бюджетные электрогитары have become increasingly popular, offering an accessible entry point for beginners and a platform for modification enthusiasts. Among these brands, Sawtooth Guitars have garnered attention for their affordability and surprising features. If you’re in the market for a budget-friendly electric guitar, particularly a Stratocaster style, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a Sawtooth guitar is crucial. This in-depth review dives into the Sawtooth ES60, a popular alder body model, to give you a clear picture of what to expect. We’ll explore everything from the body and finish to the neck, electronics, and hardware, providing a thorough analysis to help you decide if a Sawtooth guitar is the right choice for you.
Sawtooth Guitars: An Overview
Sawtooth offers a range of electric guitars, primarily in the S and T styles, catering to players looking for classic designs without breaking the bank. They typically feature two main price tiers. The more affordable range, around $100-$120, often utilizes lightweight sycamore. Stepping up slightly in price, the $200 range, like the model we’re reviewing, generally boasts ash or alder bodies, aiming for a more traditional tonewood foundation.
The specific model under scrutiny is the Sawtooth ES60 Stratocaster copy with an alder body, finished in a striking surf green. It’s important to note that Sawtooth’s pricing strategy can be quite dynamic. You’ll observe price fluctuations across various online marketplaces like Amazon, Reverb, and eBay, even for the same model and color. Color options themselves can also significantly impact pricing, with some colors inexplicably cheaper or more expensive than others at any given time. They also offer various bundles, from guitar-only options to packages including gig bags, amplifiers, and even hardshell cases, adding another layer of complexity to their pricing structure. This pricing volatility means diligent shopping around is key to securing the best deal on a Sawtooth guitar.
The Body: A Solid Foundation
The body of the Sawtooth ES60 immediately impresses. It’s advertised as alder, and while a full internal inspection wasn’t conducted, the wood visible in the cavities does lend credibility to this claim. While the number of pieces used to construct the body remains unknown, it doesn’t detract from the overall solid feel. The weight leans slightly towards the heavier side for a Stratocaster, but this contributes to a sense of substance and quality rather than feeling cumbersome.
One minor critique of the body design is the shallowness of the contours. While it incorporates both a belly cut and a forearm contour, they lack the more pronounced and comfortable curves often associated with higher-end Stratocasters. Deeper contours might have also shaved off a bit of weight, potentially enhancing comfort further. The body features HSH routing, providing versatility for pickup configurations should you choose to modify it later.
Sawtooth stands out with its excellent color selection. The surf green finish on this model is particularly noteworthy, exhibiting a depth and richness that rivals what Fender might term seafoam green. The color is truly captivating; when asked, people often describe it as somewhere between “green” and “blue,” perfectly capturing its nuanced hue. The finish itself is remarkably thick and flawlessly applied. Only a minuscule blemish, located near the 20th fret and facing downwards, was detected, which is easily overlooked. The body and its finish are arguably the most appealing aspects of this guitar, exceeding expectations for its price range.
The plastic components, including the pickguard and pickup covers, are in a cream/off-white shade, aiming for an “aged” aesthetic reminiscent of 60s-era guitars. The pickguard is a single-ply molded piece with a beveled edge, and all plastic parts fit snugly and properly.
The Neck: A Matter of Taste
Going into this purchase, the neck was anticipated as the most likely component to be replaced. However, it surprisingly exceeded initial expectations.
The neck features a fairly substantial rosewood fretboard with a satin finish and a flat radius, estimated to be around 13.7 inches, a common specification for guitars manufactured in China. Personal preference typically leans towards maple fretboards, glossy finishes, and rounder radii. Therefore, this neck wasn’t ideally suited to those preferences, and this was acknowledged from the outset. Nevertheless, it proved to be more agreeable than anticipated. Contrary to the stereotype of Asian-made guitars having thin, flimsy necks, this Sawtooth neck felt substantial and solid. Sawtooth describes the neck profile as “U-shaped,” which seems accurate. The distinction between C and U shapes can be subtle, but it’s definitely not a thin profile. The frets are medium jumbo, well-finished with no sharp edges, and facilitate a low action setup, indicating even fretwork. The truss rod, accessible at the headstock, responded effectively to minor adjustments.
Electronics: Surprisingly Good
The Sawtooth ES60 comes equipped with full-sized potentiometers and standard Stratocaster-style pickups, along with a 5-way switch offering hum-canceling in the middle switch positions. The pickups utilize bar magnets. Initial impressions of the pickups were unfavorable. However, after experimenting with pickup height and lowering them significantly—almost flush with the pickguard—they transformed dramatically. Once properly adjusted, the pickups delivered a genuinely “Stratty” tone, exceeding modest expectations for a guitar in this price bracket. In a testament to their quality, even after upgrading to a set of Fender 57/62 pickups, the sonic difference wasn’t overwhelmingly significant. This raises the question of whether the upgrade was truly necessary, and the original pickups might be more than adequate for many players. The switch and potentiometers functioned smoothly, with a relatively even taper in the controls.
Hardware: Where Cost-Cutting Shows
The hardware is where the budget nature of the Sawtooth guitar becomes most apparent. The bridge, however, is surprisingly adequate, at least for players who don’t heavily utilize or meticulously set up their tremolo systems. It functioned without issues, and string breakage wasn’t experienced. The saddles adjusted correctly.
In contrast, the tuners are undeniably cheap. While they functioned initially without sticking, one tuner’s back casing detached spontaneously, resulting in a mix of sealed and open-back tuners on the guitar. While not catastrophic, it’s indicative of cost-saving measures.
The nut was the most significant hardware flaw. It was described as poorly cut, uneven, and crooked, requiring extreme saddle adjustments to compensate for its deficiencies. Saddle heights ranged from fully tightened to completely extended in an attempt to achieve proper action. This is a clear weak point and could be particularly frustrating for beginners who might struggle to diagnose tuning and playability issues stemming from a poorly cut nut. However, a Tusq nut, a common and affordable upgrade, costs around $12, representing a cheap and relatively simple fix for those comfortable with guitar maintenance.
Other hardware components like the output jack and strap buttons were functional and posed no issues. An interesting detail was the inclusion of a rubber washer beneath the neck plate, possibly intended to protect the body finish.
Conclusion: Budget-Friendly with Caveats
At the original, lower price point (around $100), the Sawtooth ES60 is wholeheartedly recommendable. However, at the higher end of its typical price range, around $230, the recommendation becomes less definitive. The issues encountered with the nut and tuner raise questions about quality control consistency – were these isolated incidents or indicative of broader quality concerns? Even at a mid-range price like $180 (as seen with the Daphne Blue version at times), factoring in the cost of replacing the nut and potentially a tuner or two still keeps the total investment around $200, which remains a competitive value.
Players who prefer modern neck specifications, such as a flatter radius and a slightly thicker profile, might find the Sawtooth neck appealing. However, whether it surpasses a Squier in the same price bracket is a more complex question that warrants direct comparison. It’s important to consider the reviewer’s own guitar ownership context—owning a Mexican-made Fender Telecaster as their “fanciest” guitar suggests a practical, value-oriented perspective rather than a “cork sniffer” approach to guitar gear. If you’re reading this review, you likely share a similar mindset.
This detailed examination of a budget-level import guitar might seem excessive to some. However, the scarcity of comprehensive reviews on Sawtooth models online motivated this thorough analysis. Hopefully, this review provides valuable insights for anyone considering a Sawtooth guitar in the future. If you found this helpful, or if you have your own experiences with Sawtooth guitars, please share your thoughts in the comments below!
