot. The P90 pickup were not good. The Epiphone was a little better but, choose carefully with real pictures of the model you purchase. I've seen a lot with tuners not well screwed on the back of the headstock and often asymmetrical body. Check photos and look where the body join the neck. For this range of price I much prefer a Gretsch Streamliner. The construction are way better and best constituency. My 2 cents but I guess, because of the very great feedbacks on KZread when they reached out on the market, the Sire H7 are now so required the factory is constantly on hurry and shorter time to work on them.

The blue version of this Epi is a guitar I play all the time. The frets did require a lot of work. I can do that myself, so no problem - but I'd happily sacrifice a little bit of looks to get a guitar that plays like a more expensive instrument. That said, now I have a guitar that looks and plays like a champ, and I bought it, so I guess everybody wins

love your work!

I suppose it’s probably a bit easier to have the frets tidied up than having a new paint job. Sire might want to work on that.

Would like to have the same comparisons with the Carlton as with the Eppiphone. I see only the lead sounds were compared.

What do you think of Tokai ES-78? They are the most accessible Tokai semi-hollow I think although they are probably made in China which is nothing wrong of course; it’s just that made in Japan and Korea are considered higher quality.

It’ll be exciting to see a similar comparison with the PRS SE hollowbody 2 piezo.

I've worked on both Sires and Epis. The overall fretwork is better, from what I've seen. Either might need some spot leveling. I generally would rather have the Sire comparing humbucker to humbucker on both.

Cold you do a shootout which the Yamaha pacifica 6xx vs sire s7, They are around the same price range and I was considering buy-ing one of them.

John I get to meet Larry Carlton later tonight and I'm going to ask him to make you a signature guitar 🎸😁🎸🔥 Much love and have a good weekend!

I was stuck between getting an Epi 335 in raspberry burst or the similarly-priced cherry red Sire semi-hollow. I came so close to getting the Sire but given that both had a similar feel to me, I got the raspberry Epi. Just could not resist that finish. That said, the Sire looked super clean with all of its cosmetic appointments. I even liked the metal headstock “binding”. Gave it an extra bit of elegance.

Just some random observations, the "break angle" of the strings behind the bridge on the Epi is good, but too shallow on the Sire. You'll probably get a better sound out of the Sire if you can lower the Tailpiece. The Epi sounded really good, and it seemed you had an easier time playing it. 🤷

Plz make a video on sterling cutlass ct50 plus!

Love how you threw, get a Tokai instead at the end. 😂

@ovivan79

11 ай бұрын

But where do you even buy them? Ebay?

@gregjohnson6329

11 ай бұрын

I assume the Tokai ES 130 video done here. For that price you’re close to an Eastman T486 that is killer n

The Sire has an ebony fingerboard? I have a black H7V and it's very playable, the P90s amazingly good at the price point. I chose the black version as, like you, the burst looked a bit tacky but the black version with gold hardware looks really classy.

You are the best Jonh!!! You worthy!

Honestly, I'm starting to get the feeling that Sire put more attention into their QC when they launched their PR campaign with the release of the Larry Carlton's and maybe it's easing down a little now whereas Epiphone is doing the opposite, seeing the competition and popularity of their models.

The Epiphone by Gibson line seems to have better quality control to me.

I got an Epiphone Jim James 335 and its honestly one of the best guitars I've ever owned. I've gone through maybe 25+ Gibson Les Pauls and 10+ Fender Professional guitars and several from every other brand and its one of the guitars that is in my main rotation. Haven't used an epiphone since maybe 2009? I've actually disliked them on several occasions, but this guitar in particular I'd take over all but 1 of the Gibson's I've ever owned and just reminds me that the name on the headstock is just a word. Appreciate the content!

@bellinghammond

11 ай бұрын

"but this guitar in particular I'd take over all but 1 of the Gibson's I've ever owned"....Which guitar? The Sire? The Epi ES335? or your Jim James?

@ProducerDudes

11 ай бұрын

@@bellinghammond my Jim James Epiphone

John it's sounding so great

NICE PLAYING ✌🏽🙏🏽👍🏽

I bought the Sire H7V (P90) in CS and in all honesty it is as perfect as possible, maybe I got lucky because I ordered it from Thomann. The fret work is as good as my Gibson and my Ibanez Japan models. I was thinking of buying an Epiphone ES 335 with humbuckers but I feel I'm beginning to suffer from too many purchases which tends to have you leave 4 or 5 guitars behind that you don't play for months on end but let me say your video comparisons and playing are excellent, this is the third video of yours I've watched and it's really well done, kudos John.

I'd get an Ibanez AS93FM instead. Or an AS73 and upgrade the pickups.

The most important things to me about any guitar or instrument is playability, sound & sturdiness (durability ) . Give me a Willie Nelson’s “TRIGGER” looking guitar even … if it plays so indispensably well … and sounds so well .:: And how will a guitar &/or instrument endure through out the ‘ages ‘ ?

I used to have an Epi 335 and an Epi 339. I sold them both because I couldn't stand the Alnico Pro pickups. I also had an Epi Les Paul with Probuckers which I really liked. So if only they had put Probuckers in the 335 and 339 I would have kept both.

i have es335 it’s so amazing one of the best guitars i’ve owned

I own the s7 and love it 😊

The playing will certainly bring out the best in the instrument. ❤

Sire headstock ftw. Both sound great under your hands sir!

I wonder if he got a replacement or a refund ??

How much does having a tag on the headstock impact tone?

I have an Epiphone es-339, and a Sire H7, I had an Epiphone Es-335. I like the pickups better in the Epiphone.

I would say that everything that the Sire excels at can be sorted on the Epiphone by a setup….and I’m a rhythm player so massive frets don’t worry me….you can’t fix the cosmetic issues.

the finish on the Epi is so much better it is probably worth a fret job.

So I got quite a few Sire Larry Carlton guitars when they first came out, it seems that the quality on them was much higher then than it is now. The burst on mine is high quality, and the fretwork is excellent. Maybe the quality dropped as production ramped up

@True96red

11 ай бұрын

I have 3 electric sires, 1 acoustic, and 1 bass

JNC, Thanks for this ! Somewhat superficial (no deep dive where they actually get taken apart) ... But these are Semi Hollows , so Nobody does that ! Epiphone is the old established name. Sire, new kid on the block. I do like the finish choice (color) on the Epi ...and maybe even the flamey-stripey... But even as a Tyro Hobbyist Beginner ... I absolutely hate jaggy fret ends , and what's more , fretboards that shrink ! (I live in an extreme environment, where now Heat & Humidity makes fretboards fat & chubby) ... But in the dry, nasty Midwestern US winter ... FRETSPOUT bad as COVID when the dry cold kicks in !!! I see the Sire, as my "High End P90 Platform", and will probably stick with it as my choice. Both guitars , are more guitar that I can exploit at this point, but as Epi is trying to make a QC comeback, and Sire trying to maintain ... I'll stick with the new kid (as I'm still diggin on P90's)

I definitely wouldn’t buy a Sire with a sunburst finish sight unseen. There’s just too much of an art to getting the spray just right, and I can’t stand it when the job is botched (like the one here). I’m actually thinking of getting a Danner version of a 335. They quality looks decent and Danner sells some used ones on their eBay site for $200.😳 Unfortunately, that’s all I can afford at present, but I’ve always loved 335s. B.B.!

I will get a Yamaha standard for the price and the sound

The sire is painted more or less like a Gibson 335, the epiphone is painted like the epiphone style, the patterning that is. Fret work is hit or miss with all companies. Once got a Fender american standard off Ebay, when I got it, even though it had been modded, diff. pickguard and wagner SR pickups. But my gosh the minute I went to play it, i said in no way was anyone ever playing this, the frets were sharp to the left hand, well I used just one of those Hobbiest nail files you can get at any hobby store, and tidied up the fret ends, took about 2 hours tops, then it felt like a played in guitar, any one can do this it is not ROCKET SCIENCE. Now if I spent 5000 on a Gibson even 3000, and it came that way I would be in SHOCK to say the least. Well just my 2 cents both guitars sound great, but that is the ARTISTS fingers and HIS Masterful abilities dialing in GOOD SOUNDS. If I lived near John Cordy I would gladly teach him how to do his OWN finishing work and SOLDERING work. It would be my Pleasure to do so.

Its crazy how quilter labs gets no love on youtube. Total blackout. 😊

I got Larry to Sign my Sire S7 last night during his workshop and told him that you should be sires next guitar guy and to make you a signature guitar! Much love! ❤️☺️🎸

Beautiful playing mate! Personally the Epiphone gets it. This is based 100% on tone, so the playability I can't comment on. Tried an Epi Les Paul some time ago and wasn't that fussed about rushing for my wallet. I don't really want to gig my old Gibbo, so I think I'll try the Epi myself. Great vid as ever!👍

Id rather save my penniea and get the Eastman 486. Or get hold of an Agile 1000, and upgrade.

❤❤❤

Sire😊

For the life of me I could never understand why people like those plywood guitars, other that the fact that they large and bulky I don't see any amazing sound qualities, after all they have a center solid wood block in the center which really makes them solid body guitars. The diference in sound between those and solid body guitars is zero, and all the people that think they hear a diference it's all in your head LOL. On top of it's uncomfortable to play high on the 22nd fret. SO WHAT'S ALL THE NOISE ABOUT?

@michaelmachado2049

11 ай бұрын

Any 22 string guitar would be difficult to play ;^)

I got a Tokai instead! 😎

I have the Sire "335" in Sunburst and I love it. Everything is perfect. I also have the new EPI 335 which I like too. Both guitars are amazing!

Seriously, why compare p90s with hb equipped guitars other than contrast pickups. It's not legit review other than QC, finish, and neck

Jonathan, one guitar has P90, the other humbuckers. You can't compare them.

@john.parker65

11 ай бұрын

He can if the wants 😂

@christopherjbutler

11 ай бұрын

​@@john.parker65😂

@gffg387

11 ай бұрын

@@john.parker65 But what if the comparison police finds out?

@chinchillax1483

11 ай бұрын

I think he’s mostly focusing on playability and quality, not so much the sound, since, let’s be honest, they’re both going to sound fine. In my opinion, it’s hard to find a guitar that truly sounds bad once you get to a certain price point

@_caseyjames

11 ай бұрын

Yeah that's fair

Yes, he is comparing guitars with different pickups but, he plays fast so he is forgiven.

@johnnathancordy

7 ай бұрын

How often have you seen a comparison of guitars with identical pickups?! Is that a thing...Also good luck changing pickups on an ES type guitar ha...I couldn't do it

not made in japan and no yellow color, pass.

This is the worst presentation ever... So much Overdrive and effects, no clean sound straight from the amp, i think the straight woodstick will be sounds similar....😢

@johnnathancordy

5 ай бұрын

I can think of some speeches in Germany that maybe were worse presentations?

@maciejpe779

5 ай бұрын

@@johnnathancordy Germany😆🤔