Alvarez Artist Series Classical Guitars
Inspiring Generations of Players
Some guitars arrive with history already attached.
They become heirlooms before the first string is tuned, carrying decades of craftsmanship, carefully selected tonewoods and traditions that stretch back centuries.
Others begin somewhere much quieter. On a living room sofa. In a school music room. At the kitchen table after work.
In the hands of someone discovering, perhaps for the very first time, that six strings can become something deeply personal.
Neither journey is more important than the other.
Every accomplished classical guitarist, flamenco performer, fingerstyle player and composer began exactly the same way.
With curiosity. With patience. With a guitar that invited another song.
That is where Alvarez Classical Guitars have quietly earned their reputation for more than fifty years. Rather than building instruments that simply look traditional, Alvarez has always focused on building guitars that encourage musicians to keep playing. Comfortable to hold, beautifully balanced and wonderfully expressive beneath the fingers, the Artist Series reminds us that the first guitar often becomes the one we remember for the rest of our lives.
Sometimes the most important instrument you'll ever own isn't the most expensive.
It's the one that made you fall in love with music.
The Gentle Voice of the Classical Guitar
Modern music often celebrates volume.
More power. More projection. More gain.
The classical guitar has always spoken another language.
Its greatest strength has never been loudness.
It's intimacy.
Nylon strings ask players to listen differently. Every adjustment in finger pressure changes the character of a note. Every phrase carries subtle variations in colour, warmth and sustain. Rather than rewarding force, the classical guitar rewards sensitivity. That's why so many musicians return to nylon strings throughout their lives.
They slow us down. Not by limiting us... But by encouraging us to notice more.
Every note becomes intentional. Every silence becomes part of the music.
Built Around the Player
One of the reasons Alvarez classical guitars have become favourites among teachers, students and experienced performers alike is that they begin with the player rather than the specification sheet.
Comfort comes first. Balance comes second. Everything else follows naturally.
Across the Artist Series, Alvarez carefully matches tonewoods to the musical personality of each instrument. The AC65, AC65ce and AC65Hce Hybrid all feature solid A+ Western Red Cedar tops, chosen for their warmth, responsiveness and expressive character. The flagship AC70, meanwhile, takes a different direction with a solid A+ Sitka Spruce top, offering greater dynamic range and exceptional long-term tonal development.
Rather than offering one voice...
The Artist Series offers two equally beautiful conversations.
Cedar or Spruce? Two Beautiful Ways to Tell the Same Story
Tonewoods have personalities.
Ask ten classical guitarists whether they prefer cedar or spruce and you'll almost certainly receive ten thoughtful answers.
That's because neither is objectively better. They're simply different.
The AC65, AC65ce and AC65Hce pair their solid cedar tops with African Mahogany back and sides, creating instruments that feel immediately welcoming beneath the fingers. Cedar responds with remarkable ease, producing warmth, sweetness and rich harmonic colour even under the lightest touch. Mahogany keeps the voice balanced and articulate, allowing individual notes to emerge clearly while preserving the rounded character that has made cedar such a favourite among classical players for generations.
The AC70 Artist Series tells a slightly different story.
Its solid A+ Sitka Spruce top introduces greater headroom, sparkle and dynamic range, while Indian Rosewood back and sides add depth, sustain and beautifully complex overtones. Sitka has long been admired for the way it matures over time, gradually revealing new layers of colour and projection as the guitar is played. Paired with rosewood, the result is an instrument that feels expansive, refined and endlessly expressive.
One welcomes you with warmth. The other rewards you with possibilities.
Both remind us why the classical guitar continues to fascinate musicians centuries after it first appeared.
Four Guitars, Four Personalities
The Alvarez AC65 Artist Series captures the essence of the traditional classical guitar. Its solid cedar top, African Mahogany body, bi-level Indian Rosewood bridge and traditional slotted headstock create an instrument that feels reassuringly familiar, offering warmth, balance and exceptional value for students and advancing players alike.
The AC65ce builds upon that same foundation with the addition of a graceful cutaway and the respected SYS650 dual pickup system. The result is a nylon-string guitar equally comfortable on stage, in church, in the studio or accompanying a singer-songwriter, while allowing effortless access to the upper frets.
Perhaps the most intriguing member of the family is the AC65Hce Hybrid.
Designed for players crossing over from steel-string acoustics, the Hybrid features a slimmer neck profile and narrower nut width, making the transition to nylon strings feel wonderfully natural. It retains the warmth and expressiveness of a traditional classical guitar while offering a familiar feel that many contemporary acoustic players immediately appreciate.
At the top of the range sits the AC70 Artist Series.
Its Sitka Spruce and Indian Rosewood construction, elegant appointments and beautifully mature voice offer players a richer harmonic palette without sacrificing the accessibility that defines the Artist Series. It feels every bit like the next step in a musical journey rather than a departure from it.
Quiet Craftsmanship
Spend enough time around well-made guitars and you begin to realise something.
The best engineering is rarely obvious.
Alvarez has spent decades refining the details that players don't immediately see but instinctively hear. Every Artist Series classical guitar benefits from FS6 forward-shifted fan bracing, allowing the soundboard to vibrate more freely while maintaining structural stability. Genuine bone nuts maximise resonance, Indian Rosewood bridges transfer energy efficiently into the top, and carefully selected tonewoods ensure every instrument responds with consistency and musicality.
These aren't headline features.
They're thoughtful decisions made by people who understand that great guitars are rarely defined by one dramatic innovation.
They're shaped by hundreds of careful ones.
A Guitar That Grows Alongside You
Perhaps the greatest compliment any classical guitar can receive is that it continues revealing new things.
The first lesson introduces a simple melody. Months later, the same guitar teaches independence between thumb and fingers.
Years later, it accompanies Bach preludes, Latin rhythms, jazz harmony, original compositions or quiet evenings spent simply exploring ideas.
The instrument hasn't changed. The relationship has.
That's why so many teachers recommend beginning with a solid-top classical guitar.
The guitar rewards your progress rather than limiting it.
As your ears develop...
Its voice seems to grow alongside them.
Beyond the Concert Hall
The classical guitar has travelled far beyond traditional repertoire.
Today, nylon-string guitars appear throughout film scores, folk music, jazz, worship, singer-songwriter performances, fingerstyle arrangements and contemporary recording sessions. Their naturally warm voice sits beautifully beneath vocals, while their gentle attack makes them favourites among recording engineers seeking clarity without harshness.
Alvarez understands that today's musicians rarely belong to just one musical world.
The Artist Series is equally comfortable interpreting Sor, Tárrega and Villa-Lobos as it is accompanying an original song, recording a podcast intro or adding warmth to a modern home studio production.
Versatility has quietly become part of the tradition.
Protecting the Journey
A guitar deserves the same care between performances as it receives while being played. The Alvarez AGB-30FC 30mm Duo-Foam Deluxe Gig Bag has been designed specifically for OM, Folk and Classical guitars, combining generous 30mm Duo-Foam padding with a durable weather-resistant exterior to protect your instrument from the knocks and scrapes of everyday life. Comfortable padded backpack straps, reinforced carry handles and spacious accessory pockets make travelling to lessons, rehearsals, recording sessions or concerts effortless, while the thoughtfully contoured interior keeps your guitar secure without unnecessary bulk. It's the kind of gig bag that quietly reflects the same philosophy as the instrument inside—thoughtfully designed, reassuringly dependable and built to accompany countless musical journeys.
Why Musicmaker Loves the Alvarez Artist Series
At Musicmaker, we've always believed that the right guitar encourages people to play more often.
That's one of the reasons we've admired Alvarez for so many years. The Artist Series doesn't chase extravagance or unnecessary luxury. Instead, it focuses on the qualities musicians notice every single day.
Comfort. Balance. Consistency. Responsiveness.
Whether you're searching for your first classical guitar, adding nylon strings to your collection or choosing a dependable electro-classical for live performance, the AC65 family offers thoughtfully designed instruments built around one simple idea.
Helping musicians enjoy making music.
Every Journey Begins Quietly
Every guitarist remembers the instrument that first made music feel possible.
Not necessarily the rarest. Not the most valuable.
Simply the one that encouraged another tune. Another lesson. Another hour that somehow became three.
Perhaps that's the quiet achievement of the Alvarez Artist Series Classical Guitars.
They aren't trying to become museum pieces. They're trying to become companions.
The kind of instruments that patiently grow alongside their owners, quietly celebrating every small breakthrough and every new piece of music discovered along the way.
Because the finest classical guitars have never been defined by how loudly they speak.
Only by how much they have to say.
Check out the range of Artist Classicals HERE.
Browse all our Alvarez Guitars HERE.
Free Shipping Across Ireland
Musicmaker offers free shipping across Ireland on qualifying orders, making it easier to discover the Alvarez AC65, AC65ce, AC65Hce Hybrid and AC70 Artist Series classical guitars, alongside our carefully curated collection of nylon-string guitars for students, performers, fingerstyle players and recording musicians.
From the Musicmaker Workshop
Since the early 1980s, Musicmaker has believed that the right first instrument can shape a lifetime of music. That's why we're proud to offer Alvarez Classical Guitars. Thoughtfully designed, beautifully voiced and built with quiet craftsmanship, the Artist Series reminds us that every musical journey begins with a single note—and the best guitars inspire you to keep playing long after that first note has faded.
