AF30CEArtist OM

There is nothing entry about our entry-point Artist Series 30s when it comes to sound and playability. Their light semi-gloss finish allows them to resonate exceptionally well, and their A-grade solid Sitka top and FST2 bracing deliver a robust voicing with plenty of volume and dynamics. This cutaway model is fitted with our SYS250, side-mounted EQ with a backlit tuner.

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.

This does two things:

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.