REVIEWS
ALVAREZ
Delta00EDLX/SHB
By Pete Madsen
W
ith the introduction of its new Jazz and Blues series
of guitars, Alvarez seems to be looking back and
forward at the same time. The vintage vibe of the
Delta00, from its honeyburst finish to its soft-V-shaped neck,
sloped shoulders, and open-geared tuners, says pre-war blues all
the way. But, according to Alvarez, there’s more to this guitar
than meets the eye—most notably a bracing system that gives
the guitar “more modern style projection.” Indeed, for a little
guitar, this Alvarez sounds very big.
Bursting with Big Tones
The Alvarez is roughly equivalent to a Gibson L-00 in terms of
size and profile. There are no markers on the actual fretboard,
but there are on the top of the neck at the usual 3rd, 5th, 7th,
9th, and 12th frets. Craftsmanship looks very solid. I could
not spot any flaws, and I was impressed with the vintage gloss
“shadow burst” (which, to my eyes, looks much like a Gibson
honeyburst). The body is solid wood with a Sitka spruce top
and mahogany back and sides. Back-shifted, scalloped bracing
L.R. Baggs VTC Element
active piezo pickup
Back-shifted X bracing
Solid Sitka
spruce top
Solid mahogany
back and sides
Bone saddle
158 PREMIER GUITAR SEPTEMBER 2016
premierguitar.com