Twelve Strings, One Big Voice
There's something about a 12-string jumbo that just commands a room. The doubled strings layer your playing with natural chorus and shimmer, and when that's paired with a full-sized jumbo body pushing air in every direction, you get a sound that fills the space without needing to try very hard. The Alvarez AJ80ce 12-String is that guitar — a big, natural-finish acoustic-electric that's built to be played loud and played often.
This is part of Alvarez's Artist Series, a line built around one idea: solid tops paired with smart construction to get the most out of every component. The top here is a hand-selected A+ Sitka spruce — quarter-sawn and graded by Alvarez's own team, not just passed through from a supplier. That kind of attention shows up in the sound: open, full, and balanced across the registers, with the brightness you'd expect from spruce over maple.
Whether you're a singer-songwriter who wants a stage-ready instrument without hauling out a pedalboard full of effects, or a player who just loves the rich texture that only 12 strings can deliver, the AJ80ce is worth a serious look.
A Top Worth Talking About
The solid A+ Sitka spruce top is the centerpiece of this guitar. Sitka is the standard-bearer for a reason — it responds well to both a light fingerpicked touch and a full strum, and it only gets better with age and play. Alvarez selects this wood themselves, grading it independently from their suppliers, so what you're getting is a genuinely premium soundboard for the price point.
Underneath that top sits Alvarez's FST2 bracing system — a forward-shifted X-brace design with asymmetric scalloped tone bars. Moving the brace axis closer to the soundhole creates a larger vibrating area, which translates to more power and projection from the body. The system is matched to the jumbo's large air volume, making the most of every string vibration across all 12 strings.
Built for the Stage
The AJ80ce 12-String features a smooth single cutaway, giving you unobstructed access to the upper frets — something you'll actually appreciate on a 12-string when you're reaching for those higher chord voicings. The onboard electronics are handled by the LR Baggs StagePro Bronze, a side-mounted preamp and EQ system built around the renowned LR Baggs Element under-saddle pickup.
The StagePro Bronze is a compact unit with a large backlit tuner, volume, bass, and treble controls, plus phase inversion. The battery box is integrated into the endpin jack compartment, so swapping batteries mid-gig is a quick push rather than a whole operation. The overall layout is clean and unobtrusive — you'd barely notice it's there until you need it.
Playability Details
The maple neck is carved into a hybrid soft "V" to "C" profile — a shape that transitions from a slightly fuller feel in the lower positions to a rounder, more traditional "C" as you move up the neck. On a 12-string, where the nut width opens up to 1 7/8" (48mm) to accommodate the doubled string courses, a comfortable neck profile matters. This one makes the fretting work feel manageable without fighting the instrument.
The nut and saddle are real bone, the bi-level bridge optimizes string break angle for each course, and the fretboard has a clean 12th-fret inlay as a visual marker. Scale length is a standard 25.5", and the 14th-fret neck joint gives the body plenty of resonating room below the heel.
Product Features:
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Top Wood: Solid A+ Sitka Spruce (hand-selected, quarter-sawn), Natural Gloss finish
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Back & Sides: Maple (laminate construction)
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Body Shape: Jumbo with single cutaway
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Bracing: FST2 forward-shifted X-brace with asymmetric scalloped tone bars
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Electronics: LR Baggs StagePro Bronze — side-mounted preamp with Element under-saddle pickup, backlit tuner, bass/treble/volume/phase controls
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Nut & Saddle: Real bone; nut width 1 7/8" (48mm)
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Scale Length: 25.5" (648mm)
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Fretboard: Indian Laurel with 12th-fret inlay; 21 frets
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Neck Joint: Dovetail; meets body at 14th fret
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Strings: 12-string configuration, right-handed
Brand: Alvarez
Model: AJ80ce 12-String
SKU: AJ80CE12-STRING
Condition: New
Since 1872, C.A. House Music has been helping musicians across the Ohio Valley find the right gear -- with real advice from a team that actually plays. We're your authorized dealer of all the big names in guitars, keyboards, band instruments, drums, pro audio, and more. With four family-owned and operated locations in Ohio and West Virginia (plus a full online store), you don't have to go far for instruments, lessons, rentals, and repairs. No matter your musical needs, our team of musicians wants to help you Play Music for Life.
