Alvarez 5044

I've got two of the Alvarez 5044 models, known as the Alvarez Professional Dreadnought, a 1974 and 1978, the earlier model has the 2pc Indian Rosewood back, spruce top. The 1978 has a solid spruce top, with 3pc back with multi-color inlays, Jacaranda with Indian Rosewood center. White celluloid binding. Satin finish Nato Mahogany neck (has adjustable neck rod) with pearloid inlay on Rosewood fretboard (HEXAGON on 78, 74 has Catseye/pearloid dots)14/20. German Schallers on the 74, and DieCast Deluxe chrome enclosed tuners on the 78. Both have adjustable rosewood bridges. Both have Alvarez in Script lettering inlaid on the front of the Headstock, later models had DOUBLE A Alvarez Logo. NO electronics. Made in Japan. Both came with original cases.

Will skip this one, since what it sounds like to me.. doesn't mean it would sound the same to you.

Amazingly, 9 out of 10 of the Alvarez models I own, needed little or no adjustments. These were setup in Japan and then checked again when they arrived in the U.S. by SLM (St. Louis Music) if any adjustments were needed, they were done before being sold. Inlays, bindings, etc. are all very well done. Frets do not require any filing, etc.. nicely done. No complaints.

Short of outright abuse, these guitars hold up very well. They are both over 30 years old, and except for minor dings and scratches from shirt buttons, etc... they are just as solid as when new.

Don't do gigs.. so, can't answer that~ but, they've certainly been used plenty, left out and carried around to friends and family~ the only thing I replaced is the nut and bridge pins, and not because they were defective or broken, just wanted to use something else.

Neither are under warranty, but I've dealt with Alvarez and they have always been more than helpful and accommodating, even when they didn't have to be.

Long time..first guitar 1963. Have more guitars than I care to list.. from Alvarez, Aria, AY to Arturo Huipe, Lo Prinzi, Kazuo and Sadao Yairi.

I'd probably look for another if I lost both of these~ I love the back of this one, and don't really have anything I dislike (let alone hate) on it.

Gloss finished solid spruce and rosewood with center stripe dread, with AA nickle tuners, ebony fretboard with snowflakes and white binding. The sound hole rosette and body binding is beautiful herringbone. The neck is semi Vee at the peghead that blends to a very good feeling neck. No electrics and it don't NEED any! It was built in 1977.

I'm a hearing impaired (and poor but persistant) player with very limited 'choices'. I like a guitar that thumps my ribs and rattles my teeth when I rest my chin on the upper bout. THIS guitar does that and more. I can HEAR the ring and feel the power even with soft finger picking. It has more range and power than any thing I've owned before.....and that includes all the 'boomers' from Guild, Washburn, Martin and Gibson.

This is my fourth Alvarez or A Yairi guitar. All but one have been REAL winners. For workmanship and value they can't be beat, but they sure have their own personality, too. I've never seen a badly fitted and finished Alvarez...the same sure can't be said of other brands.

This guitar is better finished than most and when buckle scratches and wear on the pick guard is visible but nothing else is hurt it means it's a TOUGH guitar. I don't play for a crowd, but my guitar go with me....I've never broken one.

Never used them...do my own set-ups and repairs.

I've been playing for 27 years about an hour a day. I own a Gretsch Super Axe, Gibson 335, two old Yairi 12 strings, a Canyon Creek DY80 12 string and a a couple high-end Japanese 'no-names'. When I play a six string it's usually this one. It 'speaks' to me.
I'm a hermit and don't go to town but haunt ebay and craigslist. I pay more in shipping than most do in guitars and 'thin the herd' of ones I don't care about playing. This Herringbone 5044 is a KEEPER! Its' a rare Alvarez that isn't.

Made 22-4-79 in Japan with 20 frets. Solid spuce top with Mahogany neck, sides, and back(3-piece).Dreadnought with glossy finish. Binding on body, neck, and headstock. 25.5 scale,rosewood fretboard with decorative inlays. Fat V-neck with medium fretwire.Original Alvarez hardshell case.

I bought this guitar in my late teens to keep forever. It's been used for Rock,Rock & Roll, Blues, Amplified Blues, and original material.Rich/full with sustain. Balanced output with deep lows, dynamic midrange, and bright highs.

Has always been easy to play with good action. Nice appointments throughout. Tight grain top.

Aged and opened-up, well built and well played. Built to last and depend on.

Been playing for 28 years. Also own Fender, Martin, and Gibson. The Alvarez is unreplaceable. It looks and sounds beautiful.

Early 80s so the music store told me,dreadnought,rosewood sides and back with spruce top.Aged yellowed binding,looks older than the book says it is has abalone or mother of pearl inlays on headstock and sideway's triamgle markers in five different shapes,12th 15th and 17th frets have wide flat pointed markers on neck,beautiful wood no scratches or gouges,whoever used to have it took very good care of it.I put a passive fishman peizio PU in it since I use the Fishman pro platinum eq with my acoustics.Back has a V shaped peice going up to the heal the grain is very deep and dark rosewood,Mahogany neck with a slight V shape up high from headstock diminishing as you go down the neck.

It projects very well the pawn shop I found it in had a "Great Bluegrass" sticker on it.Soon as I picked it up and hit a few chords I was sold.They wouldn't drop the price because it had just been put out that day but they gave me a new Fender strap and it had a gigbag with it.I use Martin Marqueis ex light strings on it and the tone is excellent,chimey good bass and sounds very good plugged in.

I have never sdjusted anything it sounds great has great action no buzzes or dead spots very good player

1973 Alvarez 5044. Standard Dreadnought. Solid Spruce Top, 3 peice Rosewood back and sides. D-45 Trapazoid fret markers. white binding. Similar to the Yairi DY - 85 and Martin D 45. This guitar has really aged well, and really has a lot of color in the spruce. It has a bone saddle and an ebony bridge.

This guitar is fitted with a Fishman Rare Earth Humbucker, which really captures the movement of this gutiar.

This guitar sounds as old as it is. Big low end, and lots of loud overtownes. The guitar has a very full sound, but is almost overpowering. The Rosewood back and sides contribute to the deep bass of the guitar, while the spruce top allows very loud highs.

Played next to a Martin D-35, this guitar is indistinguishable.

This guitar has excellent note definition and sings very clearly. There isnt alot of muddiness, even with old, dead strings. The clarity of this guitar is amazing for a big rosewood guitar. Everything is Crisp.

Flatpicking it will really allow for long sustain and enough power to fill the room. Perfect for chords where every note counts. Finger picking this guitar is also fabulous because it doesnt take much to get this guitar to come alive.

This guitar is one of the best sounding acoustics I have ever heard, but probably due to its age.

Perfect Action, and the neck is still straight as an arrow. Plays just like a perfect acoustic should. Never had to be adjusted in its 30 years. ALl the wood is bookmatched and it really shows. Beautiful grain. This guitar was made well.

This guitar got into some water damage somewhere along the way. but it just cause some discoloration in the rosewood. No warping.

This guitar is a beast. It certainly is a work-horse. This guitar gets many many many hours of playing and keeps on going. I got this guitar to keep around as a beater, but I fell in love with it so much, that it now takes main stage. This guitar gets all the attention while my other fairly high end guitars stay in the cases. Where ever I go, it goes. It seen its days in college living (which is rough), to venues, churches, and camping.

This guitar is solid. No cracks, plenty of dings, and tons of scratches. This gutiar is 30 years old and keeps on going. If i had to compare this guitar to a person, its like one of those old USMC guys with all the tatoos, but they are tough, ya know?

This guitar is as good as a back up as youll ever get. That is if you actually want to use it as one. I would gig with this guitar with no back ups with strings held up as much as this gutiar. Just can keep strings on em....

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Been playing for 10 years. Martin d-35, d-18, guild jf 30, Alvarez 5056, American strat, gibson es 335, fender dg27sce, yamaha fg 345

This guitar is a godsend. If you are a musician looking for a reliable guitar that can take the bar scene and traveling, look out for one of these guys in the pawnshops and online like ebay.

If this guitar were lost, I would cry. What more could you ask for in a vintage acoustic. its got the cool aged look, big sound, and build like a beast.