Alvarez Yairi Acoustic Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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

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'm a pretty big fan of Alvarez acoustic guitars, having a few Yairi's and loving them. I acquired this model as used/nearly new elsewhere since I don't own a cut-away spruce top. *The fit and finish were outstanding with no issues with lacquer or the binding. [There were 2 slight streaks of dark brown paint on the back of the neck that I have mostly knocked down with 0000 steel wool]. * The neck has a nice low C shape and a low gloss, smooth finish that the steel wool buffing got down to a very smooth and fast surface. * Fret ends were well dressed & no sliding snags on the treble side. 2 frets a little snaggy on 2&3 on the bass side that a dressing file will eliminate with next string change. * The neck relief was too high [.027"], with a bit of forward bow, on arrival. Used the supplied hex wrench to tighen the truss rod ~ 1/2 of a full turn. Relief now a very playable [.008"] with no string buzz fretting up and down the whole length of the finger board. [I did note some buzzing on low E with a capo @ 3, so may need to back off the truss a skosh]. * The playing action was too high @ 12 on arrival: 7/64" … sanded a fair amount of the saddle bottom off, getting the action @ 12 down to very workable High E: 3/64"; Low E 5/64". * The nut grooves were spot on leaving you just apaper thick gap @ 1, when fretting 2. * Intonation also quite good up & down the neck [with a light touch] and pretty much spot on @ 12. * Changed out the D'Adario phosphor bronze strings it came with to new D'Adario EJ26 11-52 phosphor bronze. * Light oil on the rosewood fingerboard & bridge, which were both looking a tad thirsty … soaked in quickly. * Carnuba waxed & buffed the body all around. All of these things are more or less standard things you expect to do when you get a new or new to you acoustic. I actually prefer when a maker leaves you some room on the truss rod and saddle to adjust it to your own personal tastes. Folks who may not have the tools or interest, may feel otherwise and want their guitar to arrive completely setup. So, this left me with a very playable, well built acoustic cut-away laminate spruce top over mahogany, that's also light, & attractive. * I like the 1/4" jack being offset and separate from the strap button a LOT. Another strap button came installed right at the heel of the neck, where I like them * Overall it sounds pretty good unplugged, with fairly rich bass tones with a bit of bite and the mids and highs project well without harshness. * Plugging in gives it a lot of boost and the 3 band EQ helps you mix your electric voicing fairly well. * The Piezoelectric transducer pickup under the saddle works well with decent balance, but the highs do seem a bit favored. It suffers from the same issues they all do: transmitting shocks and vibrations from the soundboard. You can hear the strike of an aggressive finger pick a tad more than I like. * The supplied Alvarez gig bag is an added bonus. It has fairly thick padding, nice look & finish, 2 fairly spacious front pockets. The shoulder straps are well padded and ergonomically curved. It also has a hook loop near the top for hanging. Overall, this is well built, well designed, quality laminate spruce top acoustic guitar, made of quality components, that plays well and sounds quite good. At this price point, it's an outstanding choice for a first acoustic guitar, student guitar or for anyone looking for one they can play all day and travels travels well with it's quality padded case.smsdba

I think that it is a great Guitar for the price! I think that it sounds great and I like the fact that it came with a case! I also like the fact that it is handmade which means a lot to me!The electronics seem to work very well and I really like the electronic tuner!Music man

My Alvarez is the RD16CE but I wanted to take a moment to thank Alvarez for their excellent service. The output jack on my CE failed 2 years after purchase. Even though it was out of warranty Alvarez still agreed to send me the entire pickup assembly free of charge Now that's service after the sale!Bigtime Jimbo

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 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

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 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

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.

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 use this guitar for everything… practice, recording, and live shows… I have had mine for about 2 years and all my other guitars are collecting dust(including a Taylor)… the only time I'm not using it is when the song calls for a banjo, mandolin, ect…. feels like it's underpriced for what you are getting from a Chinese made axe… action is perfect… preamp makes it sound just as bright and beautiful when amped up… a must bye for any musician who spends the majority of their time with a guitar in their hands… good job AlvarezThe Awkward Conversationalist

Was looking for a new sofa acoustic to replace my current Seagull folk sized. Hearing that this was entirely solid top, back and sides for the price made it worth checking out. Not disappointed. Sounds warm, full, and expressive. The body size is allows for nice accented finger picking without having to play extra hard. The electronics were a little bit of a disappointment as I though it was a 3 band EQ style LR Braggs, but it's actually just volume and tone in the sound hole. I was a little worried that for a few hundred more dollars I could just get a Martin or a Taylor, but after going into the big store locally and playing everything they had from Martin, Taylor, PRS, and Yamaha in this price range, in this size, this was the clear winner. Just goes to show you that country of origin and brand are not top things to make choices on these days. Highly recommended. Records nicely through a UA Arrow Hi-Z.Yourfriendalec

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 bought this guitar primarily to be used through an amplifier. In that regard, this guitar is practically useless. The guitar will hiss with white noise unless you slide the treble and midrange completely to 0. Even then, it is still noisy. I thought perhaps my guitar was just defective, so I sent it back for a replacement. The replacement guitar was more of the same, so I mailed it back for a refund. Its too bad the electronics are so bad on this instrument, as the guitar itself seems very nice and well-made. Because the guitar itself was nice enough, I gave the instrument 2 stars instead of one.JMet

This is my first nylon string classical guitar and it's great. Needs to be tuned up everyday due to the changes in humidity and temperature – but once it's set, it stays in tune and plays great for the day. Learning flemenco guitar nowRahul S.

I have been using a Taylor nylon string guitar (NS72CE) since it first came out. I also play an Alvarez Yairi 12 string and an Alvarez Denver Bell banjo. I love all these instruments, But I needed a less expensive backup guitar. I traveled miles to see an Alvarez AC65CE and was so happy to be able to test play it, I willingly paid more than Musicians Friend wants for one. No complaints. If you are a classical guitar player, and you want the flat, wide (52mm) fret board of a true classical, one that goes only twelve frets to the body, this is your guitar. But if you prefer a more narrow (48mm) fretboard with 14 frets to the body and a slight radius, then get the Alvarez AC65HCE instead. (My Taylor has these features.) Classical style playing is better done on the wider, flatter, shorter board for my style of playing. Also, the Alvarez has a real rosette. I like that. My only negative is that the on board tuner is slow to recover. You have to silence the guitar and wait for it to reset between adjustments. I prefer to use an external tuner with a mic, then tune by ear anyway.R Louis Oueinaught

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

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 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

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

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