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#1
10-17-2002
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Alvarez Acoustics
What do you think about them? Does anyone own one?
Pete 
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#2
10-17-2002
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They mix very well with other instruments but overall by themselves they don't have the dynamic range of some other makes and models for the same price.
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#3
10-17-2002
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Depends on the model. I have an old one, almost 20 years old, that sounds as good as most Martin and about half of the Taylors I have tried recently.
It all depends on what sounds good to you. If the price is right and it sounds good then use it.
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#4
10-17-2002
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Big spread here, from badass axe to cigar box, depending on the model and year. In general, the real old ones are very good if cared for, the recent ones are playable generic Asian axes, and most of the ones in between suck.-Richie
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#5
10-17-2002
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Figure out what you want to use the guitar for - that'll help you with the Dreadnaught / Grand Concert / Classical / OM style set of issues.
Then choose your price range - everything is relative in this business. I'd look for the basics - solid top (!!), Solid woods all through if you can get them, good fit and finish, no overfinishing, good intonation, decent tuning machines - and eliminate a bunch of models based on that. You should be able to find a really nice acoustic instrument that will sound good on or off the track, so to speak, for something in the $800 range (and up). Alvarez has models in that range - as does Tacoma, Guild, Seagull, Epiphone, Carvin, Fender, and so forth. Most of these are Korean factory guitars built to brand specs (but not all!! - look at the Tacomas - the company is Korean but the factory is in the States. Seagulls are built by La Si Do - parent company to Godin - and one of the largest mfr of guitars on the continent - Canadian) and they are at a ferociously competitive price point - meaning you can get more for your money here, not less. Go down a price point - the $300 range - and the reverse is true. It's a seller's market and you will be frustrated unless you're lucky. The over - $1000 market is also fiercely competitive, but here you will find instruments beginning to open up and show individual character - and the occasional cannon waiting for you to stumble onto it. Higher - well, the sky is the limit and the customer gets very picky up in the stratosphere.
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#6
10-17-2002
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Under 300 they're not great but you could do worse for the money. I like the anniversary edition quite a bit and LOVE the Yairi's. Those are a grand and up new.
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#7
10-17-2002
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I bought one of my early guitars in a pawn shop for about a hundred bucks, 25 years ago. It was an S. Yairi dreadnaught, one of the strangest and most beautiful guitars I have owned. It had a Spanish heel - handcarved - but was a D with a laminated top. Go figure. It sounded great, until my roomate came home with a secondhand Martin D-18. Then I could tell the difference...
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#8
10-17-2002
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Wanna buy my Alvarez-Yairi DY-88?
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#9
10-17-2002
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what I said about the mix vs standalone I was reffering to the $300-$500 range. I have a guitar shop by my home that deals mostly with upper-priced instruments and the most expensive Alvarez they have is like 550. They don't carry the Yari's so I don't know about them. But it looked like the one for $550 was the top of the line, it was completely covered in abalone with full binding and a tree of life inlay that tops anything I have seen before.
Was it just me or did no one know who the hell Alvarez was until Staind came around....Ibanez prs ibanez prs ibanez.................ah it beats the hell outta me.
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#10
10-17-2002
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#11
10-18-2002
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this fella sure can play an alvarez...check the "little wing" videos..others are good as well..
http://www.brushyland.com/monte/
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#12
10-18-2002
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OMG!
it was a joke...haha
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#14
10-18-2002
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#15
10-19-2002
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I have a 2001 RD-8...................
I made the salesman in the store unpack 8 new ones before I found one that I liked for tone and play-ability................ $275.00...with a hard shell case... The diamond in the rough........ya know? then again......I've played Gibsons that cost $2,000.00 that sounded like shit.............. Go figure....
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#16
10-19-2002
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i have an alvarez... sd-20 i believe. standard-looking 14-fret no-cutaway dread body. nice thin neck for a cheap guitar, and i actually like the tone-i think it sounds a hell of a lot better than most of the taylors i've played (most taylors i've played were new ones-crisp, and played GREAT, but really thin sounding), decent bass response (unlike my skinny-bodied epi pr-7e), fairly warm-sounding for a cheapie-one of the best sounding/playing guitars i see regularly-i don't play many $1000+ acoustics outside of music stores. i got this guitar to have something to bang around with in the woods-it was around 120 bucks NEW because it had "cosmetic defects"-in this case, it meant there were slight finish flaws on the BACK of the guitar. little smudged-looking spots. that's it. i think regular price was 200ish. now, i obviously am not much of a solidwood collector (though i've heard some greats-i played a big goose (oh man, the brand escapes me) 12 string that was the biggest, baddest cannon i've ever heard recently-too bad about my budget vs. the price), but for a cheap guitar, i couldn't be more happy. now the thing is my baby because it sounds and plays so well. i'm no virtuoso, so i don't really make use of super-tight action and whatnot, but the thin neck is nice, and the tone is nice. my criticism would be that the bridgepin holes were not milled very nicely (pins are a little uneven under the bridge inside the soundhole if i'm feeling them to pop them out), the nut and saddle are insanely cheap (thinking of replacing them myself with bone if possible)-just slack design and finish on them mostly, i guess they're regular micarta-and the tuners could use a smoother gearing-it can be a little testy on tuning at times, especially on a fresh set of strings-but not nearly as bad as many other cheap guitars. i really don't think i could have found a better buy on a new acoustic in this range.
__________________
the eyes are not here|there are no eyes here|in this valley of dying stars|in this hollow valley|this broken jaw of our lost kingdoms
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#18
10-21-2002
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I have a 5013 that I bought like 25 years ago. It was my main axe for the hard bluegrass gigging we did for 10 or 12 years. A great box. Super action. Not overly loud, but shit, that's what mics are for. he he he This guitar has been played. And been through a lot of hard times. Outdoor gigs, rain, sun, dew, and lots of things that is sooooooo good for wood. he he he he he. And it still is one of the best little boxes I've used. It really could use some work. A new fret board and frets come to mind. And it stays in tune like a tank. My wife plays it some now, and she never complains about the action (doesn't hurt her fingers), and she only picks it up occassionally. Could be a "diamond in the rough".
dtb
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#19
10-21-2002
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I have a Dreadnaught sized Alverez 12 string I bought over 20 years ago (it's dated 1975). It's not as loud as a Martin 12 but it records OK. The action on it is very good and taht's one of the main reasons I picked it up.
__________________
Mike Last edited by Track Rat; 10-21-2002 at 12:15..
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#20
10-21-2002
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My main guitar is a 1981 (? I think ) Yairi DY-54. Very nice. Rich full sound. I'm sniffing around a Martin D-28 now though.
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#22
10-22-2002
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yeah I played the HD28 at our local music store the other day. I compared just about all the guitars in there and then sat and played the 28 for about 2 hours. Man it was nice. Aren't the d28 and the hd28 the same guitar except for the Herringbone inlay work? I really don't care to pay for artwork. Just give me that sound. < Saving up >
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#23
10-22-2002
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The HD28's have scalloped bracing and presumably better wood selection.
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#25
10-22-2002
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Is the d41 a step up from the 28? I'm gonna look at all the Martins.
Anybody here played or seen a Pimentel guitar? Looks like those guys do some very nice work. They will make you one to order. http://www.pimentelguitars.com/
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