Thoughts on Alvarez?
 

So a friend just became an authorized dealer and is trying to sell them. I personally have no experience with the brand. Heard of them but thats about it.

Floridapicker

Alvarez makes a good, consistent, affordable guitar. Their lowest grades are quite playable with decent sound. Artist series and up begin to be very good while remaining reasonable in price.

I have owned several. Currently have an AP70.

I love them.
I have four.
I’ve had six. Five of them were simply amazing.
The one that wasn’t...was still a fine instrument.

They are one of the best kept, not so secret, secrets of the guitar world.
IMHO, they slot in with similar Takamine guitars.

I like mine. Good tone for a small guitar.

I own two. An Artist series and a Master series. Great value.

Best,
Jayne

+1......:guitar:

My son has a fairly new inexpensive Alvarez dread. It has a great sound and can play along with any of my more expensive guitars. If I had to live with it as my only guitar, I'd still make music and be happy.

Here's my only recording of mine. Why I don't record with it more is a mystery.

I’ve a 1996-97 Koa 5040, a Jumbo AJ-80, and a parlor AP70 All are keepers.

I did sell a 5018 12 string, that at the time, I did not realize it was the best sounding 12 string I’ve come across without going into really high priced spreads. I regret selling it quite often.

I have an all solid mahogany masterclass parlor that's pretty impeccable. Too much bling for my taste but that's not a flaw.

I'm own an AF60 and an AP70 in the Masterworks series. They are great all round guitars. Sound, comfort and play-ability. :up:

Alvarez is a good-to-great maker and importer. Their highest line are the Alvarez Yairi instruments "hand built" in Japan at the Kazuo Yairi factory, and they are very special indeed - as evidenced by my Conquistador classical guitar circa 1977, given to me by my dad recently. You probably can't lose with an Alvarez, you definitely can't lose with an Alvarez Yairi. If you search through AGF you will never, and I mean literally, find negative comments on this brand.

I have a pf2005 which is an all solid mahogany model. It was inexpensive and sounds great. I still use it for fingerpicking.

I will say they have a solid value through a lot of price points. Both low up to high end.

I bought my niece a cheap OM as her first guitar this past christmas and she's enjoying it.

^ - Totally agree! EVERY Artist and Masterworks Alvarez guitar I have played has impressed me, and has almost always left me a little dumbfounded by the high quality/price ratio.

I am temped to say that the Alvarez brand of acoustic guitar (Artist & Masterworks) has shown the most consistent quality of any brand I have encountered. Any. I would call every one I have demoed at my local GC (a dozen or more guitars) very good to excellent...When I play one of these, I always do a double take at the price tag to make sure I am not misreading it.

I was recently on a search for a maple jumbo, and hoped to find something under $1K, but would have spent more to get a great guitar if necessary. I looked at a lot of new and used guitars. Enter the Alvarez AJ80CE -Incredible tone, build quality, playability, and features for around $500. I probably would have still chosen it at twice the price.

I frankly can't quite wrap my head around how a guitar this good (and with excellent, name brand electronics) can be built and sold for this price.

I have an AP70 I purchased as a spare, casual guitar for picking in the bedroom. In my opinion, it sounds and plays way above it's pay grade. Lots of bang for the buck. Chunky neck, however.