Alvarez Artist Elite Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Guitar - Shadowburst Gloss

Artist Elite Grand Auditorium Acoustic-Electric W/Cutaway

In conceptualizing Artist Elite, the goal was simple: Produce a collection of guitars beyond comparison.

There are of course many wonderful guitars available, and some are every inch as beautiful as Artist Elite, but Alvarez doesn’t know of any that offer the same value.

This stunning line of guitars is the culmination of years of R&D that allows them to produce custom style instruments from amazing tone woods with a truly radiant vibe. Artist Elite look amazing, sound rich and offer a level of fit and finish rarely attainable at such price points.

The AGE95CESHB is a beautifully developed Grand Auditorium with quite a rare and inspired pairing of tone woods. It’s AA North Western Red Cedar top and Macassar Ebony body gives this guitar a really warm and open voicing with darker trebles and clear bass. Aesthetically the guitar is stunning with a lighter shade of their standard Shadowburst carefully crafted to let the grain of the wood stay visible right to the edge, where it is met with Ebony binding. This is a really great guitar with a true character to its sound and looks exceptional.

After 50 years of making guitars, continual improvement through the use of emerging technologies, processes, and materials is still at the heart of the Alvarez culture. Alvarez guitars are constructed correctly in every sense from raw material preparation to construction and manufacturing processes. The tone woods are carefully cured; our components such as neck blocks and wood joints are carefully designed. The painting, sanding and polishing techniques they use are continually researched and developed, and the Alvarez tone is impeccably crafted and married to a stable, designed and lively sound box.

The term “solid top” of course refers to the soundboard of an acoustic guitar being made of solid wood, rather than being laminated. However, just because the top is solid, it does not necessarily mean the sound automatically benefits from this feature. The tone of the instrument only improves significantly when the whole guitar is built correctly to optimize the energy a solid soundboard can generate. Artist Series is built to do exactly this.

Each model is designed to get the best out of its components, and for them to work together to produce balance, lively projection and great response. These components include bracing architecture that is specifically designed for each body shape or tonal requirement. The Bi-level bridge is designed to heighten string tension and improve sustain and response. Real bone nut and saddle, premium tone woods and our crafted attenuated finish all further the quality of construction a positively impact the performance of the instrument.

This caring approach to development comes from one simple goal: To deliver the best guitars in the market at every price point, instruments that are truly amazing value and offer a fantastic player experience.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Series Alvarez Artist Elite
• Top Wood Solid AA Western Red Cedar
• Back & Sides Wood Macassar Ebony
• Shape Grand Auditorium w/ Cutaway
• Neck Mahogany, 50/50 Semi gloss finish
• Bracing System MST1 - Tapered X Bracing With Asymmetric Tone Bars
• Bridge Bi-Level Indian Laurel/Rosewood
• Inlays Abalone & Mother of Pearl
• Fingerboard Indian Laurel/Rosewood w/12th Fret Inlay
• Nut & Saddle Real Bone
• Tuner Premium Die Cast
• Binding Ebony
• Strings D'Addario EXP16
• Pickup / EQ LR Baggs StagePro EQ and Element Pick Up

Returns

• Any New item (other than as noted below) purchased from Bananas at Large may be returned within 14 days of the invoice date, for a full refund, exchange or credit.
• All Pre-Owned products may be returned in 48 hours.
• All Clearance, “additional mark down”, additionally discounted, “blow out”, “door buster” or otherwise identified as on sale may be returned within 7 days unless otherwise specified.

For online orders, the above return policy begins on the day the items were delivered. We must receive an active tracking number within the specified time.

Bananas must be notified within 24 hours of receiving delivery of any issues that pertain to damage during shipping, missing product or incorrect product.

See our full Return Policy for all of the pertinent details.

Shipping

We understand that when you make an order, you want your gear as quickly as possible and we'll do our best to make that happen! Most of the items we sell will ship quickly and be at your door fast. In most cases, orders ship within 1-3 business days. Shipping and delivery dates are not guaranteed unless otherwise specified. 

Most orders $100 and over qualify for FREE shipping within the Continental United States. Some exclusions may apply.

See our full Shipping Policy for further details.

Buy online, pick up in store

Order online and pick up at any store location FREE of charge. Avoid online shipping charges and shipping time, and in most cases get your order faster. Enjoy the in store pickup convenience and security of knowing that your can easily return the product if it does not suit your needs within our return policy.

I'm interested! What do I need to do?

1. Place your order on bananas.com and choose In-Store Pickup for your preferred location at checkout.
2. We'll contact you by email or phone when it's ready for pick up. Need it sooner? Just give us a call and we'll do our best to arrange that: 888-900-1959
3. Bring a copy of your valid government-issued ID such as a Driver's License and a digital or print copy of the order confirmation to your local store.
4. You have (2 options): Curbside Contactless Pickup or Pick up in Store.
   1. Curbside Contactless Pickup: When you arrive at the store location, call us and we will bring your order out to verify your ID, place in your vehicle and you're ready to go!
   2. Pick up In Store: Come into the store, show your ID, and pick up your order.

How does it work?

After you place your order online, the selected store receives your order. Then the merchandise is selected from the store's current inventory and prepared for pick up. If the items are located at another store, there may be a longer wait time as we need to transfer it to the pickup location of your choice. This is all part of our free service. We'll contact you when it's ready and notify you if anything changes. Once your order is ready, you can choose to come into the store to pick up your order OR call us when you arrive and we will provide Contactless Curbside Pickup at your vehicle.

Most orders are ready within 24 hours; however, please allow for extra processing time depending on the item, size of order, and store location. If you need to pick up your order sooner, please give us a call at either location.

See our full Shipping Policy for further details.

Local delivery to your doorstep

Bananas is here to help you support your local economy, shop local, get your musical dreams faster.

FAST: Get Same Day Delivery starting at $35*.

Making your online shopping a little easier. We offer an easy “Order Online, Deliver to your Doorstep”.

This service is currently available for these towns within California: Santa Rosa, San Rafael, San Anselmo, Fairfax, Larkspur, Greenbrae, Corte Madera, Novato, Sausalito, Belvedere/Tiburon, Ross, Kentfield, and Mill Valley. Shipping rates are shown at checkout. Got questions?... Contact us!

*Get same day delivery for in-stock orders received and processed by 2pm, otherwise will deliver the following business day. Delivery fee is based on weight, delivery location and courier fees. Any amounts over $35 - You will be notified to approve before delivery. This is a convenience option only. Deliveries are by a 3rd party delivery service and will deliver to doorstep only. By accepting this delivery process you hereby indemnify Bananas At Large Inc of all responsibility as Bananas At Large is not the delivery agent and assumes no liability on lost or stolen products.

By choosing this option you understand and agree to the following terms:

• Some restrictions apply. For in-stock & available items only.
• You are requesting Bananas at Large to contract on your behalf with a 3rd party service.
• Bananas At Large guarantees the product to be delivered to your doorstep, with photo proof of delivery.
• Bananas cannot and is not responsible for the package safety or security once it is delivered to your doorstep.
• You understand and accept the risk and responsibility of your package once it is delivered.
• Large items, overweight items may incur additional charges.
• Certain delivery zones and homes with access issues may incur additional charges or may not qualify for delivery.
• If the last inventory unit is located at either our Santa Rosa or San Rafael store locations, there may be a delivery delay that may take an additional business day to have it transferred to the store closest to you.

FREE: Free Local Delivery in 1-3 Days.

Free 1-3 day local delivery available for orders over $199*. Contact us for details.

If you aren’t in a rush to receive your items and want free delivery, choose the Free Local Delivery option at checkout. Your order will be processed and delivered within 2-3 business days. 

*Applies to full price items only. Can't be combined with any other deals or promotions including Bananas Rewards.

This service is currently available for these towns within California: Santa Rosa, San Rafael, San Anselmo, Fairfax, Larkspur, Greenbrae, Corte Madera, Novato, Sausalito, Belvedere/Tiburon, Ross, Kentfield, and Mill Valley. Shipping rates are shown at checkout. Got questions?... Contact us!

By choosing this option you understand and agree to the following terms:

• Some restrictions apply. For in-stock & available items only.
• You are requesting Bananas at Large to contract on your behalf with a 3rd party service.
• Bananas At Large guarantees the product to be delivered to your doorstep, with photo proof of delivery.
• Bananas cannot and is not responsible for the package safety or security once it is delivered to your doorstep.
• You understand and accept the risk and responsibility of your package once it is delivered.
• Large items, overweight items may incur additional charges.
• Certain delivery zones and homes with access issues may incur additional charges or may not qualify for delivery.
• If the last inventory unit is located at either our Santa Rosa or San Rafael store locations, there may be a delivery delay that may take an additional business day to have it transferred to the store closest to you.

See our full Shipping Policy for further details.

Local pickup only

Some products are available for local pickup only. If you’d like this item shipped, please call us at 1 (888) 900-1959 or text us at (415) 457-7600 to discuss shipping options. 

Shipping items with tubes

Bananas does not warranty tubes in transit. We offer tube removal and individual bubble wrap service for $45 per customer request (for standard amps, more complex amps that take more time may be a higher fee). Customers buying any tube product and having it shipped should understand and realize that Bananas cannot be responsible for damaged tubes from transit. This applies to all new and used products. Certain manufactures offer a tube warranty on their new products as a courtesy, and that is available thru the manufacturer warranty process for all new products where it applies.

Play now, Pay later!

Make music more affordable with these easy payment plans. It only takes a few minutes to apply or just choose any financing option at checkout.

Bananas at Large offers these financing options: BreadPay, Affirm, PayTomorrow, Acima Credit, Synchrony and more! 

Click here for details.

Bananas Product & Shipping Protection

Enjoy Peace of Mind 

Hassle-free product & shipping protection for the stuff you love. 

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Extend™ coverage & benefits 

• Accidental damage protection: You’re covered for a repair or replacement in case of accidental damage, as well as extended product protection after the manufacturer warranty expires. 
• Extended product protection: Play without worry. You’re covered when regular use of your product over time results in mechanical or electrical failure. 
• Worry-free shipping protection: Cover your package against loss, damage, and theft, so if your delivery doesn’t arrive safely, Extend will handle it. 
• Convenient support: With Extend, you’ll never have a deductible or fees. Simply file a claim with your email address or Extend contract ID (most claims are resolved in minutes). Extend is always happy to help and has online support 24/7. 

Hear it from our happy customers

“The plan is definitely worth the price and great customer service!” - Colleen K. 

“The replacement process was automated and even easier than I could have imagined. I am glad I purchased the extra protection.” - Michael S. 

“I am beyond happy with my experience with Extend. I can't believe how easy it was for me to get a replacement. Truly amazing!” - Christopher K. 

Limitations and exclusions apply. Read Extend’s product protection terms and conditions and Extend’s Shoppers Guide to Shipping Protection for more information. 

Our manufacturer’s warranty 

Every new product you purchase with Bananas comes with its full manufactures warranty coverage. 

Why add Extend? 

Extend provides affordable product and shipping protection with a modern, easy-to understand process. Add an Extend plan and shipping protection to your purchase during checkout.

Extend Product Protection provides coverage for your product after the manufacturer’s warranty expires. 

Extend Shipping Protection protects your package en route; whether it’s a mixup on the truck, a mishandling from a shipping carrier, or it's stolen while you’re at work, you’re covered. 

Easy claims, great service 

Filing a claim with Extend is simple. Contact Extend online or by phone at (877) 248-7707. They’ll process your claim in minutes and once approved, send you details on your repair or replacement depending on the claim. 

Start a claim

What if I need to return my product? 

If you return your product, Bananas returns the money you paid for the product protection plan. Depending on how much time has passed since your purchase, Extend may issue a prorated refund. 

Shipping protection is non-refundable. 

Am I able to cancel my Extend protection plan? 

Yes. If you decide you do not want to continue with the Extend Product Protection plan, you can cancel for a full refund within the original manufacturer's warranty period. Product protection plans can also be canceled after the Extend protection plan has started. Depending on how much time has passed since your purchase, Extend may issue a prorated refund. 

Shipping protection is non-refundable.