The Classical Guitar That Meets Steel-String Players Halfway
If you've ever been curious about nylon strings but felt put off by the wide neck, flat fretboard, and 12th-fret body join of a traditional classical guitar, the Alvarez AC70Hce Armrest was designed with you in mind. It's a genuine hybrid — built with traditional fan bracing and nylon strings, but shaped around the ergonomic expectations of players who grew up on steel-string acoustics. Same warm, expressive tone. Fewer things to relearn.
The body cutaway opens up the upper frets, the neck joins at the 14th fret (not the 12th), the nut is a more familiar 48mm wide, and the fretboard has a slight radius rather than the flat profile found on most classical guitars. These aren't compromises — they're thoughtful design choices that make the AC70Hce genuinely approachable without stripping away what makes classical guitars special.
Add in a solid Sitka spruce top, rosewood back and sides, LR Baggs electronics, and a bevel armrest carved from rosewood, and you've got a nylon-string guitar that's as ready for a coffee-shop open mic as it is for a late-night practice session on the couch.
Solid Sitka Spruce Top with Traditional Fan Bracing
The AC70Hce uses a solid A+ Sitka spruce top — a tonewood choice that delivers a more responsive, articulate sound compared to laminates, and one that will continue to open up and improve with play over time. Sitka's characteristics lean toward clarity and dynamic responsiveness, meaning it handles both a gentle fingerstyle touch and a more assertive attack without getting muddy.
Underneath, the bracing follows traditional Spanish fan-style layout — the same approach classical luthiers have used for centuries to distribute vibration evenly across the top. The result is balanced response across all six strings, from the open bass notes down low to the high register melodic lines where classical playing often lives. Alvarez also subjects the wood to their ATR (Advanced Tonal Response) curing process, an extended drying and torrefaction treatment designed to make the wood more stable and resonant from day one.
A Hybrid Built for Real Players
The rosewood back and sides pair naturally with the Sitka top — rosewood's density adds focus and sustain, contributing to a clear, full-bodied sound with good note separation. The African mahogany neck is comfortable and stable, topped with an East Indian rosewood fretboard. The bone nut and bone saddle help with sustain and intonation across the full length of the string, and the rosewood bridge carries the traditional tied-string design expected on a classical guitar.
At 48mm (1 7/8"), the nut is noticeably narrower than a typical classical — most run 52mm or wider. Combine that with the radiused fretboard and the 14th-fret neck join, and you have a playing experience that will feel genuinely familiar if steel-string acoustic has been your primary instrument. The slim rosewood bevel armrest on the lower bout is a practical comfort feature: it rounds off the edge where your forearm rests, reducing fatigue during longer playing sessions.
LR Baggs StagePro Bronze Electronics
The AC70Hce is fitted with the LR Baggs StagePro Bronze system — a well-regarded stage and recording pickup package that pairs the LR Baggs Element under-saddle pickup with a compact side-mounted preamp. The Element is known for its natural acoustic reproduction and good dynamic tracking, which matters on a nylon-string guitar where the pick attack and dynamics are central to the style.
The StagePro preamp keeps a low profile on the side of the guitar with a backlit tuner, volume control, bass and treble controls, and a phase switch. The battery compartment is built into the endpin jack housing — push to open, swap the battery, done. No fumbling around inside the soundhole.
Product Features:
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Top: Solid A+ Sitka Spruce, Natural/Gloss finish
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Back & Sides: Rosewood, Natural/Gloss finish
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Bracing: Traditional Spanish fan-style
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Neck: African Mahogany with dovetail joint, meets body at 14th fret
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Fretboard: East Indian Rosewood, radiused, 22 frets
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Nut & Saddle: Bone; nut width 48mm (1 7/8")
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Scale Length: 650mm (approx. 25 19/32")
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Bridge: Indian Rosewood, traditional tied-string design
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Electronics: LR Baggs StagePro Bronze with Element under-saddle pickup; side-mounted EQ with backlit tuner, volume, bass, treble, and phase
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Armrest: Slim rosewood bevel on lower bout
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Body: Classical shape with cutaway
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Strings: Nylon (D'Addario EXP46N)
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Finish: Gloss Natural
Brand: Alvarez
Model: AC70Hce Armrest
SKU: AC70HCE-ARMREST
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.
