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Alvarez YB70
Ibanez AE275BT
VS
Playability
73
Sound
81
Build
80
Value
73
Score
78
FIND IT ON:
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Playability
77
Sound
86
Build
70
Value
83
Score
78
FIND IT ON:
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Alvarez YB70 vs Ibanez AE275BT Specs Comparison
Alvarez YB70 Ibanez AE275BT
General
Brand: Alvarez Ibanez
Year: 2023 2020
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Japan China
Series: Yairi AE
Colors: Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid AA Sitka Spruce Solid Sitka Spruce
Sides Material: Rosewood Okoume
Back Material: Rosewood Okoume
Bridge: Rosewood Direct Coupled Pau Ferro scalloped
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Gotoh Gold Ibanez
Fretboard: Rosewood with 12th Abalone Fret Inlay Pau Ferro
Neck Material: One piece mahogany, 50/50 Semi gloss finish, Extended neck joint Nyatoh
Decoration: Abalone Design at 12th fret Specially designed Wooden Vine inlay
Scale Size: 27.717" 27"
Shape: Acoustic Alvarez Acoustic Comfort Grip
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15.75" 15.748"
Nut: Bone Bone
Nut Width: 43.4mm (1.71'') 45mm (1.772'')
Electronics
Pickups: Ibanez AP11 Magnetic (Preamp / Active)
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Gold Black & Chrome

Reasons to Get
Alvarez YB70 over Ibanez AE275BT

Country of Manufacturing
Japan vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Release Year
2023 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Type of Frets
Medium vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Acoustic Alvarez vs Acoustic Comfort Grip
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Nut Width
1.71'' (43.4mm) vs 1.772'' (45mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Body Shape
Grand Concert vs Concert
Slightly larger than the Concert body with a strong mid-range
Scale Length
27.717'' (704mm) vs 27'' (685.8mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm) vs 15.748'' (400mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
Ibanez AE275BT over Alvarez YB70

Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Medium
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Acoustic Comfort Grip vs Acoustic Alvarez
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Nut Width
1.772'' (45mm) vs 1.71'' (43.4mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Body Shape
Concert vs Grand Concert
Compact body with balanced tones
Scale Length
27'' (685.8mm) vs 27.717'' (704mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.748'' (400mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
83 vs 73
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Alvarez YB70 vs Ibanez AE275BT

Back Material
Rosewood vs Okoume
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Rosewood vs Okoume
Different Sides Material
Bridge Material
Rosewood Direct Coupled vs Pau Ferro scalloped
Different Bridge Material
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Nyatoh
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Pau Ferro
Different Fretboard Wood

Shared Features
Alvarez YB70 vs Ibanez AE275BT

Saddle Material
Bone
Same Saddle Material
Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Bone
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Hollowbody
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
0
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Number of Frets
20
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up

Common Strengths

  • Solid Top Wood
  • High-Quality Nut

Common Weaknesses

  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

Alvarez YB70 Prices

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

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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 YB70:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Ibanez AE275BT:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

Both meet 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Alvarez YB70
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Ibanez AE275BT
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • 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

Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

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 YB70

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

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.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Woods Used in the Ibanez AE275BT

Nyatoh wood pattern used for guitar building
Nyatoh
Pau Ferro wood pattern used for guitar building
Pau Ferro
Okoume wood pattern used for guitar building
Okoume

Nyatoh has been replacing Mahogany for guitar building. It's fairly hard, durable, more sustentable and common than Mahogany. Find out more about Nyatoh.

Pau Ferro has a dark, chocolate-like color with straight dark grains that is being used as a replacement to Rosewood due to the regulations. It produces a warm tone that is somewhere between Mahogany and Rosewood. Find out more about Pau Ferro.

Okoume is an affordable wood and one of the first to replace Mahogany when the prohibitions started. It's generally softer than Mahogany and the tone has warmer lows.

Winner: Alvarez YB70.

Electronics

The Ibanez AE275BT comes with a preamp that allows you to connect it to an amp, unlike its competitor. This allows it to have more versatility and sound quality if you want to record with it or play live.

Winner:Ibanez AE275BT.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Alvarez YB70
Sustain 75
Versatility 80
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 81
Ibanez AE275BT
Sustain 90
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 86

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 YB70 compares to the Ibanez AE275BT.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Alvarez YB70 is built in Japan while the Ibanez AE275BT is made in China.

Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.

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: Alvarez YB70

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 YB70's are Gotoh Gold while the Ibanez AE275BT's are Ibanez

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Alvarez YB70
  • Made in Japan
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • No Electronics
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Ibanez AE275BT
  • Bone Nut
  • Electronics
  • Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Alvarez YB70
Quality of materials 86
Features 65
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 80
Ibanez AE275BT
Quality of materials 76
Features 75
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 70

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

Alvarez YB70 Nut Width
Alvarez YB70 Nut Width
Ibanez AE275BT Nut Width
Ibanez AE275BT Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Ibanez AE275BT has the wider nut with 45mm (1.772'') vs 43.4mm (1.71''). This is a 1.6mm (0.062'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Ibanez AE275BT, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Alvarez YB70's Scale Length
Alvarez YB70's Scale Length
Ibanez AE275BT's Scale Length
Ibanez AE275BT's 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 YB70 has the longest scale: 27.717". The Ibanez AE275BT is only 27" long. This is a 0.717'' (18.2mm) 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

Alvarez YB70 Neck Profile
Alvarez YB70's neck profile
Ibanez AE275BT Neck Profile
Ibanez AE275BT's 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.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Alvarez YB70 has a D type of 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.

The Ibanez AE275BT, on the other hand, has a C neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Alvarez YB70 Fingerboard Radius
Alvarez YB70's Fingerboard radius
Ibanez AE275BT Fingerboard Radius
Ibanez AE275BT's Fingerboard 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 Ibanez AE275BT's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Alvarez YB70'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 YB70.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Fret Size

Alvarez YB70 Frets Size
Alvarez YB70's Frets Size
Ibanez AE275BT Frets Size
Ibanez AE275BT's Frets Size

The Ibanez AE275BT has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Alvarez YB70's Medium frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Alvarez YB70
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Ibanez AE275BT
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 55
Solo Playability 90
Playability 77