Saito Guitars S-622 Phantom Black 2026
Saito Guitars S622, Phantom Black, made in Japan 2026. The S622 is the cornerstone of Saito's S series: S for solid body, 6 for six strings, 22 for twenty two frets. This is a stupendously good guitar, it ticks all the boxes for me. Firstly, the neck is fantastic. Saito's 'Standard Grip' neck is a modern C style shape, moderate in profile, with a subtle compound 10-12" radius, bound and rolled fretboard edges and some nice tall frets, carved from some super high grade, tightly grained maple... it's an absolute pleasure to play. This is our first Phantom Black finished example, and it's appropriately titled: it has a bit of a ghostly look to it, with the wide wavy grain lines of the ash on full display. Paired with the black hardware, pickups and logos, it looks super slick. The body is light as a feather too, weighing in at a friendly 3.15kg. Plug it in, and it gets better. The single coils are punchy and rich, with a weighty low end, smooth gooey mids and a piquant treble; they're clear and full and sound spot-on. The bridge pickup is fat and creamy, with a great mix of breathy wide complexity and focused midrange kick. This would easily cover everything from jazz and blues to punk and metal and sound perfectly at home all the while. To get a guitar this good from USA, you'd be up for at least $6-8k to land a Suhr or Tom Anderson; this will easily go pound-for-pound with the best of them. All hail Saito.
SAITO GUITARS aim is simple: to create 'Simple and Beautiful Tools'. Company founder Masaaki Saito opened a guitar repair shop in Tokyo in 1991, diligently bringing out the best in customers' guitars for twenty years before turning his attention to product design. In 2011, Saito's SAYTONE Hand Wiring pickups were released, offering gorgeous vintage-inspired pickups wound totally by hand by master craftsmen. In 2015, they launched their solid body S series guitars. The design philosophy is all about functional beauty: stripping away everything that doesn't contribute to function and playability, in order to serve modern players pursuing an increasingly diverse mix of genres and applications. Masaaki calls it 'Beautility'.
SAITO GUITARS all feature these thoughtful details:
Compound radius fretboard for comfy chords down low and precise movement and easy bends higher up the neck
Rolled fretboard edges for improved ergonomics
Wooden fretboard binding to hide fret ends and maximise smoothness
Luminlay side dots for easy visual reference on dark stages
Recessed aluminium neck joint plate paired with a curved heel to minimise weight and allow for easy access to the top frets
Gotoh MG-T locking tuners and 510 series bridges for excellent tuning stability
SAYTONE Hand Winding Pickups, all designed and wound by master craftsmen in house using the best of vintage and modern techniques and materials. Pickups was Saito's entire business for several years, so they're truly boutique quality
Model: Saito Guitars S-622
Made: Japan, 2026
Serial: 263401
Finish: Phantom Black, natural back and neck, satin poly
Body: ash, modern archtop shape, 45mm depth
Neck: maple, maple cap fretboard, 25.5" scale, 10-12" compound radius, 'Standard Grip' profile, maple fretboard binding, rolled fretboard edges, 42mm nut, 21mm deep at 1st fret, 24mm deep at 12th fret, Jescar FW-51100 Nickel Silver frets
Weight: 3.150kg
Mods: none
Pickups: SAYTONE Hand Winding Pickups. Growl humbucker (split via push/push tone control), Bore Up single coil x2
Accessories: Saito SHE-150L semi hard case, trem arm, tools and docs
Cosmetic condition notes: brand new condition, no major marks. Note this guitar has been used to film demo videos and played in store.
Overall: brand new condition (10/10)
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Wearing fresh 10/46 D'Addario strings.
Fret life: 10/10, brand new