This week Alvarez TV is coming to you from St. Louis in our Alvarez Guitar shop. Why Alvarez? How did it start in Japan? Why do we have two icons on our logo? Answers to all these and more in today’s episode as we take a brief walk through time to discuss how we got here today and where we’re going.
This week Alvarez TV is coming to you from St. Louis in our Alvarez Guitar shop. Why Alvarez? How did it start in Japan? Why do we have two icons on our logo? Answers to all these and more in today’s episode as we take a brief walk through time to discuss how we got here today and where we’re going.
Today on Alvarez TV, we’re at Ingram AV with Reed Ingram Weir, discussing how to get the best tone out of your acoustic guitar in a live show and which mics work best. Which mics do you use on your acoustic?
Why did we stop making these?! We’re talking about our limited run archtop guitars on Alvarez TV today, taking a closer look at these semi-acoustics and asking…should we bring these back?
Laminated backs and sides—Mahogany, Maple, Acacia…can you hear the difference? (Can we?) Find out in this deep dive on how exotic woods affect the tone of your laminate guitar on this episode of Alvarez TV. What’s your favorite combination?
Today on Alvarez TV we’re talking about guitars for guitarists who don’t need more guitars (but probably actually do). We’re talking 8-strings, Baritones, acoustic bass, and a 6-string uke(!)…maybe we’ll throw in a travel guitar. We all need a travel guitar, right?
12 frets, 14 frets, square shoulders, round shoulders—where does the Dreadnought come from? On this week’s Alvarez TV we’re talking all things Dreadnought, and Professor Meikle gives us a history lesson.
Alvarez Live is a new series from Alvarez Guitars spotlighting artists influencing the world of music today. Skinny Living join us at Alvarez Studios for our series premiere. Skinny Living are playing a Masterworks MPA66SHB Parlor and a Masterworks MDR70ESB-L (left-handed model) Dreadnought.
Skinny Living’s story is one of struggle, troubling situations and relentless hard graft. It’s also one of synchronicity, chance meetings, and the unflinching belief that their glorious indie soul music will reach the audience it deserves. Their potential is there to see. Skinny Living have been active since 2014. In that time they have amassed over 60 million streams world wide without releasing a full studio album, however the trio are now on course to release their Debut Album in 2023.
Do capos change your tone as well as your key? Whether it’s the mass or size of the capo itself, or how much tension it’s putting on the strings, in today’s discussion and demo session we take a closer look at how capos affect our overall sound. Which capo do you like best?
Can you hear the difference between tonewoods? This is Part 2 of our deep dive into tonewoods where we analyze tone tapping tests from a variety of music woods. Does how a tree grows affect your guitar’s tone? We say yes!
Does how a tree grows affect your guitar’s tone? We say yes! Join us on a deep dive into tonewoods, following the guitar’s journey from its very beginning. We’re discussing how each of these woods grow and how this affects the way the guitar sounds when it is constructed. Jump in at 11:25 to hear Chris tone-tap different types of tonewoods to demonstrate their unique sounds. Tune in next week for Part 2.
A Grade Sikta? A+…AAA? What do these letters tell you? We’re demystifying top wood grading today on Alvarez TV to give you more tools to choose your new favorite guitar. We have two guitars in today’s episode, both solid top Sitka Dreadnoughts…very similar, but also very much not the same. Why do we use different Sitka for different models? And what are those differences? We’re discussing how top wood is graded on today’s episode.
The AG60CESHB is an elegant and versatile Grand Auditorium offering instant response with lots of projection for strumming and true clarity for fingerstyle. The Grand Auditorium’s narrow waist helps to accentuate trebles while the wide lower bout generates plenty of air volume for bass response, creating a dynamic and broad tonal landscape.
The FS6 forward-shifted bracing pattern allows for a larger soundboard area to heighten vibration, which is aided by a high-quality North American Sitka top and premium components throughout, all working together to deliver an engaging playing experience.
The AG60CESHB also features a cutaway for access to higher frets and is fitted with the fantastic LR Baggs Stage Pro with Element pick up for an unfailing live performance.
The AG66CESHB is an elegant and versatile Grand Auditorium offering instant response, clear middle frequencies, and great clarity. The Grand Auditorium’s narrow waist helps to accentuate trebles while the wide lower bout generates plenty of air volume for bass response, creating a dynamic and warm tonal landscape suitable for all playing styles.
The FS6 forward shifted bracing pattern allows for a larger soundboard area to heighten vibration, which is aided by a high-quality African Mahogany top and premium components throughout, all working together to deliver an engaging playing experience.
The AG66CESHB also features a cutaway for access to higher frets and is fitted with the fantastic LR Baggs Stage Pro with Element pick up for an unfailing live performance.
The AFA95CESHB is a truly special OM with a rare and inspired pairing of tonewoods. Its AA North Western Red Cedar top and figured Acacia body give this guitar a warm and open voicing with slightly darker trebles and clear bass. Aesthetically the guitar is stunning with a lighter shade of our standard Shadowburst carefully crafted to let the grain of the wood stay visible right to the edge, where it is bound by Flame Maple. This is an exceptional guitar with a character true to its sound. The AFA95CESHB is fitted with the fantastic LR Baggs StagePro EQ and Element Pickup.
We know you love a Parlor, and you know we love a Parlor (especially Dee). So what are the tonal differences between an all-solid Parlor and a solid-top Parlor? What does all-solid wood bring for this body size? Find out in today’s episode of Alvarez TV and join the discussion on what all-solid wood gives to a Parlor guitar.
We love mahogany, and we decided it’s time to compare one of our Artist Series OM guitars to a Honduran Mahogany Yairi. While this may not be a direct comparison, each of these instruments have their unique strengths. Today on Alvarez TV we’re looking at what those strengths are, how they perform, and what their characters tell us.
Ready to travel in style? Whether it’s the size, the comfort or the sound, small guitars are becoming a travel essential and we’re celebrating that with two brand-new LJ’s in our Artist Elite Series. Meet the new LJE95CEARSHB and LJP70CEARSHB, two very stylish, beautifully resonant travel guitars that sound bigger than they look.
We’re welcoming ten new additions to our award-winning Alvarez family for 2022, and today we’re discussing two of our favorites from our Masterworks line: stunning, understated, all-solid instruments focused on tone and elegance that sound every bit as good as they look.
Are 8 strings better than 12? Well, we do love a 12-string, but these 8-string guitars have their own unique vibe—and they’re a lot easier to play! The sound of a 12-string guitar is unmistakable, but 12 strings on a neck can be ungainly, and if we’re honest, fretting 12 strings is tough. That’s why we created the Alvarez 8-String Grand Auditorium, bringing you 12-string shimmer with less tension and a standard width neck and nut.
Today on Alvarez TV, we’re discussing two nearly identical guitars…but with different tops, one with Solid AA Sitka Spruce and one Mahogany. Stay to the end to hear tap testing and strumming A/B demos on both tops. What do you hear? Which sounds more tonally broad to you?
All-solid guitars are widely acknowledged as the best sounding acoustic guitars a player can get…but is that always true? And are all laminates created equal? We’re doing a deep dive on all of this and more in today’s episode of Alvarez TV, where we decide who wins the laminate vs. all-solid wood battle, settled once and for all, definitively. (Kind of.)
A classical guitar can sometimes feel too different to a steel string for many of us—this is why we make hybrids. These responsive nylon-string instruments have a narrower nut width, radiused fingerboard and 12th fret neck joint, which make them more akin to a steel string but still deliver that wonderful Spanish and classical vibe. The feel and sound is special, the tone and reference take us to new horizons, and as we all know, reaching for a different sounding instrument can inspire fresh creativity.
Our approach to development comes from a simple goal: To deliver the best guitars in the market at every price point—instruments that are truly amazing value and offer a fantastic player experience. Today on Alvarez TV we’re choosing some of our favorite Alvarez guitars under the $500 mark. What’s your favorite under $500?
Our magical line of solid Vintage Honduran Mahogany guitars came about almost by accident after Chris met guitar genius Jack Pearson and embarked on an Adirondack-Honduran adventure, and a once in a lifetime discovery of pure gold when it comes to tonewood. In today’s episode, we dive into this amazing story that became the catalyst to crafting some of the finest guitars we have ever designed!