I wanted a Stratocaster at a reasonable price, so I checked out this Sire as it has received such positive reviews. I recently ordered it and I am very surprised by the fine craftsmanship and versatility of this instrument. It is stunning beautiful, has a very comfortable and playable neck and it sounds really good, both on a Fender Tonemaster Princeton Reverb (solid state) and on a tube amplifier such as a Blackstar HT 20 MKII or a Line 6 Spider Valve 112 MKII 40W 1x12 Guitar Combo Amp. Thanks Sire, you've done it again with this Larry Carlton S7FM TBL 2nd Gen, I also already have a Sire Marcus Miller V7 Alder-4 TS bass. Unbelievably good instruments at very attractive prices. Why buy a more expensive Fender when you can buy these, which are actually better?