Larry Carlton S5 HSS Dark Navy

Larry Carlton S5 HSS Dark Navy: technical review

The Larry Carlton S5 HSS Dark Navy is an electric guitar with an alder body, a maple neck and fingerboard, and an HSS pickup layout. Its listed price is 458, with no currency specified in the supplied information. The model has been available since September 2025, and its item number is 611015.

The available specifications describe the guitar's construction and hardware, but provide no customer reviews or independent test results. There is therefore no basis here for claims about its sound quality, tuning stability, setup out of the box, or long-term reliability. The assessment below stays with what the listed components and dimensions establish.

Body, neck, and dimensions

The body is made from alder, with no separate top. The bolt-on neck and fingerboard are both maple. This gives the instrument a straightforward wood specification, without a contrasting top layer listed. The Dark Navy finish is identified as blue in the general color information, with Dark Navy given as the specific color name.

The neck has a C profile. Its scale length is 648 mm, or 25.51 inches, and the fingerboard radius is 241 mm, or 9.5 inches. The nut is 42 mm, or 1.65 inches wide, and is made from bone. These measurements are useful reference points when comparing the S5 HSS with other guitars, but they do not describe how the neck will feel to a particular player. Hand size, playing technique, setup, and personal preference all affect that impression.

The maple fingerboard has dot inlays and 22 frets. No fret size, fret material, neck thickness measurements, or factory setup details are supplied. Buyers who are particular about those details should confirm them with the seller rather than assume a specification.

HSS pickups and controls

The pickup arrangement consists of one Sire LC Super-V humbucker at the bridge and two Sire LC Super-V single-coil pickups in the middle and neck positions. In practical terms, HSS identifies a bridge humbucker paired with two single coils. The layout provides three pickup positions along the strings, while the switching system lets the player select among five settings.

The controls are limited to one volume knob, one tone knob, and a five-way switch. The supplied specifications do not explain the exact wiring for each switch position, nor do they list coil-splitting or other additional circuits. It would be unwise to infer those features from the HSS layout alone. Players who need a particular switching arrangement should check the wiring information before purchasing.

There are no pickup output measurements, magnet details, or recorded sound samples in the provided data. As a result, the pickup names and configuration identify what is installed, but cannot establish how the guitar sounds through a particular amplifier or in a mix.

Tremolo and hardware

The bridge is listed as an S7V two-post tremolo. A two-post mounting system describes how the bridge is supported, but the supplied information does not specify its adjustment range, setup, or performance under heavy use. The guitar also has Sire Standard tuning machines and chrome-plated hardware. No locking tuners, locking nut, or other tuning-related features are listed.

The tremolo makes setup an important consideration. String choice, spring balance, bridge height, and tuning approach can affect how a floating or resting bridge behaves, but the product data does not say how this unit is configured from the factory. There is no included setup description to rely on, so buyers who use the tremolo frequently may want to ask the retailer how the instrument is prepared for shipment.

What the specifications do and do not establish

The listed components make the S5 HSS a clearly defined option for someone seeking a bolt-on maple neck, an alder body, a 22-fret fingerboard, and a humbucker with two single coils. The scale, nut width, and fingerboard radius give useful measurements for comparison. The two-post tremolo and five-way switching are also confirmed features.

Several purchase details remain unconfirmed. Neither a bag nor a case is included according to the supplied data. The specifications do not state the guitar's weight, finish type, country of manufacture, string gauge, or whether a setup is included. Those omissions do not indicate a defect, but they matter when comparing total value and intended use.

Bottom line: On paper, the Larry Carlton S5 HSS Dark Navy has a conventional and versatile-looking HSS specification, supported by clearly stated dimensions and hardware. The data is sufficient for a feature comparison, not for a verdict on tone, comfort, or build quality. There are no customer reviews available for this product, so any performance judgment beyond the listed facts would be speculative.