Alvarez Guitar REPACK

Alvarez is a guitar brand founded in 1965 by the owner and distributor St. Louis Music.[1] Alvarez manufactures steel-strings, classical guitars, ukuleles and, for a time, solid and hollow-body electric guitars and basses.

alvarez guitar

From 2005 to 2009, the brand was owned by LOUD Technologies, which also owned Mackie, Ampeg, Crate and other music-related brands. In 2009, Mark Ragin (owner of US Band & Orchestra and St. Louis Music) brought the management and distribution of the guitars back to St. Louis Music. As early as 2011, SLM senior vice president Chris Meikle has acted as Alvarez head of development,[2] overseeing the redesign of Artist Series and other models[3] and rolling out new instrument lines such as the 2014 Masterworks Series,[4] the Alvarez 50th anniversary 1965 Series,[5] Alvarez-Yairi Honduran Series[6] and the Grateful Dead Series.

While many of its models are produced in China, the top-tier Alvarez-Yairi instruments are handmade at the Yairi factory in Kani, Gifu-Japan, part of the legacy of Kazuo Yairi, the late master luthier.[7] Every Alvarez guitar undergoes a full set up and inspection in their guitar shop in St. Louis, Missouri.[8]

Alvarez considers Regent Series a high quality entry-level line of guitars designed to give younger players and players new to the instrument a positive learning experience. With one of the best of the series; the RD8, being discontinued.[10] In 2018 Alvarez released the Regent School Series designed specifically for students. The nut width is slimmer than the standard size and the neck has been custom shaped to be comfortable for smaller hands.[11]

Alvarez has stated that its goal with Artist Series is to deliver pro level guitars at excellent value through the close attention to detail.[12] Alvarez Artist Series has won several awards, including a 5/5 rating in Acoustic Guitar Magazine and a nomination for best guitar series from The Music and Sound Retailer.[13] In 2017 Artist Series began adding new key features and models including armrests,[14] travel guitars like the Delta DeLite and LJ2,[15] and ATR (Advanced Tonal Response) system.[16]

Alvarez Yairi guitars are a handmade flagship series, crafted in the Yairi factory in Kani, Japan.[19] Alvarez Yairi have been the guitar of choice for many professional touring musicians including Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Ani DiFranco, and Joe Bonamassa.[1] Alvarez Yairi take the name of master luthier Kazuo Yairi(1932-2014) who partnered with St. Louis Music in the late 1960s to bring Alvarez Guitars to the market.[1] Kazuo Yairi inspired many innovations that are still used in Alvarez guitars today, including the Direct Coupled Bridge, careful selection of tonewoods, and manual carving; a practice that he referred to as "listening with your hands".[20] In 2017 the Alvarez team discovered a lost cache of Honduran Mahogany that Kazuo Yairi had purchased and stored on a plot of land near his factory in the mid 1970s.[21] Tonewood that has been naturally seasoning for this amount of time is coveted by luthiers around the world, and this discovery led to the release of the Yairi Honduran line of guitars which debuted in 2018.[21]

There's nothing quite like the look and sound of a well-crafted acoustic guitar... a feeling known all too well by owners of Alvarez acoustic guitars. Since 1965, the popularity of Alvarez acoustic guitars has grown consistently larger, and today they are one of the leading American acoustic guitar brands.

When searching for an acoustic guitar, there are definitely some things to consider. From the body's shape to the materials and woods used, these are all elements of an acoustic guitar that will help determine its feel and tone. It's also important to consider the physical traits of who is playing the guitar, because something like a bulkier model might not be the right choice for a younger novice player. Of course, you'll find more than enough options to choose from when you go with Alvarez. Plus, you can have peace of mind knowing that every acoustic guitar they design has come to life through experienced craftsmen who take pride in producing top-quality instruments for all walks of life.

Looking for a brilliant yet affordable dreadnought? The Alvarez Artist Series AD30 is a solid top, entry-level model with a classic dreadnought tone. Complete with advanced scalloped bracing along with bone saddles, nuts and a rosewood bridge, this dreadnought acoustic guitar is easy on the fingers, and stays in tune amazingly well. Another superb choice is the Alvarez Artist Series AG60CD grand auditorium acoustic-electric guitar. Ideal for both fingerpickers and strummers, this guitar contains a hand-selected solid spruce top, a mahogany back and sides, and its narrow waist makes treble notes ring with clarity. Overall, this grand auditorium acoustic-electric is remarkable for both stage and studio use.

Championed by amateur and professionals worldwide, the tone and playability of an Alvarez acoustic guitar has earned them an astounding reputation amongst many famous recording artists, including Ani Difranco, Bob Weir and Monte Montgomery. Whether you're looking for a classic dreadnought or a jumbo acoustic-electric, Alvarez has an acoustic guitar to suit every style, taste and skill level.

In the 1960s the St. Louis Music Company had developed a reputation as one of the leading acoustic guitar suppliers in the USA. St. Louis Music was one of the first brands to import foreign made guitars on a mass scale, and they had tremendous success with their Alvarez brand thanks to the incredible quality of these instruments, produced by their Japanese partner, master luthier, Kazuo Yairi.

Alvarez guitars became incredibly popular after being used by a number of high profile players, with Johnny Cash and Paul McCartney being some of the biggest names. They offer one of the widest ranges of model types on the market, and produce quality guitars to suit practically every budget.

Budget conscious shoppers should take a look at our best budget option, the Alvarez AD30CE Artist 30. This is an excellent guitar for the price, and even more impressive when you consider its quality electronics and solid Sitka Spruce top. It delivers a well balanced tone, and great playability, too.

The electronics on this guitar were equally as impressive. It had a premium LR Baggs VTC Element pickup system, which is one of our favorites. The amplified tone from this system was absolutely fantastic, with great clarity and definition, while still retaining the acoustic character.

The Alvarez AD30CE is a beginner to intermediate focused dreadnought at a phenomenal price. The top was made with solid Sitka spruce, and it was paired with mahogany on the back and sides. Considering the price, the embellishments on this guitar were quite impressive; it had an attractive, yet subtle abalone rosette, and even full body binding.

For a budget guitar, we found it delivered some seriously impressive tones. It had tons of mid and lower mid punch, with a big booming voice. The Sitka spruce top gave it plenty of clarity and sparkle, and the mahogany back and sides balanced the tone with a nice warmth.

The Alvarez SYS250 electronics system on this guitar was simple but effective. It had an onboard preamp, as well as a volume and tone control, and even a tuner. The sound was crystal clear when amplified, with good feedback resistance, and it had no problem cutting through a mix.

The wood used for the back of this guitar was hand picked by master luthier Kazuo Yairi over 50 years ago, and was actually forgotten about until recently, and so, has been aging in the perfect conditions for 5 decades.

Tonally this guitar was absolutely wonderful. It gave us some incredible depth, which was no doubt influenced by the Honduran mahogany. That depth was still balanced by plenty of clarity and brightness, making it an incredibly versatile guitar. Its responsiveness to changes in attack were superb, switching from sweet and delicate to bright and bold in the blink of an eye.

Verdict: The Alvarez FYM60HD Yairi Honduran Series is an absolute masterpiece. This guitar was designed to produce the best tone and playability possible, and it delivers on both fronts. Its tone is incredibly balanced, with plenty of depth, clarity, and projection. It was built with incredible craftsmanship and attention to detail. This is truly an exceptional guitar.

The Alvarez MDA66SHB Masterworks Steries is a square shouldered dreadnought style guitar, made with solid mahogany, on boh the top, back, and sides. Getting a premium solid wood for the entire body is practically unheard of at this price point, and this adds a lot to the overall value for money.

The sound of this Alvarez was very laid back. It had a good balance between low end warmth and mid range punch, with just a touch of top end sparkle that made it an ideal choice for rhythm work or as a guitar for vocal accompaniment.

Verdict: The Alvarez Delta00E/TSB was so much fun to play, and delivered some gorgeous tones. It was crisp and clear, with superb note separation and articulation. Fingerstyle players in particular will enjoy this guitar most, but anybody who picks it up will appreciate the superb craftsmanship and handsome looks, as well as the incredible comfort and ergonomics.

Like most grand auditorium style guitars, it had a huge mid range presence and a lot of volume. It projected like a dreadnought, and had something of a similar voicing, but thanks to the narrower waist, was much more comfortable to hold. While it was most prominent in the mids, it still had some nice top end, but we thought the bass registers were a little muddy when playing loud. 041b061a72