Info on Alvarez 5039, bicentennial model? W/ adjustable bridge question

[skatalite]

Hey there. A local guy has an Alvarez 5039 for sale, and I'm wondering if anyone had any information about it. I know they're limited to 800 made and were made in 1975 or 1976, but what about wood and what not?

I've read on two different sites that:
- Top is solid sitka
- Back is laminated rosewood
- Sides are solid rosewood

Or
- It's all laminated wood

But, the guitar has an adjustable bridge... How do you like them?

I wish I could get photos, but I know it looks like a Martin D-35, with all the bling and such.

Any help, pictures, etc., would be great!

[barrangatan]

Did you see this old thread already:
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=178108

I am leaning toward it having a laminate top. Let us know what you find out. The old Alvarez are great guitars.

[skatalite]

Originally Posted by barrangatan

Did you see this old thread already:
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=178108

I am leaning toward it having a laminate top. Let us know what you find out. The old Alvarez are great guitars.

Awesome, thanks!

[itsalljustaride]

I'm the OP for that thread.

After having it for a couple months, I can say a couple things:

1) It has become my favorite of my two standard acoustics. I found my Martin to be too muffled and tame for my tastes, though it's still a nice guitar for its bracket.

2) I'm not sold on the adjustable bridge. The way it works, it ends up limiting the contact of the bridge to the two points of the bolts that you use to adjust the height. The good news is that the mechanism simply sits in a slot in the bridge, so you have the option of simply removing it and making a wood piece to go in its place. I'm considering doing this in a couple weeks, as it sounds like a good way to get a more natural sound without permanently altering the original guitar setup. It would be easy enough to simply swap out the wood saddle with the metal mechanism and bingo, instant original.

3) Even though the bridge is kind of wonky with the metal and all, it still has what I consider to be a good sound overall. If I switch it out for wood and the sound is negatively effected, I'll probably go back to the adjustable setup. The current sound with the adjustable metal bridge is fairly bright and on the loud side. It has much more volume than my Martin, which is another reason I've moved to playing the Alvarez more.

If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask

[kiss4afrog]

I had a robbery and my Alvarez Model 5039 Bicentennial Model 008 / 800 is missing.
REWARD for recovery.

[RustyZombie]

With an adjustable bridge you can often achieve better intonation, but many feel it isn't worth the tonal trade-off.