I have an Alvarez sickness

[jpd]

Originally Posted by Pickcity

Is anyone else just completely impressed with what Alvarez is doing these days? Man they are killing it.

2016 Delta 00 and 2018 Blues 51. For the price point and quality.....they ARE killing it!

[Pickcity]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

I owned a K. Yairi and loved it so I’m going to be on the lookout for another one at some point.
The regular Alvarez models I’ve come across in stores haven’t been that impressive. They seem kind of overbuilt with thick finishes, but that’s the 300-400 dollar models. Maybe the higher end models are better.

Mine are the master built series. All but the AP66 parlor I bought my son, and it is a really good guitar. All mahogany, slotted headstock, outstanding performance. It was around $400, I believe. My son and I both prefer it over the Taylor GS mini I bought him. That Taylor is a good guitar too and close to double the price.

I’m keeping a lookout for used Yairi models. I have been wanting the FYM66AD. It’s one of those things where I will have to part with something to justify the $3k price tag.

[Ralph124C41]

You can see I own a few Alvarez guitars. I did own a used one a few years back but I bought it in "excellent" condition from a private seller online only to find it had a lifting bridge. The other I sold only because its 1.75-inch nut width plus its "fat" neck profile just made it uncomfortable for me to play. But it sounded great and looked fine.

I'm always on the lookout for the older models that had the thinner 1 11/16-inch nut width. In fact I've been looking for more than a year for a used MD-90 or MD-95. I've had a couple slip through my fingers as I waited too long. Every day I look online ... and every day I tell myself nothing to see here and just to move on.

They're great guitars but that standard (more or less) nut width is just a deal breaker for me. But still I heartily recommend them as guitars.

[Dr356]

I have an Alvarez OM from the 70's. Its a nice guitar for someone going off to college and its now at Penn State with the grand daughter. I also have a K. Yairi YW 1000 made in 1982. A wonderful guitar but its too big for me to play comfortably and I need to move it on. I wish Alvarez made a 12 fret OM cutaway. I'd buy one in a minute.

[thefsb]

Originally Posted by Pickcity

I’m really surprised to hear that. In the couple of reviews I watched they sounded incredible. Of course sound can be altered in many ways on a YT video. I get it, though. $3k isn’t chump change and if it doesn’t cut it, you have to walk. Thanks for the feedback.

I find that YT reviews produce very different results from my own experience. I know enough about acoustics and how microphones work to not be surprised. But they also cannot tell you anything about responsiveness. You have to pluck the guitar yourself and judge the response relative to all your experience.

I've had this experience a few times: I set my heart on this or that based on online research (specs, brand, demos, photos, videos, reviews, comments, whatever) and then go to a store to check it out and everything I knew becomes irrelevant when I learn something more important by playing it. A variation on this is I buy the guitar and get it delivered by mail and then return it.

The shop had 6 high end Yairi's when I visited and I played 3 of them. The FYM66HD was the least impressive to play at the same time as being the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen. But I'm not going to hang it on the wall, it's going to be in its OHSC when not being played. So looks isn't top priority.

[edcmat-l1]

I've owned at least a couple dozen Alvarez/Yairi. I'm down to 9 or 10 now. Great guitars.

[martingitdave]

The Alvarez guitars made in China have been consistently great. One of my local dealers thinks they are the best value on the market, regardless of where they are being built. There's a lot to like about them. I've enjoyed demoing them and have bought one in the recent past. My only gripes with these guitars are the string spacing at the nut, and perhaps the weight/finish. I tend to prefer the Eastman neck for my hands.

[zuzu]

I had one about a year ago I eventually traded for a Tele, the acoustic/electric...AG model...maybe? I took it to my luthier, (the real deal, builds wonderful archtop guitars and mandolins) for a setup. He is, perhaps, the most meticulous person I have ever met and even for a simple setup he IS going to examine every inch of the instrument, inside and out, in minute detail. Though he was not overly impressed with the sound of that (very Tayloresque) Alvarez, he was highly complimentary of the quality of the workmanship "for a factory guitar."

[Vognell]

I picked up the MD70EBG, The MD60BG, and AP66SHB about two years ago. Fantastic instruments within their price range, and hold up real well to more expensive instruments. They all sound good, but the MD60 in particular nails that punchy bluegrass dreadnaught sound that I like. I've never felt like I "settled" by purchasing these instruments.

[Andromeda]

These are the Alvarez guitars I currently own and I love them!

Alvarez MD95
Alvarez MD60
Alvarez MDA66SHB (all mahogany)
Alvarez 5221 12~String (all mahogany)

[Pickcity]

Originally Posted by Vognell

I picked up the MD70EBG, The MD60BG, and AP66SHB about two years ago. Fantastic instruments within their price range, and hold up real well to more expensive instruments. They all sound good, but the MD60 in particular nails that punchy bluegrass dreadnaught sound that I like. I've never felt like I "settled" by purchasing these instruments.

I agree the MD60 is a beast. I’ll never get rid of it. Considering the price vs quality and performance, it was a steal.

I haven’t played the MD70. I prefer mahogany to rosewood most of the time, so I am content with the MD60…At least that’s my excuse to keep from buying another one. LOL

Originally Posted by Andromeda

These are the Alvarez guitars I currently own and I love them!

Alvarez MD95
Alvarez MD60
Alvarez MDA66SHB (all mahogany)
Alvarez 5221 12~String (all mahogany)

You have the same condition that I have. It’s called Alvarezitus.

[Pickcity]

Originally Posted by thefsb

I find that YT reviews produce very different results from my own experience. I know enough about acoustics and how microphones work to not be surprised. But they also cannot tell you anything about responsiveness. You have to pluck the guitar yourself and judge the response relative to all your experience.

I've had this experience a few times: I set my heart on this or that based on online research (specs, brand, demos, photos, videos, reviews, comments, whatever) and then go to a store to check it out and everything I knew becomes irrelevant when I learn something more important by playing it. A variation on this is I buy the guitar and get it delivered by mail and then return it.

The shop had 6 high end Yairi's when I visited and I played 3 of them. The FYM66HD was the least impressive to play at the same time as being the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen. But I'm not going to hang it on the wall, it's going to be in its OHSC when not being played. So looks isn't top priority.

Yes I get it. I want to try one to hear for myself, but I always keep the blinders off when considering a new guitar.

This happened to me a couple years ago. I drove to Nashville to try a “sinker” mahogany D-18…These special run D-18’s were being sold at Gruhn’s and I could not wait to get my hands on one. My mind was pretty well made up that I would try a few and pick the best one. I tried 6 and didn’t buy any of them. They were not bad, but not what I expected. I really wasn’t that impressed. I didn’t think they were any better than a D-18 standard, and not as good as some of them. They were beautiful and the sinker wood was a cool concept, but they sounded pretty average, IMO.

[BlueBowman]

I have an MDBG60 that I'll never part with. It's not that the volume or tone will blow you away, though both are represented well. It's the "punchiness" of the sound that stands out to me. That guitar is so "punchy and springy," especially in the bass. It makes for a very fun time playing music

[Pickcity]

Originally Posted by martingitdave

The Alvarez guitars made in China have been consistently great. One of my local dealers thinks they are the best value on the market, regardless of where they are being built. There's a lot to like about them. I've enjoyed demoing them and have bought one in the recent past. My only gripes with these guitars are the string spacing at the nut, and perhaps the weight/finish. I tend to prefer the Eastman neck for my hands.

I love the neck on my MD60. The satin is smooth and fast, and it tapers from a soft V to a more rounded C shape moving past the 4th or 5th fret. Very, very nice.

1 3/4” spacing is fine with me, but I would prefer 1 11/16”. That’s the only thing I would change, on paper, about this one I just ordered. I have yet to play it (arrives tomorrow) so the jury is still out on how it plays.

Yeah I cannot deny the Chinese made Alvarez are outstanding. I’m no cork sniffer. I have owned some pretty high end instruments ($6-$7k) and still do own a couple of them, but for less than a grand the masterworks Alvarez series stacks up well with them. I agree with your local dealer. They are the best value out there. That’s why I keep buying them!

[PinkLine]

Originally Posted by Pickcity

The new Yairi FYM66HD made of 50 year old Honduran mahogany is something I have been eye balling very hard for a while now. It is $3k, so I would have to sell something off to justify buying it, but I am seriously considering it.

Yairi makes some of the finest acoustics in the world, IMO.

I purchased my FYM66HD on the last day of 2022 (the day before the price jumped to $2999). It would have been a bargain at $4000. Simply an astonishing guitar.