A Dreadnought Built the Old Way — Every Part of It
There are guitars that are assembled, and there are guitars that are made. The Alvarez LD70E falls squarely in the second camp. Part of the Laureate Series — Alvarez's most carefully considered acoustic line — the LD70E is built with a bench-made philosophy where every brace, kerfing strip, and structural component is hand-selected before it ever meets another piece of wood. If you've been shopping for a serious dreadnought and wondering where the line is between "nice guitar" and "something else entirely," this is a good place to draw it.
The foundation is a AAAA-grade solid North American Sitka spruce top, quartersawn and hand-thickness-sanded to optimize response. Paired with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, the tonal personality you get is that classic, wide-open dreadnought voice — strong low end with plenty of headroom up top. It's equally comfortable laying down rhythm behind a vocalist or cutting through with a flatpick.
Players who care about the details will find a lot to appreciate here: ebony for the fingerboard, bridge, and headstock plate; a bone nut and saddle; premium abalone inlays; and 20:1 open-gear tuners. Whether you're playing solo at home or taking it out live, the LD70E is built to perform every time you pick it up.
A Top Worth Talking About
The AAAA solid North American Sitka spruce top isn't just a grade designation — it reflects a specific selection process. Alvarez hand-picks tops for their quartersawn grain, silk figure, and stiffness characteristics, then thickness-sands each one individually to optimize the resonance-to-weight balance. The result is a top that responds dynamically to your touch, whether you're playing softly or digging in hard.
Underneath the top, Alvarez's FS6 bracing system does important work. Based on a traditional forward-shifted X-brace pattern, FS6 braces are hand-sanded from quartersawn Sitka spruce and positioned with careful attention to weight and placement. The forward shift opens up the lower register and improves overall projection — giving this dreadnought more volume potential without sacrificing note clarity or separation.
Rosewood Back and Sides, Done Right
The solid East Indian rosewood back and sides are bookmatched and cut from Alvarez's personally selected stock. Rosewood is one of the most tonally celebrated woods in acoustic guitar building for good reason: it brings warmth, sustain, and a natural complexity to the low and mid frequencies that complements Sitka spruce particularly well. You'll hear it in the way chords bloom and notes carry — especially on the lower strings.
The African mahogany neck runs a soft V to C profile, which players often find comfortable for extended playing sessions. The 25.5" scale length and 1 3/4" nut width keep things in familiar dreadnought territory, and the ebony fingerboard (21 frets, meeting the body at the 14th) adds a crisp, articulate feel to every note. A bone nut and saddle complete the hardware picture, maximizing resonance transfer from strings to body.
LR Baggs HiFi — Plugged In Without Compromise
The LR Baggs HiFi pickup system is a thoughtful choice for a guitar at this level. Rather than relying on a single undersaddle strip, the HiFi system uses discreet bridge plate sensors that listen to the acoustic movement of the instrument without dampening its natural resonance. Volume and tone controls are mounted inside the soundhole for easy access. The result is an amplified tone that stays true to the guitar's unplugged character.
The system is designed for long-term reliability as well — rated for over 700 hours of use on a single 9-volt battery. Whether you're recording direct or running through a PA, the LR Baggs HiFi gives you a balanced, feedback-resistant signal that doesn't require a lot of tweaking to sound right.
Product Features:
-
Top: AAAA solid North American Sitka spruce, hand-thickness-sanded, quartersawn
-
Back & Sides: Solid East Indian rosewood, bookmatched
-
Bracing: FS6 forward-shifted, hand-sanded quartersawn Sitka spruce braces
-
Neck: African mahogany, soft V to C profile; 25.5" scale length, 1 3/4" nut width
-
Fingerboard & Bridge: African ebony; 21 frets, body join at 14th fret
-
Nut & Saddle: Bone
-
Inlays: Premium abalone
-
Tuners: Premium open-gear, 20:1 gear ratio
-
Electronics: LR Baggs HiFi soundhole-mounted preamp with bridge plate sensors; volume and tone controls
-
Finish: Gloss
Brand: Alvarez
Model: LD70E Laureate Series Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric
SKU: LD70E
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.
