Alvarez Guitars launches the new Laureate series - the most premium-sounding and aesthetically considered guitar line Alvarez has ever made. Modelled on a traditional guitar line with classic shapes and more to come, the Laureate series is a nod to the history and tradition of the acoustic guitar while maintaining the modern Alvarez approach of rich and dynamic projection and tonal design. The combined philosophies make the Laureate series distinctive and unique, influenced by guitars from the early 20th century while staying innovative, responsive and exciting.
A bench made approach to the build.
The quality of every component is so important in the overall performance of an acoustic guitar. For Laureate Series every bridge plate, brace, side brace and piece of kerfing is hand-selected from thousands, to make sure they are the best quality possible for structure and appearance. This dedication can be seen, heard and felt and brings a rare level of detailing to the build process.
Hand finished FS6 bracing.
FS6 is based on a traditional forward shifted bracing pattern with particular attention paid to the weight and placement of the struts themselves. For Laureate, a couple of extra steps are taken such as hand-sanding the braces which are cut from quartersawn Sitka spruce and chosen for their straight, finely grained quality to enhance overall response and vibration.
The finest tonewoods.
Only the finest, wonderfully quartersawn and silked Sitka is used in Laureate Series. The stiffness and quality of the top allows us to thickness sand them just a tad thinner to help heighten response. Backs and sides are cut from the best East Indian Rosewood that comes into our possession; bookmatched with perfect colouring.
A flawless finish.
The systems required to achieve the quality Alvarez guitars are known for allowed in improvement upon the sanding and painting process to deliver a flawless, deep shine with the thinnest clearcoat ever achieved in Alvarez. A new colour called Daybreak is added, a super light burst adding an aesthetic depth to the top and creating a vintage style vibe at the same time.
Appointments and styling.
Bridges, fingerboards and headstock plates are cut from the finest African ebony that can be found. The ebony components impact articulation, clarity and separation of notes and frequencies and work with other premium comments to deliver a clear and powerful voicing. This quality of ebony works beautifully with rare Blue Abalone inlays to create a very luxurious but understated vibe.
The Laureate bridge.
Aesthetically, Laureate is a traditional guitar series in the sense its body shapes are based on guitars from the late 1800’s to the 1930’s. The new Laureate bridge is a new full, single level bridge style with its own unique styling and cut from the finest black ebony, and is used in place of the Bi-Level bridge to stay closer in keeping a traditional approach.
The Laureate series is currently available in Dreadnought, Folk/OM and Parlor shapes, in both natural or Daybreak top color. All models are fitted with the new LR Baggs HiFi pickup system.