Alvarez Ad70Sc Acoustic Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

I am an intermediate player. I was looking for a parlor guitar in part due to the guitar lessons on Active Melody, where the instructor, Brian, uses a similar model, which sounds fantastic. I bought a "scratch and dent" to save some money, but it is verydifficult to see the blemishes. MF described the cosmetic blems perfectly, but they were much more minor than I expected. My wife could not find them. The set up was perfect right out of the box. I put on new strings when it arrived, and have not put the guitar down since (about a week ago). I use it mainly for finger picking, and it sounds great. It is amazing to be able to purchase such a beautiful instrument for so little. I have several more-expensive guitars, including a 15-year old Martin D16GT and a newer Seagull S6, but I am drawn to this Alverez's warm sound and projection. It is also easier to play than the Martin. I had a bit of trouble finding a case that fits, but eventually bought the Luna LLFP. It much more sturdy and padded than the standard gig bag, and the guitar fits nicely. It is also much lighter than a hard shell, and about half the price. (But the case also arrived with a nasty chemical smell inside, but I guess this will fade.) In summary, I am very happy with the Alverez AP70, and I would highly happily recommend it to my friends. I wish I had this one when I was just starting out.rabbitt

Bought this model to get back to playing after a bad accident stopped me playing at a time when I owned a seriously expensive guitar. Didn’t want to spend too much in case I couldn’t get back into playing but I can’t praise this guitar too highly. The tone is outstanding and it’s playability is second to none. The guitar is set up perfectly, no need to have it set up at your expense as with a lot of guitars out there. The build quality is superb and as it sits it the stand encourages you to get it off and play it. This model belies the price you pay because in my opinion it it a 400 to 500 pound guitar in all respects. It is delivered ‘mummified’ in bubble wrap to ensure safe passage and was delivered as promised. Can’t thank PMT enough for their advice. Great people to deal with. Need to get back to playing now.Mal H.

I wanted a small, inexpensive guitar that sounded good and played well. I pick up and play a guitar every night while I watch TV. The Takemine dreadnaught I was primarily using was carelessly broken and unremarkable. After reading about this AP70 and listening to Alvarez promotional and YouTube videos, I decided to buy this. It seemed like the thing to do, especially because of the low price and apparent sound quality; it seemed like the best value. It was on back order and wasn't supposed to ship until Feb 9, but I was pleasantly surprised when I received it on Feb 2. It was packed well and mostly in tune already. The construction quality is fantastic, and the sound was pretty good, but not as good as I expected. One of the other disappointments was that it wouldn't stay in tune and the intonation seemed off. After close inspection it seemed that there were not enough wraps of string around the tuners, the quality of the strings used were sub-par and more of a medium than a light gauge, making it difficult and frustrating to play. I immediately replaced the factory strings with Elixer bronze 80/20 nanoweb strings and that made all the difference in the sound, intonation, stability and playability. It's now an enjoyable instrument to play and a great value, in my opinion.The Deeski

Specs: cutaway, all solid, short scale, OM, Plus very nice bling. Extra deep body Very nice bass thump, Sitka walnut combo works well. Baggs electronics just right. An absolutely fine guitar. Spend a bit extra for a Hardshell case to class up package.B Strummin

I was shopping for a 12 string at local music stores. I have to admit that I often do this and end up buying on line to save money. I'm retired and have to watch my budget. I played many different guitars in the $1500 and down price range. Martin,Taylor,Ibanez,Takamine,Mitchell and others. I was leaning towards the Martin until I played this guitar. The sound is very clear and articulate with better bass than the others I played. The action is low but no buzz anywhere on the fretboard. The neck is wide enough to playing finger style but also easy to chord. Easily transition between this and my 6 string. Fit and finish is excellent with no noticeable flaws anywhere. In my open, you won't find a better guitar for the price.Tmax

I did quite a bit of research in finding an all-solid wood guitar with nice features at a reasonable price before purchasing a MGA77CEAR. I'm really happy with it so far, using it mostly for playing during church worship services. It has nice projection and resonance and is easy to play. The beveled armrest and Paua abalone purfling are nice touches. Also received great customer service from American Musical Supply during the purchasing process.Jonathan B.

This is an outstanding example of a well designed, well built, no frills acoustic dreadnought. At the price point it retails at, it is a great value. Mine came to me used in excellent structural and cosmetic shape. It has a gritty low end, clear mid range and sparkly trebles. It is very playable, up and down the neck, and mine came with perfectly set action and neck relief. There is plenty of room on the saddle, should I ever need to lower the action. I like the understated, satin finish much better than the heavily lacquered ones that seem to be the norm. And I actually prefer its unbound fret board. Not sure how it stacks up to other dreadnoughts, size-wise, but this feels easier to hold and get your right arm around, compared to another I owned previously. I did swap out the plastic bridge pins with bone, and did need to dress the fret ends a good bit, but otherwise have no other negatives to point out. I'm very happy with this Alvarez AD30 and it looks to have shoved my other acoustics aside in the playing order.smsdba

As a beginner on a budget, it was important to me that I find a good guitar at a decent price. After doing some research, I decided on the Alvarez AD30 Dreadnought. Suffice to say, this guitar has surpassed my expectations. It sounds great, it looks great, and it’s comfortable to play.Sam R.

The bevelled armrest is really comfortable whilst playing and the finish is beautiful. The truss rod is awkward to adjust but otherwise great acoustic.Jacob K.

This is by far one of the best guitars I have ever had. It’s all about the quality and price of a guitar and this is great quality and awesome price . J I encourage anyone out there to purchase this Alvarez guitar if you are looking for a great guitar. This is the way to go.Melissa

I usually don't write reviews for products, but considering how little reviews there are for this guitar I figured to give it a go. Been playing guitar for just shy of 10 years, haven't really been an acoustic player but to my ears this guitar is well rounded. its got a good mid range punch, but it is very balanced. it does seem a little harsh in tone when compared to my buddys Yamaha dreadnaught's warm tone, it may be just because the strings haven't been broken in or the guitar itself hasn't been broken in. though they are completely different guitars. it did need a little truss rod set up out of the box to reduce some string rattle but after that its playing like a champ. the fretboard could be a little bit smoother but for the price of this guitar I cannot complain. the wide neck makes fretting chords and fingerpicking a breeze. overall this is a great guitar with great value.alaw

Even though advertised as including gig bag, instrument arrived without gig bag. Poor fit and finish on neck, back and sides of guitar. Advertised as "gloss finish," the customer service representative told me matter-of-factly that this guitar has a natural, matte finish. That would not bother me, except for the fact that the "matte" finish feels more like "unfinished"- it is very rough, with large bumps underneath that look like sawdust trapped in the finish. This is all over the sides, back, and the neck/fingerboard where the neck joins the body. These are not random rough patches; this seems almost like it was a feature. There are tearouts in the wood where the side pieces are joined together. The neck joint has a gap between the heel and the body. The finish at the neck joint appears to be cracked underneath the surface. I have another Alvarez Artist Series guitar (ABT60); the fit and finish on that instrument is perfect. I was trusting that another guitar of the same line would share that quality. Sadly, it does not. The customer service rep seemed unperturbed by this information, and asked me "so, what do you want to do about it?" Given the option of returning the guitar at my own expense, I was informed that if I wanted a refund, that would be honored, minus their original shipping cost. That would mean I would be out too much money. I could also exchange it for another product of similar price, or apply the credit towards a more expensive. For what a return would cost me, I may just keep it and try selling it locally on CL. I will not be buying any more instruments over the internet, it's too easy to get burned like this.Paul

Recommended by the staff, for its sound and build quality who took the time to play several similar guitars side by side for comparisonReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I purchased this guitar on sale 40% off and for the money, it was a decent guitar but I did return it. First, let me compliment GC on their return policy, I tried it for about a week and returned it to my local GC which saved me from paying return shipping and they were very nice. I purchased this specifically as a beater guitar to use in bad weather or grunge gigs when I wanted to protect my nice guitars. My main objective is decent tone and usable electronics. I replaced the stock strings with .12s when I got it so my experiences are with nicer strings. The pros: Lightweight, great feeling neck, tuner is very good, looks nice, fit and finish are not perfect but pretty good for this price range, intonation was spot-on, playability was good I liked the satin back/sides with gloss top–looks snazzy and feels great. The cons: Tone, while lively, has no depth–it's very thin sounding and treble focused. It wasn't bad overall and the sound wasn't dead which is a problem you may face at this price range, but compare it to anything with at least a solid top and it's lacking. Then again, it's a laminate guitar so you'd expect a lower quality of tone. Quite a bit of fret-sprout and sharp frets which you could have taken care of at you local luthier but still not fun. Capoed, the sound was very shrill and unusable anywhere above the 2nd fret-it just sounded bad. The main reason I sent it back was the capoed tone and the pickup. Plugged in, the highest 2 strings were 50-75% louder than the rest of the strings even when I had the treble turned all the way down and it just sounded bad. There was no way I could use this in a gig setting. If the electronics were not so unbalanced and if the capoed sound was not so bad, I would've kept it. You may get one and like the super bright sound and your pickup may be balanced. Tone is subjective and the overall look, feel, quality and setup are quite good. It's worth a try.Steve

Looked nice in the photos and a good price since it was on sale and I used all my Gear Rewards. If I return it I guess I'll loose all my rewards? O.K. to start with the photo color is not the color you get as others have stated. The high-gloss finish is the top only, the rest is satin. I see satin finishes as cheaper construction. You don't have to polish satin. The fingerboard binding is black Not white as in the photo. What's the use of binding if you can hardly see it? Clearly a lot of guitars these days are being manufactured and sold either without the neck woods being fully cured or frets not finished off or both. Lots of razor sharp frets hanging out there including this guitar. Neck was Not flat either. I have purchased a lot from G.C. and I hate to be so critical but Real is Real. Luckily G.C. has a good return policy.B. McDonald

Easy to finger. Great neck and action…preamp just average but the playability makes up for it…..guitar came with extra light strings…nice change from the medium…John

I've owned 4 Alvarez's guitars over the past 15 years, first time with this model, but it was same quality I've come to except, and I paid less for this guitar then my first model 15 years ago, came with a great gig bag. I'll buy another one.kboyd151

Good beginner guitar, projects sound well, but appears to be an open-boxed item or used as there is what appears to be some gum stuck inside he guitar case and some discoloration/fading on some the frets, and 9 volt battery was already installed and dead. Would not recommend buying musical instruments from Adorama as it appears they are selling used/refurbished items. Also, there are no musicians that work at Adorama.Michael

This guitar felt great right out of the box. The neck is wider at the nut than other guitars that I've played, which for me was a good thing. The action was nice without needing to adjust anything. It's easy to get up and down the neck. The frets could be a little smoother at the edges, but it's really not a problem. I like the full sound, and it sounds acoustic when plugged in.OrangeSmith

This guitar is beautiful! Its sound is superb. I tried a Fender guitar (concert-style, smaller body) at a local guitar store and I was not impressed. It sounded too bright. I was looking for a dreadnought style with no electronics, and since the only other one in the store was a cheap Fender for complete beginners, I searched online to find a better one. Alvarez seemed to me like a quality guitar brand with rave reviews, especially on this guitar. And let me tell you, those reviews are correct. The sound is unbelievable. One strum of a G chord and I was obsessed. Not bright at all. Its deep, warm, loud, smooth. The bass and highs balance out perfectly. If you are a beginner I highly recommend you spend the extra money over the cheaper Fender models. Its totally worth it. You will feel like a pro with a guitar that sounds this nice. If you are a seasoned musician, this is not a "cheap beginners guitar", its a bargain. You will feel like you stole it for this price. You will play it and stun your audience if you tell them how much you paid for it. The craftsmanship is also spectacular. The inlay is beautiful. You will stand and stare if you are guitar obsessed. Baby it, or take it traveling and touring. Either way, you will love this guitar.The Novice

My first acoustic guitar was an older model of this this guitar. Loved its tone back then. It was stolen and I bought another, more expensive brand to replace it. That guitar never sounded like the first one. After a lot of years I decided to play again and only considered Alvarez. I still consider myself a novice but the tone, shape, and quality are even better than I remembered. The tones are full and rich, it's comfortable to hold and play, it's the finish is rich and with no blemishes, and It's a pleasure to listen to and play.Bob

This is a sweet guitar from American Musical Supply, they always come through, this was the fastest delivery I ever got! (2-day Fedex) The Alvarez "Artists Series" guitar has a good even, full bodied sound and actually sounds great plugged in too. The neck is on the wider side, but that is ok, this has a true "Dreadnaught" feel with the nice cutaway design. Action needed nothing, easy to play and real bone saddle and nut makes a difference.Bobby Freedom (kerr)

I was looking for an inexpensive acoustic but with preamp ability. I am very satisfied with the Alvarez. It’s tone and tuning ability makes it a steal at this price.STEVEAUX

Overall: This guitar is very well made with great quality material. The tone is beautiful and playability is easy. I looked months online trying to decide what guitar I wanted and I chose the Alvarez, due to the fact, you get better quality and constructed guitar for the money. I am extremely happy with my purchase and like the fact zZounds has a "Play as you Pay" which helps when on a tight budget.Alan

Purchaced in Dec 2015.Really wonderful guitar ! Great Value! a pleasure to play with a rich rewarding tone. The other 5 star reviews say it all. I have a Martin HD28 D18 and a Santa Cruz custom rosewood VA and this guitar holds it's own and is is a pleasure to play. , OK the Santa Cruz and Martin Rosewood sets are a little nicer but when it comes to the sound and joy of playing this guitar it holds it's own at a more affordable price.Randall Guitar

Plays, looks, and sounds like a high end guitar. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to buy a “forever” guitar that’s different from rest.AlanB

Specs: cutaway, all solid, short scale, OM, Plus very nice bling. Extra deep body Very nice bass thump, Sitka walnut combo works well. Baggs electronics just right. An absolutely fine guitar. Spend a bit extra for a Hardshell case to class up package.B Strummin

I was shopping for a 12 string at local music stores. I have to admit that I often do this and end up buying on line to save money. I'm retired and have to watch my budget. I played many different guitars in the $1500 and down price range. Martin,Taylor,Ibanez,Takamine,Mitchell and others. I was leaning towards the Martin until I played this guitar. The sound is very clear and articulate with better bass than the others I played. The action is low but no buzz anywhere on the fretboard. The neck is wide enough to playing finger style but also easy to chord. Easily transition between this and my 6 string. Fit and finish is excellent with no noticeable flaws anywhere. In my open, you won't find a better guitar for the price.Tmax

I did quite a bit of research in finding an all-solid wood guitar with nice features at a reasonable price before purchasing a MGA77CEAR. I'm really happy with it so far, using it mostly for playing during church worship services. It has nice projection and resonance and is easy to play. The beveled armrest and Paua abalone purfling are nice touches. Also received great customer service from American Musical Supply during the purchasing process.Jonathan B.

I was REALLY lookin' forward to this,unfortunately the guitar did not arrive In good shape. Lots of buzz on the strings. I had It a few days and felt I should have a very qualified luthier/repairman take a look at It. He said I had to get work done one It IMMEDIATELY.He said It was extremely DRY, and the the neck was out of whack and the top was really dry. So yeah I Like the shape of the guitar, and like the sound. But, It's at the repair shop and goin' to cost me to get It repaired because of the shape It showed up In. I'm disappointed BTW , all of my other guitar are fine In my apartmentT.J

I'm a retiree trying to learn the guitar and my first "real" guitar was an Alvarez. I have been looking, studying for months and making a list of dream guitars. I had no intention of buying a new guitar but checked Musicians Friend one too many times and they had a Godfather price on it. I told my wife, "Sorry baby, I'm buying a guitar," and pulled the trigger. I am totally satisfied, so far. The guitar is beautiful, the rosewood gleams, it sounds great – when other people play it, at least – and the sustain is impressive. It has a 1.75" nut which helps me because my hands are a little bigger than average. It has real bone nut and saddle which I thinks sounds right. It also has a cedar top and rosewood back and sides which, with the Grand Auditorium shape gives a different sound than my spruce on mahogany dread. This is a very nice guitar and I am proud to own it.Greg-o

This guitar happens to be a masterpiece. Construction is exceptional and it’s comfortable in hand. The tuning pegs are well made and tuning is held pretty well. The bridge is great and the pegs have a very nice inlay. This guitar is an easy strummer but excels when fingerpicked. It’s a great guitar for all occasions and is a real head turner. The Alvarez Masterworks guitar is an excellent value for the money. I love mine and I’m sure you will too.Dan

I got this a few weeks ago, and am delighted. I first had the Folk model, but it was a little buzzy. These guitars are beautiful. Impossible to photgraph well, but the hog top had lovely figure and very nice, bright finish. The neck on this guitar is near perfect. It's thin, but has enough mass to resonate well and grab for bends. The fretboard was filled, or very fine grain. It feels more like ebony. Its smoother than my es335. Fretwork immaculate. I always grab a flashlight and mirror and the internal bracing is clean, with no glue drips. The dark fretboard with the subtle 12th fret inlay looks great. The headstock and body abolone is flawless, and the headstock is white abolone and contrasts nicely with the colorful abolone on the body. The finish is near perfect, with just a little spot near the neck. As I wrote elsewhere to tone is different than a spruce top-in no way bad- just different. It's fun. It's a little growly with great balance among the strings. Get one!Yankee Despot

You won’t find a better sounding acoustic for this price. I’ve always been a huge fan of Alvarez. I also own a Martin D15 and a Gibson J45. Alvarez has it’s own unique sound just like those companies. I couldn’t be happier with this purchase. And American Musical rocks!!!Gary

My #1 acoustic is a really nice carbon fiber, but it's a really short (24") scale. I wanted something a lot less expensive and with a longer, if not necessarily full, scale. I played everything I could find in the $200-$400 range, Yamahas, Ibanez, Fender, Alvarez, Gretsch, Recording King, etc. Played dreads and realized I'm just not comfortable wth them anymore, although they sounded really good. And then with the 000 and smaller options, I just thought most of them sounded thin. Saw this one on sale and played it and it was a pretty easy call. A much bigger sound than you'd expect from a guitar of this size. While the upper bout is really small, the lower bout is pretty good size, so this is really more like an 00 than a parlor. In any case, sounds quite good for what it is. Played around with strings and settled on Martin Retros (Monels), which true to form, sound good with mahogany. The tuners aren't great – I may replace those at some point. Even though it's not quite full scale, I can comfortably play a capo farther up the neck than I can with my shorter scale carbon fiber. Bottom line, it's not a high end guitar, but it's the best of the low-end guitars I'd played and I'm really happy to have it as a #2. Oh, I bought it in spite of the electronics, not because of them. I basically just unhooked the battery and took out the battery and bag and taped the wire down – it was bouncing around inside the body and I just didn't want to mess with it. I'll leave the rest in place and put that back in if I decide to sell this someday.Ray

I've owned and played guitars since about 1989… but I'm probably somewhere between "novice" and "experience" if I'm honest. I own a number of guitars, and including this Alvarez, three of them are acoustics. My first acoustic is a Charvel 625c that I bought decades ago. I also own a Martin D17, and have spent a great deal of time with my dad's Martin 1980s D35. With this context, I am saying that this Alvarez AMP660ESHB is easily my favorite acoustic guitar. I had been interested in a small-body acoustic for a while, and last month, I noticed that my local Guitar Center had a used Eastman E10ooss/v in store. I had heard great things about these Eastmans (this model in particular looks amazing), and had been interested in trying one in person. So my daughter and I made the pilgrimage to the store and spent nearly two hours in the acoustic guitar rooms. I will say, that Eastman seemed like a nice guitar… and it was even prettier in person. But the real stand-out guitar in that room was this Alvarez. I was prepared to spend $1k+ on the Eastman, but the Alvarez could not be ignored. So what made this guitar stand out? First, the feel of the AMP660ESHB is ridiculous (in a good way). No other guitar that I handled in that room felt even close. While the body of the guitar is a high-gloss finish, the neck is a wonderful smooth satin. I have guitars with various levels of glossy necks, and my Martin D17 takes the satin finish to an opposite extreme that is almost unfinished. This Alvarez neck sits beautifully in the middle. Feel is subjective… but this neck just feels awesome. The setup of this guitar out of the box was brilliant. The folks at Alvarez appear to really have taken their time dialing this one in before sending it out the door. Low action, and fit/finish are top-notch. What really nailed it, though, was the tone. I had not expected such a small body, even with a solid-mahogany top, to sound so clean, full and warm. My favorite sound.ErinBoy

I attempted to buy this guitar a couple of times at two different Guitar Center locations. Both times an employee had to retrieve the guitar from the back, and I got to tune it up. Both times, playing the guitar was an amazing experience until I found a flaw-direct from the manufacture. Unfortunately, Guitar Center employees were unable or unwilling to resolve the issue in a satisfactory fashion. First, I tried the model in Pittsburgh, only to discover that the discrete sound hole EQ had become detached from the guitar and was rattling around inside. The Guitar Center employee made an impromptu fix, but the fix was shoddy enough that it seemed likely to be a recurring problem. Second, I tried the guitar in Cincinnati. If there had been no glaring issues, I would have happily plopped down my money and been a very happy camper. Indeed, as I played the guitar, I was certain I was about to take the guitar home. As in Pittsburgh, the guitar was not on display, and an employee had to fetch one from the back. Although he said they had two guitars in stock, he returned with only one, and when I asked to see the other one, he claimed he could not find it. The guitar played magnificently and was beautiful to look at. Unfortunately, the 13th fret on the high E was dead. I'm not saying it was uncomfortable or that there was a tiny bit of fret buzz or that playability could have been better. The note would not ring out at all. To make matters worse, the employees "solution" to this particular flaw was to attempt to upsell a set up to me. Worse, I think this particular employee may be the manager of that store. Although it's possible that he simply did not understand the severity of the issue or that he simply felt too busy to be bothered, I found his suggestion that I pay $80 for a setup shocking. Indeed, I was flabbergasted that he would make such a suggestion while Guitar Center still owned the guitar because this was not a question of personal taste or comfort but of the instrument working as an instrument should. Bottom line: The guitar looks like a well made, quality instrument that is absolutely gorgeous to look at and play. But BEWARE: my limited experience with this guitar model led me to flaws each time I played one and suggests there may be significant quality control issues. And apparently, Guitar Center employees may not be empowered enough or capable of making it right. If, like the other reviewers, you're not as unlucky as I seem to have been, you'll find a great guitar. I think…Les

Terrific guitar for the price. Mine needs to be slightly adjusted to take the buzz out.Otherwise a well made instrument.Hilding

Excellent quality construction, great balanced tone, and plenty of volume.. Was a blemished item, but the blemish is very minor and virtually unnoticeable! Thank you musicians friend, you came through again 🙂 this guitar is a Keeper! Long time customer, never any major issues with this company or it's products. Any and all concerns I have had in the past, are quickly resolved with Great customer service.CharleyGuitar

This guitar is beautiful! Its sound is superb. I tried a Fender guitar (concert-style, smaller body) at a local guitar store and I was not impressed. It sounded too bright. I was looking for a dreadnought style with no electronics, and since the only other one in the store was a cheap Fender for complete beginners, I searched online to find a better one. Alvarez seemed to me like a quality guitar brand with rave reviews, especially on this guitar. And let me tell you, those reviews are correct. The sound is unbelievable. One strum of a G chord and I was obsessed. Not bright at all. Its deep, warm, loud, smooth. The bass and highs balance out perfectly. If you are a beginner I highly recommend you spend the extra money over the cheaper Fender models. Its totally worth it. You will feel like a pro with a guitar that sounds this nice. If you are a seasoned musician, this is not a "cheap beginners guitar", its a bargain. You will feel like you stole it for this price. You will play it and stun your audience if you tell them how much you paid for it. The craftsmanship is also spectacular. The inlay is beautiful. You will stand and stare if you are guitar obsessed. Baby it, or take it traveling and touring. Either way, you will love this guitar.The Novice

My first acoustic guitar was an older model of this this guitar. Loved its tone back then. It was stolen and I bought another, more expensive brand to replace it. That guitar never sounded like the first one. After a lot of years I decided to play again and only considered Alvarez. I still consider myself a novice but the tone, shape, and quality are even better than I remembered. The tones are full and rich, it's comfortable to hold and play, it's the finish is rich and with no blemishes, and It's a pleasure to listen to and play.Bob

This is the second purchase I've made from the newly(past 6 month) designed Artist series from Alvarez (solid tops, laminate back and sides). These are the best guitars they have ever made from a construction and sound production standpoint. I've owned Artist and Masterworks guitars in the past. This AF 30 Folk guitar would compete well with the all solid wood Masterworks series from three years ago, and that is not an exaggeration or beginners perspective (I am very discriminating). Good sounding, articulate acoustics used to start at $500 if you were lucky. Today, companies like Alvarez, Recording King, and Cordoba are turning out professional sounding guitars at a price between $200 to $500. The AF 30 is no exception. I have always loved the Alvarez Mustache-shaped bridge. Folk bodies Alvarez Guitars are somewhere between an 00 and 000 Martin. They work best for fingerpicking and light strumming; compressed and boxy but filled with overtones. Complements with vocals rather than carrying the tune. If you're budget conscious, these Artist series will give you profession performance without spending more than a weeks wages. I own older models such as AJ60, Masterworks MF350 and MD350. Now I own AP70 and AF30. All highly recommended. Give these new Alvarez Artist series a go, they are much better than just last years models.ltcmshawn

These are great guitars when compared to the competition in this price range. There are however things you have to live with and accept. This is not a high end guitar, this is the guitar you get in the cracker Jacks box and can't believe your luck that you got such a cool prize. There are issues with Alvarez guitars in this price range, and probably all guitars in this price range that are rapidly mass produced, and just as rapidly boxed up and loaded into trucks, trains, and big ships to arrive at your door step bouncing around in another big truck. The action may be high, or low with the associated fret buzz, and no matter which way and how far you spin the truss nut, with the handy supplied wrench, the neck doesn't move? The finish and fret work may not be perfect. I doubt these guitars are built by luthiers, I mean crafted in china like Martin USA guitars are "crafted". A Martin smells wonderful, an Alvarez smells. Alvarez guitars stink! Not stink because because of problems with the finish or high action or frets buzzing I mean they literally stink! I've purchased three of these guitars and all of them stink horribly! Not drive by the barn stink but funky old sock/jock locker room BO funk old folks home load in drawers funk. It's not a regular stink either it's powerful and does not dissipate quickly! I think it is mainly in the packaging though but it lingers for days even after you get rid of the packaging! If you think I'm exaggerating I challenge you to leave one these guitars in a closed up room, with the packaging, after popping open one of these stink bombs. Have your odor destroying scented candles nearby. The question should be…What do i want this guitar for? A first guitar good choice. A guitar to travel with or take to the park or camping good choice. Your main guitar, mmmmm probably not. Just make sure you open it outside or in the garage, and keep the packaging next to the garbage cans to make it smell better, or in case you need to return it.57chevy

Great for its design,fine little blues box,pass around the campfire,kitchen table,do not abuse! But you won't cry over a little finish scratch or ding,like would happen if your Martin,gibson,or along the lines of upper scale epiphone,etc grades.excellent action,minor setup.totally disagree with 57 Chevrolet!. mahogany wood has a distinctive smell when fresh,as does any wood.this guitar would be fine for beginners because of the fine tone and ease of playability. I have the ce which has onboard tuner,three stage equalizer,and volume in the preamp. Don't be afraid to try this guitar!! Keep picking!!Aka alias unknown