A few quick things I did not mention: 0) After I filmed this video, a family member knocked the T7 off a stand causing a chip. I then decided to keep it since it’s damaged. SO if you see the T7 in other videos on the channel, I kept it ONLY because of the damage caused to it, not because I think it’s better. 1) I apologize for forgetting some of these finer points, but I wanted to get the video up as quickly as possible for those trying to make a choice. 2) Just because you spend 2,3 or even 4,000 on a guitar doesn't mean it will be great. In fact, check out my Mayones video. I have NO PROBLEM critiquing an expensive guitar harshly if it doesn't perform. 2.5) The reason I'm actually giving these guitars a chance is because I believe less expensive guitars can be great. These are fine guitars. 3) The T3 pickups are 100% higher output. I had to bring down the volume of the T3s a bit to match it so that the audio wouldn't clip. 4) The T3 is for sure heavier. Not unbearably so, but it is for sure noticeable. 5) The T7 has compensated Tele saddles so intonation shouldn't be particularly difficult.
@@CKS64 If it's a kid you don't have much choice. My niece scribbled with a pencil, all over the front of my sister's Hagstrom, some forty years ago. She was still a toddler at the time. My brother-in-law told me "It's your fault, you left it out." If you have kids in your house you might consider putting your guitars away when you're not using them.
I looked up on the Sire web site for a lefthand T3 and sure enough they make available left handed T3 but the picture still shows it as a right handed guitar. Do you know why?
Excellent video. You got straight to the point and made your preferences clear. And you didn't hide the guitars' tones behind a wall of distortion or other pedals. Well done!
You are spot on about not putting much concern on the roasting of a neck. I mean, they didn't do it in the 50's but those guitars are still around and commanding WAY more money than they should! Also, necks aren't that expensive and you can just bolt on a new one. That's the point, but people forget.
Great review, Andre. As a jazz player, it's refreshing to see a comparison without shredding up and down the fretboard. I am in the market for a T-type guitar and find it so much more beneficial to place value in a review from someone I respect. Thanks so much!
I've been looking at the T3...listening to the T3...listening to folks playing the T3...is it me, or do you ALL agree this is a tremendous value? Quality tone, comfort, playability, construction, setup...you convinced me with the tone the middle position of the T3...I have to have one. Thanks, great job.
Great video. Thanks so much for playing those clean. It always irritates me when guys are doing tone comparisons (especially for Strat and Tele type things) and they use overdrive/distortion, thus making it a complete waste of time. Also, very efficient introduction and well thought out tone samples. I didn't have to skip a second of this video. First rate. Sub button hit immediately!
Cheap guitars are the best! None of my guitars cost more than $500 when I bought them, but I’ve learned so much about dialing in my setup and upgrading/replacing parts, plus I leave them laying around all the time so super convenient to pick up and play. I think everyone should own at least one
It's amazing how the most simple guitar can also be the most versatile. My tele that I was telling you about the other day has a more modern bridge with the individual saddles instead of the barrels. The intonation is just more precise this way. Both guitars in the video are good looking and both would do the job. If you did want to get a more expensive tele however, I would suggest taking a look at the Fender American Pro II. It's got a different contoured neck heel that allows easier access to the frets in the upper registers than the traditional neck heel. This line doesn't have the modern saddles anymore. They used to but switched back to the barrels in the last few years. I think you would appreciate the higher access though. Thanks for another cool video. Cheers Andre
I felt the T7 had a much wider tonal range than the T3. You can always play with EQ to make T7 sound more like T3, but not the other way round. And personally, I prefer locking tuners. I would go with the T7. There are also better options for different colors, Fiesta Red or Arctic White for me :)
thank you so much for this video! i'm looking into buying my first electric guitar and heard about sire. your video comparison was by far the best and it was straight to the point. i really appreciate the time you took to compare them back to back and explaining certain things such as the roasting process, what exactly that does, etc. liked and subbed.
Nice review! To me the T7 sounded far better; clear, crisp. The T3 sounded almost muddy, and like it wouldn't cut through in a mix. If they were the same price, the only reason I might choose the T3 would be if I was primarily a jazz player. Just my thoughts! Thanks!
I agree with you, much preferring the T7s articulation. The T7 had a mid and high end shimmer (both pups) that the T3 lacked. The T3 has a mahog body whereas the T7 is alder, hence the weight and tonal differences (brass saddles on the T7 probably make a diff., too). EQ can tweak the tone 'somewhat', but you can't add articulation to a muddy pup.
I agree, I actually thougt the T7 sounded more like a "classic" Tele with a slightly "harsher" bridge pickup. But that's maybe due to the bridge construction. It might be just a very, very slight difference, but I think the double saddle sound different because even when only picking one string, there seems to be some resonance to the other string, because they share a saddle. Anyway, both guitars seem good value for the price. I'd probably go for the T7 when looking for a traditional Tele sound, whereas the T3 would be my choice for any starter looking for a well-crafted and versatile guitar to cover different styles.
This is precise and informative, loved your content man! My friend bought a T3 a few days ago and tried it. It doesn't sound like a budget guitar and I highly recommend it.
I'd say the T3 sounds a little more balanced. The T7 has more of a mid presence. T3 looks more traditional but very nice. T7 is a cool hot rod. I like both. Glad I found your channel. Happy pickin'! Subscribed☺❤🎸👍
Man, that was a quality review. I appreciate the use of your opinion but the clarification that it's specific to your situation. Opinions aren't necessarily the rule and in this case, I really liked them both. Amazing what is coming out of china/indonesia these days.
There's a video comparing different components between a Suhr Tele and a diy kit tele. When the electronic components were the same, it was really hard to say one sounded better than the other.
Yep. Imo you are really paying for the skill of the builder more so than anything. And for me, that skill of the builder impacts the feel of the guitar/the comfort, not so much the tone. Magnetic pickups aren’t that complicated technologically speaking.
Veeeeerrrrrryyyyy good review. I discover your channel with this video. You got a new subscriber :) I like the way you present, I like the fact you give your opinion and tell what is important for you. I like you just play to make us hear the guitar sound and not to show how good you can "hero-play" it.... And the fact you did not add a distortion that usually makes guitars sound almost the same 😅 Keep it up ! Cheers from France !
Thanks for the support. Yea it always annoys me when I’m watching a guitar review and they go “here’s how it sounds in a mix.” Well yea, everything sounds good in a metal mix 😂
Thank you for this great review Clean sound comparison and straight up. I pre ordered a T3 but keep looking at the T7. Your video helped me tremendously to stick with my original thought, T3. It definitely sounds more tele. I have a Squire strat and the T7 sounded similar to me. So thanks for the straight comparison of the two sounds I'm more acoustic but wanting to improve my electric sound. Subscribed. I also really enjoy my firefly with those humbuckers. They've come so far in modern guitars they don't need to be a fortune to sound good and have fun. Which amp seems more of a problem for me. Thank you again for a great comparison. It really helped!
I personally think Sire has done an amazing job figuring out how to make a high-quality neck and guitar body. What they produce is as good as most normal players could ever want. I think they should release a model with amazing pickups and electronics and save people the cost and hassle of using them as a mod platform. Imagine they had a premium tier loaded with lollar pickups and high-quality pots and jack. That guitar would probably be better than a USA fender and would sell an absolute ton. I’d buy one (or more). A sire tele witk two lollar humbuckers would be incredible.
This is first I've seen of the new T3, really appreciate your overview and comparison to the T7. All I can say is WOW! $399! This has to be a Squier killer. Rosewood Fretboard! Fender charges a fortune for Rosewood on their necks. What a terrific value. Just a word on non-roasted maple necks. When I was 15 my parents gave me a brand new 1966 Fender Jazzmaster. I still play that Jazzmaster today. Nothing has ever been done to the neck, no truss rod adjustments, no fret sprout, it's perfect. And 50 years from now, some kid will still be playing this fine instrument. Good video Andre!
Many manufacturers stay away from rosewood for sustainability reasons as opposed to cost. I was surprised to see that my Yamaha Pacifica has a rosewood fretboard. It looks much nicer than the laurel fretboard on one of my Affinity teles. On the other hand it feels hard and smooth, much like maple, so I would expect that there wouldn't be much difference between playing a rosewood fretboard as opposed to a maple fretboard. I do like maple. In general, I wouldn't expect to have any trouble with any neck on a modern guitar, although a couple of my guitars bought new, required fretwork to make them playable.
@@peterwilson8039 I have a Squier Paranormal Telecaster, it has a beautiful maple neck with a maple cap, no skunk stripe. I also have a reissue 65 Jazzmaster. Neck feels great, however the fret sprout is terrible. I can say inexpensive guitars have come a long way from when I was a kid.
Haven't tried their guitars but I can definitely say the basses compete with Squier/Epi/Ibanez very handily! If I were going to recommend one for a starter bass I'd be hard pressed not to say Sire.
Thanks for the review. I have an American Professional Strat with roasted maple neck, jumbo frets, ash body, custom shop .69 pups. It was a sweetwater exclusive. I love the extra resonance I get in the rm neck. Something I never noticed on the dozens of other strats I've owned. I'm sold on the idea, but in the case of the T7...I never cared for gloss fretboards. I had a couple of Rickenbackers, and the gloss fretboards are just too sticky for my comfort.
Very interesting point of view! I think that I'll choose the T3, as i do not care for locking tuners and prefer the strat type bridge. About the T3 being "fatter", I suspect that it's the result of a "cheaper" lutherie : in my experience, high end instruments sound thinner than cheap ones because their sound is actually more defined, and usually sits better in a mix.
I’ve got the exact T7 from your video, and it almost breaks my heart just to put it down and walk out of the room! I’m sure that T3 is a beauty as well. Until your video, I wasn’t even aware there WAS a T3!
That’s exactly why I rushed out the video. No one on RU-vid has even covered the T3 so far (in English, I believe there are a couple Spanish language videos)
I just bought the t3 after returning the fender telecaster player series. Seri is much more comfortable and affordable. Now I have extra money to buy a better amp such as yamaha THR 30ii for example 👍
To my ear T7 sounds better, I like the neck pickup not being muffled and I play neck very often. You are totally right about roasted necks, I thing it is a hype. Not needing locking tuners, especially on non tremolo guitar, but for 200$ price difference I would get T7 for more pickup clarity alone, on T3 I would search for new neck pickup that sounds less as a humbucker. Great review, thanks.
I'm glad you mentioned the T7 sounding more like a Strat because that immediately jumped out at me too. Not a bad thing, actually sounds like a good Strat too. Just probably not why you'd buy a Tele style guitar. I have one of their Jazz Bass style basses and been trying to get one of their guitars for a while now. The bass is also a lot brighter and cleaner than the equivalent Fender. Almost picked up the H7 but I've tried 2 in Guitar Center and they have that weird narrow nut that Larry has on his main 335. (Which is spec correct for that one or two years for the 335). The H7 was great, but felt like a Mustang or Jaguar or Duo Sonic and other short scale guitars and not for me with that neck.
I don't even think it's close. The T3 just has all the classic Tele sound but the T7 does seem to be into that strat territory. Once you pointed it out I couldn't stop hearing it
Great video. I have two telecasters, one has a vintage bridge, and the other has a modern bridge. With the vintage bridge I find that when I bring my palm down on the bridge to cut off sustain on a chord, it doesn't work as well because of the bridge's 'sardine can' shape. The other issue with the vintage bridge, is that the person who set it up cocked the bass saddle at an angle, which results in the low E string sliding off the neck very easily. I'm going to fix that one day dammit - one day it's going to happen! I think the vintage accoutrements plus the sticky finish makes the classic vibe tele a little less desirable, and that might cause me to consider spending a bit more money for a player-series telecaster. Of course this video might influence me to look at the Sire T3.
Just discovered the channel, love the gear reviews. I like how you went into this one with very little research, which didn't give you the chance to develop an opinion in advance . What we get then is a pretty instinctive and unvarnished response you don't often see on RU-vid. Plus, since you clearly are a little obsessive-compulsive and also have a taste for expensive craftsmanship, you really zero in on the fine details of what the reviewed guitar offers you personally as a player in a way that is uncompromising and also unique and appreciated. Can't wait to see more
I found this video recently and i all i can say is: i like how it looks the T3 more than the T7... About the sound, i like both, but the dark sound of the T3 give it personality i think... It's wonderful the fact of the Mahogany body, maple neck and Rosewood fretboard... For that price i surely go with the T3... I can change the tuners later. Nice video
The sire T7 telecaster guitar you show is identical guitar to a telecaster guitar made by AXL guitars (not now in productioin) called a 'Player Deluxe'. If you are lucky to get hold of of AXL 'Player Deluxe' guitars both Telecasters and Stratacaster 'Player Deluxe' models you will see they top qualit guitars.
You're right on the bodies - two piece bodies are a big cost savings over one piece, and three are a savings over 2. Lumber, especially clear lumber, is sold at a much lower cost in narrow boards. Once you get clear wood 7-8"+ from a supplier (big enough to make a two piece body), you'll get upcharged. It can be pretty stiff, too depending on the market. people get wound up about a statement I'm about to make - but in a $700 guitar, there really isn't that much profit, so even seeing a nice clear two piece body is good. In a $450 guitar that can be returned for almost any reason, there's very little room for error, too. If the body cost difference between the two is $5 to the manufacturer, there's probably 10 other things that are $5 different and it matters.
One of my favorite guitars I ever owned was a Fender FSR Strat. It had a sculpted heel joint and 2 Dimarzio humbuckers. Bought it on sale for $400. Cheap doesn’t always mean bad. There are jems out there for little money.
To me, the individual saddles on the T3 bridge are so superior that it's not even a contest. Love your channel! Just discovered you a couple weeks ago, and you offer a very different perspective to an old 80s metalhead like myself.
The inexpensive Musiclily type bridges like that are usually pretty decent, but you can find some from time to time where the individual saddles will move a bit while you're playing. Far better than cheap les paul style bridges, though, and usually stamped steel instead of the gritty soft pot metal in les paul style cheap parts. Expensive strat and tele bridges aren't always trouble free, though, either. Compensated saddles like on the T7 are fine, though, even if you're into metal. Uncompensated may not be quite so easy to get along with.
Thanks for the review. I really was worried about buying the cheapest guitar. I've done that before and had to spend three times the money to get it right.
I have a T 7 and love it. I think the T3 will be a killer too ! But my Fav "Low End Tele" , is the Harley Benton TE 52 . My take on Teles is the HB for all Teles < $1,000, and the T 7 for all Teles > $1,000 I believe you are missing the point on the neck roasting ... It is NOT appearance (or feel) as both are fantastic. BUT STABILITY ! By that , I mean where I live the Mid-Western US Winters being fiercely cold and dry... You get fret sprout, where the maple used , is not allowed to cure and dry (a period of years) before being pressed into manufacture to tackle todays mad demand ! Both the HB and the Sire have roasted necks. But the HB claims "caramelized" , and is lighter in color The Sire ... is "roasted" , and much darker. Both are Baby Booty smooth, and feel great. BUT the caramelized HB's neck ... DID shrink a bit over the winter, and exhibited very mild fret sprout The Sire ? NO shrinkage whatsoever. Now in the same period I copped a Fender Player Mustang (maple neck) and in the summer /fall... It too was BB smooth. But by February it shrank like a SOB ! Shrank waay more than the $200 Harley Benton TE 52, with its "caramelized " neck So roasting, is probably a good insurance policy against shrinkage /fret spout Fender will sell you a MIM Strat roasted neck for $300 (more than the HB, and half the cost of the Sire) BTW , Sire probably glosses the fretboard for the same reasons as Fender (appearance ?) BUT the back of the neck is SATIN ... for the sweaty hands guys
Came here as a acoustic-only player whose been eyeing the T7 (as my first electric guitar, to add color to some of my rockier sets of covers), left as a very impressed subscriber - and a potential T3 buyer. :-) Love your informative and astute delivery and obvious experience. Didn‘t have a clue what else you tout on your channel, but decided to follow you just because you‘re you. ;-) Looking forward to the T3, which should be easier to „sell“ to my wife since it‘s cheap(er). ;-) P.S. I never had locking tuners, so will likely not miss them. And the same goes for a glossy fingerboard.
Glad I could help Scott and thanks so much for the support. I have a bunch of acoustic guitars I want to compare as well. Hopefully I can get to that soonish :)
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but a word of advice from personal experience. Buy the guitar that fits your budget, BUT don't buy down because you think you're saving money. For most of us, a guitar is not a long term investment (in this price range). Sooner or later (sooner) another, and more expensive beauty will catch your eye, and you'll end up selling the present one at a significant loss. I know! No matter what you get now, eventually you'll crave for something different. But at least you can eliminate one intermediate sale by buying the best one you can currently afford now. 😂
@@Prajnana Thanks for your advice. As an owner of several high-end acoustics, I understand your point very well. I have also bought and sold and bought many guitars over the decades. But for me, having an electric guitar is not so much about getting the best, but getting something useable to add some different flavors to my solo acoustic performances. In the end, I neither got the T7 nor the T3, but rather opted for a hybrid in my price range: the Michael Kelly Hybrid Special. Not the best of all worlds, but a good jack of most trades. It needs effects added to get the acoustic sounds to be passable, but I have a great pedalboard. :-) At any rate, with twin toddlers to take care of and having lost my job due to C., I‘m happy to spend less than grand for such a versatile instrument and just get the job done, i.e. gigging a wide variety of covers. One day I might get a tele, since I love its sound a lot, but now I‘m fine.
It's cool that you said the T7 sounds more stratty, that was my thoughts exactly. But I think it had a nice clarity that would sound better in a mix, whether live in a band situation or in a recording. That said, if I'd get either one of these, I'd still end up changing the pickups to fenders or lollars or similar. Just recently bought a jet js400 and modded it into the perfect strat for me. At these prices, I don't think the T3 can compete with the cheaper jet ts300, apart from maybe a better bridge and the neck heel carve. (assuming the neck is as comfortable as the js400 which everybody says it is) The locking tuners and neck heel carve might just tip me in the favor of the T7. Pickups and pots are something I swap out immediately anyways on a budget or medium price guitar.
man that was a great comparison. ive been looking for an inexpensive T style to do my first relic job on. i think ill order the T3 in vintage white and distress the body. thanks!
The T3 has a mahogany body. The T7 body is alder. The T3 has ceramic pickups and the T7 has alnico V pickups. about the tuners. I own the Sire S3. I can use my tremolo bar without going out of tune even though I do not have locking tuners. The reason I can do that is because the tuners on the T3 and S3 are the same and they are geared to a very low ratio. You have to turn the tuners almost 50 times to turn the string peg one round. I turn my tuners with an electric screw driver.
I just got a T7 and was thinking perhaps I made a mistake when I started watching your video. But, after listening I knew I made the right choice. I wanted a Tele for crispness and snap. The T3 didn't have that. The T7 is an awesome guitar.
We need "non sponsored reviews" like this one. Darrell Brown and most other are good communicators but they get their guitars sent to them or get money for reviews. It is diffucult to trust their reviews.
I appreciate your comment but t’s impossible To continue this type of work without sponsors. Hopefully we can figure something out as a community that keeps fans happy and reviewers paid.
Great, Great video comparison, yo!!!!!! If you could do a revie os the new S3 model (the same one as this tele, but a Strat), It would be awesome!!! Keep rocking!!
I hate vids like this because it makes me wonder if my ears are crazy, but I prefer the T7 sound, by quite a bit. Love to hear them with a little more tele twang and some dirt. ty for vid!
Happened to come across you channel while on YT. Like the way you approach the comparison of the T7 vs T3. (I subscribed to your channel.) I like your review so much I'm considering a T3. Presently I have the Fender American Pro II Tele which I'm very, very happy with!
For $200 difference from a T3 vs T7 is justified (in my opinion) by the roasted maple neck, the locking tuners...both models have Sire's rolled fretboard edges. Regardless of the brand name on a headstock, or price point, bottom line what's most important is how does it feel ? How does it play ? Is it aesthetically appealing ? Lastly it also comes down to an individuals budget. Instruments are very subjective. There is no right or wrong.
I don’t care about the roasted neck but I prefer the bridge with six individual string saddles which help with intonation. I’d say for me anyway the T 3 would my preference. I don’t like the shape of the headstock, oh well. Great review
Telecasters have ruined me… I used to like so many different types of guitar, but I find that now every guitar I play that’s not a tele, I just try to make it sound like one. I’m interested in getting a tele loaded with a humbucker in the neck, and I think about getting a proper Fender. Maybe a Japanese one, because I played an absolutely incredible Japanese tele recently… But still gotta try these first
I ordered the T3 from SweetWater, said it would be 2 weeks because I was having them go over and do a 1-2 on it before it comes..thanks for the vid again...I've watched it twice.
Thank you for the video. Subscribed rightaway. In my experience, roasted necks are heavier, and this can give neck dive. The 2 guitars sound very different, the T3 is obviously darker, but it's "twang" is more obvious, and this is what I'm looking for when buying Telecaster model. So for me, the T3 would be my choice.
I like the simplicity of the T3. I wonder how it compares to the Squier Classic Vibe 50's or 60's. I really like the Squier Classic Vibe series, but I find the body on the 50s are generally heavy (9-10 lbs) but have a pretty good feeling neck, whereas the 60s Custom Tele model has a VERY thin neck (which I don't like). I wonder how these Sires compare in terms of feeling.
the T3 sounds darker and less.. clear but sounds good. Thanks for the video. I had to subscribe because you are doing a good Job. If I could get a t 3 I would rather have one of those because of the bridge. I don't mind the locking tuners but I don't have to have them.
@@andrefludd looks sharp, the ebony fretboard is great, body contouring is perfect for comfort. The only thing it's lacking compared to my big fancy Spector LX is in the electronics department. Can't beat EMGs with the tone pump pre-amp.
I’m sure you already know this but yes, most of the Squier guitars are not great but once you get into the classic vibe level of squire, it’s a whole different ball game and believe me they’re very high-quality.
@@andrefludd The 2008-2018 Crafted in China guitars are generally thought more highly of than the current Indonesian guitars. Chinese have rosewood fretboards on the 60’s Strats and the 50’ and 60’s are alder on the Strats and Pine on the 50’s tele’s and alder on the 60’s but both Indonesian and Chinese are very good.
The T3 definitely has a warmer sound which I prefer. This could be partly due to the mahogany body whereas the T7 is alder I believe. I have no idea if they use different pickups.
THe T7 has low output alnico 5 pickups. Very clear and bright.. The T3 has slightly hotter ceramic pickups. Ceramic pickups tend to have less top end. a bit of a generalization but that how I hear it.
I worked and a big name company and the old "rejected" guitars sitting in the factory were light years better than the best new ones! CNC tech makes and enormous difference in quality for cheaper guitars.
I used to work as a tech at a Guitar Center with a bunch of Sire guitars and basses. I don't remember playing a bad one... They're really making other brands step up their game in that sub $1000 price point! Also on roasted maple, I don't believe the tone is changed that much from non-roasted maple... HOWEVER, we all agree rosewood/maple strats&teles sound different from maple/maple ones? right? Rosewood board tames the high end slightly and fattens it up? might be what we're hearing. I just noticed the T7 has a vintage 3 saddle bridge Vs modern 6 saddle...
This was an excellent comparison well done video ! My ears tell me the T7 sounds better but that’s just me. I’d play either guitar I don’t own one. I’m torn as I want the T7 but can only afford the T3
Hey Andre. I was looking at the T7 after I purchased the Sire S7 HSS... I swapped out the S7 Pickups as I really wasn't happy with them. . I opted for a Fret King (Trev Wilkinson brand) model however instead of the Sire T7. Check Fret King out if you get the chance. The new Strat and Tele type Fret King models have a lot of tonal options with the patented VariCoil pot knob and pickup configurations specific to this brand. They even have "ghost single coils" placed under the visible single coil pickup on some models. Some interesting features there. Keep up the great work. Cheers
They didn’t tell you about the Squier Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster. Beats any guitar including the one you’re reviewing in terms of a classic tele sound, the quality is comparable as well.
@@andrefludd It's just a question of how much you want to engage with your avid fans :) One of my favorite guitar RU-vidrs runs a pretty active and very highly specialized Bluegrass guitar discord and it ended up being a gathering place for all acoustic bluegrass online. I'd think that you could attract a pretty broad group of people who (i) were nuts about guitar gear and (ii) were trying to branch out from the pentatonic prison (that I mostly live in) Anyway, best of luck with the channel. I enjoy the content a lot.
IMO the thing that makes sire better than the other inexpensive guitars is the neck and fretwork and it's just not as good. I see a lot of people like you missing exactly why these instruments are so special and it's interesting.
