Alvarez 5081N TBS Fusion

Alvarez is a company based in St. Louis Mo...but their midline and low level guitars are made in Korea....nothing wrong with that...it is what makes them affordable....the quality is good..I bought mine used from what used to be Mars Music..in Dallas.Its a well Made thin-line acoustic/electric...the EQ is on the upper side.. flame blue maple back, top and side..the neck is thin, rosewood fingerfboard, very close to an electric feel ( strat) the cut-away shape makes playing upper notes. easy. low action..20 med frets. very comfortable on the hands. changing the battery is tricky.. tuners are stock alvarez

As an acoustic. its NOT a booming sound, very mid rangy..but its a thin line design..its not supose to be..Sound great through an amp. lots of sparkle...it depends on the string choice also. Feedback is a hugh problem if the EQ is not set right. With the right electronics...the sound would be much better.

This is where I feel the Fusion 5081N excells...the action and feel of the neck. lets you play ALL DAY...your fingers just dont get tired.. Fit and finish of the inlay and wood it great..no cracks or bulges...

I have had mine about five years, and many sets of strings...I own 8 guitars and I always enjoy playing this one..Everything on this is solid very little where...I guess someday I'll sell it or have it refretted. Very dependable guitar. Will last into eternity.. lol

Bought used N/A

I have played guitar nearly 30 years...like I said I own 8 other guitars.. Mostly Yamaha...Acoustics and Electrics... if this one were stolen..I might not replace it. I would go to ebay and find a Yamaha APX 20

This guitar was made around 1997. It was made in an Alvarez Korean Factory. It has 21 frets and a nice mother of pearl inlay on the 12th fret down. It has a beautiful blue color and glossy finish. If you wish to see it just go to this address... "http://www.geocities.com/raitone/Alvarez.htm" On this page you will see not only the slim body but the guitars electronics, the active system 500A offering a three band EQ and a Contour setting from 600Hz to 1200Hz. The body is made of a maple top and mahogony back and sides. The neck is also made of mahogony with a rosewood fret board and is fairly thin towards the head. Not to sure about the bridge. The body style is a thinline cutaway. It has Alvarez silver stock tuners. It has a beautiful abalone design around the sound hole and matching Alvarez Logo on the head of the guitar.

It is wonderful for all styles which is great for me since I'm a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. I was really surprizing on how much sound came out acoustically for having a slim body. Sounds great in almost any inviroment acoustically and just as fantastic electonically on the cheapest or most expensive acoustic amps. The guitar really generally surprized me. I have been playing a little more than 15 years and in that time I've played and owned lots of different guitars of different makes. I'd actually compare this guitar with any other guitar even a top Taylor or Martin and for the price difference, that's incredible. It gives me a crisp clean sound when played acoustically and, electronically the pickups have a pretty wide range for different sounds. I can even pull out a grungy acoustic sound for Alternative styles with out using any external effects which is better for a more natural sound. Great picking sound but I noticed that it sounds better if picked using 11 gauged strings and for a rich, full sound when finger picking using 12's but that is not a complaint, it is just preference. All around though I am very impressed on how clean and rich it sounds.

Since I bought it used I don't know if it was ever changed from when it was manufactured but the action seemed just a tad bit to high for me so I had it lowered just a bit, not to much though because if I were to use smaller gauge strings it might be to low and rub a bit on the frets. It turned out just great though. Another small detail that I encountered was, that I wish the neck towards the head was a little wider as I mentions earlier, it's fairly thin. I think these two would be my only complaints but they're nothing at all compared to what the entire product offers. I have no idea if the original owner of this guitar used it alot but I know since I bought it I have, and it's holding up great and I can't say I abuse it but it rarely goes a day with out some good playing. I do own other nice guitars though but I have to say since I bought this one I've grown rather fond of it and it's hard not wanting to play it always. This guitar has no flaws at all which tells me not only has it been taken good care of but it seems like it was made very well and with some abuse in mind. I am very impressed with the craftsmanship.

I've played this guitar on stage and at my local church many times and I have even let a friend use it to play on a few very small tours and from what everyone elses reaction has been, I can say it is a great live guitar. I've even done some recording with it and those crisp sound really stand out. I don't know how long the finish will last but I can say that with the right cleaning and guitar waxing regularly it will last a long time although, I don't have a pick gaurd as you can see on the web site above, I haven't had a mark left on it after cleaning. It is also a good idea for any guitar owner to get a humidifier to make sure that wood stays strong. The strap bottons are very solid. I believe this guitar will be very dependible. If I would use it without a backup I couldn't really say. I've always brought another guitar with me but it's just out of feeling of responsibility because you never know if on stage you pop a string and I also have a Washburn I bring for when I play with a slide.
Again, I guess that is just preference but I do believe it is an all around very reliable guitar.

I haven't had the pleasure yet of speaking with anyone from the Alvarez company. I have spoken with a few employees of local music stores like "North Field Music Shoppe" and "The House Of Guitars of New York" who carry the brand and have dealt with them personally and everything I've heard is very good.

Well like I said before, I've been playing for a good amount of time and for the value and performance of this guitar, it is top. Other then this Alvarez, I own two Taylors' a Washburn and two Takamines' one which is a twelve string. I've changed the electronics on both the twelve string Takamine and the Washburn. I don't think I'll ever have to do that with the Alvarez. I owned to many guitars to name in the past ten yeas. Gees, maybe to many to name in the past year, but this one is definately a keeper. I think this guitar was at the least $600 less then my cheapest owned guitar right now, but to me it's valued the same. I think if something were to happen to this guitar I would definately look for another one but it probably won't be exactly the same, they never are but as long as it's close to I'd be very happy. I wouldn't let this guiatr go unless someone offered me a real good deal, and I mean really good and even at that I'll have to think it over for a good while. I think the thing that mostly attracts others to this guitar at first site is the looks but the thing I most love is the sound. I still can't get over the price not only that I payed but what the company let it go for when brand new. I believe it retailed at around seven to eight hundred dollars. If you find one of these guitars at any price, believe me it's worth buying.

This one was made about '96 or '97 in Alvarez's Korean factory. I purchased it new in September of '98, but who knows how long it was on the wall at the guitar shop. It has an absolutely beautiful, glossy, but I think laminated, flamed maple top that runs from dark blue on the edges to violet in the center. The neck is mahogany and I believe the back and sides are too. The Fingerboard and bridge are rosewood and the sound hole has abalone surrounding it to match the abalone logo on the headstock. Also, there is some nice decorative inlay work down the spine on the back. Being a Fusion, it also has the system 500 electronics and a nice thin, comfortable body. The stock Alvarez tuners on this one are great.

I love the sound of this guitar. The maple top gives it a wonderful sharp tone that responds wonderfully to picking and rakes. You can really dig into this guitar and raise eyebrows with the tone. As for fingerpicking, I can't accurately judge. I've never had the fingernails to get great fingerpicking tone. However, the guitar sounds fine anyway when I do fingerpick it. Also, the fingerboard and neck are nice and solid (good solid set-neck) making harmonics and slapping attacks really sound great for a guitar of this price range. As for the "plugged" tone, the system 500 reproduces the acoustic sound very well. I have never had a problem being heard in a band setting with electric guitars present. The bright, lively tone still comes through.

When I bought it, the action was super low. In fact, looking back, it may have been too low (see next section). However, the only real complaint is that the battery in the electronics vibrated sometimes when certain notes were played. I solved this by wrapping a piece of paper towel around the 9v to take up space in the battery slot. Problem solved. The fit and finish of the woods are fine. All around I'm very pleased with the construction and set-up.

This has been THE acoustic for me at every gig I've done. I don't have a backup or feel the need for one. It has taken some abuse but thank goodness for a sturdy hardcase. There are some dings on the top and lots of wear on the back, but it has really been a great live instrument. My one complaint here is about the frets. They seem to wear too much. I have had them filed and recrowned once already. Also, I had to have a shim put under the saddle to raise the action and help reduce the possibility of more fret wear. I don't think it helped much. New grooves are forming in the frets, yet, strangely enough, the fretboard itself is holding out very well. Whether or not the fret and action thing was the fault of the manufacturer or my own frequent playing, I can't be sure. However, I honestly play this guitar every day and it has logged a LOT of hours. So, I give it the benefit of the doubt.

I have not dealt with the company, but I hear they are nice folks.

I have been playing for about 5 years and I can't justify getting another acoustic after my long relationship with this one. I own a Taylor 12 string and a Heritage 150CM electric as well, but I always go back to this guitar. I do all my song writing on this guitar, and I am most inspired when I play it. The top and neck are getting worn in nicely from frequent play and are developing a great used look. There is nothing like knowing exactly how an instrument will feel and play every time you pick it up. I would never even think of selling it (not for all the Taylors and Martins in the world) and if it was stolen, after lots of mourning, I would see if the new models are anything like this one.