Alvarez AD60CE-12-BLK Artist Dreadnought 12-string Guitar, Spruce Top, Mah b/s, Cutaway, Electronics, Black

Vendor: Alvarez
Regular price: $699.99
Sale price: $699.99
Regular price: ~~$1,039.00~~
Unit price: per

Shipping calculated at checkout.

We have 2 in stock, in-store.

Description
More
Specs
Inspection and Set-up
Humidity Care

Description

*These are stock photos. Actual color and pattern may vary.

Our Artist Series Dreadnoughts are crafted to achieve outstanding levels of fit, finish, and tonal ability. They are powerful, articulate and voiced to get the best from the Dreadnought body mass through our FS6, forward-shifted, scalloped bracing system. Sonically, they have a broad projection with clear, sonorous bass frequencies and lively trebles.

The AD60ce 12-String Dreadnought is a powerful, bold and open guitar constructed from all-Mahogany laminates and A+ solid, North American Sitka spruce top. It has a flawless, thin gloss finish on the top, which exudes a lustrous shine, complemented by a semi-gloss sheen on the back and sides. These features help the soundbox vibrate and respond intuitively to your playing. This impressive 12-string has all the chime and chorus you would expect and it’s an ideal guitar for sonic discovery.

This cutaway model allows for easy access up the neck and is fitted with the LR Baggs StagePro Bronze. The StagePro Bronze is a small-footprint side-mounted EQ incorporating the renowned LR Baggs Element under-saddle pickup. This is a low-profile unit with a large backlit tuner, volume, bass and treble controls and phase. The battery box is built into the end pin jack compartment for easy access with a simple push to open and change batteries.

CASE/GIG BAG: Not Included.

About Artist Series
Alvarez Artist Series represents our commitment to quality and care. Our goal is to create an instant bond between you and your guitar through meticulous design in bracing, voicing and overall construction. Every component—from our bi-level bridge to our solid bridge plates and neck blocks—is carefully considered to deliver the best response possible from solid-top construction.

Artist Series guitars are responsive with impressive projection and balance that make them both rewarding and inspiring to play.

With a huge selection of body shapes and wood configurations, Artist Series has a guitar for everyone. For a more focused, woody tone, choose a Mahogany top. For a broader, more open projection, choose Sitka. For a warm response to a lighter, melodic touch, choose Cedar.

Our Approach to the Build
All of our solid tops are selected by our team and graded independently of our suppliers. If it isn’t worthy, it isn’t used. Our laminated backs and sides are uniquely constructed with Mahogany as our middle layer, and our inner and outer layers are always matched.

Artist guitars strike the right balance between strength and vibration, crafting a voice to both inspire and give players “tools in the tone.” Alongside this approach to development lies our respect for sourcing, preparation and nurturing the wood we use to make our guitars. No matter how considered design may be, it can only be as good as the wood we use to realize them.

Our all-solid wood tops, backs and sides, as well as the mahogany used for our necks, go through a curing process developed over years to create stability, strength and tonal benefits. Depending on the wood and its use, this process takes many months or even years for some of our models.

After months-long seasoning, we perform an extra drying stage in thermo-kilns to further enhance wood stability and improve resonance. We call this process ATR—Advanced Tonal Response. ATR™ is a form of torrefaction—oxygen controlled, vacuum curing at special temperatures to remove more moisture and volatiles such as saps and sugars from the wood.

ATR™ makes our wood more stable when exposed to adverse dry or humid climates. While we can’t stop the effects of dryness or moisture saturation that can damage guitars, ATR™ goes a long way in helping our guitars become more resilient. Guitars will move or change according to the environment they are in and are more likely to move within the first two years from their production. A guitar usually becomes drier as it ages; this is one of the reasons why players often like the sound of an older guitar. ATR™ advances the natural, post-build drying process so the wood behaves as if it were more mature, stable, and resonant from the first day it is used.

The effects of ATR™ are also audible in the instrument. The biggest difference is the clarity and separation between notes and the overall response of the guitar. As the top is drier, it’s also quicker, more resonant, more open, even louder. New guitars can sometimes take time to reach this state as the wood dries over the years. ATR accelerates this effect to deliver a more sophisticated and complex voicing from day one.

Our caring approach to development comes from one unwavering goal: To deliver the best guitars in the market at every price point—instruments of a truly remarkable value that offer an unparalleled player experience.

Specs

General

Dimensions:

Inspection and Set-up

At Easy Music Center, we care for our instruments from the moment they arrive to when they ship to your door. All instruments are stored in a climate controlled environment and put through a 12-point inspection checklist before being shipped.

First, we check the finish of the instrument, carefully inspecting any blemishes on the surface. Next, we check the playability and setup by inspecting and adjusting the truss rod (if available), bridge, nut, and frets to manufacturer factory specifications. Any request made outside of manufacturer factory specifications can incur additional charges for parts and labor. If the instrument has electronics, we test all of the electronic components to make sure they are functioning properly.

After a thorough inspection, we then move on to maintenance. We start by lubricating any moving parts on the instrument, such as tuning machines. We then move on to cleaning and oiling the fretboard along with the frets.

Once maintenance is done, we stretch and tune the strings and play test the instrument. After this, we do a final inspection and clean/detail the instrument before packing it up for shipment.

We’re excited to be a part of your instrument buying experience.

Humidity Care

Acoustic guitars and ukulele are made of wood, and wood is sensitive to changes in climate. Shifts in temperature or relative humidity can affect your instrument in multiple ways, some of which can lead to costly repairs if you’re not careful. Solid woods in particular are especially prone to the effects of climate fluctuation. For example, extended exposure to low relative humidity (below 40% RH) can dry out the wood, causing it to shrink and run the risk of cracking. Similarly, excessive humidity can cause the wood to absorb moisture and swell, potentially causing other problems. Without adequate humidity control (especially in drier local climates), acoustic instruments can crack and their necks can warp, causing problems with fretting, intonation and playability.

So how do you prevent this kind of damage? Easy: by keeping your guitars and ukulele properly humidified (ideally between 40-60% RH). The easiest way to do this is by storing your instruments in a case with a case two-way humidifier inside. A two-way humidifier will slowly absorb or release moisture inside your case, maintaining humidity to help ensure your instrument doesn’t suffer damage. Using a digital hygrometer can help you monitor humidity levels around your instrument.

Symptoms of a dry acoustic instrument:

Low action. Strings are very close to the fretboard.
Hump on the fretboard where the neck joins the body.
Sunken top across the soundboard between bridge and fingerboard.
The back of instrument looks very flat when it is dried out.
Sharp fret ends extend beyond the edge of the fretboard.
The plane of the neck angle on a dry instrument hits above the top of the bridge.

Symptoms of a wet acoustic instrument:

High action. Strings that are unusually high off the fretboard, making it difficult to play.
Unusually swollen top
Unusual warp on the top, back or both at the end-block
Improper neck angle. Sighting the neck to the bridge, the frets will appear to hit below the bridge.

The D’Addario Two-Way Humidification System

Using patented technology, the D’Addario Two-Way Humidification System features disposable, moisture-filled packets with a breathable membrane that provides two-way humidity control, meaning it can either release or absorb moisture to consistently maintain a predetermined relative humidity (RH) level of 45-50 percent.

Music Nomad Humilele Ukulele Humidifier

Music Nomad the leader in equipment care products, has developed an easy to use, no mess, and low maintenance Ukulele humidifier. The Humilele rests securely on top of the strings to safely and evenly hydrate your Ukulele to avoid these problems.

Final Notes on Humidity Control

To monitor the amount of humidity your instrument is receiving, we recommend the purchase of a digital hygrometer, a device that gauges and provides a read-out of humidity levels. It can be kept in the room where you store your instruments, or, better yet, in a central location inside the instrument case, preferably Velcro’d to the outside of the accessories compartment (facing the heel). The optimal range for your guitars and ukulele is 45-55% RH.