Show Full Spec Comparison
Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage | PRS SE Silver Sky | |
---|---|---|
General | ||
Brand: | Sire | PRS |
Year: | 2020 | 2022 |
Configuration: | SSS | SSS |
Strings: | 6 | 6 |
Made in: | Indonesia | Indonesia |
Series: | S7 | SE |
Colors: | White, Sunburst, Black | White, Blue, Green, Red |
Left-Handed Version: | No | Yes |
Body | ||
Type: | Solid Body | Solid Body |
Body Material: | Alder | Poplar |
Bridge: | S7V 2-post Bridge(Steel Block and Steel Bent Saddle) | 2-Point Steel Tremolo |
Neck | ||
Neck Joint: | Bolt-On | Bolt-On |
Tuners: | Sire Premium Locking Tuner | Vintage-Style |
Fretboard: | Roasted Hard Maple(Rolled Edges) | Rosewood |
Neck Material: | Roasted Hard Maple | Maple |
Decoration: | Abalone dot | Small Birds |
Scale Size: | 25.5" | 25.5" |
Shape: | C-Shape | 635JM |
Thickness: | 1st Fret: 0.9'' (22.9mm) - 12th Fret: 0.94'' (23.9mm) | 1st Fret: 0.846'' (21.5mm) - 12th Fret: 0.949'' (24.1mm) |
Frets: | 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver | 22 Vintage Tall Nickel Silver |
Fretboard Radius: | 9.5" | 8.5" |
Nut: | Bone | Synthetic Bone |
Nut Width: | 42mm (1.654'') | 41.3mm (1.625'') |
Electronics | ||
Bridge Pickups: | Sire LC Super-V (Single Coil / Passive) | PRS 635JM "S" (Single Coil / Passive) |
Middle Pickup: | Sire LC Super-V (Single Coil / Passive) | PRS 635JM "S" (Single Coil / Passive) |
Neck Pickup: | Sire LC Super-V (Single Coil / Passive) | PRS 635JM "S" (Single Coil / Passive) |
Switch: | 5 Way | 5 Way |
Knobs: | Bell | Bell |
Pickup Mods: | None | None |
Volume Controls: | 1 | 1 |
Tone Controls: | 1 | 2 |
Hardware | ||
Strap Lock: | No | No |
Hardware Color: | Chrome | Nickel |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage over PRS SE Silver Sky
Reasons to Get
PRS SE Silver Sky over Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage
Other Key Differences
Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage vs PRS SE Silver Sky
Shared Features
Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage vs PRS SE Silver Sky
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- 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 PRS SE Silver Sky favors large hands more than the Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage.
Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage:
PRS SE Silver Sky:
Beginner Friendliness
The Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the PRS SE Silver Sky meets only 4. 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 S7 Vintage- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Short scale
New Player Friendliness
PRS SE Silver Sky- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
- Comfortable neck
- Locking tuners
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 the Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage
Roasted Maple is just maple without a finish. It's technically cheaper than regular maple, but it doesn't have any extra disadvantages because of this. The color is darker, and it's lighter weight and very stable even when there's a lot of humidity.
Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.
Woods Used in the PRS SE Silver Sky
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.
Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.
Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.
Winner: PRS SE Silver Sky.
Pickup Configuration
Both pickup configurations are SSS. 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.
Pickups Quality
The PRS SE Silver Sky pickups from a more specialized brand than the Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage. Its pickups should give you a fuller, richer sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Blues and similar genres.
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: PRS SE Silver Sky.
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
Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.
Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: PRS SE Silver Sky.
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 S7 Vintage compares to the PRS SE Silver Sky.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.
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.
Winner: Tie
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.
The Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage has a Bone nut. 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.
On the other hand, the PRS SE Silver Sky comes with a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.
Winner: Tie.
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: Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.
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 Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage 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: Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage.
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 S7 Vintage
- Locking Tuners
- Bone Nut
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- Made in Indonesia
- No Expensive Woods
- No Top Brand Pickups
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
PRS SE Silver Sky
- Expensive Wood
- Synthetic Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Tremolo
- 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 Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
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 S7 Vintage has the wider nut with 42mm (1.654'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 0.7mm (0.029'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage, 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.
In this case, both have a scale length of 25.5".
This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.
However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.
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.
In this case, both have different neck shapes:
The Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage has a C type of 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.
The PRS SE Silver Sky, on the other hand, has a Vintage neck. This means that it's thicker than most modern necks, and makes it a better fit for playing chords and slow solos. Some people prefer this type of neck because it gives them a better grip thanks to the extra mass. Still, the vast majority prefer a thinner, faster, and more ''modern'' neck.
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 PRS SE Silver Sky's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage'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 S7 Vintage.
Fret Size
The PRS SE Silver Sky has Vintage Tall frets, which should be taller than the Sire Larry Carlton S7 Vintage'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.