Alvarez

About

Alvarez has been one of the leading acoustic guitar brands in the U.S.A. and around the world for nearly 50 years. Its image is synonymous with quality and innovation. Alvarez instruments are known for their tone and feel and some of the most amazing artists over the last five decades have gravitated towards the brand and its guitars.

History

Decades of Craftsmanship, Tone and Beauty.

ALVAREZ WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1965 BY ST. LOUIS MUSIC. IN THE LATE 60’S THE COMPANY BEGAN WORKING WITH MASTER LUTHIER, KAZUO YAIRI.

This collaboration turned out to be a remarkable success and our Alvarez-Yairi guitars are still handmade in the Yairi factory today, in the small town of Kani, Japan.

The bond between SLM and Yairi is underpinned by a desire to produce some of the finest guitars in the world. Our instruments are a mix of tradition and innovation, and our culture is one of continual development and improvement. We hope you find this attitude evident in all of our guitars from Regent Series to Masterworks, so at each price point true value and quality is found.

We are grateful that the result of our work has lead to our guitars being played by incredible musicians such as Joe Bonamassa, Bono, Johnny Cash, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Ani DiFranco, Jerry Garcia, Paul McCartney, Monte Montgomery, Carlos Santana, Bob Weir, Thom Yorke and so many more. And of course by the hundreds of thousands of amateur and professional musicians around the world. We thank you all.

Yairi

Handcrafted Excellence

THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT MAKING ACOUSTIC GUITARS IS THAT THEY ARE INCREDIBLY SENSITIVE AND COMPLEX INSTRUMENTS.

Decades, careers, lifetimes have been spent trying to perfect or find the sound in the luthier’s head, but often it eludes us. Only time, experimentation and experience can help us get the results we are after.

Alvarez-Yairi guitars have held a special place in players’ hearts for nearly fifty years. Some of the greatest songwriters and guitarists ever to grace the planet have played them. So when we came to updating the Alvarez-Yairi Series, we did it with great care and the reverence it deserves.

Two years of development have resulted in us producing the finest guitars we have ever made. Eloquently voiced instruments, beautifully balanced with a charisma and tonal personality you will fall in love with.

Why Alvarez?

There are so many brands of guitars to choose from. The list seems endless and I have to say that many of them make some fantastic instruments. The competition is strong and that’s good, it keeps the guitar building world progressive.

Not only are there a lot of brands to choose from, but also many things to take into consideration when purchasing a guitar. The brand, the shape, the woods, the sound, the look and of course the price. Sometimes you can’t actually quantify why you like a guitar – “ it just feels right”.

So Why Choose Alvarez?

Our vision is clear, make great guitars affordable to all. We are achieving this through continual learning in design and production to allow us to implement our ideas and reach our goals.

Our culture comes from a commitment to our brand and sincerity to the people who play our guitars. We are both driven and humble and keen for knowledge. We are 100% committed to continual improvement.

Our Values:

• Always put the player first
• Achieve our goals through better design
• Commit to perpetual improvement
• Offer genuine and unparalleled value
• Make guitars that people love to play
• Bring quality into everything
• Know the guitar better than our competitors

FROM OUR YAIRI MASTERWORKS SERIES TO AN ENTRY LEVEL ARTIST SERIES GUITAR, THE AMOUNT OF TIME WE SPEND STRIVING TO EXCEL IS ENDLESS - THIS IS OUR CULTURE.

So when we look at one of our AD66SB's, AP70's or MDA70's, we are proud we deliver a guitar of such quality that plays and looks so good; a truly designed instrument made by a team of people dedicated to quality and player-centric design and "accessibility".