*** Alvarez AP66 Parlor ***
 

Anyone else see the new Alvarez AP66 that's coming out?

Solid mahogany top, laminated mahogany back and sides. No info on the nut width. I assume it's the same as the AP70, but I've sent an email to St. Louis confirming.

http://www.gear4music.es/media/66532/600/preview.jpg

Real AP66 pics right here... http://www.davidsguitarloft.com/inve...SB/ap66sb.html

The 66 series also has a folk and a dread.

Folk pics here... http://www.davidsguitarloft.com/inve...SB/af66sb.html

No pics of the dread.

Discuss :D

I haven't seen one yet, but Maple Street guitars in Atlanta has them on order. Apparently they were impressed with them at the NAMM show.

Oh Lord that may be the one. I've been needing a modern parlor guitar. I've played the Alvarez AP710SB at a guitar center and loved loved loved it. Now there's a mahogany version. Sounds good to me!

Dang, I just bought a Hohner Essentials parlor which isn't bad but this looks even better. The only think I don't like is the pickguard looks cheap. Wonder if you can get them without.

This is it!
 

I've been looking for a mahogany-top, 000 guitar with bone, dovetail, and an affordable price. So the big brother, the AF-66SB could be the one. The fact it's got a sunburst ON the mahogany top is intriguing and a bonus.

So long Seagull Entourage MJ. So long Recording King RO-05 "Dirty Thirty". So long Simon and Patrick Woodland Folk Sunburst. And so long RK RO-310 (Adirondack).

Hello Alvarez AF-66SB! Now if I can just find one.
dj

Here's a video of 40 minutes playing this guitar:

http://www.activemelody.com/lessons/...r-lesson-ep015

Not sure why..but the ling works in Safari (but not in Internet Explorer...for me, anyway).

Let me know what you think if you get it. Might have to put my Hohner on ebay.:)

Wow, I just love burst on a mahogany top.

Very tempting!

JD

Very tempting indeed
 

Still trying to climb down from the ledge at 1000 GAS Avenue. The wi-if access is iffy and it's hard to type while clinging to the building.
Dj

Hmmmmm.... I'm interested, as well. Hopefully, one will show up nearby to test drive. Sooner than later ;)

If it is attached, it comes off pretty easy. I pulled the one off of my AP70. Looks better IMO.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...0/P1000710.jpg

BTW, I did get confirmation from Tom at St. Louis Music that the AP66, and all their current parlors, have a 1-3/4" wide nut.

Good news on the nut size (1.75). Now if we can find out the string spacing at the bridge. My major complaint about the AP70 is that the spacing is only
2 1/16 inches. I need something considerably wider than that for finger-picking comfort and ease.

Hello there .i just went down to Metro music on Yonge st inToronto.The only place i could find one.they had another but it had a pickup installed.I,m thinking i,d rather mike this guitar.great little guitar,lots of volume.plays well forthe price.379.cnd funds.good gig bag for30.just great forthe cabin and couch playing .

Has anyone had a chance to try one of these out yet?
I unfortunately do not have a dealer near me that carries any of the Alvarez parlors.

I am trying to decide between the Alvarez parlors (710,66, 70) as well as the Hohner Essential Roots Parlor and the Loar LO-16.

I have only been able to try out one of the Hohners and preferred it over the similar sized Martins and Taylors carried at GC.
The others I am left listening to reviews on Youtube or reading them online.

From sound samples I've heard, the LO-16 even with the longer scale, seems to have that tight boxiness that goes along with many of the small bodies, while the Alvarez AP70 just seems to sing. (sometimes a bit to brightly)

I am interested to learn what all Mahogany adds to the mix???
Will it bring in that boxiness or muddy tone? Watching the YouTube lesson that used the 66 he never hits the low E or A string.
I am hoping the AP66 has that balance between chimey and boxy/muddy.

I am learning blues fingerstyle on a Seagull S6 which plays well, but is too big, loud and boomy for practicing in a small apartment.

Regards,

Ngd
 

Found a good on-line deal on an AP66 and took a chance.
Came in today...Very happy with it so far. Love the mahogany.
Alot of sound from such a little guitar.

http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/a...en_P/image.jpg

Man that is a sexy guitar.

Congrats!

That's a good looking guitar! I like that the burst isn't covering the entire face.

Anyone interested in parting with theirs?

I'm looking for an AP710SB or AP66SB. Definitely looking for sunburst option... PM me!

A better place for you would be to post a WTB in the classifieds.

How is it for strumming? I'm looking for a nice little bluesy strummer, and this could be the ticket!

Any AGF Sponsors selling these?

S

Ha! I love it!!

Same questions as to strumming and sponsors selling?

Glad I grabbed mine when I did.
Love it more and more each day.
Joy to play.
Hope you find one soon.

@StephenP - When you say it is a "joy to play", are you playing it with your finger nails? A flatpick? With a strumming motion? With a slide? With a wet fish? Or merely banging it rhythmically against your nearest sibling?

Inquiring minds want to know.

I see that the 66's are becoming more available online, including a-e models. Any one with recent experience playing the 66's please share your thoughts.

AP66 Review
 

Well, I plucked up the courage and ordered one without playing it first. I've tried a number of small acoustics recently, and none of them really hit the spot. I mostly strum with a little flat picking, so I was looking for something that would fill that role. It seems most small guitars are designed for finger-picking, and I certainly tried a few that sounded awful when strummed. I wanted a small strummer with a short scale neck, because I'm a small man with short scale arms... I also wanted it to sound a bit bluesy, the AP70 was reported to be a bit happy sounding for the blues.

So I took a deep breath and ordered the AP66, and it's just about perfect. Compared to my Tanglewood TW15 dread it holds it's own surprisingly well. A little less bassy/boomy, but not much, and a little less loud, but not much either. I'm quite amazed by it, considering the different top woods and different sizes, it sounds remarkably similar. Perhaps the highs are little more 'rounded'? Whatever, I like it.

I've found the 45mm nut ok as well, as opposed to 43mm, in fact, with the short scale and slightly wider nut, it's not unlike putting a capo on the second fret of the TW15. Neck wise, it is slightly thicker than I'm used to, but not absurdly so. It's still pretty easy to use capo on 5 or even 7 for example.

Any issues? I'm not sure if my nut spacing is normal.. The low (thick) E is a bit closer to the edge than the high (thin) E. Almost on the rounded bit of the frets. Something like that is mentioned in the AP70 review in Acoustic Guitar (http://www.acousticguitar.com/Gear/R...ez-AP70-Review), but it's a bit ambiguous as to which E they're referring to (I assumed before I got it that it would be the other way around). Is this normal, other AP66/AP70 owners? I might have to get a new nut done if I can't get used to it. The Nut is also a bit high as it comes, I'm used to about 1mm and this is about 2mm (but I mustn't forget that I had the action lowered on the TW15, so I'll just have to get it done on the AP66 too). I also found I got fret buzz playing G on the low E string when I started trying it out, and it bugged me until I realised that I was hitting the strings harder than I normally would when playing. When I forgot about the buzzing and just played it normally, the buzzing went away!

I'm undecided on the pick guard, some people were thinking of removing it earlier in the thread, did you remove it? If you did could you post a picture please?

Here's a pic of mine with the TW15 on the left and a 3/4 classical on the right:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-t...0/DSC_6733.JPG

I've had it a couple of weeks now (I starting writing this in a text file when I got it), and played with a group on sat. All good as far as I can tell, and kept up well enough with a bunch of other (larger) acoustics! I had to use my dread's case as I haven't bought a fitted one yet, and my dread has been out on a stand since then, seems awfully big now, having got used to the 00 size, I may never go back.

Agreed! Drifting more and more to 0-size and "parlor"! Hope it sounds as good as the RP-06 with a slimmer neck and 1.75 nut with 2 1/4 spacing!

Monkeyfish.. can you give the spacing specs? Is that neck a chunky "C"? Thx, J.D.

Enjoy. I finally got to try a 710sb at local GCS last night. Perdect size for couch but I think I would prefer the hog version