ESP E-II Alexi Ripped Sawtooth

ESP E-II Alexi Ripped Sawtooth review

The ESP E-II Alexi Ripped Sawtooth is a Japanese-made V-style electric guitar with a purple satin finish, sawtooth fingerboard inlays, and hardware built around a Floyd Rose Original tremolo. Its specification is clearly aimed at players who want a sharply shaped instrument with a locking tremolo and a neck designed for fast fretting. One owner's experience points to a strong playing feel, but also to a disappointing finish and service dispute. That is worth weighing carefully at a listed price of 3222, with no currency specified in the supplied information.

Neck and construction

The guitar has an alder body and a maple neck that runs through the body, with an ebony fingerboard. Its thin U-shaped neck has a 42 mm nut width and a 305 mm fingerboard radius. The 648 mm scale is paired with 24 X-jumbo frets, a locking nut, and sawtooth inlays. The listed finish is Purple Fade Satin with Ripped Pinstripes. There is no separate top.

The owner who supplied feedback described the neck as exceptionally comfortable, saying it fit naturally in the hand and was the best neck they had played. That is a personal assessment, but it is consistent with the guitar's thin profile and broad, jumbo frets. The owner also found the instrument light and pleasant to play overall. No weight measurement was supplied, so "light" should be treated as their impression rather than a verified specification.

Pickups and controls

ESP equips the guitar with an EMG HZ FH-2 humbucker at the bridge and an EMG HZ S2 single-coil pickup at the neck. These are passive pickups, while the ESP MM-04 active boost provides an additional boost circuit. Controls are straightforward: one volume control, a three-way pickup selector, and the boost switch. The available details do not specify the boost's exact output or switching behavior, so players should check the manufacturer's documentation if those details matter to their setup.

The owner reported getting convincing clean sounds through Neural DSP plug-ins and said the alder character was audible. That suggests the guitar was useful beyond high-gain playing in their rig, although it is one player's account and does not establish how it will sound through every amplifier or recording chain. The pickup arrangement gives the player a bridge humbucker and a neck single-coil voice, with the selector providing the basic choices between them.

Tremolo and hardware

A Floyd Rose Original tremolo, Gotoh locking tuners, chrome hardware, and the locking nut form a substantial tuning-stability setup. A case is included; a gig bag is not. The factory string set is D'Addario XL120, gauged.009,.011,.016,.024,.032, and.042. Since this is a double-locking tremolo system, string changes and tuning adjustments require more care than on a fixed-bridge guitar. Players already familiar with Floyd Rose systems will know the routine, while newer users should factor in a learning curve.

Finish concerns and ownership experience

The most serious reservation in the supplied feedback concerns the satin paint. The owner said the finish became glossy where their palm and fingers rested after roughly two weeks of regular playing, and also reported a poor paint job inside the tremolo cavity. Their account describes a damaged tuner on arrival, several rounds of communication with the retailer, a repair process lasting about a month, and the guitar returning with visible marks still present. The retailer reportedly attributed the tuner issue to tool marks, a point the owner could not fully confirm.

This is one customer's experience, not proof that every E-II Alexi Ripped Sawtooth has the same problems. Still, it is specific enough to justify a close inspection on delivery. Check the finish around the bridge cavity, the tuner operation, and the areas that contact your hand. Photograph any concerns before adjusting hardware or playing the guitar extensively, then contact the seller promptly if something is wrong.

Verdict

The ESP E-II Alexi Ripped Sawtooth has a compelling set of player-focused features: a comfortable-feeling thin U neck according to its owner, an ebony fingerboard, 24 jumbo frets, passive EMG pickups, an active boost, and a Floyd Rose Original tremolo. The same owner praised the neck and hardware while concluding that the guitar was seriously overpriced after their finish and service problems.

At 3222, the reported quality-control concerns deserve attention before purchase. The playing experience may be excellent, especially for someone drawn to the V shape and thin neck, but the supplied feedback does not support an unconditional recommendation. Buy from a seller with a clear inspection and returns process, and examine the finish and tuners carefully before deciding the instrument meets expectations.