Five Stunning Alvarez Guitars Just Landed at Musicmaker

Five fresh arrivals. Three exceptional Alvarez ranges. One very good reason to clear your afternoon and come down to Exchequer Street.

There's a particular kind of excitement that comes with opening a fresh shipment of acoustic guitars. The cardboard comes off. The cases open. Somebody plays a chord or two. Somebody else wanders over from the other side of the shop to see what's making that noise. And then, inevitably, nobody gets any actual work done for twenty minutes.

Welcome to another perfectly normal afternoon at Musicmaker Dublin.

We've just received a gorgeous new shipment of Alvarez acoustic guitars, and while there are plenty of lovely instruments to explore, five newcomers have properly caught our attention. There's an outrageously good-value baritone, an all-solid Masterworks dreadnought, a wonderfully intimate 12-fret Laureate, a black-topped OM with impeccable manners and a rosewood dreadnought that looks as though it's walked straight out of the golden age of acoustic guitar design.

All five are acoustic-electric. All five offer something different. And every one of them makes a compelling argument for putting your phone away and playing guitar for the rest of the evening. We're going from the most affordable to the most expensive, so prepare yourself.

Things are about to get acoustically irresponsible.

1. Alvarez ABT60ce Baritone Shadowburst — €629

The one that makes familiar chords sound completely unfamiliar.

Let's begin with the troublemaker. The Alvarez Artist Series ABT60ce Baritone Shadowburst is a magnificent reminder that sometimes the most exciting thing you can do with a guitar is change its entire register.

A baritone guitar is typically tuned lower than a standard six-string, and the ABT60ce is designed for B-to-B tuning, a perfect fourth below conventional E-to-E. That means your familiar chord shapes still work. Your scales still make sense. But everything emerges with a deeper, darker, more resonant voice. Play an open E shape and you're suddenly hearing a B chord rumbling beneath your fingers.

It's enormously addictive.

To make those lower notes behave properly, Alvarez gives the ABT60ce an extended 27 23/32-inch scale length. The longer scale helps maintain useful string tension at lower pitches, avoiding the excessively loose, flappy response you'd get by simply detuning an ordinary acoustic guitar. The construction is equally thoughtful: a solid A+ Sitka spruce top, African mahogany back and sides, and Alvarez's FST2 bracing, designed to balance strength with the substantial movement of air generated by those lower frequencies.

The Shadowburst gloss top looks fantastic, while the cutaway gives you access to the upper register when your musical adventures take you beyond the low strings. And because this is an acoustic-electric instrument, the LR Baggs StagePro Bronze system is ready to bring that glorious baritone character into a live rig.

For songwriters, this guitar is an absolute weapon. Try doubling an ordinary acoustic part an octave-like register lower. Explore alternative voicings. Build an arrangement around those rich bass notes. Give a familiar song an entirely different emotional weight.

At €629, the ABT60ce offers an extraordinary amount of musical possibility. It's the sort of guitar you buy because you're curious.

And keep because it changes how you write.

Shop the Alvarez ABT60ce Baritone Shadowburst — €629

2. Alvarez MD60e Masterworks Herringbone — €999

All-solid dreadnought authority. Bluegrass manners. Serious value.

Next up, we enter the wonderful world of the Alvarez Masterworks Series. And the Alvarez MD60e Herringbone Natural is a particularly persuasive example of why this range deserves so much attention.

At its heart is a classic acoustic recipe: a solid AAA Sitka spruce top paired with solid African mahogany back and sides. All-solid construction matters because the soundboard, back and sides are made from solid timber rather than layered wood. But the real magic lies in how those components are thicknessed, braced and allowed to interact. The MD60e uses Alvarez's FS6 forward-shifted, scalloped X-bracing, a design that creates a relatively responsive area around the bridge while retaining the structural strength needed to handle steel-string tension.

The result is a dreadnought built with flatpickers and powerful strummers firmly in mind.

Sitka spruce contributes a lively, articulate attack. Mahogany is often associated with a focused midrange and a direct, woody character. Combine them in a well-designed dreadnought and you've got the ingredients for big, clear chords, punchy bass runs and excellent note separation. Think driving bluegrass rhythm. Strong vocal accompaniment. Open-position chords that ring without turning into a muddy blur.

The details are beautifully judged too.

There's traditional herringbone styling, a rosewood fingerboard and bridge, open-gear tuners, bone nut and saddle, and the sort of vintage-inspired appointments that make you want to learn another fiddle tune immediately. The LR Baggs HiFi pickup system is a particularly welcome addition. Rather than relying on a conventional undersaddle piezo alone, HiFi uses bridge-plate sensors to capture the instrument's vibration, giving performers a responsive amplified option.

An Alvarez AFC30 Flexicase completes the package. At €999, the MD60e makes an extremely strong case for itself.

This is proper all-solid acoustic guitar territory without the sort of price tag that requires a formal meeting with your accountant.

Shop the Alvarez MD60e Masterworks Herringbone — €999

3. Alvarez LT60e Laureate Sunset — €1,299

An elegant 12-fret 000 with vintage character and a wonderfully intimate voice.

Now things become particularly interesting. The Alvarez Laureate LT60e Sunset belongs to the company's premium Laureate Series, a collection inspired by traditional acoustic guitar designs and built with extraordinary attention to the small details that influence tone.

But before we get to the timber, let's talk about the shape.

The LT60e is a 12-fret 000-style acoustic guitar. And that makes it rather special. On a conventional 14-fret steel-string guitar, the neck joins the body at the 14th fret. A 12-fret design moves that junction closer to the nut, changing the geometry of the instrument and allowing the bridge to occupy a different position on the soundboard. That altered bridge placement can contribute to a distinctive response, often associated with warmth, resonance and a wonderfully relaxed character.

The body itself is more manageable than a large dreadnought, making the LT60e a particularly appealing instrument for fingerstyle players and anyone who appreciates an acoustic guitar that feels comfortable tucked beneath the arm.

The tonewood combination is gorgeous: AAA solid North American Sitka spruce on top, with solid African mahogany back and sides. The top uses hand-finished FS6 bracing, with Alvarez paying careful attention to the weight, placement and finishing of the individual braces. That's serious guitar-building nerdery, and it matters. Bracing isn't simply there to stop a guitar collapsing under string tension. It helps determine how the top vibrates, how quickly notes respond and how the instrument balances its bass, middle and treble registers.

The LT60e adds an ebony fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, premium open-gear tuners and tasteful abalone details. Then there's that Sunset gloss finish.

Good grief.

It's warm, rich and beautifully suited to the guitar's vintage-inspired proportions.

And tucked inside is an LR Baggs HiFi system, making this an instrument you can take from a quiet songwriting session to a stage without abandoning its acoustic personality. At €1,299, the LT60e is a serious temptation for players who value touch, detail and musical intimacy.

Some guitars make you play louder. This one might make you play better.

Shop the Alvarez LT60e Laureate Sunset — €1,299

4. Alvarez LF70e Laureate Herringbone Blacktop — €1,469

The sophisticated one. And yes, that black top is absolutely outrageous.

There are acoustic guitars that look elegant. And then there's the Alvarez Laureate LF70e Herringbone Blacktop. Sweet merciful heavens.

The glossy black soundboard, traditional herringbone detailing and natural rosewood back and sides create an aesthetic that feels both timeless and quietly dramatic. But this is no exercise in fancy paintwork. The LF70e is a serious Folk/OM-style acoustic-electric guitar, combining a solid AAA Sitka spruce top with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides. That's a classic premium acoustic combination, but the OM-style body gives it a different personality from a big dreadnought.

A smaller, more focused body can be wonderfully rewarding for fingerstyle playing, intricate chord voicings and recording work where individual notes need to remain distinct. The LF70e also has a 25-inch scale length, slightly shorter than the 25½-inch scale found on many dreadnoughts. All else being equal, a shorter scale requires less tension to bring a given string to pitch. That can make bends, vibrato and fretting feel a little more forgiving, while subtly influencing the way the strings respond to the picking hand.

It's the kind of detail that doesn't look terribly exciting on a specification sheet. Then you play the guitar. And suddenly it makes perfect sense.

The rosewood construction offers the potential for rich bass, complex overtones and a beautifully extended treble response, while Alvarez's hand-finished FS6 bracing helps the Sitka spruce top respond with clarity and control. The appointments are every bit as lovely as the finish suggests: African ebony fingerboard, bridge and headstock plate, premium abalone inlays, bone nut and saddle, and elegant open-gear tuners.

An LR Baggs HiFi pickup system and AFC30 case round things off. At €1,469, this is an exceptional option for the player who wants a refined, all-solid acoustic with a distinctive visual personality. Fingerstyle. Jazz-influenced voicings. Contemporary acoustic arrangements. Studio work.

And, obviously, spending an unreasonable amount of time admiring that black top.

We understand completely.

Shop the Alvarez LF70e Laureate Blacktop — €1,469

5. Alvarez LD70e Laureate Herringbone Sunset — €1,469

Big rosewood dreadnought energy. Vintage elegance. Absolutely magnificent.

And finally, the big fella. The Alvarez LD70e Laureate Dreadnought Herringbone Sunset.

If the LF70e is the sophisticated acoustic that quietly commands attention, the LD70e is the one that walks into the room, strums an enormous open G chord and immediately causes three people to stop talking. This is classic dreadnought territory, beautifully executed.

A solid AAA North American Sitka spruce top sits above solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, creating a construction long associated with powerful projection, deep bass and rich harmonic complexity. The dreadnought body provides substantial air volume, while Alvarez's hand-finished, forward-shifted FS6 bracing is designed to encourage a lively soundboard response without sacrificing control.

And that balance is the whole point. A great dreadnought shouldn't simply produce enormous bass. It needs to maintain clarity when you attack the strings, separation when you play complex chords and enough responsiveness to reward quieter passages. The LD70e is designed to deliver that combination of authority and nuance. It's a particularly compelling instrument for flatpickers, singer-songwriters and players who love the muscular, expansive character of a traditional rosewood dreadnought.

Visually, it's a knockout. The Herringbone Sunset gloss top has a beautifully vintage character, complemented by natural gloss rosewood back and sides, ivoroid binding and understated abalone appointments. There's an African mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, premium open-gear tuners and Alvarez's traditional single-level Laureate bridge design.

And yes, the LR Baggs HiFi pickup system is here too, ready for live performance. An AFC30 case is included. At €1,469, the LD70e shares its price with the LF70e, but offers a very different experience.

One is a refined OM-style instrument with a focused, intimate character. The other is a gloriously full-bodied dreadnought built for projection and power.

We'd strongly recommend trying them side by side.

Then attempting the almost impossible task of choosing only one.

Shop the Alvarez LD70e Laureate Herringbone Sunset — €1,469

Why Alvarez Guitars Are Getting So Much Attention

There's a reason Alvarez keeps finding its way into conversations about the best acoustic guitars available in Ireland.

The company understands that good guitar design is about relationships. The relationship between the soundboard and its bracing. Between the body shape and the volume of air inside it. Between the string tension and the player's hands. Between the materials used and the way the instrument responds.

The Artist Series brings thoughtful design and solid-top construction to accessible price points. The Masterworks Series steps into all-solid professional acoustic territory, with careful voicing and premium appointments. And the Laureate Series takes things further, drawing inspiration from traditional guitar construction and paying extraordinary attention to the finer details of the build. What makes these five arrivals so interesting is that they don't all chase the same sound.

The baritone explores an entirely different register.

The Masterworks dreadnought offers direct, woody power.

The 12-fret Laureate celebrates warmth and sensitivity.

The Blacktop OM prioritises refinement and articulation.

And the rosewood Laureate dreadnought delivers that enormous, classic acoustic voice.

Five instruments. Five musical personalities. One very delicious guitar shop.

Which of These Five Alvarez Guitars Is Right for You?

If you're a songwriter looking for new textures and lower tunings, the ABT60ce Baritone is an obvious place to begin.

If you want an all-solid dreadnought for strumming, flatpicking and live work without crossing the €1,000 mark, the MD60e Masterworks is an extraordinarily appealing proposition.

For fingerstyle players who appreciate a comfortable body and vintage-inspired 12-fret construction, the LT60e Sunset deserves serious attention.

The LF70e Blacktop is a wonderful choice for players drawn to articulate, responsive OM-style guitars with a premium rosewood voice.

And if your heart belongs to the full-bodied authority of a traditional dreadnought, the LD70e Herringbone Sunset is waiting to make your afternoon considerably more interesting.

But here's the important bit. You can read specifications all day. You can compare tonewoods, scale lengths and bracing patterns until the kettle goes cold. Eventually, you've got to play the guitars.

And that's where the fun really begins.

From the Musicmaker Workshop: Come and Meet the New Arrivals

We've been putting guitars into the hands of Irish musicians since the early 1980s, and the excitement of a fresh delivery has never really worn off.

Especially when the instruments are this good. These five Alvarez guitars represent an extraordinary spread of acoustic design, from the adventurous low-end voice of a baritone to the beautifully refined construction of the Laureate Series. They look spectacular.They're built with genuine attention to detail.

And, most importantly, they offer five very different reasons to sit down and make music.

So come and see us at Musicmaker, 29 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2.

Play a few chords. Try some fingerpicking. Compare the OM with the dreadnought. Tune that baritone down and see what happens to your favourite song.

And if you can't make it into Dublin, all five are available to explore through the Musicmaker website.

The guitars are here. The cases are open.

And we are absolutely delighted about it.

Musicmaker — Independent minds. Serious gear. Glorious noise.