Alvarez: What's the deal?

[sickman]

What's the deal with Alvarez. A buddy of mine just picked up an electric-acoustic made by them and it plays and sounds nicer than my Guild JF-30. As the guild is a jumbo style, I've been looking to add another acoustic with a more comfortable body.

 

He said he paid $350 for the Alvarez. I believe the model is a CF 30 something?? It is a single cutaway and does not have a pickguard. Any ideas? I've played it a few times and it seems like one hell of a guitar for that price.

 

What Alvarez models should I be looking at?

[skatalite]

Alvarez makes some great stuff. Like Yamaha, I've yet to play an Alvarez I didn't like.

 

I was lucky enough to grab an MD60 and MD80 when they were being blown out, and I'd really like to add an Alvarez folk acoustic to the arsenal.

[kwakatak]

Are they still made by Cort? Lots of brands are made by Cort. I can't see how any one would be better than another.

[DeepEnd]

 

Are they still made by Cort? Lots of brands are made by Cort. I can't see how any one would be better than another.

 

Alvarez is made all over the map, almost literally. The place of manufacture (and maker) varies from one model to another. Always has.

[gitnoob]

 

He said he paid $350 for the Alvarez. I believe the model is a CF 30 something?? It is a single cutaway and does not have a pickguard. Any ideas? I've played it a few times and it seems like one hell of a guitar for that price. What Alvarez models should I be looking at?

 

 

They make AF, PF, and MF folk (OM) models. The MF is all solid, the PF has lam sides with solid back/top, and the AF has lam back/sides with a solid top.

 

I'm pretty sure they're all made in China at the Grand Rewards factory these days, supposedly the same factory that makes Guild GADs and a bunch of others.

 

Pretty hard to go wrong with any of their recent models, especially if you're looking for a thin neck, cutaway, and electronics.

[kwakatak]

 

Alvarez is made all over the map, almost literally. The place of manufacture (and maker) varies from one model to another. Always has.

 

 

Yes, but my point was that that level of Alvarez was made in the same factory as Carvin and a few other brands; they do not build ALL of their own guitars. They farm them out. Lots of brands do, some of whom have a higher reputation. We're talking Korea, China, Singapore, wherever the cost of labor is cheap and local environmental laws are lax. I've no doubt that the Yairi's are built in the home factory, just as the higher-end Takamine are still made in the village of Saka{censored}a nestled at the base of Mt. Takamine.

[DJ in FL]

Which to look at depends on how and what you intend to play...fingerstyle, strumming, cutaway, etc...what are you budget constraints. How about a nice Alvarez Yairi...all handmade in Japan?

[Hudman]

 

Yes, but my point was that that level of Alvarez was made in the same factory as Carvin and a few other brands; they do not build ALL of their own guitars. They farm them out. Lots of brands do, some of whom have a higher reputation. We're talking Korea, China, Singapore, wherever the cost of labor is cheap and local environmental laws are lax. I've no doubt that the Yairi's are built in the home factory, just as the higher-end Takamine are still made in the village of Saka{censored}a nestled at the base of Mt. Takamine.

 

 

Sure Neil, but every company has their own quality standards and build requirements. Contractors bid and build them as requested.

[zenbu]

The Alvarez built by K. Yairi I see in local shops cost a bundle and the top end models...gorgeous but I will not play any.

[RizinRico]

i have the MD90 which is a superb dread. i got mine used for less than $400.

[Opa John]

I too bought one of the Alvarez Masterworks MD-80s when they were being blown out for $299. Then, a couple of weeks later, I got an additional $60 price-match credit because a different web site had dropped their price to $239. So, $239 with a really nice rigid foam case for an all solid Englemann Spruce and solid Mahogany guitar that sounds like heaven to my ears is one helluva deal. The action right out of the box was fantastic, it came with D'Addario EXP16 strings on it, and the thin satin finished neck is a dream to play. Don't know how I could've possibly done better.

 

I also recently got a great deal on a new tobacco burst Yamaha FG730S, with hardshell case included, for under $300. That's a helluva deal too, but I truly believe the Alvarez is just a notch or two higher up the ladder when it comes to playability and sound. I took the Yamaha in for a setup and a new bone saddle. The Alvarez didn't need a thing done to it.

 

Bottom line, for a total of less than $540 I got two keepers. Love 'em both!

 

BTW, both of these brands are ones I've never owned before.....They've both opened up my eyes to some of the quality guitars coming out of China these days. I'd still love to own a nice new Martin HD-28 someday, but not because I'm "gassin" for one.....just because I think I should have one. I deserve it. My "gas" has been seriously abated for the present time.

[Christhee68]

I have an Alvarez AD60ck. It's all laminate, but it sounds, looks, and plays great, although sometimes I wish I would have gotten a solid-top model. No particular reason, except solid wood is supposed to "open up" and sound better over time.

 

No regrets over the all lam dao wood, though. It sounds great already. I got it last year for $299.

 

From what I can tell, you can't go wrong with Alvarez when it comes to quality, value, and service.

 

 

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

[maccaminnie]

Just been looking at them, very nice

Their classicals are gorgeous, soundhole rosettes are really pretty

[OldGuitarPlayer]

I like the look of the RF300. It reminds me of the new Guild GAD M20 but at less than half the price. I wish we had an Alvarez dealer here in town but I have never seen one in person in any shop here. I'd love to try one out...especially the all mahogany RF300.

 

Here's the Alvarez RF300: http://www.alvarezgtr.com/prod_page.php?SeriesID=5&ItemID=275

 

Here's the Guild GAD M20: http://www.elderly.com/fmic/items/GADM20.htm

[sickman]

I'm alittle confused. If they are farming them out, how is the quality any better than the other guitars being built in the same factory.

 

The reason I'm interested is because around the house I usually play an acoustic and the Guild is a jumbo body style. When I bought it I really didn't take into consideration how comfortable it would be to play, I bought it because I got a $1200 guitar in like new shape for $500. It was made in USA.

 

Presently, I don't do any acoustic stuff with a band or solo... but that could change. At that point I would probably be willing to spend a little more money, but then again if I could find something like my buddy's Alvarez for $300 it wouldn't be necessary.

 

I will look at the model number next time I see him/it and let you guys know.

[skatalite]

I like the look of the RF300. It reminds me of the new Guild GAD M20 but at less than half the price. I wish we had an Alvarez dealer here in town but I have never seen one in person in any shop here. I'd love to try one out...especially the all mahogany RF300. Here's the Alvarez RF300: http://www.alvarezgtr.com/prod_page.php?SeriesID=5&ItemID=275 Here's the Guild GAD M20: http://www.elderly.com/fmic/items/GADM20.htm

 

I'm super interested in the RF300, too. I almost bought one through MF until I saw they won't be in for a week or so. Maybe that's a way of telling me to chill out, haha.

[Teletypist]

Alvarez doesn't make "stuff".

 

They sell it.

 

"Alvarez" is a brand name used by a marketing firm.

[sickman]

 

Alvarez doesn't make "stuff". They sell it. "Alvarez" is a brand name used by a marketing firm.

 

 

That's what confuses me. Does this mean the quality is going to vary widely from guitar to guitar?

[gitnoob]

 

That's what confuses me. Does this mean the quality is going to vary widely from guitar to guitar?

 

 

Knowing which model you're talking about would help.

 

The Alvarez-Yairi models, for example, have always been made by K. Yairi in Japan.

 

Most other current models are made in a single factory in China and should be pretty consistent.

 

Older non-Yairi models have been made in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.

 

FWIW, even Martin guitars made in the same US factory are not exactly "consistent."

[knockwood]

I can't put my finger on precisely why this is, but something about the Alvarez/Yairi relationship has always irked me. The branding, I mean. I just prefer the straight Yairi branding you see on the guitars in the Japanese market. Alvarez makes very good guitars, IMO, but their logo is fugly. I'd like the look of the guitars much better if they'd just take the import $ and STFU on the branding.

[gitnoob]

I'd like the look of the guitars much better if they'd just take the import $ and STFU on the branding.

 

I agree -- I'd like much more transparency in guitarworld. Drop the Martin label, and just tell me who really built the guitar. If Betty Wolinsky makes the best OM-42, I want her name on the headstock.

[sickman]

I noticed my buddies guitar has the the logo, but the world "Alvarez" is not on the headstock. I really though it was a CF model, but you guys aren't listing that as one of their models. The thing plays like butter though and the electronics sound great. Maybe I'll get lucky and he will need some money and have to sell it.

[Teletypist]

 

That's what confuses me. Does this mean the quality is going to vary widely from guitar to guitar?

 

 

Making a guitar isn't that difficult. Cut out some wood, glue it together, finish it - it really isn't that hard. Anyone can do it. Everyday we see examples of this.

 

These days it's even easy to make guitars that look good and sound acceptable to untrained ears. All the tricky parts are done by machines, it just takes humans to feed the machines. The humans don't even have to know what guitars are supposed to look like, or sound like.

 

Decent guitars are not just an assembly of parts. It really does take years of experience to select and match woods, to use them together in an optimal way. Machines cannot duplicate that human process, but try to replicate it. Therefore New School factories added an additional stage - quality control. It selected acceptable units, rebranded those that were not.

 

Modern manufacturing abandoned the last step. QA is the resort of the final purchaser, not the manufacturer.

 

It's cost efficient.

 

Just a long way of saying: Yes, the quality varies. You can find really good samples, and very poor samples, of the same model. And if you doubt any of this just take a look at the number of Web Bizzes that sprung up reselling "2nd" Alvarez guitars, or many other brands.

[knockwood]

I agree -- I'd like much more transparency in guitarworld. Drop the Martin label, and just tell me who really built the guitar. If Betty Wolinsky makes the best OM-42, I want her name on the headstock.

 

I meant to say, "...except Martin."