[NAMM] Alvarez WY1T

Available in three finishes – black (BK), wine red (WR), and tobacco sunburst (TS) – the single-cutaway, folk-style WY1T features a flamed (except for BK model) maple body and “sound hole-free” solid Sitka spruce top with hand-scalloped braces, herringbone trim, and ebony bridge. The instrument’s naturally seasoned mahogany neck is topped with an ebony fingerboard with abalone inlays at the 12th fret and on the headstock, which also sports nickel die-cast tuning pegs.

The WY1T benefits from a custom Fishman Aura IC system with four discrete “sound images” derived from vintage and contemporary studio microphones, allowing players access to studio-quality sounds when interfaced with modern live sound and recording equipment.

Like all instruments that come from the shop of legendary luthier Kazuo Yairi, the WY1T is handcrafted in limited quantities using only the world’s finest woods, which have been naturally air dried to achieve maximum tone. Traditional, time-honored construction techniques – including hand-fitted dovetail neck joints and hand-carved neck profiles – combined with innovative bridge and neck designs ensure that the WY1T will long be a prized possession and “go-to” guitar.

All three versions of the WY1T are offered for the same price – $2,699.99 list / $1,999.99 MAP – and each includes a hard shell case.