Alvarez 5040

My Alvarez 5040 was a gift from my wife for xmas who bought it at Sylvan Music in Santa Cruz and I have no idea when or where it was made. It was used then, 8 years ago. Finish has really held up, nice gloss and resistant to wear. The 20 fret neck appears to be rosewood and has a nice inlay at 12. The woods appear to be very well matched. The top is a dark wood (mahogonay? or koa? ) and the sides and back are matched laminate it appears. The tuners work very well, do not know the brand. Headstock has a mirrored A inlay. Totally acoustic, no other features. The inside label identifies model 5040 , serial number 41520.

This guitar has surprised me over the years and the reason I started to research it is I had no information on Alvarez. It's brighter and more pronounced than many guitars I have had..currently the acoustic du jour, it plays and enunciates well for acoustic rock and blues. I do not play classically, being pretty much american music. It's punchy enough and yet has a richness that is nice to sing along with. I take this one camping and all, maybe I ought to be more careful with it. My son is playing it now.

I have no idea on the factory settings- it now buzzes a weebit on the 2 highest strings. The action is reliable and good, easy to actuate up to the 12th. The finish is robust, i will give it that. The pins and bridge are real solid, no deformation at all.

Yes I would use it and depend on it- it is built to last.

have no idea- does Alvarez still exist?

I am in the old dude category and have a weird collection of instruments including a fibreglass National Steel, and a few old guitars and basses...the odd thing is I was going to go back to Sylvan and trade this up, but it's hard to do as the guitars that I find comfy and sounding good are the real premium ones- like SCGC. all those Canadian made brands that interrelate don't have the solid action and punch this old guitar has... so now what do I do? Keep it and have fun of course!

Paid $700 for it in 1994. $400 for the guitar, and another $300 to have it sent to Alvarez to have a System 500 installed.
It's a full size, hand made 5040 Silver Anniversary dreadnought, 20 frets.
It appears to be a laminate body, but has a beautiful glossy Koa finish. Not sure of the neck but matches the finish of the body but satin finish, and rosewood fingerboard.

As I get older I tend to play the electric less and the acoustic more. It seems like the sound has mellowed over the years, but not necessarily a bad thing. Sounds great, I love it.
I rarely use it anymore, but when I plug in the system 500, it still sounds great.

I was a lot younger and less knowlegable when I bought this guitar, but man did I luck out! It played (and still does) great right out of the store. I got a loaner while the pickup system was being installed that played horribly. I was worried when I got mine back it would be the same. Lucky for me, it didn't- the action on mine was much easier.

I've played the hell out of this guitar for 14 years and you can hardly tell by looking or playing it.
The finish (somehow) is still beautifull. One or two of the slightest nicks that you'd have to hunt for, that's about it.
A couple of frets are worn a little. The plastic nut broke earlier this year (lasted 13 years), so I had a bone one shaped. (Wish I'd done that long ago)
All the tuning keys are original, and are as smooth as ever.

Never needed it.

This guitar is my baby. I would never get rid of it, and I hope to pass it on to someone special (kid if I have one) one day. Of couse that person will have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands.
You'd see a grown man cry if it were stolen.
Not that it's the finest guitar made by Alvarez, but it's a sweetheart of a guitar and it's just got a lot of sentimental value. Don't know what it's worth now, but it's irreplacable to me.

This is a full size, high gloss finish, dreadnought size guitar. I purchased this guitar about 2 years ago from a friend of mine. It has solid koa wood sides and back with a laminated top (still sounds wonderful). It came originally with chrome tuners. I replaced them with gold Ping tuners. This change made it look like a totally different guitar. The Alvarez logo inlay in the headstock had a little gold tint to it and by adding the gold tuners it just leaps out at you now. This is a hand made guitar from Japan and has the "60th Commemarative" plaque on the back of the headstock.

I have several guitars around my house (my wife says too many) including Fender, Takamine and Kona. Of all the acoustics I own this one has by far the best sound. It was built in 1982 and has mellowed over the years. I use light gauge strings and this thing fills a room with its deep tone and still has enough of the high end to sound just right.

When I got the guitar it had been sitting in a cheap fiberboard case for a few years and needed a little attention given to the truss rod and saddle. After doing some adjustments when I got it home and restringing it I was amazed at the way it played and sounded.

Like I said I have only had it for a few years but it seems to have held up over the years. At one point in its life it must have been dropped on the lower back edge. The finish has turned very dark and has cracked. The edge appears to have been pushed in VERY slightly. It has the usual ding in the back of the neck and a few other minor scratches but this thing shows no signs of falling apart at all. You can tell it's had a rough life but it is still a VERY SOLID guitar. To keep from doing any more damage I have added Schaler Lock Straps after the strap came off while another friend was playing it and caught it just before the headstock hit the gravel. I no longer play on stage but I would have no problem what-so-ever working with this guitar.

Never needed it. Wouldn't know who to call.

Of all my guitars this is my favorite. It didn't cost the most and it doesn't looke the best but while I may sell the other ones this one will be passed on to my son. IT AIN'T FOR SALE. I've been playing for over 30 years now and unless arthritis gets me I'll keep playing til I die. It would be hard to replace this if it were lost or stolen since they don't make it anymore. I guess the thing I like the most is that when you sit down with it, it just feels right and sounds great. Kinda like an old friend. The only thing that would make it better is if it had a cutaway. The you could play those leads a little easier.

I've bought this guitar new in the early '80s from Bill's Music in Catonsville, MD for $200. It was advertised as Koa body with Mahogany neck, and the finish and workmanship on this guitar are amazing for the price. It's a dreadnought body (I believe all plywood), black binding with w/b/w/b/w/ purfling, 20 frets on rosewood, 25.75" scale, a medium thin neck and chrome no-name sealed adjustable tuners. My guitar has no location of manufacture label, just the paper label inside that says "Alvarez Model 5040 Ser. No. 23498 Inspected by (blank) SLM fretted Instruments, St. Louis, MO". There is an additional serial no. on the neck block inside the guitar, 805297. No electronics, strictly acoustic.

I started out as a folk musician, Peter, Paul and Mary and that kind of thing, but ended up playing pop music in a wedding band for many years. I bought this guitar when I quit playing professionally, just to have a guitar around that house. I now play mostly finger picking style, classics from Bob Dylan to the Eagles. This instrument has a perfect neck and fretjob, and I have lowered the action considerably and use Martin Marquis light gauge bronze strings. The sound is bright and clear, with a fairly weak low end, but not all that bad. The main thing it lacks for me is a cutaway.

The guitar need some setup work to be playable, but the neck was good off the sales floor, but of course, I picked it partly because of that. This example is almost perfect in appearance. The wood is very beautiful and the perfect finish is high gloss, except for the neck and head, which have a satin finish. The only flaw on my guitar is a slight gouge in the piece of rosewood that finishes off the butt of the neck where ti joins the body.

All I can say is that mine is over 20 years old, and it looks and plays like new. I had to replace a plastic washer on one of the tuning machines that split, probably because I over tightened it. It stays in tune very well, and I would not hesitate to play it onstage.

I never needed customer support for this guitar, so I can't say how good or bad it might be.

I'm 58 years old, and I've been playing off and on since I was about 15. I bought this guitar just to have one around when I wanted to play a little, and it has performed that function admirably. It's still lovely to look at, and I wouldn't give it up at this point in my life. It will probably go to my grandson someday, and I'm sure it will give years more pleasure to him and hopefully his children!

Traded A 1977 Epiphone classical and $200 for this beautiful 1988 all mahogany 5040 in Texas. Action and sound just said "Bend me , shape me, any way you want me".A Rosewood Gripping Neck gave diversity to whatever kind of music you liked to play.
Great sound.
Great Action

Added a Fishman in-line saddle pickup that helped push the acoustics but flexed on the lows. Became very bright and needed a feedback buster to tame. Only used reverb as an effect. ( Typically play med./hard)

Action was great for many years. Around 2002, fret wear caught hi E on 3rd fret and neck causing a fret out. Maybe a wear down, maybe just the pulldown, nevertheless, Hi E caught between 3rd fret and bottom of neck. Tuning pegs have stayed nice and tight with the typical pop on the G from flat to #. Very pretty finish with many compliments. Playing lead could be difficult w/o a cutaway. On the 21 fret neck, anything after the 15th fret required a call to Robert Johnson. Otherwise, this guitar has a very nice sound as you learn how it works.

After the fret problem with 3rd E/1 and 12 B/2, I replaced the bridge to bone and replaced the nut for a nice new great playing guitar.

My brother and I got our 1st guitars for Xmas 1966 after fighting over and breaking our sisters' 1st "and only" guitar in March, 1966. I guess dad figured the boys wanted to play "Rock and Roll".

This guitar was made in 1982 and was bought on the spur of the moment because of its unique sound. It was made in Japan.
It has a laminated top and solid koa wood back and sides.
The neck is made of an unkinown wood, but matches the body. The fretboard and bridge are made of rosewood.
It has a high-gloss, natural finish and is beautiful.
The body is a dreadnaught acoustic.
The neck is just right for my hands--neither thin nor thick.

It suits my style of music just great. For many years that was country with pick. Now I also use finger style, which is how I learned.
I use no electronics with it.
It has a full and rich sound that is bright and rather unique, which is why I love it. The sound is clear, crisp but different.
I like every thing about the sound.

I bought this guitar in 1982. it was set perfectly when new and I've played in continuously without ever touching it.

It still looks beautiful.

I've used it professionally for many years. It is now beginning to need either slight adjusting or new frets. I'd say that's good reliability and durability, wouldn't you?

Except where one of my kids scratched a side between the upper and lower boughts, the finish has lasted without crazing or dimpling. It still looks new (except for finger wear on the fret board.)

It has never let me down. I do take two guitars, however, because I play classical style and use a cordoba classical guitar for a change of sound.

I've never needed customer support.

I've been playing nearly fifty years. In addition to this guitar I own a Hopf steel string dreadnaught with an intricately designed sound hole. I have no Idea what the model is as I bought it in Luxemburg and the model is not see-able through the hole. I also own a Cordoba 75R classic.
I like everything about my Alvarez, but especially the sound. When I buy and instrument, it's alway for the sound produced, not for the name or model. In comparison, however, I had a Martin D35 I bought in 62. The Alvarez is the far superior instrument--even with its laminated top for two reasons: ease of playing and uniqueness of sound.

Wow.. I didn't know this was a factory second when I got it about 18 years ago. I'm not sure if this is the same instrument many of you are talking about. Mine has a 60th anniversary SLM plaque on the back of the tuning head which always made me think it was some sort of commerative edition. The plaque says "Commemorating the 60th anniversary of SLM 1922-1982" Which made me guess the shot I got it from had it hanging for a few years.

I started playing this when I was a high school deadhead. So I played Dead tunes, Dylan, and a bunch of 60's folk stuff. After mounting an interior pickup I began to get interested in other stuff and began to play everything from, Femmes, Velvets/Reed and Black Flag to Bowie, Stones and various Blues. Obviously I like the range this piece provides. Depending on how you tune it and play it, I've found it capable of giving a wide range of sound.

I've never met anyone who is satisfied with the action of an acoustic guitar straight from the factory. There was no difference here. Although I will say once it was adjusted how I like it, playing it was like butter.

I've played out with this guitar countless times. I've banged it against objects, sure I screwed the finish, only to see not a mark left. I will never part with this instrument.

No Need ever

This was my first guitar. I've owned Les Pauls, Stratocasters and Peavy Bass'. I haven't been playing out for the last 8-10 years so most of my gear is gone now but I have owned everyting from 8 channel PA's to personal Peavey amps. I'd buy this guitar again. It's definately better then anything Yamaha or Takamine puts out. I'd call it a sub-Guild class

1995 make. 20 frets, all acoustic dreadnought 6 string, no cutaway.
Made of all Koa (a type of Hawaiian Mahogany) with solid back and sides and laminated top. Glossy finish. Nice medium sized neck with rosewood board. This guitar was part of their "ARTIST SERIES". Abalone dots on the fretboard with what I call a "bird and clouds" at the 12th fret. Side dots, too.

I play blues/folk/old timey/etc. This guitar, for the money sounds great! I string it with GHS .011 Contact Core Bright Bronzes. It gives it a nice brightness, since Koa tends to be mellow sounding. I have NO complaints with the sound. I will never get rid of this guitar. It's my buddy.

I've used a stick on Dean Markley pickup and it sounded great.

This is odd... This guitar is a factory second, Alvarez calls them "Almost Perfects." When I first saw it, it had several little grease pen marks around some incredibly little finish blems. I mean these blems were like spots where a peice of dust landed. I would never have noticed them if they weren't circled. Later the same store had a non-second same model that had a much poorer finish. I guess I lucked into one from a day wshen the picky inspector was working.

Fit is great. Finish is great. Setup was fine and action is they way I like it, not too high and not too low. Frets are well dressed.

I replaced the plastic saddle myself with a bone saddle. It added a couple hundred bucks of tone to it.

It's proven quite solid. I've knocked a minor ding or two into it (it was still depressing) and after 7 years, there is no belly on the soundboard and no neck issues.

It has a laminate top, I guess it would handle a pickup pretty well.

Never had a problem. I tend to do my own repair work most of the time. Other than replacing the saddle, it's never had any need for any service.

Had it over 7 years.

I really like it. I have no urge to replace it at all. I sold a Yamaha APX-6 after I got the 5040. I no longer used the APX-6.

It's a beautiful guitar. I've gotten several nice words about the looks and sound.

An excellent value.