Cedar, Acacia, and a Bevel That Actually Earns Its Place
Some guitars look like they were designed to impress in a showroom. The Alvarez AEG99ce Armrest Shadowburst is designed to be played — and then played some more. The slim flamed maple bevel armrest isn't a cosmetic detail; it's a genuine comfort upgrade that takes the edge off the body during long sessions, and once you've played a guitar with one, going back feels oddly punishing. Combined with the single-cutaway body that opens up the upper frets, this is a Grand Auditorium built around the player.
The Shadowburst finish — a deep, gloss-polished gradient that fades from dark edges into the natural grain of the cedar — makes the figured acacia back and sides absolutely pop. This is a guitar that turns heads even before a note is played.
It fits nicely into that sweet spot for players who want a genuinely premium acoustic-electric without the boutique price tag — whether you're recording at home, playing sit-down gigs, or just working through songs in the living room.
A Solid Cedar Top and Forward-Shifted Bracing
The AA North Western Red Cedar top is solid, and Alvarez pairs it with their FS6 forward-shifted bracing pattern. Shifting the bracing toward the soundhole increases the effective vibrating area of the top, which translates to a more immediate, open response — you get a bigger sound at lighter picking dynamics. Cedar is also a tonewood that tends to "open up" quickly, responding well to a lighter touch from day one compared to spruce.
The figured acacia back and sides bring warmth and brightness together, with good definition across the frequency range. Acacia is a tonewood that's been gaining serious traction among builders who want something visually striking and sonically interesting — it delivers clarity without being brittle, and depth without going muddy.
LR Baggs StagePro Bronze Electronics
Alvarez outfitted the AEG99ce with the LR Baggs StagePro Bronze — a small-footprint side-mounted preamp incorporating the LR Baggs Element under-saddle pickup. The Element has been a trusted under-saddle design for years, and the StagePro Bronze gives you real hands-on control: a large backlit tuner, volume, bass, treble, and phase. The battery box is built into the end pin jack compartment, so swapping a battery mid-gig doesn't require a screwdriver.
The side-mounted placement keeps the control layout low-profile and out of the way while strumming, and the phase switch is genuinely useful when you start dealing with acoustic feedback in louder stage environments.
Artist Elite Build Quality
The AEG99ce belongs to Alvarez's Artist Elite series — a line built around solid tops, exotic tonewoods, and premium appointments. The mahogany neck (African mahogany) meets the body at the 14th fret, the fingerboard is East Indian rosewood, and the bone nut and saddle are real bone — not synthetic plastic. The bi-level Indian rosewood bridge, rosewood headstock facing, chrome closed-gear tuners, and MOP and acrylic inlays round out a list of components that feel considered rather than spec-sheet padding.
The gloss finish is applied thin by design, which Alvarez notes helps increase the top's responsiveness. Exotic wood bindings and the flamed maple bevel armrest give the guitar a custom aesthetic — wood appointments throughout rather than plastic.
Product Features:
-
Body Shape: Grand Auditorium with single cutaway for upper-fret access
-
Top: Solid AA North Western Red Cedar with FS6 forward-shifted bracing
-
Back & Sides: Figured Acacia (solid)
-
Armrest: Slim Flamed Maple bevel for playing comfort
-
Neck: African Mahogany, joins body at 14th fret, 21 frets total
-
Fingerboard: East Indian Rosewood
-
Nut & Saddle: Real Bone
-
Electronics: LR Baggs StagePro Bronze with Element under-saddle pickup — backlit tuner, volume, bass, treble, phase
-
Bridge: Bi-Level Indian Rosewood
-
Finish: Shadowburst/Gloss (thinly applied poly gloss)
-
Strings: D'Addario XTAPB
-
Tuners: Chrome closed-gear
Brand: Alvarez
Model: AEG99ce Armrest Shadowburst
SKU: AEG99CE ARMREST SHADOWBURST
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.
