The AFA95CESHB Artist Elite Folk/OM acoustic-electric guitar is a really special instrument with quite a rare and inspired pairing of tonewoods. Its AA North Western Red Cedar top and figured Acacia body gives this guitar a really warm and open voicing with slightly darker trebles and clear bass. Aesthetically, the guitar is stunning with a lighter shade of Alvarez's standard Shadowburst carefully crafted to let the grain of the wood stay visible right to the edge, which is bound by flame maple. This is a really great guitar with a true character to its sound and looks exceptional.

Artist Elite Series
In conceptualizing Artist Elite, Alvarez's goal was simple: “Produce a collection of guitars beyond comparison”. This stunning line of guitars is the culmination of years of R&D that allowed them to produce these custom-style instruments from amazing tonewoods with a truly radiant vibe. Artist Elite guitars, like the AFA95CESHB, look amazing, sound rich and offer a level of fit and finish rarely attainable at such price points.

After 50 years of making guitars, continual improvement through the use of emerging technologies, processes, and materials is still at the heart of Alvarez culture. Alvarez guitars are constructed correctly in every sense, from raw material preparation to construction and manufacturing processes. Their tonewoods are carefully cured; components such as neck blocks and wood joints are carefully designed. The painting, sanding and polishing techniques used are continually researched and developed, and the tone is impeccably crafted and married to a stable, consistent and lively sound box.

The term “solid top” refers to the soundboard of an acoustic guitar being made of solid wood, rather than being laminated. However, just because the top is solid, it does not necessarily mean the sound automatically benefits from this feature. The tone of the instrument only improves significantly when the whole guitar is built correctly to optimize the energy a solid soundboard can generate. Artist Series is built to do exactly this.

Each Artist Elite model is designed to get the best out of its components, and for them to work together to produce balance, lively projection and great response. These components include bracing architecture that is specifically designed for each body shape or tonal requirement. Alvarez's Bi-level bridge is designed to heighten string tension and improve sustain and response. Real bone nut and saddle, premium tonewoods and their crafted attenuated finish all further the quality of construction a positively impact the performance of the instrument.