What Does an UNFINISHED Guitar Sound Like? (Demo Only) - Alvarez TV

[@worldwide1376]

I truly appreciate these videos, you certainly don't see other manufacturers going to this level of presentation and comparisons, at least not publicly. Thank you.

[@AlvarezGuitarsOfficial]

Thanks for the kind words! We love to hear it.

[@richbenavides]

For your style of strumming, with a finger instead of a pick, the Satin provides just the right amount of bassy overtones. However, I play with a pick and Satin-finished guitars sound thinner when strummed with a pick, while Gloss-finished guitars get a good depth of sound. Ultimately it all comes down to taste I suppose.

[@ronchave6354]

The question:- what does an unfinished guitar sound like? The Answer:- an unfinished guitar!!. But it is still an Alvarez, better than most.

[@larrybaker647]

I think the finished guitars have just a slightly softer sound.

[@pix1chick]

Agree. It seems to mellow out the tone ever so slightly. 🙌🏼

[@tfloto]

With everything about guitars it comes down to personal preferences. I preferred the sound of the gloss. To me it had that fuller dreadnought tone.

[@Patriot1777]

Unfinished let's the wood breath and vibrate😊

[@DriftwoodBeachMom]

Good question about finishes. In my opinion, the satin finish was better than the unfinished and gloss finishes.

[@markmacalik9693]

Sounds amazing. That should be an option when you custom order one! Another interesting experiment to make is to just finish the back and sides only after recording this guitar to see how much effect it has on the sound.

[@sometimesdimneverthin]

Gloss for me. I could hear more stuff. Fatter or depth might be a better way to put it. Sort of stereo v mono.

[@edwardgarner1299]

Volume projection of unfinished guitar was at least 25% quieter than finished ones. Bass and mid-range tones on both finished guitars much more prominent and "clean".

[@markmacalik9693]

Perhaps the unfinished guitar has too much high end frequencies and we perceive it like the bass and midrange is weaker.

[@TechnoGlowStick]

Huh... Is it me? I can't tell the difference. I guess the best choice would be to go with the one that's the cheapest. Maybe I just don't have an ear for music? 😕

[@RobertBatesGraber]

Classical guitars generally have gloss finishes. Spruce or cedar top is a bigger question than finish; I slightly favor the look and feel of spruce, but the virtuosos of recent decades seem to prefer cedar. The usual way to describe the difference in sound is that spruce is brighter, cedar, darker. Thanks!

[@CameraLaw]

Classical guitars are wonderful. Alvarez Yairi has long been one of the world’s premier luthiers. (Note to the wise, fantastic deals on vintage classical Yairis out there on Reverb. Oops … sorry.) There are so many configurations. About as many as there are luthiers. Common finishes are polyurethane, shellac, and French polish. I like to read interviews with individual luthiers in an online magazine called Orfeo. All the questions raised here, tonewood, bracing, and finish are, and will be, debated extensively. One thing not well noted, many of the most coveted modern classical guitars are made with laminated tops (often called a Double Top). Yes, you heard that right … laminated. Not a dirty word. If made well. By the way, my ‘89 Alvarez Yairi DY90 has laminated back and sides of the legendary Brazilian Rosewood known as Jacaranda. It’s a fabulous instrument. Looks like a Martin D-45. Plays like a dream.

[@nicke.3782]

Thanks for the video, but playing it with a pick would have been much more helpful.... at least to me.

[@AlvarezGuitarsOfficial]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@anthonyb2334]

My opinion, the less the finish the better the sound. But having said that, that is if all other build factors are the same. Thank you for your videos

[@AlvarezGuitarsOfficial]

We love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for tuning in. 🙌

[@bighes100]

Not finished = harsh sound Finished = balanced sound

[@77guitarts22]

As always Balance is key, no extremes are sounding good. Too much finish and the sound is dampened, no finish at all and the sound is too raw. If you find the right spot in the middle with a thin UV laquer finish, it's probably the best. For example Cort Gold series has that, Breedlove also, and sounds incredible well, reasonant, light weight and sparkling sound in the same time.

[@christopherknaus1356]

What do you do with the guitars you build for these experiments? Are they available for purchase?

[@AlvarezGuitarsOfficial]

Hey! Thanks for your questions, we’re looking at turning these into giveaways for Alvarez TV subscribers. 👍

[@mfledermauskonig8949]

I notice guitars nowadays painted black, for example, so I think there are too many choices to compare. Someone commented on the wood choice being more important to the sound. I think that is a valid point. It sounds to me that the satin finish is a little better than gloss in this demo. Does this vary with different types of wood, or will the results be similar? I’m assuming the density, or tightness of grain depends on how much coating is absorbed/used? So this could be a science project also. What would happen if you just used oil? Some furniture is just oiled, with no shellac, or nitrocellulose gunk.

[@AlvarezGuitarsOfficial]

Great comment! We will pass this on for further information. 👍

[@markmacalik9693]

I think oil would make no sense for softwood tops since they need to be dry as possible to resonate. Wouldn't the absorption of oil make it denser and less flexible to vibration? Oil also takes longer to dry. That's why master luthiers use shellac on boutique instruments.

[@mfledermauskonig8949]

Great comment! I think you can oil a hardbody guitar. But hollow body guitars are probably similar to other stringed instruments, such as violins, cellos, etc. Now, the question is what type of coatings were applied before modern times? Examples would be things like lutes, from long ago. I doubt they had shellac or nitrocellulose back then.? :-)

[@DB-rr1eo]

This doesn't delve into responsiveness.

[@RobertBatesGraber]

Based on my uncontrolled comparison of years playing a Saez cedar-top and an Alvarez Cadiz CC7 spruce-top, I find that the former (more expensive) instrument has noticeably more power. This is due, I think, to its lighter construction and in particular to its evidently thinner top; I use it when performing. Still, I noticed right away that the Alvarez seemed to sustain better when pulling off or hammering on a series of notes. I am inclined to call this better "responsiveness."

[@markmacalik9693]

Presence and projection are two different things. Sometimes you get a good balance on a guitar but often get one is more pronounced than the other.