Boutique Soul Without the Boutique Price
Some Acoustic Guitars Just Have “It”
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You know the feeling. You pick up a guitar expecting “nice”.
And then suddenly an hour disappears.
You start playing differently. Slower. More intentionally. Chords bloom longer. Fingerpicked notes seem to hang in the air a little differently.
That’s the Alvarez Laureate Series.
These are not ordinary production acoustics trying to imitate high-end boutique instruments from a safe distance. The Laureate Series feels like Alvarez decided to get deeply serious about what modern acoustic guitars could be if tone, responsiveness and player connection became the absolute priority.
And honestly? The results are kind of outrageous.
Sitting beautifully inside the Alvarez lineup, the Laureate Series delivers premium all-solid construction, refined voicing, elegant aesthetics and genuinely addictive playability in a way that has made these guitars one of the most exciting acoustic ranges in recent years.
Now available at Musicmaker Dublin, the Laureate Series represents Alvarez at their most ambitious — and most musical.
What Is the Alvarez Laureate Series?
The Alvarez Laureate Series is a premium collection of all-solid acoustic and electro-acoustic guitars designed for players who want boutique-style responsiveness, sophisticated tone and serious craftsmanship without entering eye-watering custom-shop pricing territory.
This is Alvarez leaning fully into their reputation for intelligent acoustic guitar design.
Every detail matters here:
- Carefully selected tonewoods
- Refined body voicing
- Advanced FS6 bracing architecture
- Thin gloss finishes
- Premium electronics
- Lightweight responsive construction
- Beautiful vintage-inspired aesthetics
The result is an acoustic guitar series that feels remarkably alive under your hands.
Not stiff. Not overbuilt. Not “good for the money”.
Just genuinely excellent guitars.
And importantly, the Laureate range doesn’t feel sterile or overly polished. These instruments still retain warmth, personality and that slightly unpredictable acoustic magic players fall in love with.
They invite you to keep playing.
The FS6 Bracing Makes a Huge Difference
Now for the proper guitar nerd section. One of the key reasons the Laureate Series feels so responsive is Alvarez’s superb FS6 bracing system.
Bracing is essentially the internal skeletal structure of an acoustic guitar, and it massively influences:
- Projection
- Sustain
- Bass response
- Dynamic range
- Resonance
- Overall tonal character
Alvarez’s FS6 system is designed to maximise vibration transfer throughout the guitar’s top while maintaining strength and balance. In practical terms, that means Laureate guitars respond incredibly quickly to your touch.
Play softly and they whisper beautifully. Dig in harder and they open up dramatically without collapsing into harshness. That dynamic range is addictive.
You especially notice it during fingerstyle playing, open tunings and more expressive strumming work where the guitar seems to “breathe” alongside you rather than simply producing notes mechanically.
It’s one of those subtle engineering details that completely changes how connected a guitar feels.
Alvarez LD60e Laureate Dreadnought – Natural
Big Acoustic Energy Done Properly
The Alvarez LD60e Laureate Dreadnought – Natural is the kind of acoustic guitar that immediately reminds you why dreadnoughts became the dominant steel-string design in the first place.
Huge sound. Effortless projection. Rich low-end warmth. But crucially, this Laureate model avoids the muddy heaviness some dreadnoughts can drift into.
Instead, the LD60e feels beautifully balanced and articulate. Chords bloom with piano-like depth while individual notes still retain clarity and definition. Flatpicked runs have authority. Fingerstyle passages stay detailed. Vocal accompaniment feels enormous without overwhelming the room. There’s also something wonderfully mature about the natural finish. It lets the guitar’s construction and tonewoods speak for themselves without unnecessary flashiness.
This is a serious acoustic guitar for players who care deeply about sound.
And plugged in? The onboard electronics capture the guitar’s dynamic character impressively well, making the LD60e equally comfortable on stage, in the studio or at home writing songs at unreasonable hours.
Alvarez LP60e Laureate Parlour Guitar – Sunset Gloss
Small Body. Massive Personality.
Parlour guitars are having a proper moment right now — and the Alvarez LP60e Laureate Parlour – Sunset Gloss shows exactly why. This thing is dripping with character.
Smaller-bodied acoustic guitars have always had a certain intimacy to them. They encourage a different style of playing. More nuanced. More expressive. More conversational somehow. The LP60e absolutely leans into that energy.
The compact parlour body delivers a beautifully focused midrange with crisp articulation and an almost vocal quality to fingerpicked notes. Blues runs sound immediate and raw. Alternate tunings shimmer. Delicate chord voicings suddenly become incredibly addictive.
And visually? Good lord.
The Sunset Gloss finish is stunning in person — warm, rich and vintage-inspired without feeling overly distressed or faux-aged. It gives the guitar an old-world elegance that suits the parlour format perfectly.
Combined with the lightweight construction and responsive top, the LP60e becomes one of those guitars you leave out permanently because you constantly want to pick it up “for five minutes”. Which of course becomes an hour immediately.
For songwriters especially, this guitar is dangerous territory.
Just gorgeous. The Alvarez LP60e Laureate Parlour.
Alvarez LD70e Laureate Dreadnought – Herringbone Sunset
Vintage Vibes, Modern Brilliance
If the LD60e feels elegant and understated, the Alvarez LD70e Laureate Dreadnought – Herringbone Sunset arrives with full cinematic energy. This thing looks glorious.
The Herringbone Sunset finish gives the guitar a rich vintage aesthetic that feels pulled straight from the golden age of acoustic guitar design, while the detailed appointments elevate the whole instrument into seriously premium territory.
But the real magic happens when you actually play it.
The LD70e combines the muscular power dreadnought players crave with an almost surprising level of responsiveness and nuance. Big open chords sound enormous, but there’s still detail and sweetness sitting on top of the low-end warmth. That’s the trick great acoustic guitars pull off. Power without losing sensitivity.
The Laureate construction allows the top to respond incredibly naturally to different playing styles, meaning the guitar adapts beautifully whether you’re aggressive with a flatpick or easing through softer fingerstyle arrangements.
And because the guitar is so dynamically responsive, it feels deeply expressive to play. Tiny changes in attack and phrasing come through clearly, making the instrument feel collaborative rather than static.
That’s a difficult quality to manufacture.
Alvarez have absolutely nailed it here.
Why All-Solid Wood Matters
If you spend enough time around acoustic guitar players, you’ll eventually hear somebody start talking passionately about “all-solid construction” with the intensity of a person explaining wine regions or vintage valve amps.
And honestly? There’s a good reason for that.
The difference between laminate and solid wood acoustic guitars is one of the biggest factors affecting how an instrument feels, responds and matures over time.
The Alvarez Laureate Series uses all-solid tonewoods, meaning the top, back and sides are crafted from genuine solid wood rather than layered laminate construction. That matters enormously because solid wood vibrates more naturally and freely, allowing the guitar to develop greater resonance, dynamic range and tonal complexity.
In practical terms, all-solid acoustic guitars tend to sound richer, deeper and more responsive.
You notice it immediately in the way notes bloom after you strike them. Chords feel more three-dimensional. Fingerpicked passages carry extra detail and warmth. The guitar reacts more dynamically to changes in attack and touch, giving players a far more expressive connection with the instrument.
And perhaps most importantly for guitar obsessives — solid wood guitars actually evolve over time.
As the wood ages and settles, the instrument gradually opens up tonally, often becoming warmer, louder and more resonant after years of playing. That’s one of the reasons musicians become so emotionally attached to great acoustic guitars. They genuinely develop character over time.
The Laureate Series captures that beautifully. These guitars already feel alive straight out of the case, but they also carry the promise of becoming even more expressive as they’re played, gigged, recorded and lived with for years to come.
That’s the magic of a truly great all-solid acoustic guitar.
Alvarez Laureate Series FAQ
Are the Alvarez Laureate Series guitars all solid wood?
Yes. One of the defining features of the Alvarez Laureate Series is its all-solid wood construction. Unlike laminate acoustic guitars, Laureate models use solid tonewoods for the top, back and sides, resulting in richer resonance, improved responsiveness and greater tonal depth.
What makes the Alvarez Laureate Series special?
The Laureate Series combines boutique-style acoustic guitar craftsmanship with modern Alvarez design innovations. Features like FS6 bracing, lightweight construction, premium tonewoods and refined voicing give these guitars exceptional responsiveness, projection and dynamic range.
They feel incredibly alive and expressive under the fingers.
Are Alvarez Laureate guitars good for fingerstyle playing?
Absolutely.
The Laureate Series is particularly impressive for fingerstyle guitar thanks to its sensitivity and clarity. Notes remain articulate and detailed even during softer playing, while the dynamic response allows players to control tone and expression beautifully.
The LP60e Parlour especially excels in this area.
What is the Alvarez FS6 bracing system?
FS6 is Alvarez’s advanced forward-shifted bracing architecture designed to maximise resonance, sustain and tonal balance. It helps the guitar top vibrate more efficiently, creating a more responsive and expressive acoustic guitar experience.
In simple terms: the guitar feels more alive.
Is the Alvarez Laureate Series good for gigging?
Definitely. The Laureate Series works brilliantly for live performance thanks to its balanced tone, strong projection and onboard electronics. Whether you’re playing solo acoustic sets, full-band gigs or recording sessions, these guitars retain clarity and warmth beautifully.
What’s the difference between a dreadnought and a parlour guitar?
A dreadnought acoustic guitar typically delivers bigger low-end response, stronger projection and fuller overall sound, making it ideal for strumming, accompaniment and powerful acoustic playing.
A parlour guitar has a smaller body shape with a more focused midrange and intimate tonal character, often favoured for fingerstyle, blues and songwriting.
Both offer very different but equally inspiring playing experiences.
Are Alvarez guitars good quality?
Very much so.
Alvarez has built a strong global reputation for producing exceptionally well-made acoustic guitars with impressive tone, playability and value for money. The Laureate Series represents some of the finest guitars Alvarez currently produces.
Are the Alvarez Laureate guitars good for recording?
Yes — extremely.
The balanced voicing, dynamic responsiveness and harmonic detail of the Laureate Series make these guitars excellent studio instruments. They record beautifully for vocals, fingerstyle arrangements and layered acoustic parts without sounding harsh or overly compressed.
Why the Alvarez Laureate Series?
The acoustic guitar market is packed with instruments trying very hard to look premium.
The Laureate Series actually feels premium. That’s a massive difference.
These guitars offer the kind of responsiveness, tonal complexity and tactile connection players often associate with significantly more expensive boutique acoustics. They’re beautifully built without feeling clinical. Sophisticated without becoming sterile. Refined while still retaining soul.
…the Laureate range deserves serious attention.
Because every now and then, a guitar series arrives that quietly reminds players why they fell in love with acoustic guitars in the first place.
Check out all our Alvarez Guitars Here.
