The Alvarez Delta DeLite is a small blues-shaped acoustic with a solid Sitka spruce top and a 600mm scale, from around £299 in the UK. It comes with a deluxe gig bag. A version with a SYS100 pickup, the Delta DeLite E, is also sold.
It is a small guitar built around fingerpicking and blues, and it suits a player who wants a real acoustic they can carry rather than a novelty.
What you actually get
The DeLite has a solid A+ Sitka spruce top, arched mahogany back and sides, and a mahogany neck with a 50/50 semi-gloss finish. The fingerboard and bridge are pau ferro, with abalone inlays and an ivory ABS binding. The nut and saddle are real bone and the tuners are die-cast. Alvarez uses its forward-shifted FST2 X bracing, and the guitar ships with D’Addario EXP16 strings and a 15mm duo-foam AGB-15 gig bag.
The scale length is 600mm and the nut is 1.75 inches wide. That nut width is roomy, which makes fingerstyle patterns easier than on a narrower-nut mini guitar.
Good for: blues, fingerstyle and sofa playing, on a guitar with a solid top and bone nut. Not for: hard strumming at volume. A small body has limits, and a bigger guitar will always move more air.
Acoustic or electro?
The DeLite E uses the same body and the same woods, with a SYS100 pickup system added. If you plan to plug into an amp, an interface or a PA, it is the one to buy. If you only play unplugged, the plain DeLite saves you the cost of electronics you will not use. Check the current price of each before you decide.
- Delta DeLite: see it at Andertons
- Delta DeLite E: see it at Andertons
Check the DeLite price at Andertons
How it compares
The DeLite and the Alvarez Little Jumbo LJ2 share a lot, including the top wood, the bone nut and the gig bag. The DeLite has a blues body and a pau ferro fingerboard, while the LJ2 has the deeper jumbo shape. Pick the DeLite if you want the smaller-bodied guitar for fingerstyle. Pick the LJ2 if you want more body and more bass.
Against the Taylor GS Mini, it costs less and is simpler. For camping and outdoor use, see our best travel guitar for camping picks, and the complete UK buyer’s guide compares every option by budget.
FAQ
What is the Alvarez Delta DeLite?
It is a small blues-shaped acoustic from the Alvarez Jazz & Blues series, with a solid Sitka spruce top and mahogany back, sides and neck.
What scale length is the Delta DeLite?
600mm. The nut is 1.75 inches wide.
Does the Delta DeLite come with a gig bag?
Yes. It ships with a 15mm duo-foam AGB-15 deluxe gig bag.
What is the difference between the DeLite and the DeLite E?
The DeLite E has the same body and woods but adds a SYS100 pickup system, so you can plug it into an amp, interface or PA.
How much does the Delta DeLite cost in the UK?
The acoustic costs from around £299.
