For The Thrifty: Sierra SAS30CEM

For The Thrifty
Sierra SAS30CEM
LIST: $659.00
WEB: www.sierraguitars.net

The Sierra SAS30CEM is an auditorium acoustic-electric cutaway designed with a round, narrow body to yield a warm, balanced tone. Like most of the other guitars reviewed in this column, Sierra builds them with a dovetail neck joint for that extra tone girth.

The Sierra SAS30CEM is a comfortable guitar with a neck that feels almost like a Les Paul. The pickup, pre-amp and tuner are all very practical, though not in the same sonic league as the other guitars mentioned here; however, the Sierra SAS30CEM is half the price of the other guitars, so it’s not a fair comparison.

I like the aesthetics of the Sierra SAS30CEM. It’s pretty, yet understated, with elegant solid woods and a refined maple binding. The only bling is a tasteful sunrise 12th fret inlay and some Art Deco-ish tuners that work well with the earthy, woody look of the guitar. Again, the workmanship isn’t flawless, but it is very good and for this price, you couldn’t do much better.

Acoustically, I found the Sierra SAS30CEM to sound very thin, lacking the resonance of a more substantial guitar. However, it’s ideal for somebody who is just getting into live gigging or a long time road dog that does not want to fly with a more expensive acoustic-electric. For the budding Joni Mitchell on a budget, the Sierra SAS30CEM is an excellent choice.

Read the rest of our “Recession-Ready Acoustics” feature from the July/August 2010 issue here.

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