Alvarez versus Guild 8 string baritone acoustics
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- Опубліковано 16 вер 2023
- Two affordable 8-string baritone acoustic-electric guitars made in China for US designers/brands, discussed in some depth for troubleshooting and choice by David Kilpatrick. 25 minute watch, could save you money or help you decide whether to buy the more expensive Guild or getting a luthier/tech modification done on the Alvarez.
I am truly intrigued by this gentleman’s British accent. Being an American our English is is rather lax and candid.
Brilliant review! Excellent points about the string spacing.
I purchased the standard tuned Alvarez 8 string and it had a similar string spacing issue. I have a new nut installed and now it frets a lot better. I also own the Guild 8 string baritone, which I tune D to D with medium gauge strings. I love the feel and sound of this guitar. I also added brass bridge pins to the Guild.
I sold a 6 string Alvarez baritone to help fund the Guild 8 string baritone.
I prefer the tone of the Guild over the Alvarez. Richer, deeper, and more resonate to my ears.
I am glad to hear this as I deliberated between the two before ordering the guild yesterday
I play left handed so have to spend to have it properly left handed as it does not have slept hand model
Thanks for this. Really helpful
I prefer the Guild but I do love Alvarez line. The Guild body seems thinner.
The Guild is a proper jumbo depth to the body, the Alvarez is actuall thinner - more grand auditorium shape and size.
The wound D and G string look as tho they should be where the octave strings are.
You've brought up a very interesting point with the spacing on the Alvarez. I've owned mine for several months, and never really noticed the spacing issue, however I'm chord strumming 95% of the time. Ended up settling on the Alvarez due to the resonance and depth that I just didn't feel in the Guild, but now I feel I need to have my luthier make some adjustments to the Alvarez and see how "correct" we can get that spacing
Ended up making secondary nut slots to allow changing the string order and spacing. Sold it and kept the Guild, though the Guild is a much plainer more fundamental sound and might be better tuned C to C not B to B being a bit shorter in scale. I was able to find a gig bag with a perfect fit for the Alvarez from Temu, which arrived quickly for under £30 and went to the new owner.
@@daviddkilpatrick mine sounds mighty in Bb, ended up purchasing the Alvarez jumbo hard case which fit like a glove. And I think you’re right on the money with the sound, the Alvarez carries a lot more transients than the Guild, I’m guessing from the bracing. I must say though, the Guild was VERY comfortable. Were it not for that slight edge (to my ears at least) in sound and my growing brand lotalty to Alvarez/Yairi, I may very well have gone for the Guild. I may actually reach out to the Alvarez folks and ask what their thought process was on the placement and spacing of the octave strings
I bought the Guild BT-240 that he's playing here. I like it, but the low B string is pretty plunky. I put some Elixirs on it, thinking it would brighten, which it did, but the low B is still a little dull. I know its no Taylor 326ce, and I do like it. When plugged it, it sounds wonderful, and the low B rings. So, if you play plugged in most of the time, this might be worth a look.
The Guild's slightly short scale, for a baritone, doesn't lend itself well to my drop A tuning but it's fine for the way I use it. The longer scale Alvarez may be better, still unsure but likely to sell the Alvarez (I have modded the nut to allow the high string to be place either above or below the wound string, best combined with switching at the bridge end too of course, and considering adding an extra bridge pin hole to allow more flexibility... but have just sold soul for a new secondhand Lowden and I fear some guitars must go!)
The Alvarez could be fixed by a good luthier quite easily… If he couldn’t just fill the holes, replacing the bridge is standard fare for most luthiers.
Thanks David! I just purchased the Alvarez. I plan on using it, in both, standard tuning and AEADEA. Do you have particular string recommendations?
The strings which came on it seem to have been the D'Addario set and they also seem to be only 8-string baritone set readily available. You can get a lighter weight than the ones fitted, there are only two gauges, light and extra light. You should not need those for the A tuning - in A, it will have about the same tension as the Guild which is shorter in scale.
I see Stringjoy has an 8 string set too. Just fyi. Thanks!
Couldn’t you have just strung the Alvarez up the way you wanted to and then filed or just replaced the nut?
I’ve been wondering about these two guitars since they came out.
I kinda wanna get the non baritone version of the Alvarez, but if the string placement is an issue it would be nice to know if it can be addressed.
I've cut a third nut slot, basically the other side of the wound string, but maybe spaced it a touch to narrow to ensure good fretting, and swapped the bridge position of the wound and plain. This does put the wound strings at an even spacing instead of wildly uneven, but a slight mod of the position would have been better and a new nut would do that. What I'm now considering is adding extra bridge pin holes but want to have time (which has not been the case!) to show it to a good luthier or setup tech. I'm pretty good but my experience with zouks and mandolins reminds me that a precision template or guide is really needed, along with a very expensive set of grade nut slot files, to do perfect double course nut and/or bridge spacing. Right now the Guild is getting all the play even though the longer scale of the Alvarez suits my 'drop A' bass.
I'd have a luthier plug the neck paddle and make it a full 12 string, the Guild that is. The Alvarez is hopeless as a baritone with its short scale.I only base my opinion on my Squire tele scale knowing it would be a nightmare with a short scale.
The Alvarez has a longer scale than the Guild as the vid make clear!
I bought the Guild that you are reviewing i had to return it because i could not tun it in its B tuning and it would break the high b string..too bad.It had a nice tone...but very disappointing. I played a Taylor 8 string Baritone and it was beautiful well built and memorable.
Michael, I do not know how you could break the high B. The Guild is a short scale baritone so low in tension and that string is like a regular guitar B. Something must have been wrong either with the strings or the tuning.
Bro it's perfectly fine...play it
Sold the Alvarez, I play the Guild (no need for two). It's less convenient, no built-in tuner, less effective pickup system, and it's bigger and it has a shorter scale. But it's correctly designed and strung.
I'm confused cause the Alvarez is only strung wrong wouldn't take anything to recut a saddle and a nut
The bridge pins are in the wrong place, the Guild is correct. I nearly drilled a third bridge pin hole but realise that to clear the foremost pin, the string needs to be half a space offset (which they are, but the wrong way). The nut was no great problem in fact I just cut additional 'other side' fine slots, it was sold that way. However being right from the get go, like the Taylor or Guild, would be better!
😕 'PromoSM'
Its just strung wrong
Which guitar ?
Sound so wrong...
I am truly intrigued by this gentleman’s British accent. Being an American our English is is rather lax and candid.