Manufacture Date for Alvarez
 

Hi,

Is there a resource online where I can check the date my late father's Alvarez RD8 was manufactured? The only serial numbers listed on Alvarez's website is for their Yairi guitars. The serial number is F408010225. It is on a paper label inside the guitar.

My father passed away about two and a half weeks ago. It is special because of who owned it and not because of what it is. I did do some looking around. I was unable to find anything online or a email address for Alvarez. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rob

PS: I did upload photos to the photo gallery.

Sorry to hear about the loss of your father.

Alvarez support should be able to give you a definitive answer, but I believe the letter prefix is a factory designation, and the first digit gives the year. So yours may be a 2004 model.

http://www.alvarezgtr.com/contact.php

Try this website. Yairi Luvr is an excellent source for Alvarez and Alvarez Yairi info. Go to the forum on the site labeled "Alvarez and Alvarez Yairi Info. Plus.
Good luck.

http://alvarezyairi.web.fc2.com/

Thanks
 

Thanks for the kind words and the help.

Sincerely, Rob

alvarez date
 

I'm having similar problems with my Alvarez RD20.
The label is a different shape and design to any other I can find on-line.
Bridge is unusual for an RD20 standard dreadnaught.
serial number is; S98060080.
I have photos I've taken to assist but site won't allow me to attach them.
Can anyone help me please?

Thanks.

Basil9981

There was a similar post I think. My suggestion now (as then) was to email Tom at St. Louis Music which handles Alvarez. He will quickly get back to you, sometimes within the hour, after he looks up information on your Alvarez. I've used him for years to help me wade through the conflicting online reports about the older Alvarez models.

I trust him because, as I said, I've found widely divergent specs on different models.

According to Tom at STL GUITAR SERVICE (St. Louis Music, Alvarez Service Rep) - "Most Alvarez models from recent times can be dated using the first 2 digits as the year, second 2 digits as the month."

EX: serial number E20051865
E = factory designation (China)
20 = 2020
05 = May
1865 = factory production number

Good to know thanks

This. Tom is the go-to for real deal info. He's a wealth of knowledge. They're an offshoot of SLM. He's not actually of or at SLM he's with St. Louis guitar service. Nevertheless, he's the man. I've conversed with him on several instruments.

[email protected]

Condolences to the family.

Second Stamp
 

I purchased a new Alvarez in St Louis in the early 1980's from a Music store that I worked at. It looks like a Martin D-35

It is stamped "Second" in red on the sound hole label. I never found what the flaw was. Now it has 40 years of scratches.

I am tiring to find out if the serial number matches 1982-1983 when I bought it and dose the second stamp make it less valuable?

The label says:
Model 4543
Seral 47912
Made in Japan