Twelve Strings, One Cutaway, and a Whole Lot of Shimmer
There's something about strumming a 12-string that just fills a room — that natural chorus effect where every note blooms into something bigger than itself. The Alvarez AD60ce 12-String in Shadowburst takes that experience and wraps it in a guitar that's genuinely built to go places. You get a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany laminate back and sides, a Venetian cutaway for upper-fret reach, and stage-ready LR Baggs electronics — all in a finish that darkens beautifully at the edges with a deep, glassy gloss.
This is Alvarez's Artist Series, a line built around the idea that fit, finish, and tonal performance don't have to be compromised at a mid-range price. Every detail — from the bi-level bridge to the solid neck and bridge blocks to the hand-selected, ATR-treated spruce top — is there for a reason. This guitar is for the player who wants a 12-string that sounds great acoustically, performs reliably plugged in, and doesn't look like an afterthought on stage.
A Top That's Built to Resonate
The AD60ce 12-String's top is crafted from A+ grade solid North American Sitka spruce — the real thing, not a laminate. Alvarez applies their ATR (Advanced Tonal Response) process to the wood: an oxygen-controlled, vacuum curing stage that removes moisture, saps, and sugars from the grain. The result is a top that behaves more like an aged piece of wood right out of the box, with a more open and resonant response than untreated spruce.
Underneath the top, Alvarez's FS6 forward-shifted, scalloped bracing system shifts the brace positioning toward the soundhole. This increases the effective vibrating area of the soundboard around the bridge, which helps deliver the full, open projection that dreadnoughts are known for — with clear bass and lively trebles that hold up across all 12 strings.
The Shadowburst finish is applied as thinly as possible in gloss on the top, with a semi-gloss sheen on the back and sides. The ivory ABS binding ties it all together cleanly, and the result is a guitar that looks as considered as it sounds.
Mahogany Construction and a Neck Made for Playing
The back and sides are built from African mahogany laminates — stable, warm-voiced, and durable. The mahogany neck joins the body at the 14th fret via a dovetail joint, which keeps the geometry tight and consistent. Nut width comes in at 1 7/8 inches (48mm), which gives each string pair enough room to breathe and makes chord fingering more manageable than a narrower 12-string neck would allow.
The Indian Laurel fingerboard runs the length of the 21-fret neck, with a subtle 12th-fret inlay as the main visual marker. The bi-level Indian Laurel/Rosewood bridge is another Alvarez-specific touch — designed to increase string tension angle over the saddle, improving sustain and attack. Real bone nut and saddle are standard here, adding resonance and stability that synthetic alternatives don't match. Premium die-cast tuners handle the expanded tuning load of 12 strings reliably.
LR Baggs StagePro Bronze — Stage-Ready Without the Hassle
Plugging in is where many acoustic-electrics fall short, but the LR Baggs StagePro Bronze system fitted to this guitar is genuinely capable. It combines the LR Baggs Element under-saddle pickup — one of the most natural-sounding undersaddle designs available — with a compact side-mounted EQ unit. The controls include volume, bass, treble, a phase switch, and a large backlit tuner, all within a low-profile housing on the upper bout.
The battery box is built into the endpin jack compartment, so changing batteries doesn't require loosening strings or opening the soundhole. It's a small thing, but it matters when you're on a stage between sets. The StagePro Bronze gives you enough tone shaping to dial in a clean, natural amplified sound without overwhelming you with knobs and menus.
Product Features:
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Top Wood: Solid A+ North American Sitka Spruce with ATR (Advanced Tonal Response) treatment
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Back & Sides: African Mahogany laminates with semi-gloss finish
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Body Shape: Dreadnought with Venetian cutaway
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Bracing: FS6 Forward-Shifted, Scalloped X-brace system
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Neck: Mahogany, joins body at 14th fret via dovetail joint
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Fingerboard: Indian Laurel, 21 frets, 1 7/8" (48mm) nut width, 25.5" scale length
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Nut & Saddle: Real bone for improved sustain and tuning stability
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Bridge: Bi-level Indian Laurel/Rosewood design for increased string tension and response
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Electronics: LR Baggs StagePro Bronze — Element under-saddle pickup with side-mounted EQ (volume, bass, treble, phase, backlit tuner)
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Finish: Shadowburst gloss top, semi-gloss back and sides, ivory ABS binding
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Strings: D'Addario EXP38 12-string
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Tuners: Premium die-cast
Brand: Alvarez
Model: AD60ce 12-String Shadowburst
SKU: AD60CE12-STRINGSHADOWBURST
Condition: New
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