Alvarez Delta00/TSB review

[LuckyDan]

I'm dedicated mainly to improving as a classical player the last couple of years, but I still enjoy fingerstyle steel string playing, and I've been wanting a 00 for while now to go with my J style and OM flat tops. I played, and planned to buy, a Gibson G-00 till I was talked out of it by a YT video that showed just how sloppily made those models are. I played an Alvarez in a GC, and liked it, especially for the money. By the time I was ready to buy, the only one available was online from MF at a reduced price of $400. I've now spent 10 days with it and here are my thoughts.

On playability, the light weight and smaller size allow for a comfortable fit on my left thigh playing in the classical position, and the clean, marker-less fret board offers an easy transition when going from classical to fingerstyle. The tones are full-bodied and never sound toy-like as some small bodies do. I was surprised at the broad dynamic range, even moreso than my classical, with comfortably audible pianissimo that I can play late at night, that can swell to a room filling fortissimo. The day it arrived, my wife listening from the kitchen thought I was playing through an amp. Projection is significant, and may be due as Alvarez claims to it's back shifted brace design which moves the X closer to the bridge plate. The V neck fits comfortably, I would even say ergonomically, in the palm. The nut width at 1.75 inches is not so narrow that my fingers crowd each other and not so wide that fretting both E strings is a chore.

Regarding construction, Musician's Friend says this is a solid sitka plus top. The body and neck are mahogany. (Guitar Center's site describes the body as solid wood, but the Alvarez site does not include "solid" in it's body description.) My fretboard looks and feels like rosewood, but I see that Alvarez's site, oddly, says the fretboard is "Indian laurel/rosewood," which may mean some units come in one, some the other, I don't know. Mine has a July 2021 serial number and if they switched to laurel by then they've fooled me. After several days of playing I can see the finger oil streaks in the wood when the light hits them, and I don't think that happens as quicky with laurel. Inside the body things look neat and carefully executed but for one glob of glue that dripped from beneath the kerfing in the upper bout. I can't find my mirror on a stick so I haven't fully inspected the innards but I'd be surprised to find Alvarez got too careless under the top.

Frets at 7 and 8 feel sharp-ended at times in passing. My living room gets chilly overnight this time of year and I play with a space heater aimed at my chair, which exposes the neck to sudden bursts of hot air when in playing position. I'm sure this environment has some effect on the action and the occasional sharp fret ends. I am still playing the strings it came with, which are probably D'addario EJ16s, though they aren't showing the discolored play wear I'm used to with Dads. I do have to tune after it's been sitting overnight but again, the environment may have much to do with that. I fight sometimes a little harder than I'd like to get clean barre chords and not trip over adjacent strings when crossing, but that forces me to play more cleanly and may account for a good deal of the sustain and projection I'm enjoying.

On appearance, the design is, as its name makes clear, a nod to the old blues boxes but it isn't trying to look like it came straight from 1932 and I like that. The satin finished mahogany neck is smooth and natural looking, and a stark contrast with the shimmery glossed mahogany of the body. The teardrop sunburst means black edges and shoulders, and the gloss is so rich I can see my television screen reflected in the glassy shoulder when I play. The top woods appear beneath the stain on the lower half to be well matched. The abalone rosette catches the light smartly and looks elegant but is not overstated. I like the absence of fretboard marker inlays too and wish more makers appreciated a clean board. Same with the absence of a pick guard which is unnecessary on a fingerstyler.

For tone, I'm very pleased. My nails are quite short lately after a series of chips here and there and trimming them short as a result - too short to play classical. I've found a balance between the flesh and the nail for plucking the trebles, combined with a fleshy thump on the basses that sets off a low velvety rumble and hum. I am getting full voiced, chiming tones that make playing both classical exercises and familiar songs in fingerstyle, like the Beatles "Two of Us," a pleasure. If I want to strum, I can get rich, ringing, jingle jangle chords with the backs of my index finger and thumb nails.

The Alvarez Delta is a beautiful instrument and will very likely be my preferred steel string, if not my costliest, for a good while.

[Shishigashira]

Amazing review! Seriously, this is better than most magazine reviews I've read. I recently got an Alvarez MD60BG and I almost want to send it to you to see what you'd write. Glad you're liking it so much. I'm certainly enjoying my Alvarez quite a lot. It came very highly regarded and I was nervous it would fall short, but not at all. I may take a look at you model of I want to add a smaller guitar. Would love a picture or two if you can add it.

[fpuhan]

I have one I bought under the mistaken impression it was a parlor-sized guitar. I agree that it's a beautiful guitar with a great sound. However, I find the neck too wide for my small, thin fingers, so I've posted it for sale on Reverb.

[JERZEY]

The Delta Blues (instert the rest of the name) is the only solid top/back and sides in that line. What you have is lamitated back and sides.

I will share an issue I had with my 00 Delta AND the next model up in that line before I sold both. There is a massive amount of stain/dye on the fret board to get that color. I found that Lemon oil removes a ton of that coloring changing the shade of the fret board pretty drastically. I also found that there was a black, almost oil-ish substance that leaches out from the sides of the frets when I cleaned it. Probably the same coloring but much more concentrated. I spent a long time getting that oily substance off the guitar and my hands. As a result I started using Guitar Honey instead of lemon oils on both. While both fret boards are a few shades lighter they still looked great. The move away from Lemon oil on those guitars got rid of my issue. Just for a test on the TSB model I did a lemon oil dab at the end of the fret board just for kicks and sure enough it created that black oily muck again.

[jricc]

Thanks for a great review. Glad you are loving your new Alvarez.

Just a word about that YouTube video, I watched that too and while that particular G-00 was messy, mine is clean as a whistle. So I guess there not all like that one.

Enjoy your new Alvarez!

[LuckyDan]

Originally Posted by Shishigashira

Amazing review! Seriously, this is better than most magazine reviews I've read. I recently got an Alvarez MD60BG and I almost want to send it to you to see what you'd write. Glad you're liking it so much. I'm certainly enjoying my Alvarez quite a lot. It came very highly regarded and I was nervous it would fall short, but not at all. I may take a look at you model of I want to add a smaller guitar. Would love a picture or two if you can add it.

Thank you, Shishigashira. I haven't taken any pictures yet, mainly because my living room is so dark but also because the photos available online look very much like my model already. I encourage you to seek one out and let me know if your thoughts differ from mine.

[LuckyDan]

Originally Posted by JERZEY

I will share an issue I had with my 00 Delta AND the next model up in that line before I sold both. There is a massive amount of stain/dye on the fret board to get that color. I found that Lemon oil removes a ton of that coloring changing the shade of the fret board pretty drastically. I also found that there was a black, almost oil-ish substance that leaches out from the sides of the frets when I cleaned it. Probably the same coloring but much more concentrated. I spent a long time getting that oily substance off the guitar and my hands.

I wonder if that's why I'm seeing my finger tracks so quickly on the fretboard. I've put I would guess about 20 hours of playing on it, including running scales all up the board, and an exercise I do that hits all the notes up to the body, so I have just assumed the marks came about naturally. I have not noticed any foreign substance on my fingertips or on the strings. I will keep your experience in mind when the time comes for a cleaning.

Any idea what Alvarez's site means with it's description of a "laurel/rosewood" fretboard?

[LuckyDan]

Originally Posted by fpuhan

I have one I bought under the mistaken impression it was a parlor-sized guitar. I agree that it's a beautiful guitar with a great sound. However, I find the neck too wide for my small, thin fingers, so I've posted it for sale on Reverb.

I sometimes think a wider neck can be more challenging for longer fingers. When I have to play a G on the bass string and an F# on the 1st, a shorter middle finger might be helpful since I would have less finger to bend back.

But it comes down to what you're used to. If I want to spend most time with my classical, but still play some fingerstyle blues now and then, this board should be an easier transition. (It's actually my second guitar with a 1.75 inch nut. The other is an OM shape that I also love.)

I'm also wondering if Alvarez is about to end production of this model, since MF lowered the price from $460 to $400. If so, you may be able to get more for yours. Good luck.

[LuckyDan]

Originally Posted by jricc

Thanks for a great review. Glad you are loving your new Alvarez.

Just a word about that YouTube video, I watched that too and while that particular G-00 was messy, mine is clean as a whistle. So I guess there not all like that one.

Enjoy your new Alvarez!

Thank you, jricc. I hesitated to mention the G-00 but I had posted previously that I was planning on buying the one I played in December so I thought a word might be in order on the change in plan, in the odd event anyone might have noticed.

The model I played sounded great, and though I did not subject it to the inspection the YTer did, I couldn't help but notice it was very basic. I thought, can I justify paying this much for a guitar that will not be my primary player? Then I thought with the money I would save on the Alvarez, I could buy that Epiphone SG Classic with P90s in Inverness green! Well. You can see why I chose the path I took.

Congrats on your Gibby! I know it plays beautifully.

[davenumber2]

Originally Posted by LuckyDan

I wonder if that's why I'm seeing my finger tracks so quickly on the fretboard. I've put I would guess about 20 hours of playing on it, including running scales all up the board, and an exercise I do that hits all the notes up to the body, so I have just assumed the marks came about naturally. I have not noticed any foreign substance on my fingertips or on the strings. I will keep your experience in mind when the time comes for a cleaning.

Any idea what Alvarez's site means with it's description of a "laurel/rosewood" fretboard?

They probably spec it that way so they have flexibility to switch based on supply. Laurel tends to be a bit lighter in color. I have an electric with a laurel fb and probably would have just assumed it was RW if I didn’t know the specs. The look is very similar.

[jricc]

Originally Posted by LuckyDan

Thank you, jricc. I hesitated to mention the G-00 but I had posted previously that I was planning on buying the one I played in December so I thought a word might be in order on the change in plan, in the odd event anyone might have noticed.

The model I played sounded great, and though I did not subject it to the inspection the YTer did, I couldn't help but notice it was very basic. I thought, can I justify paying this much for a guitar that will not be my primary player? Then I thought with the money I would save on the Alvarez, I could buy that Epiphone SG Classic with P90s in Inverness green! Well. You can see why I chose the path I took.

Congrats on your Gibby! I know it plays beautifully.

Thanks LuckyDan, totally get your thinking, and P90 SG's are fabulous!

[emtsteve]

Nice review! Alvarez does a good job with these entry level Artist series guitars. BTW, they are solid top and laminated back and sides. Very good value instruments.

[jpd]

Can't beat it for the $. Over the last couple of years I've tried various string sizes and brands. I've found "round wounds" are my favorite. Have a great time playing your Delta-00

[Shortfinger]

Originally Posted by JERZEY

The Delta Blues (instert the rest of the name) is the only solid top/back and sides in that line.

I went to the Alvarez site and cannot find any guitar (they list four) in their "Blues" lineup that has a solid back and sides. I think from having seen a lot of companies specs for guitar, that if the word "solid" is not used, the wood is laminated. Maybe laminated same species, but nonetheless laminated.

Help me out here. Are you speaking of something discontinued?

[edcmat-l1]

Anything Alvarez that's NOT in the "Masterworks" series you can assume is lam back and sides. Exception to this is some of the "Professional" series a few years back that were solid top and back, lam sides.