Text: Carles Páez
Introduction
We have already tested acoustic Alhambra guitars before. The initial impressions are similar: an especially well-crafted and well-made instrument that smells of wood and makes you want to play it the moment you open the case.
It comes from one of the Spanish manufacturers that do proud the Spanish tradition and craftsmanship in the art of guitar making.
Generally speaking, every aspect of this model worth considering generously meets the guitarist's expectations: a pleasing design, a good finish and sound, well-executed electronics and a reasonable price/quality balance.
About the Alhambra acoustic series
Before focusing on the model reviewed, I'll describe the general features of the series so you can get an idea of how to combine the elements your setup requires, adapting it to your estimated budget. The Alhambra acoustic series is made up of three series, with three models within each series:
A Series (Auditorium)
J Series (Jumbo)
W Series (Dreadnought)
Model 1: Solid sapele back and sides (Base price: €523.16)
Model 2: Solid ovangkol back and sides (Base price: €610.16)
Model 3: Solid Indian rosewood back and sides (Base price: €793.44)
Options available for the series
With these options we can add features to our instrument, increasing its price as follows:
1. For the top, we can choose between solid German spruce or solid cedar at no extra cost.
2. Gloss or satin finishes, free of charge.
3. Left-handed version: adds 34 euros
4. Cutaway: adds 83 euros
5. Fishman Prefix Plus electronics: adds 208.80 euros
6. Fishman On Board Blender electronics (with internal mic): adds 227.36 euros
7. Premium Blend electronics (with external mic and tuner): adds 270.28 euros
Construction: body, neck and headstock
Starting from the fact that all Alhambra acoustic guitars are built from solid woods, the instrument under review has a cedar top, ovangkol back and sides, an ebony fingerboard and marquetry made with natural, undyed veneers.
As we mentioned in other reviews of this brand, it is worth noting that all the guitars in the series are built with the "Spanish heel" joint, unlike the rest of the acoustic guitars on the market, which are assembled using the dovetail joint or tenon joint method.
As for my personal observations, just as we began these pages, I'd say the instrument is very well finished. It has an attractive, handcrafted "look," yet at the same time a dynamic and up-to-date one.
The model we tested has a cutaway, which, as you all know, is the notch in the lower part of the body next to the neck that makes it comfortable to play the highest notes on the fingerboard (compared with models without a cutaway).
A curious aesthetic detail on the fingerboard (made of the luxurious wood mentioned, ebony) is the placement of the inlays, which instead of sitting in the center of the fret are placed toward the top edge. This gives it a more modern look which, together with the headstock design, provides an up-to-date, "fresh" appearance.
It includes nickel-plated strap buttons. Bottom: the same one where you plug in the jack; top: on the back of the guitar right at the neck/body joint. This last strap button comes unmounted, in a plastic bag.
The headstock design is the one characteristic of the series and features nickel-finish tuners. Precise tuning and accurate tuners.
Its sound
As always, for me choosing an acoustic guitar is more complex than choosing an electric; each one is a world unto itself. There are many factors to consider besides price, construction materials, etc., such as blend, string tension, brightness, sweetness when strumming or arpeggiating, definition and attack on single-note lines, bass and body...
Speaking from experience: I have tried acoustics that were very good at certain things but rather weak at others (especially in "non-luxury" price ranges). Along those lines, I think this model is quite "well-rounded" and complete. It is a rather luxurious instrument. It handles well that mellow sound we sometimes look for when strumming, thanks to a good blend between strings, and it also offers brightness, contrast, attack, definition and lots of body in the low end.
The volume and tone of the strings are balanced, so no note stands out disproportionately. Another important thing is note sustain. As you know, the construction and materials used will "shape" the sustain. The length of the sound on this guitar is impressive. If you strike an open chord and let it ring, the resonance lingers for a long time. My conclusion regarding the sound is that the instrument stands out above average, although I think it is better suited to somewhat "matte," thick sounds that above all call for body.
The electronics
Who doesn't know Fishman preamps by now?
This is a Fishman "On Board Blender," which in plain terms means:
- Bass, treble, frequency and "contour" sliders
- Volume and notch knobs
- "Blend" slider
- Low-battery LED (powered by a 9V battery)
- Phase switch
Continuing with translating the electronics into what you "hear":
Being able to do without a mic when recording or playing live has big advantages. Even more so when we can shape the sound coming out of the speakers (and, while we're at it, have the option of driving the sound engineer a little crazy by changing what we hear from the stage). It is therefore important for the pickup system to be flexible. In this case I can vouch for its effectiveness. The guitar can be perfectly shaped to our needs and, although there are more "perfect" systems out there, for the price, quality and control it allows, we could call it optimal.
The good and the bad. Conclusions.
I want to stress that this is a good acoustic guitar, with a blended sound, good body, bright (but not shrill) highs; it is compact and attractive, and it effectively meets electrification needs. The constant in 98% of acoustic guitars is their stiff strings, although in a few other cases (very few) I have found them softer without losing body by going down a string gauge. The Alhambra is better suited to certain musical styles that call for consistency and solidity, since it fills out the sound considerably. The instrument is excellent: beneath its perfect intonation and construction, it has an absolute body that leaves any other guitar "naked," although for some things a little more brightness wouldn't hurt.
My congratulations to the manufacturer and to the future (or present) owners of this guitar.
Suggested price €921.04
J-2 = €610.16
Solid cedar top (+€0)
Gloss finish (+€0)
Cutaway = €83.52
E4 electronics = 227.36
06/01/2004
