My recent search for a "maple jumbo under $1k" ended with my acquisition of a new Alvarez Artist Series AJ80CE. I took delivery today, and have spent the evening getting to know the guitar.
Construction, fit, and finish are nothing short of remarkable for a guitar at this price. Two very minor, nitpicking things would be a slightly rough perimeter on the pickguard, and a very slight edge (can't be seen, and just barely felt) where the cutaway binding meets the heel. All things considered, however, the build quality and attention to detail are remarkable!
Playability is exceptional! All the fretwork is perfect, the neck angle is spot on, there is plenty of saddle, and the C-shaped medium neck profile combined with the 12" radius on the fretboard makes for easy and comfortable play.
Tone is outstanding! The balance across the strings is excellent, with clear and well defined articulation. Also, as expected, the low-E and A strings pack a nice wallop. If this guitar suffers at all from having laminated maple back and sides I sure can't tell! Plugged-in the guitar sounds great through my Carvin AG-200 amp, and the impressive tone shaping tools on the Baggs StagePro (3 band EQ, phase switch, and notch) provide the ability to find a good, usable tone without an additional preamp.
Appearance is stunning! Wow. Take a look below!
Value is incredible. It is nothing short of amazing that a guitar of this quality is available at this price point...It's a good time to be an acoustic guitar player.
