Alvarez Dreadnought Acoustic Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

Ignore the guy that gave this guitar a 2. Musicians friend has a great return policy so if you get one that is poorly assembled you can return it like he did. This acoustic sounds as good as guitars that are twice as expensive and the pickup is awesome. Look up the reviews on the pickup (4.9 out of 5). I have a couple buzzy frets at the 12th string, but I personally do not spend a lot of time up there with acoustic guitars so I could care less. The tone from the guitar and pickup are excellent for this price. I compared the tone to other similarly priced guitars and this one had tone that was far superior to the others.Jaime

Lots of things are different from the Original MD60eBG, Tuners Binding, Inlays, Saddle, and nut, Your not buying an MD60eBG but I believe that what counts in the sound department is the same. This guitar sounds great, But I would not recommend it for the retail price, discounted yes go for it but at retail, I would buy the MD60eBG that it copiesChris

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.

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 bought this for my son who is in early stages of learning. I'm a seasoned player myself and have a couple of high end acoustics (Takamine & more expensive Alvarez parlour). This RD27E is a fantastic guitar from Alvarez for a beginner as it has a high quality feel, playability and tone. Sounds good amplified with inbuilt pickup though whether it would stand large live gig not sure.jplayle

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

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

I saw this guitar and after a while decided to buy it , it looks nice but im not very happy with the sound or feel of the fretboard , I havent changed the strings to see if that will help , but the way i feel is i probably will end up selling or giving it away and looking for a different acustic guitar , i figured a Alarez would be good , but sorry to say i am not pleased with this guitar . I had a estabon acustic that was given to me , which i think is junk , and i gave it away after i bought the alvarez , wish i kept it sounded much betterPaul

I wanted a smaller acoustic guitar but did not want to spend a huge amout. I'm very pleased with the sound (this one has the mahogany top) and playability and price. The electronics + mic are OK so it's good having the option to plug in.James C.

Comfortable to play and has a good tone. Good action right out of the box. Love the tuner and electronics. Had several friends, some have played for 40 years, fell in love with it. Said I got a good guitar. Also got an FC1 case to go with guitar. Perfect fit.Bags'

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

I bought this model yesterday at local GC. It had some scuffs on it and I believe it had been purchased and returned. I bought it because I wanted a lower cost guitar analogous to my Martin 000-28. In the store, I liked the sound and action. Got it home and put new Martin strings on it 12-54. I immediately realized my mistake as these (great strings, I use on all my Martins) strings with slightly more tension than the EXP's the guitar came with, killed the tone and resonance. Be aware that because of the split level bridge, the string break angle at the saddle is quite acute, making for a pretty stiff action-by design..and I understand why Alvareze did this. I removed the heavier Martin strings and replaced with D'Addario EXP-16 strings. This solved the issue. While it's still a pretty stiff playing guitar, it sounds 100% better with original frand of strings. The LR Baggs Element VTC pickup system is also a plus. This is a nicely made guitar with a great, rounded neck profile…just the right thickness. The laurel fingerboard is perfect with a tight grain…if it were a bit darker, one could mistake it for ebony. Very nice tone with great sustain. Very nice guitar at 1/6 the price of the equivalent Martin and I'm glad I purchased it!Bob

Import guitars are no longer junk. This Alvarez got all the goods for a great sounding acoustic. All solid spruce top and solid mahagonyback/sides. Fit and finish on my guitar was perfect and a looker. Frets are smooth and intonation was spot on. Was tuned down for shipping I guess but setup was perfect. Stays in tune after string break in. Comes with D'addario EXPs it seems. Will swap strings only because I like certain strings. Has no case but was expected for the killer price. Got it on sale for 489 and free shipping. Price has since gone up some but still a bargain for what you get. Been shopping musicians friend since before guitar center took over.Chang

I needed a guitar in the 500-600 euro bracket that I can take everywhere including the street (busking), lending out to fellow musicians etc. Was looking at eastmans ed1 and ed2, this one and recording king 318. All are solid offerings in this price range. The eastmans had a good sound, but it was one sound not the complexed sound (low end plus a mid or top) I wanted. I took a chance guided by the youtube reviews that is avallable and the fact this this has a wide nut. It sure has a complexed sound. JP Cournier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tY0HWjrZS0&t=818s plus one of andertons videos made me decide on the alvarez The top is already yellowish and the mahogany is stunning. It did take litle setup ( to much neckbow) and I'm not finished yet. I do this slowly and may lower the strings at the nut to. I can't rate the durability after such a short time. Nor can I judge the LR Baggs vtc after such a short time. Didn't like my taylor es2. My k&k passive has been ok. it sounds ok strumming so far. Have no idea if it sounds like bluegrass guitar. I'm not into that. It sounds good 😀Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Somebody did their job poorly. After few times playin i have notice that neck is concave bent. Guitar has dried out big time and was not stored properly, in warehous and obviously when it was shipped. Also chips from drilling pin holes was not removed so they drop inside of the guitar body and make rumble noise when you pick up guitar and play it. Frets need to be dressed and re-crowned, and overall set up is a must. Action is way to high from factory and if anyone is looking to buy this model please double check with the seller what is the condition of the guitar. I had to take my guitar to the lutier for him to make best of the situation, and and we will see the end result.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

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

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

I was noodling with this guitar while my son was taking a lesson. 45 minutes later I knew it needed to come home. Great intonation, very nice electronics for amp and/or PA and really easy to be expressive. I didn't "need" another guitar, but this one was too good a fit.Scott

This unit was great right out of the box. The action was a little high but I plan to get that adjusted and does not take away from the guitar one bit. I have been playing it every day for the last 2 weeks and it seems to play with better quality each and every time. Just like a car, you have to wear it in a bit. I am an intermediate player who was looking for a nice mid-level guitar. I am not at the playing skill to justify a Martin, Taylor, Guild etc… so this was a perfect fit and suits my needs perfectly! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quality medium level guitar as you grow in your skill level.Beenabopper

I played guitar for several years then quit due to work and starting a family. I purchased this guitar as an open box a few weeks ago and started playing again. The guitar looked brand new, it was a grade 2 but the pick guard film was still on it, I peeled it off and it looks brand new. This guitar plays fantastic! Beautiful construction, very thin and smooth finish, and just a sold/consistent sound. I tuned it the day it arrived and haven't had to adjust it since, I play about 3 hours each day. The action is a little high for me as I haven't been playing long and my fingers are tender, I'm having it adjusted today. It's exactly what I expected from an Alvarez, way more guitar than the price represents!Jake

This guitar is made in China, but the quality is pretty good. as mentioned earlier, it is very resonant and loud. My Taylor 814 jumbo isn't as loud as this. Out of the box, it was almost unplayable due to the very high action. The bridge saddle is made of bone…very sweet sounding, however, it is pretty high. There were no shim inserts under the saddle to make it lower, so the saddle itself needed to be shaved down a bit to get the proper string height. Luckily I know how to do all these things, but other buyers may find spending for a tech adjustment unappealing on a new guitar. I feel a new guitar never comes out the box perfect, but by adjusting it to your requirements…will make it perfect. Bottom line is, this is a sweet sounding guitar with great electronics, but you might need to tweak it to perfection. I bought the restock….and it was as good as a new one.RickW

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

This product is very great. The guitar is very nice craftsmanship is amazing. Let alone working with Ams was the best service I have ever had. They was great getting me what I wanted. Everything thing arrived well before scheduled. Thank you all alot for the services you provide. I have bought several products from you guys. Will buy more thank you.Awesome

About a year ago my other acoustic, which I've had since 1993 started to show signs of road wear and I was having issues left and right. So I went to every local guitar shop and center in Northeast Ohio. I've played every brand of guitar offered and took notes on what I liked the most about them, and what I least liked as well. Then one day in this mom and pop's guitar store I found this guitar sitting on a shelf. (They wanted $1000 for the guitar and case.) So I played it for about and hour and I couldn't make the guitar sound bad in any way. So I wrote the model # down and began my search to find this guitar just a bit cheaper. So I finally found it on AMS for $700 w/case! Let me tell you, I couldn't be happier. This guitar came out of the box perfect. Not only is it the best looking guitar I've ever seen it's the best sounding. The low end on this guitar resonates so well, with or without amplification. I'm so happy I pulled the trigger on this guitar.Michael

Overall: This all solid body mahogany guitar is breath taking not just from its sheer beauty, but the build quality is excellent. When I pick it up to play I go through a moment of awe and appreciation for the fine instrument I have in my hands. This guitar is an exceptional bargain for its quality. It has totally soothed my guitar acquisition syndrome (GAS as players call it).It came perfectly set up all I had to do was tune it up out of the box. The images that Amazon provides don't do it just. Go to youtube and search for this guitar, watch and listen to the demos and reviews of this guitar. This is the best $1000 you will ever spend on a guitar, and it comes with a beautiful classy hard case. Yes, it only costs $699 but it punches well into the $1800 range of comparable Martins, Taylors or Gibsons.Build quality is impeccable. I know eventually the prices on these Alvarez Masterwork guitars is going to rise. It is inevitable as the quality is great. Alvarez went through a period where ownership changed and now the ownership is back in the hands of the original company, and the quality is superb. I love this guitar.Daniel

The guitar is quality, and sounds incredible. I've played guitars costing thousands, and this guitar sounds just as good.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I've played for 50 plus years and very fussy about my acoustics. I never owned a Alvarez because I thought can't be good for the price. I'm talking about the Masterworks line. Well I was wrong this is one amazing acoustic from inside out. Quality bone saddle and nut ebony pins outstanding well finished bracing. This MD60BG sounds amazing good bass but to me more important a good high end sound. We have an upright bass player in our bluegrass band. But that high end if it's off you can't hide that. Up and down the fretboard the high end sings. Volume is very good to this for the money cannot be beat. The only thing and for the price how can I complain I'd rather have the hard case the original models came with. But I put the MD60BG in a good Gator case a good acoustic like this needs protection.Cibby

Overall: The one I ordered arrived dry as a bone, the neck humped and warped, the paint shrunk, the top bellied down, a disappointment out of the box. I put a D'Addario Emergency HumidPak in it to see if it would recover, but the guitar is so weather damaged, the screws for the tuners are falling out. The warehouse is not using any effective climate control whatsoever. This guitar shows signs of severe heating and cooling well out of acoustic guitar storage temps and humidity. It's a real nice guitar, but it's been ruined by negligence at the warehouse as this is not the first guitar I've purchased that came through the same warehouses with the same exact type of weather damage. What a shame. What a waste of time and money. What a cheat turning off climate control and selling guitars for new that are weather damaged — this one was inspected too, it's got the sticker on it. …inspected, thrown in a box with no humid pack and no climate control, that's a huge problem guys and gals! It's time for the manufacturers to pull their guitars from warehouses like these that try and cheat the customer by turning off climate control. I'd recommend the Alvarez but not from a warehouse that turns off climate control to cheat the customer. If the exchange is weather damaged too, we've got a problem! And save yourself the time and money, the HumidPak Emergency kit doesn't work on a guitar this badly weather damaged!Russell

I've only had this guitar for a few hours, but it is such a fantastic axe that I had to write a nice review. It arrived packed well and in its very beautiful and sturdy wood case, which is covered in a khaki cloth with brown leather accents. Finding an extra ebony bridge pin with abalone dot along with the truss rod wrench was a surprising bonus, especially when the case was so pretty and solid to begin with. The guitar itself was tuned down a half-step and almost perfectly in tune after being ground shipped from Mississippi to Oregon, and all the humidity changes that entails. Only the B string needed a minor tweak up to perfect pitch. While this model plays like a dream and sounds absolutely divine, the most stunning part of the experience is that the fit and finish of this axe rivals Gibsons, Martins and Taylors I have played costing well over $3,000. It is a fairly loud guitar for its size, and the rosewood and cedar combination make for a very balanced sound that is not far off from an old rosewood/spruce Breedlove I have, although the spruce seems to resonate in the higher frequencies a little more than this Yairi's cedar top. The guitar responds instantly to dynamics, is well suited for both light fingerpicking and bold strumming, and will get loud or quiet depending on your attack without feeling like you are either fighting for more volume, or wondering if you're going to damage the instrument. This is one solid piece of lutherie, and like those much more expensive Gibsons and Martins, the responsiveness and lively feel of the guitar make you want to keep on playing more and more. Have I mentioned how freaking gorgeous this axe is? Again, you'd have to drop well over twice the price to get abalone binding, purfling and headstock inlays, walnut neck binding, ebony cap on the headstock, et cetera, from other manufacturers who oftentimes are selling you laminated back & sides, as opposed to Yairi's all solid wood construction. I've owned and played some very fine guitars over the last 41 years, but in my opinion, this is the best value on the acoustic guitar market today, hands down. If you are hesitant about buying this Yairi, don't be – you'll be as thrilled as I am by everything about this guitar.Matthew

Alvarez Yairi acoustic guitars are absolutely phenomenal. The Yairi series are handmade by master luthiers near a remote village in Japan that has been manufacturing world-class guitars for about 82 years. I encourage anyone who is considering spending $2,000+ on an acoustic guitar to consider watching the Yairi factory tour video on YouTube. As you will see, every Yairi is a one-of-a-kind guitar. The braces are hand-scalloped to perfection and then secured to the top with animal glue. The scalloped braces makes for a tight bass sound and clear treble. As a result, the balance between the treble and bass is outstanding. The raw wood is seasoned for up to 20 years before it is shaped into a guitar. The wood is air-dried naturally rather than being cooked in an oven or kiln. Everything about this guitar is incredible. I have owned and played an Alvarez Yairi WY-1 for the last 20 years and is unlike any acoustic guitar that I have ever played. Thanks to the incredibly well-balanced tone I have been able to develop a unique form of fingerstyle guitar music that is tuned to cymatic frequencies. This is the only guitar that has held its tune for me while tuned to low cymatic frequencies. Its also the only guitar that I've played which does NOT drown out the high tones while tuned low. Feel free to search "Cymaticoustic" on YouTube and listen to "Resilience" if you want to hear my WY-1 in action!Cymaticoustic

Yairi guitars don't get the love they deserve when talked about in the same breathe as Taylors and Martins. They should, I own several of each and this guitar more than holds its own with them and in some ways is better. Construction is as good, period. Plus, this guitar has a great vibe/feel to it that is hard to quantify but "you know it when you hold it." While I love Martins and Taylors I have found them to be lacking in tone for gigging. I realize tone is subjective but so are reviews and this one's mine. I owned a couple of Martin Performing Artist series guitars and they Fishman Aura is a nice preamp; it's jsut hard to tweak on the fly. I found it took it to solo gigs where I could fiddle with it more but left it at home when doing any ensemble work. My main guitar for that chore is a pro series Takamine. I think the Taks have the single best live sound out there. So why this Yairi? I had owned an older model WY1 and sold it, along with three other guitars, during one of those "thinning the heard" moments. I didn't miss the Martin, Godin or Taylor much but I did start missing the Yairi. When I saw they had upgraded the preamp I ordered one and have had it about a week. Played a gig through my Bose Compact and, though the tone was very good, there was some noise in the B-Band preamp. Nothing that was too noticeable and it might be because I had to turn the preamp up very high to get enough volume. Took the guitar to a tech and he re-sat the UST ribbon. That helped immensely; it is much hotter now but there is still a bit of noise. I'm playing with a trio this weekend so I'll see if anyone notices. Bottom line…this, like all Yairis, are bargains. You get much more guitar than you pay for. I don't think I've ever played a bad one. They are not easy to find but I would not hesitate buying one online. You'll dig it.Jeffrey