Alvarez Yairi 12 String Acoustic Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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 ordered this 12 string from MF a few months ago. I have played an Alvarez Yairi since 1983 and my six string plays as well after 30 years than the day I bought it from St. Louis Music. I wanted a 12 string as I have only owned one in my lifetime–an Ovation I traded on a Martin six before trading for the Yairi. I have been so impressed with Alvarez that I didn't shop for anything else in a 12 string, saw this on MF and pulled the trigger knowing I could send in back. I registered it in my name day one. Alvarez is the most underrated guitar maker out there. A beautiful instrument I plan to keep and a joy to play. Thanks MF!Willis

Well, I have owned plenty of 12 string guitars in my time. Rickenbackers, Fenders, Gibsons, Peaveys, and Ovations but this is the finest of the bunch. I seriously wouldn,t replace it with any of the others that I have owned. I am a big guy, so this big jumbo feels perfect for me. The neck is just right, not too wide, the action is low enough, and tuned to D using a capo and extra light strings, it has a smooth touch and a loud enough sound, both highs and lows. It stays in tune. always a plus! The electrionics are superb and offer a fine balance of tones and volume combinations. I play mine through a Fender Acoustosonic 90 and wow. I am just blown away somtimes by the effects and possibilities with this setup. The whole instrument is a thing of beauty and I bet if you get your hands on one, you will just have to own it.12 String Paul

Loved the look, price, sound, and feel of this guitar. Tried it out in the store and was ready to buy the floor model, but luckily I asked for a 9V battery to test the electronics at the counter. Oddly the battery port fits fine into the guitar when empty, but the moment you put a battery in it it will not stay shut and pops open rendering your electronics useless. Me and the sales rep at the front figured this was had to be a fluke and he ordered a new one to be delivered to my house. Four days later it arrived. I played it for about an hour out of the box without issue (set up was great, sounded great acoustic) and then I decied to check the electronics. Sure enough, the exact same issue occured when I tried to fit a 9V in the battery port. When a battery was actually in it, it would not stay shut. No tuner, no electronics. Ten minutes later I was back at my local GC. The tech inspected it an came to the same conclusion as I did after trying 5 different brand batteries to see if that made a difference- it's defective. He recommended I return it and try another product. In short it plays nice, sounds nice, and looks nice but if it happened on 2 guitars it has to be happening on more of them. I'm sure you could duck tape it or find a way to keep it closed but this should not be an issue on a $350+ guitar. 3 stars.Ryan

This is my second 12 string and I really like it. Sounds great action is outstanding and onboard tuner is great – I could not ask for more.Jim

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

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

Sound: Gentle guitar. Needs light touch or it will muddle up on deepest strings. Features: Love the clear pick guard. It is pictured here with a black pick guard I think, but on the Alvarez site with clear. So glad mine came with a clear guard. Ease of Use: Very playable. Will need a bit more hand strength. Will need to learn how to transpose on the fly to play with other musicians. Not a problem. Quality: Extremely well made. Most impressed. Like the lack of fret dots on the fretboard. Very simple clean lines. Value: Very much worth the $1400. I suspect the laminate version at $400 is also well made. Manufacturer Support: Incredible. Immediate response from Tom. Most impressed. The Wow Factor: Just adds a different tonal aspect to my mostly solo playing. Overall: Very impressed with this guitar and zZounds. Guitar: I have 3 Taylors so high quality is expected. For $1400 I think this in an incredible value. The sound is great. The workmanship and finish is perfect. The tuners may be better than what is on my Taylors. Incredibly smooth. The neck is perfect. The saddle may be 1/32" too high for me, but I will adjust this after the guitar settles in a bit. I find that it needs to be played gently or the sound just muddles a bit, thus lowering the saddle will help my playing style. I contacted Alvarez a couple of times with questions and Tom was immediate and accurate in his response. The only drawback, and maybe not really a drawback, is that the case is very lightly made. For me, carrying it occasionally to a buddy's house to play, this is a plus. My Taylor cases are very. very heavy. For someone needing protection when touring this case might be a bit light. Highly recommend this guitar. A great buy for the price for sure. Would do it again.Ron

I have the Chinese ABT 60, love it. Mahogany. Thought the Japanese YB70 Rosewood might be a nice pairing–different flavors/sound. Makes it nice when a guest comes over to offer them a baritone. No muss no fuss transposing. While that is a good skill to work on with the baritone. The YB is an 1 11/16ths nut. The ABT 1 12/16th. Otherwise they play very similar, sound just a little different. I tune standard baritone B to B. Puts many songs effortlessly in my vocal register with the fine tuning option of capoing as many as 4 frets and still being below E to E standard. When capoed at the fifth fret in E-E they both sound good and you can think in the key others are playing. While the baritone sustain is cool, it is the support and ease of singing that draws me to the baritone. Very happy with my reasonably priced Yairi. Both were made much more enjoyable with a good technician setup.Beau

This guitar is outstanding. It’s loud, resonant, projects, and has the sweetest voice. I bought this guitar l sight unseen, based off of a demo that J.P Cormier made on YouTube. I am certainly glad I pulled the trigger on this one. The mahogany is stunning, and it’s very light. The neck profile is perfect, going from a soft V to a comfortable C shape in the higher register. The attention to detail is what I expect from a handmade, boutique instrument. It’s such a beautiful guitar! I’ll be doing a video of it on my YouTube channel soon, comparing it to my Martin 000-15M and Martin D15M. I absolutely have to share this one with all of my friends. I’m inspired every time I pick it up. I couldn’t ask for a better finger style instrument, but it is so powerful when I strum it..maybe more than the dreadnought. Don’t hesitate to grab one if you see one for sale. AMS had 3 in when I got mine, and they sold out within a day. You will not be disappointed. Even the case is very nice!Jack the Rabbit

This Alvarez is a sweet guitar! I've had it for a little over a month, and I haven't been able to put it down. I have a few nice acoustic guitars from Taylor, Guild, Yamaha, Gibson, and Martin, but this new Alvarez is my favorite. The neck and frets were perfect right out of the case. Intonation was perfect. No tweaking was required. The build and finish is perfect as well. And I love the appearance of the dark Honduran mahogany. It has a nice warm tone, as expected from an all mahogany guitar. The low end is so smooth, not boomy in any way. The combo of build quality, tone and size of this Alvarez make it a joy to play. I am impressed!Smiley

If a guitar is entirely handmade out of 50-year-old aged Honduran mahogany, you expect it to be great. This guitar lives up to the hype. There are 24 luthiers at the Yairi shop in Japan, meaning you're getting the highest quality possible put into each guitar that they produce. And it shows with this one. The tone is velvety smooth, warm, and it's excellent for fingerpicking. Intonation is spot on everywhere on the neck. For an OM body, it can also get plenty loud with as much bass as you need – while maintaining balance and a beautiful blend between all strings. Highly recommend it if you're able to get one.Drew

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.

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

Overall: I have been looking for a nice small bodied guitar for some time now. I did not need a cutaway or electronics but wanted a good quality instrument made of solid wood. This guitar did not disappoint. Very nice solid spruce bookmatched top, solid African mahogany back, sides and neck. Bound top, back and fretboard. Very even warm sound while strumming yet distinct on individual strings. Overall, a very comfortable instrument. Records well. The herringbone top binding adds a wonderful elegance to this guitar. Made in China, but well made. Comes with a nice hardshell case, a nice bonus. Finally, as always, pleasurable experience buying from zZounds!Benjamin

This is an excellent instrument which bats way above its price. I was looking for a pure, non electro acoustic guitar and chose it in preference to acoustic guitars costing more than twice as much. The finish is of the highest quality and the tonally it is just right with a suprisingly good bass response for a OOO and excellent projection and sustainReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Had this Guitar for a couple of months now, so thought I would now give my feedback. After tweaking the guitar as I wanted it, Lowering saddle, nut string depths, adjusting truss rod and filing fret ends, all that I expected on a Chinese built Alvarez, this guitar rates as one of the best I have here. A change of strings is essential as the provided strings(which I have found on the 2 previous Alvarez I have purchased), seem to give me a dead bottom E string played on the 3rd fret. New Daddario EJ16's sorted that out on all guitars. I took the pickguard off, just because I did not like it. The forward shifted bracing and the shorter scale length makes this guitar sings, with a lovely bottom end also. Along with the MD60BG and MD70BG I have, I fully recommend this guitar, value for money, it is hard to beat, I correct myself, It cannot be beat….but be expected to work on the guitar to make it so. If you cannot do the work yourself, just take it to a luthier and he will give you a guitar that will rock your socks. I must stress, when buying check the following, Truss rod is working, no hump on neck at 14th fret, neck angled and check there is no gap at rear of bridge. If these are good, all other adjustments as I have said above are not a problem. I would put this guitar up against guitars that cost way more. Hope this helps.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

This is not a guitar with an Adirondack top and Mahogany back and sides. It's a Sitka top with Rosewood back and sides. Encourage folks to double check the Alvarez website if you are in doubt. Lovely guitar and it's a Yairi so it's essentially a perfect instrument. That being said, the listing is wrong. I ordered it because I thought I was about to maybe get a limited edition Adi/Mahogany version of this guitar, but that's not the case. Buyer beware.Tyler

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not able to distinguish sound differences attributable to different types of wood, but I like to think that I know quality when I see it, and this guitar is definitely a quality instrument. I have owned Taylor's, Martins and Gibsons and liked all of them, but I love this guitar. Beautiful sound plugged in or not. Easy to play; stays in tune and comes with the beautiful case it deserves. Never owned an Alvarez before; went entirely on the recommendation of my Johnson City, NY luthier, Nick, and am thrilled to have done so. This guitar, in my opinion, hold's it's own against my Taylor 914 and my Martin D28, and cost much less! I'm so pleased with the guitar that I see another Alvarez Yari in my future. Special thanks to Nick at the JC, NY GC, as well as all the great staff that work there!Gene

The overall ratings are misleading. The one star review has nothing to do with thus guitar. The reviewer thought it was a Honduran mahogany Series. Look up thus guitar on YouTube and there are some videos that show how outstanding this guitar is. Beautiful shadow burst. Excellent strumming and fingerstyle guitar. Flawless construction. Built in LR Baggs electronics.Hand built and hand carved neck. This auditorium model is as good or better than any production Taylor guitar. The main difference is you would have to play dozens of Taylor's to find something comparable. Just the nature of bench made versus production guitars.john

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

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

The sound of this guitar is absolutely superb. The tone is woodsy and full, with lots of bottom end, but without being boomy. The midrange is loud and clear but not overwhelming, and the top end has lots of sparkle without the "bite" that can be piercing or overwhelm the tone. The overall sound of the guitar is incredibly balanced, while being very comfortable to hold and play. If I were to rate this fine instrument, I'd give it a 10/10.Phat Phineas

Over a five month period I tried out as many classical guitars as I could get my hands on. I considered models from six hundred clams and models costing a little over ten thousand clams. It was great to find that the guitar that I liked the most fell on the lower end of the price spectrum. This guitar is very nicely constructed. Only very high quality solid woods and hide glue were used in its construction. The finish was expertly applied and is nice and thin with no pore filler. This allows the guitar to come alive. The sound it produces is sublime and it came setup beautifully out of the box. The guitar is also very attractive in appearance and has garnered many compliments. Thank you Yairi!Westside Ryan

This is a very easy guitar to play. Action is perfect, great sound/tone as well. I have other classical guitars, but this one is the best one for the price. Very happy with it!Larry