Show Full Spec Comparison
| Alvarez MD60EBG | AC65HCE | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Alvarez | Alvarez |
| Year: | 2022 | 2016 |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | China | China |
| Series: | Masterworks | Artist |
| Colors: | Natural | |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Hollowbody | Hollowbody |
| Body Material: | Solid AAA Sitka Spruce | Solid A+ Western Red Cedar |
| Sides Material: | Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Back Material: | Mahogany | Mahogany |
| Bridge: | Bi-Level Indian Laurel/Rosewood | Bi-Level Indian Laurel/Rosewood |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Set | Set |
| Tuners: | Nickel Open Gear | Chrome Open Gear Strip |
| Fretboard: | Indian Laurel, 12th Fret Inlay Extended | Indian Laurel/Rosewood w/12th Fret Inlay |
| Neck Material: | One piece mahogany, 50/50 Semi gloss finish | Mahogany, 50/50 Semi gloss finish |
| Decoration: | Mother-of-pearl Design at 12th fret | |
| Scale Size: | 25.512" | 25.591" |
| Shape: | Acoustic Alvarez | Acoustic Alvarez |
| Frets: | 22 Medium Nickel Silver | 22 Medium Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 14.96" | Flat |
| Nut: | Bone | Bone |
| Nut Width: | 44.5mm (1.75'') | 48mm (1.89'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Pickups: | LR Baggs VTC Element System (Preamp / Active) | LR Baggs StagePro EQ and Element Pick Up (Preamp / Active) |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Chrome | Black & Chrome |
Reasons to Get
Alvarez MD60EBG over AC65HCE
Reasons to Get
Alvarez AC65HCE over MD60EBG
Other Key Differences
Alvarez MD60EBG vs AC65HCE
Shared Features
Alvarez MD60EBG vs AC65HCE
Common Strengths
- Solid Top Wood
- High-Quality Nut
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Locking Tuners
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
Alvarez MD60EBG Prices
Alvarez AC65HCE Prices
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Hand Size Comfortability
After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .
Alvarez MD60EBG:
Alvarez AC65HCE:
Beginner Friendliness
The Alvarez AC65HCE meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Alvarez MD60EBG meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.
New Player Friendliness
Alvarez MD60EBG- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Soft Strings
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Alvarez AC65HCE- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Soft Strings
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
Sound Quality Comparison
The most important thing that will determine the tone of an acoustic guitar is the wood. Let's take a look at the differences between both .
Woods Used in Both
Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.
There are many types of Laurel, but East Indian is the most common for guitar building. Its color can vary from dark to light brown with black lines. Many people find its tonality similar to Rosewood, which favors the warmer frequencies. Find out more about Laurel.
Woods Used in the Alvarez MD60EBG
Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.
Woods Used in the Alvarez AC65HCE
This is a softwood that is commonly used for acoustic guitars. It's known for its warm tone with strong overtones. However, there are many species so the tone and look can vary a lot.
Winner: Tie.
Electronics
Both come with electronics that allow you connect them to an amplifier or interface for recording.
Winner:Tie.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Alvarez MD60EBG compares to the Alvarez AC65HCE.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in China.
China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.
Winner: Tie
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
In this case, both have Bone nuts. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.
Winner: Tie.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Alvarez MD60EBG's are Nickel Open Gear while the Alvarez AC65HCE's are Chrome Open Gear Strip
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Alvarez MD60EBG
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Electronics
- Bone Saddle
- Solid Top Wood
- Solid Side Wood
- Solid Back Wood
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Alvarez AC65HCE
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Electronics
- Bone Saddle
- Solid Top Wood
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- Made in China
- Laminated Side Wood
- Laminated Back Wood
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Alvarez AC65HCE has the wider nut with 48mm (1.89'') vs 44.5mm (1.75''). This is a 3.5mm (0.14'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Alvarez AC65HCE, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
The Alvarez AC65HCE has the longest scale: 25.591". The Alvarez MD60EBG is only 25.512" long. This is a 0.079000000000001'' (2mm) scale length difference.
This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.
This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.
Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the Alvarez MD60EBG and the Alvarez AC65HCE have a D-shaped neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
In this case, the Alvarez MD60EBG's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Alvarez AC65HCE's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Alvarez AC65HCE.
Fret Size
Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.
