The Alvarez MPA70 Parlor is part of the company’s premiere Masterworks line of guitars, as such this parlor guitar has an impressive array of features including high-grade all-solid tone woods and premium appointments, all the while retaining a reasonable price point. And as expected from Alvarez, this is more than just a museum ready piece, rather it is meant to be a workhorse guitar that can handle the rigors of the road.
First thing you’ll notice about this guitar are the elegant grains on the hand selected solid AA-Grade Sitka spruce top. This top is supported by Alvarez’ Masterworks bracing system which is forward shifted and comes with scalloped hand finished X braces. This results in improved projection with plenty of sustain and dynamic response, surpassing the usual expectations from small bodied guitars.
The back and sides also look nice, having been crafted from solid East Indian rosewood. The company even opted for full-cured rosewood for an well-loved look. This particular combination is not usually something that you can get in the sub $1000 price range, but as expected from Alvarez, they were able to mass produce this masterpiece while keeping the price point accessible.
The nice all-solid tonewoods are not just for show, the elegant top is expected to resonate well with clear highs and more punch. The solid rosewood back and sides complement the top really well and are known to enhance dynamics and articulation. And because of its parlor guitar shape, the MPA70 has a surprising amount of snort through the low mids, making it great for intimate acoustic blues, folk and rock playing.
The neck is crafted from one piece mahogany and finished in 50/50 semi gloss for a vintage feel. It is topped by a rosewood fingerboard which has a short scale length of 24″, and a regular sized nutwidth of 1.75″. It has a total of 18 frets and joins the body at the 12th fret following traditional parlor guitar designs. The slotted headstock has a rosewood plate and features premium die cast gold tuners w/ ebony buttons, completing the old school appeal of the instrument.
Another important feature of the MPA70 is it’s all “natural” components, nothing synthetic was used. It has real bone for the saddles and nuts, acacia koa binding, paua abalone purflings, green abalone inlays and ebony bridge pins.
The Alvarez MPA70 is currently retailing for just under $940.
