Alvarez 5043

Burgany solid spruce top with mohogany sides and back. Abolone rosette.

This is a great sounding guitar. This is a older model Alvarez made in 1995. I paid 177.00 Off Ebay. What a steel. It is in like new condition. I just bought a takamine eg 523sc and this Alvarez has it beat hands down. I have played 2500.00 Martins and this sounds just as good or better. I replace the plastic saddle with a bone saddle. It sounds even better.

I adjusted the action a little and replaced the plastic saddle with a bone saddle. It plays excellent. The finish is mint and beautiful

Everything about this guitar seams to be top quality. The only thing it is missing is the second strap button which I will install.

Have not with any support

This model is not made anymore. But if you can find one, buy it. You won't be disappointed.

Alvarez Artist 5043 dreadnought acoustic, made around '93-'94. No country of origin stamped inside, so I'd guess China or Korea. It has a gorgeous wine red with black burst edges finish. The top wood type I have not been able to determine; it's very dark-grained and attractive, probably a hardwood laminate. Back & sides appear to be mahogany laminate. Gloss finish, generic sealed tuners that work well enough, 20-fret neck with unusual fleur-de-lys type pearl position markers. A very beautiful instrument. Came with no electronics.

For a laminate-wood guitar, this thing has tone to the bone. It can really project, perfect for loud rhythm accompaniment, but with a delicate side as well for fingerpicking or upper-mid leads. I installed a Fishman Classic 4 pickup/preamp in mine right after I got it and am thrilled with its plugged-in sound. I also installed a strap button on the neck heel. I can jam with friends, play in worship services, or auditoriums with it and it shines.

Since I bought it used, and it's at least 15 years old, I can't really comment on its finish when new, but even with wear and tear of 15 or more years, it looks great. Action was a bit too high at first but a little trimming on the saddle (which I had to do anyway to install the Fishman) made it excellent to play.
I really love the red burst finish on it (top, back, sides and neck). It is marked "Almost Perfect" on the soundhole label but I can't tell what the imperfection is.

The guitar has stood up well since the early '90's, and I take good care of my gear. I bought a Gator ABS case for it and it never lets me down when I pull her out, so no, I don't think I'll have any problems with it (at least none I can't fix). I don't really "gig" with it per se, but as I said, it never lets me down in whatever venue I play her in.

I never dealt with St. Louis Music Co. (distributors for Alvarez instruments) but I hear they are great folks. I do my own repairs and mods anyway.

I've been playing guitar for nearly 50 years, and own 2 electrics, 3 nylon string A/E guitars, this Alvarez, a P-bass and a banjo, as well as 3 amps. When my co-worker said he wanted to sell this guitar, I jumped on it! If something happened to it, I'd gladly buy another one if I could find one. I could compare its sound to most Takamine, Fender, Epiphone, or Washburn acoustics costing under $800-it even sounds as good as an Ovation Balladeer I played once. The only thing I might wish it had would be a cutaway, but that might hurt its great tone.

What can I say? this guitar was made over 30 years ago (7-8-75) and has traveled the world (ok, the Country) the finish shows the wear and tear of travel, various dings and scratches, holes where some yoyo head put a strap button NOT on the heel of the guitar, but the body. THEN they punched a hole for the output jack. Although I cannot blame anyone for that. It was the way things were done back then, the endpin jack was still years in the future way back in 1975.
It had a DeArmond (chrome) soundhole pickup which sounded ghastly for acoustic work. although I would recommend it as a flattop alternative to sounding like an archtop. (bluesy-bluesy-bluesy)

It plays beautifully with Martin Bluegrass strings, Bass notes are STRONG, and chords ring full and rich with great tone and sustain.
I play mostly folk and bluegrass. this plays exceptionally well for a guitar that is 32 years old.

Owned from a point later in its life, I wish I could have held her since new, but I would not have been ready for her. As she is now, Fit and finish is holding up well for having a hard played life. Tuners would be my only complaint, and even then I am not complaining too loudly as they are only a minor trouble if I go to bluegrassing and chopping chords (and trying to drown out the banjos)

99.9% Reliable. Having been well played in prior to my being possessed by her, she seems well up to the task of playing loudly, and solidly, there are no buzzes or annoying creaks, no short frets, all seems to have settled well. (except for the stock tuners as mentioned before)

Having had an Alvarez Mandolin (A800) replaced under warranty with St. Louis Music, I can honestly say that I was treated well with respect, not by a salesman, but someone who cared from a musicians standpoint. Never had a guitar issue, but I cannot see them responding with anything but deep commitment to their products.

I have been playing since 1980 (mandolin from 1980, and guitar from 1986) this is not my only guitar, I also have two Alvarez Yairi DY38s One 12 and one 6. I traded and got this guitar from a good friend, so the price was right. If anything happened to it...well...it is not directly replaceable, but if I had to, I would seek out a good Alvarez Yairi Dreadnought. My most favorite feature of the guitar is the looks I get from my friend who plays a Martin D38, he hates the fact that I traded some used sound equipment for this guitar and that he paid thou$and$ for his, and mine sounds every bit as good and plays just as nice.

It has beautiful rose color finish with pearl inlays. It has really been taken care of since 1980.

I can't belive my good fortune in finding this guitar recently. I have never used a pick, I only use finger picking (I've found you can make a greater array of musical sounds this way) Every sound can be heard from soft touches of the strings to rich harmonic ringing. You can actually feel the sound resonate in the neck and can slightly mute it if necessary by how you hold the body closer to your body. Its very balaced, but I choose to use heavier strings for the better base tones.

My guitar is nearly 30 years old, though I don't think it was played much before me and I have only had it for a little while. I would say its in near perfect condition from when it was created.

I play from my friend and my own enjoyment, but I can imagine how well this guitar would sound on stage... incrediable.

I've been playing for over twenty years now and I can't think of a guitar I've had more of an attachment to. If this one goes bad I'm sure I would search for another just like it!

Yeah, every feature was mentioned previously on their posts...

I have 2 acoustics as of now... one being a Takamine and the other this Alvarez 5043... I have played this acoustic for only one day, but I love it more than any other acoustic I have played... the sounds are rich and "bold"... it's really undescribable... pure greatness.

I bought this guitar used, so there are a few scratches that I will be taking care of, but there aren't any design flaws in it, maybe those pins which hold the strings... nothing too major...

I had no idea about this guitar until now... apparently, it was made in 1970's? This guitar looks brand new (except the fact it has that vintage acoustic look)... the only thing that I see that wears is the nut... I may be replacing it with a bone one soon, as the plastic one is broken to bits...

...it's an old guitar... no support needed anyways...

I just got this one 2 days ago (today's July 29th, 2006), needs to be restrung and a new nut to play even better then what I am hearing now... I only paid a measly $60, which you can't really buy a Wal Mart one that cheap... so it was worth it. Now that I realize it's kinda expensive and wanted, I'm not going to re-paint and fool around too much with this guitar, just fix the scratches and scrapes... it's a great one, I don't want to suggest that someone HAS to have it, but it's a good one, better then any other I have heard.

Every musician has that one special guitar that they could never part with for any amount of money, even if they were living on skid row eating out of a garbage can. So it is with my Alvarez 5043, but not just because of the sentimental value of being my first guitar, or because it accompanied me all over the world for the past thirty years and has become an extension of my soul, but No. This guitar has amazed and astonished everyone who has ever heard it, and played it! I have compared this instrument next many to high-end guitars over the years, including Martin, Fender and Gibson, and it always dropped jaws and caused eyes to bug out of the heads of other musicians.

I bought my 5043 in 1976 ? made in Japan, presumably under the watchful eye of Kazuo Yairi. In its original configuration, it came with the standard 20-fret rosewood fret board, a nylon nut, and adjustable bridge and tuning keys that were not the greatest and cause problems with tuning - particularly the B string. Nevertheless, I couldn't get over the sound and the way it projected. It seemed to defy all the commonly held theories about what is required structurally to create a great sounding guitar. It made me love it all the more.

By 1985, I had wailed on it so often that the fret board, frets and nut was shot and it was completely unplayable ? though not at all bad for ten years of road torture. Several friends told me to chuck it and get something better, but I became so attached, it would have been like ripping my heart out of my chest. Finally I caught up with a well-known lutherie who repaired instruments for Ricky Scaggs and others in the business. He removed the adjustable bridgework, filled in the saddle with ebony and a bone bridge, restored the fingerboard, gave it new frets, a bone nut, and replaced the worn tuning keys with Grovers. The transformation was amazing. The sound was even louder and brighter than before, and it resonated a chord like no other acoustic I have ever heard in my life?and I have heard many.

Its only downside is perhaps the ?C? shaped neck which I agree tends to feel slower than the faster feeling ?D? shaped neck. That aside, this guitar is perfect for rhythm back-up and singer soloists, especially when accompanying a harmonica. Since this guitar projects so well, I often find I need to rest the base of my palm across the bridge to ?muffle? the resonance just a bit when I?m singing. I honestly have never played an acoustic guitar that wants so badly to be heard! No kidding! It?s almost as if it has a mind of its own.

I have experimented with many different mics and pick-ups, and I believe the best for overall versatility is the Fishman Rare Earth sound hole pickup through a good acoustic guitar amp. Plugging this guitar directly into a sound system will no doubt create headaches for larger bands with harmonics and even feedback, but the Rare Earth will solve any mixing problems. This is an acoustic with natural sustain, and the sound can definitely get away from you. If you?re a purist and don?t like pick ups, another option is to go with extra light poly strings and change them frequently. This keeps the muddy mid-range harmonics at bay.

Like others musicians I've talked to, I am not sure what type of wood is used for the top, though my ear tells me it is most likely spruce. The sides and back are covered with a thin veneer surface layer, though not to suggest it is hiding an inferior quality wood underneath. I really believe what Alvarez had in mind when they made this guitar was a rugged instrument that could handle the elements as well as hard-playing guitarists. So don?t be swayed by the notion that a veneer is always a bad thing. This guitar was really built for the road and can handle inclement weather in conditions where you would never dream of playing your expensive Martin. I have played it on hot beaches with wind, sand and salty air, as well as freezing cold and damp outdoor stages, yet no damaging effects or problems keeping it in tune. I have pulled it out of the case after letting it sit for over six months, and found it still perfectly tuned - the true test of a well-built guitar. As for the darkening characteristic of the top, I have never seen a guitar top darken over the years like this. Not only has become better looking with age, after 30 years, the sound is incredible.

I never needed customer support because I never had a problem that didn't come from brutal wear and tear by the owner.

I have experimented with many different mics and pick-ups, and I believe the best for overall versatility is the Fishman Rare Earth sound hole pickup through a good acoustic guitar amp. Plugging this guitar directly into a sound system will no doubt create headaches for larger bands with harmonics and even feedback, but the Rare Earth will solve any mixing problems. This is an acoustic with natural sustain, and the sound can definitely get away from you. If you?re a purist and don?t like pick ups, another option is to go with extra light poly strings and change them frequently. This keeps the muddy mid-range harmonics at bay.

I absolutely love this gem of a guitar. It?s definitely worth pampering as it will pay back big dividends with age! If anyone wants my Alvarez 5043, they will have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers!

I was given this guitar as a graduation present in 1982. It was made in Japan. The guitar has 20 frets. It looks like it has a spruce top but through the years I believe it has darkened. It came with no strap attachments but I had someone put them in. Later, I had a Martin Thin line pick-up added to the bridge but I never liked the sound and the person who put it in did a bad job. Later, I had the saddle and nut replaced with bone. Within the last year I bought a internal mic pickup and have had better success with that as I play in a contempory Christian band weeky.

I really love the over-all sound of this guitar. It has a tendency to over accentuate the frequencies around the low "A" and therefore I have had problems recording with it. I also have to work with our sound tech when I play live. But when I sit and play it for myself, it the sound is very rich. I believe that the sound quality has increased since I began using it. New strings always bring it back to life. I get a little fret sound on the "B" string up in the higher frets. I've played tons of guitars in stores from friends and anywhere I can. I've looked very hard at some Martins and noticed that they have a cleaner more defined sound but I've not bought one because of price and need.

I think the guitar wasn't quite adjusted when I first got it. I tend to tinker with my guitars throughout the years because of seasonal change so it could be that the neck needed a bit of adjustment. When purchased, the guitar had no exterior flaws but over the past 23 years of constant use and abuse it has it's battle scars. Over-all, it has held out very well and I would not sell it but for many times it worth.

Since, I've own it more than half my life and it stills plays better than ever, I would say it would be considered fairly durable. The only problem I need to work on is tightening the screws that attach the tuners to the guitar.

Never used the customer support.

not many features, but for $200 used what do you want, deep red color with mother of pearl inlays nice, real nice

all i can say is oh my god! this guitar sounds awsome!!!! better than most higher end guitars! deep rich, with bright uppers

dont know how the factory set it up but it played nice from the moment i got it, low action no flaws had a lutheir set it up and now plays like a dream! cost $10.oo worth it

this guitar is a work horse, it has been dropped and lives with a 3 year old who loves guitars,start them young hehehe

never needed to contact them

this guitar was in the back corner of the store so it would not be sold all of the teachers would play it while teaching and there was a small upriseing at the store when it was sold! i hace had offers/trades for gibsons for this guitar. this has oppen my eyes to the lower end guitar market. great guitar and a play high end guitars (gison g&l etc..... by one youll love it

I purchased this guitar in 1979 at a music store in Beaumont, Texas. I was looking for a Guild but could not afford the one I wanted. This guitar was a look-a-like and I liked the clarity it resonated as I played it while in the store. I paid $275.00 for it and bought a Guild hardshell case to keep it in. (I guess I couldn't let go of the Guild jones) The guitar has no electronics built in, 20 frets, never has buzzed a day in it's life and the tuner keys are original and are still in perfect condition. The fret board has very slight worn markings (considering I've played it for 23 years). The guitar was made in Japan.

I am pretty much an intermediate guitar player that enjoys playing Blue Grass, many CCR songs, & whatever anyone else comes up with when jammin around. I have to keep new strings on the guitar or it doesn't sound as lively as I would like. Sometimes I really dislike it when I'm around someone else's really nice resonating accoustic. Honestly, it sounded better in the store to me than it really was. But for the money, I know I got what I paid for (value wise) and it hold it's own fairly well.

The guitar came with no flaws (visualy or mechanically) and remains sound to this day

The guitar originally was sold to me without having a strap peg on the front of the guitar. I didn't like using the kind of strap that lets you tie it onto the top of the neck, so I drilled a small hole and put on a front strap peg. That was twenty years ago and no problemo since.

I've been playing at it for 27 years. I also own a 1981 Gibson Marauder, & a 2000 Les Paul Classic. If my Alvaez was lost or stolen...I would most likely buy a real nice GUILD this time!!!!! I make more money now ha ha

My 20-fret Alvarez 5043 was made in Japan. I bought it in the early 1970s, in Illinois. When I bought it, at the impressionable age of 15 or so, I was told that it was "a Martin copy," with a triangular, blonde (Basswood?) center piece in the back of the body separating two Mahogany pieces. Not long after buying it, I had a bone nut and saddle put in to replace the original plastic. It is a beautiful guitar, in like-new condition.

I play old folk, country, and rock (Dylan, CSN/Y, Jackson Browne, Creedence, others), and this guitar suits the tunes I love perfectly. I love the resonance and sustain this instrument is capable of. It really is a great buy for the money, with a great balance. There was a bit of fret buzz when I got it, but that was taken care of when I replaced the nut and saddle.

A couple of years after I bought the guitar, I had worn fingering grooves into the neck behind each fret. One of the tuning pegs was loose as well. When I had the peg fixed, I also had the plastic nut and saddle replaced with bone, and the neck smoothed. Though the G tuning peg might again be acting up now lately, I haven't had any further problems.

This guitar has been remarkably reliable and durable. I've been playing it for about 30 years, and it remains solid and beautiful. Not being a professional musician, I really can't speak to the demands of the road.Whe

I've never had to deal with the manufacturer, and have no idea what warranty may have come with the guitar.

This was my second guitar, bought after several years playing a much lower quality nylon-stringed classical guitar with my church group. If it were stolen or lost, I would definitely replace it with the same model, if I could get one.