Show Full Spec Comparison
| Sire Larry Carlton L5 | Fender Brent Mason Telecaster | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Sire | Fender |
| Year: | 2024 | 2020 |
| Configuration: | SSS | SSH |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | Indonesia | United States |
| Series: | L | Artist |
| Colors: | Sunburst, Natural | Gray |
| Left-Handed Version: | Yes | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Swamp Ash | Ash |
| Bridge: | Tune-O-Matic with String Body Thru | 6-Saddle Telecaster Bridge with Glaser Bender System |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Bolt-On | Bolt-On |
| Tuners: | LC Vintage | Sperzel Locking |
| Fretboard: | Hard Maple Edgeless (Rolled Fretboard Edges) | Maple |
| Neck Material: | Hard Maple | Maple |
| Decoration: | BK/Abalone Rounded-rectangular Block | Black Pearloid Dot |
| Scale Size: | 24.75" | 25.5" |
| Shape: | C-Shape | Late 60s C |
| Thickness: | 1st Fret: 0.9'' (22.9mm) - 12th Fret: 0.94'' (23.9mm) | 1st Fret: - 12th Fret: |
| Frets: | 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver | 21 Vintage Tall Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 12" | 7.25" |
| Nut: | Bone | Bone |
| Nut Width: | 43mm (1.693'') | 41.3mm (1.625'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | LC Lipstick Tube Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive) | Seymour Duncan Vintage Stack Tele STK-T3B (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | LC Lipstick Tube Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive) | Seymour Duncan Hot Stack Strat STK-S2 (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Neck Pickup: | LC Lipstick Tube Single Coil (Single Coil / Passive) | Seymour Duncan Vintage Mini HB (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Switch: | 5 Way | 3 Way |
| Knobs: | Dome | Dome |
| Pickup Mods: | None | Coil Split |
| Volume Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | Yes |
| Hardware Color: | Chrome | Gold |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Sire Larry Carlton L5 over Fender Brent Mason Telecaster
Reasons to Get
Fender Brent Mason Telecaster over Sire Larry Carlton L5
Other Key Differences
Sire Larry Carlton L5 vs Fender Brent Mason Telecaster
Shared Features
Sire Larry Carlton L5 vs Fender Brent Mason Telecaster
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
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Hand Size Comfortability
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Sire Larry Carlton L5 favors large hands more than the Fender Brent Mason Telecaster.
Sire Larry Carlton L5:
Fender Brent Mason Telecaster:
Beginner Friendliness
The Fender Brent Mason Telecaster meets 92 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Sire Larry Carlton L5 meets only 75. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.
New Player Friendliness
Sire Larry Carlton L5- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Fender Brent Mason Telecaster- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in Both
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.
Winner: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
The Sire Larry Carlton L5 has an SSS configuration while the Fender Brent Mason Telecaster has SSH pickups.
SSS is perfect for players who like to play clean. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. You can still use it for distortion, but you won't get the same kind of output and power compared to a humbucker, and the hum they produce also makes them less adequate for high gain.
On the other hand, SSH is a two single-coils and one humbucker combination that's great for players who like bright, clean tones, but that also like to use warmer jazzy tones. It's recommended mainly for playing clean, but the neck humbucker can also deliver fuller tones that work great with overdrive.
Pickups Quality
Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.
However, the Sire Larry Carlton L5 has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.
We found the same or similar pickups to the Fender Brent Mason Telecaster's online:
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Winner: Sire Larry Carlton L5.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
The Sire Larry Carlton L5 gives you 5 switch options while the Fender Brent Mason Telecaster gives you 3. This means that the Sire Larry Carlton L5 gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the Fender Brent Mason Telecaster comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Fender Brent Mason Telecaster.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Sire Larry Carlton L5 compares to the Fender Brent Mason Telecaster.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Sire Larry Carlton L5 is built in Indonesia while the Fender Brent Mason Telecaster is made in United States.
Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.
The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.
Winner: Fender Brent Mason Telecaster
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
In this case, both have Bone nuts. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.
Winner: Tie.
Bridge
The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.
Both come with a similar bridge: Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.
Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.
Winner: Tie.
Tuners
The Fender Brent Mason Telecaster has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.
Winner: Fender Brent Mason Telecaster.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Sire Larry Carlton L5
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in Indonesia
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Fender Brent Mason Telecaster
- Locking Tuners
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Strap Lock
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Sire Larry Carlton L5 has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 1.7mm (0.068'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Sire Larry Carlton L5, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
The Fender Brent Mason Telecaster has the longest scale: 25.5". The Sire Larry Carlton L5 is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) scale length difference.
This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.
This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.
Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the Sire Larry Carlton L5 and the Fender Brent Mason Telecaster have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
In this case, the Fender Brent Mason Telecaster's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Sire Larry Carlton L5's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Sire Larry Carlton L5.
Fret Size
The Fender Brent Mason Telecaster has Vintage Tall frets, which should be taller than the Sire Larry Carlton L5's Medium Jumbo frets.
Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.
