Alvarez MD80

The solid engleman spruce top has perfectly strait grains. The solid mahogany back and sides are just stunning. I also love the satin finish mahogany neck (reminds me of my martin). Flawless in every detail as far as I can see. I am really suprized that this guitar was built in China! The only reason I did not give it a 10 was because I am not used to having no position markers on the fretboard. However, the fretboard and frets were perfect! The maple binding really stands out and brings something different to the table.

I have to admit, I am blown away with how good this guitar sounds. Very bright and clear, (reminds me of a mahogany Taylor). Has very good sustain. This guitar must have scalloped bracing because it has a very nice base to go along with the mids and trebles. Most mahogany dreadnoughts are lacking in this area. It is surprisingly loud also. I owned a cheaper model of an Alvarez about 5 years ago and it sounded very thin unplugged. I guess the solid woods made the difference. Sounds great!

One of the easiest guitars I have ever played. The action is so low, I was worried about it when I first took it out of the case. But the intonation is perfect on every fret. No glue showing anywhere outside or in. No finish flaws anywhere. The frets are perfect. I bought this guitar to play lead on my studio. I have a rosewood martin for rhythm, but needed a mahogany to stand out. I have no doubt this guitar will pass with flying colors. (especially for the money!)

This guitar has a "well built" feel and the tuners seem very reliable and stable. I think this guitar will stand the test of time as long as it is cared for properly. I would not be ashamed or worried about playing it anywhere!

I don't know yet. I have never had to use the customer support. But, it does come with a limited lifetime warranty. If you are like me and cherish a fine instrument, you will take good enough care of it that you will probably never need customer support.

I have been playing acoustic guitar for over 19 years and have owned around 50 guitars during this period. Everything from dirt cheap laminates to custom shop Martins. I would like to think I am qualified to judge a dreadnought. I would recommend this one to anyone who wants a high quality, low cost mahogany dreadnought.

If you are reading this, then you already have the spec of this guitar - all in all, a damned fine engleman spruce, mahogonay all solid wood combination.

A brand new guitar, bought as an ex-display model from Absolute Music Soutions for 200 quid! The tone is a little bright at the moment, but with a few months playing it will loosen up nicely. I've etro fitted a set of brass string pegs & this has certainly helped the tonal stucture a lot.

Superb action, great finish. You wouldn't beleive this guitar so little.

Certainly seems tuff enuff - very well put together.

Nver tried them.

Get one - NOW!!

Solid Engelmann spruce top
Solid mahogany back and sides
Bound rosewood fretboard
Multi-ply maple top and back binding
Abalone rosette
Nickel die-cast tuners
Indian rosewood bridge
Satin finish

The case that came with it has a cool little dial to let you know if its too hot/cold air pressure type thing!

Im into folk fingerstyle music but I play anything and everything and this guitar does just the job! Its a full bodied sound and it picks up every little pull off and hammer on. Its a deep and warm feeling you get from this guitar. Because its an all solid wood guitar the tone is balanced just perfectly. You get all the rich vibrant sound of the bass and the rich clear sound of the higher pitched notes. Even though their is no pick-up this guitar gives out enough sound to be heard if you were playing to a small audience. If you were playing a gig or with a band then you would really need to mic it up!

When I first bought this guitar the action was a big high, I've not got round to putting it in for a service yet but its not that big a deal, nothing that a guitar tech can't sort.

Another thing that I did come across and beware! When you are putting a new set of strings on this guitar the bridge pegs come out really easy and its a bit of a struggle to get them to stay back in when you are tightening the new strings. You have to kinda hold the bridge peg down and twist it slighty whilst turning the tuning pegs. All a bit of an effort to be honest but its worth it when you start strumming. I have never came across this before but when I asked the guy in the shop about it he said it was a common practice for more upper range guitars like this, o well!

No other complaints though!

Beautiful finish that will age well. No pick-up so no problems with loose wires or that, just a full bodied natural sound. The sound will mature with this guitar as the wood ages so I suggest keeping it for at least a few years. I bought this guitar new and you can tell from the sound. I've heard a second hand one of these thats been well played in and it sounds that little bit better!

You probably couldn't gig this without backup unless you were a solo singer song writer playing small venues otherwise you would really need to mic it up or install a pick-up or something.

Case that came with it is a bit on the bulky side but its solid and looks great. Brilliant for taking it to venues and it has a code lock on it so no one can open it and give it a strum without you being there! Its got a fair size storage compartment for all your little extras and it has a few zip compartments on the outside of the case, handy for music ect.

Website is great, plenty of customer support ect.

This is the first guitar that I have bought in about 8 years that doesn't plug in but to be honest I think you would loose that beautiful natural quality that you get from this guitars acoustics. I generally replace my acoustic after about a year or so and upgrade but to be honest I dont think any of the higher priced guitars match the quality, spec or sound that the MD80 has to offer and at the price I got it for I am more than happy to keep it for life.

In this price range I have yet to find it's match.

I had a close call with the SJ the other night and decided that I needed another guitar that wouldn't give me a heart attack if it got scratched. I was playing around with a Taylor 315 ($1700) and a Guild Gad 30 ($900) and couldn't make up my mind between them, when a kid picked this thing up and started playing Bluegrass (Way better than myself I might add ) and my mind was made up. $550 used with a case and this sound........slam dunk! With several hundred dollars left in my pocket.

It had extra light strings on it at the store so I left it and had them replace the nut and saddle with bone and medium strings. Played and sounded great before with no buzz, and now, with action lowered, still works great. Very well built and no flaws anywhere that I have found. Stays in tune for freaking ever.

Had it a month but it's built very well from what I can tell and I have no doubt that this thing will be around for a long time. I doubt I'll ever get rid of it.

no idea

This was purchased for our Wednesday night get together to avoid having to carry a $4000 Gibson to a place that can sometimes get a little rowdy. If it was lost or stolen I'd have another one before the sun went down. Without a doubt, the sound is why I bought it. Even if it wasn't such a nice looking guitar I would have paid alot more after hearing it .

Solid Wood -- spruce top with solid mahogany back and sides. Solid one piece mahogany neck with rosewood fret board. The binding is made of a real light color wood. Decent solid case came with it. No strap.

Nice bridge with the "swoosh" for good intonation. The nut wasn't as bad as the other reviews made it sound.

Sound is fantastic. Deep rich bass tones and clear chimey upper tones. Small guit, but big sound for its size.

Beautiful wood and finish. The frets are perfect and the action is great. Only defect was a scratch were the neck joins the body most likely from the neck adjustment during setup. Strings were in bad shape -- the protective coat was flaking off.

Seems solid and durable.

This is a solid guitar for the money. It sounds fantastic and has great feel and touch. I have played some nice ones for a lot more $$ that aren't as good as this guitar. Great utility -- I don't think you can find a better guitar for this price or even $200 more.

If someone ripped it...I'd get another.

nice gloss finish, no errors, really immaculate. one of the most comfortable necks out there, neck is not glossed, and very smooth. 2004 model from the east. solid top, when my luthier put on the bone nut he pointed out the "cross grains" in the top, signs of a quality sound board. solid mahogany back and sides nice reddish color evenly matched no knotts.

smallish dread body, like most mahoganys very even and rich sounding.
i strum and chord songs light to hard (ghost riders in the sky) and it handles it all. the only guitars i've heard that out performed my MD-80 were handmade.

action was low to med-low and very comfortable. top is book matched perfectly. no flaws, frets filed properly, you don't feel them. did replace the nut with bone.

this guitar is very well made, no hardware issues, great finish, plan on having it around for years.

limited life-time, what isn't, called alveraz twice for info, great to company to deal. some info, these guitars are made overseas, but setup and QA'd by american luthiers!

3 yrs and still learning, i would replace it pronto if lost or stolen! there is nothing i don't like about this guitar. my favorite feature is how comfortable it is to play. i spent 3 months looking at all the top names. the only two guiatrs i considered were the gibson songwriter deluxe ($1,000.-) more and the martin OOO-18 ($1200.-) more. may yet purchase the martin. don't understand the all the negatives, have to profesional guitar players in the family, they both said " you paid what"!

Solid wood MD-80 purchased for a second guitar

Strings buzzed, having to get it set up correctly for semi aggressive strumming. thin sounding tho...using 12/54s, 80/20 bronze, thought it would have a little more UMPH . Heard other brands laminated that sounded better. Just wonder if I got the B stock model instead of what I paid for. no case either as was advertised Free Case ???

Action way too low, nut fell off when I changed the strings, NUT looked way too low on treble side, may need to be replaced ?? will know in a few days/ Finish nice, pretty, but sometimes pretty just don't get it

I'd be hard pressed to use this guitar on a gig, like one other guy said, sure aint gonna turn no heads.. of course depends what you're singing & playing, but toooo thin sounding....

Never dealt with company, just have a luthier do my stuff, maybe it will open up one of these years ???

I will not buy sight unheard anylonger. done it a few times and it's 50/50, taking a chance...I should have went out and looked around alot more, could have saved several hundred dollars from what I saw today in comparison in 3 music stores, and had a good sounding beach banger guitar. the MD-80 in no way compares to $2K+ er lines in sound...WEAK !

I laugh at the first review of this column. Makes me wonder why this guy would bother buying it if he were used to playing guitars of such superior quality. I`ve been playing over 25 years and I say this model sounds as good or better than many more expensive Martin or Taylors. You`ve got to lay out some serious dollars before you get your hands on a Martin that sounds this good. Try one the Martin or Gibson, Guild or Taylor "cheapies" and hear what they sound like. I think you`ll agree the MD80 sounds way better. Good guitar to smash on stage? Get real. Sure there are better instruments but this is definitely worth the money.

This guitar sounds nice and bright with medium gauge strings. Just how solid mahogany should. Intonation is perfect. More volume than I expected by far. Clear, crisp treble with balanced bass and midrange.

Factory set-up was pretty good. Nice low action and no string buzz at all. Everything seems well put together here. Nice choice of wood. Very easy to play.

I play several times a month with friends and so far this is standing up well. I`ve had other Alvarez`s and am very pleased with the quality of workmanship. I have no doubt the MD80 will last. Finish is very nice and uniform. Doubt I would smash it on stage for effect.

I have had the pleasure of speaking with the folks from St. Louis Music and they are very helpful.

I`ve been playing strings over 25 years and I know instruments. I have recommended this model to friends without hesitation. You wont be disappointed with the sound at all. You simply cannot buy a better solid wood guitar brand new for less. The hardshell case is very nice as well. One thing that would have made this model better would be to have a bone nut and saddle instead of simulated Tusq material. I`ll be cutting a new nut and saddle and I expect it sound even better. A excellent bargain.

This is an Okay Guitar for those who want a solid wood guitar, it is a great beginner guitar and it is put together well. But it is not a Taylor, or Martin and should not even be classed with them or any other top end guitar. It's made in China and it's tuners are cheap the finish is cheap and the tone woods are not select.

This guitar is sufficient for playing on stage, it has a good sound and the tone is pleasing. It's not going to make too many people turn their heads though.

The action is a bit too low for me, had to have it setup and the bridge replaced to keep it from buzzing on the E string. The rosewoood bridge pins were too loose and kept slipping and had to be replaced with better quality bridge pins.

Had ot have the strap button replaced, cheap rosewood pin, too small it popped out while I was playing it. The finish is glossy and looks good but it's too soon to tell if it's rugged enough. This may good backup guitar if you needed something while your good guitar was in the shop, refretting modifications or whatever. But beyond that if this was the only guitar I had I would be concerned.

I have had no dealings with the company, but I'm sure that Alvarez is a good bunch of people to deal with. Some of their dealers may have issues though.

I have been playing for 10 years, and I own a Taylor 710. I also play a Mandolin. I bought this Guitar because It was hard to believe that you could buy a $500 solid wood guitar brand new. I figured that with a little work it would make a decent guitar. I'm Okay with it but I wouldn't loose too much sleep over it if it was stolen. It would be a great Guitar to smash on stage for effect.

Just picked up this guitar at a pawn shop, it was under about a years worth of dust. i didnt really know what i had picked up to look at when i first saw it...all i knew was alvarez was a good guitar. not sure what year it is, but after buying this jewel and and after a good cleaning and some tlc and new strings, WOW!!!! shes like a brand new guitar.it is just fantastic. guitar also came with a hardshell case. i dont think the pawn shop really knew what they had!

she has one of the best sounds i have ever heard. very rich and warm. i am using a light gage set of strings by elixir that are just great. i think i may add a pickup at a later date.

the guitar itself just stands out when you take it out of the case, the finish is wonderful, and the action feels good. the only thing im not sure of is the tuning keys....i may change them out later.

this guitar will stand out in a crowd. she looks as good as most $2000+ guitars. i think i have found a guitar that will be in my arsonal for a long, long time.

never had to call, so dont know.

the find of my lifetime! every once in a while, you come across a find like this.

Current model. This same review is provided for both the MD80 and MD90, as the only difference is the side and back material - MD80 is mahogany, MD90 is rosewood. Solid woods throughout. Non-cutaway dreadnaught, gloss finish body without pickguard, rosewood fretboard, decent plastic nut and saddle, Englemann spruce top, scalloped bracing. Alvarez proprietary tuning machines are OK. Tasteful appearance - a nice balance between simple and elegant with wood bindings, abalone ring, headstock symbol and 12th fret marker.

Amazingly good sound for the price - competes with any under-$2000 guitar. These guitars are somewhat mellow, but by no means dull. The best comparison would be to a good Martin D28 with a bit less thunky boom on the bottom and a bit more subtlety and character throughout. Very versatile - with light gauge strings they are excellent fingerpickers - with mediums they project a stronger attack. Overal tonal range, sustain, overtones, clarity and complexity is much like guitars at three times the price. The mahogany MD80 is somewhat more defined and maybe a bit brighter, while the rosewood MD90 has a bit mor low overtones and resonance.

Action is very good, about average for a finer acoutic guitar. Like many guitars, you may want to tweak it with a light fret evening, bridge and relief adjustment - but it's quite good from the factory. Neck width is the common 1 11/16". Depth is shallower than average and very comfortable. Overall construction is very good - this is a well made instrument. It is mass-produced and the polishing and detailing are not what you would expect of a $2000+ guitar. Otherwise it really is a lovely instrument - nice wood, inlay alighment and overall apearance.

Everything is well-made with no reason to suspect failures. Playing without a backup is your choice, but it would not be for any unreliability of this instrument. Tuners could be a bit better, but are easily replaced if you don't like the stock ones.

No experience with coustomer support. From what I can tell, there is no direct manufacturer contact - it is all through the dealers. Bought it used, so I don't know about warrantee.

I have been playing about 40 years and have owned more guitars, electric and acoustic, than I can count. This has included fine and vintage Martins, Gibsons and Taylors. If I did not have this one and needed a guitar, an Alvarez MD80 or MD90 would be at the top of my list. In fact it is such a satisfying instrument that I am parting with my rosewood Taylor, since I usually prefer to play the Alvarez. Everybody has their preferences and I am absurdly picky about mine. I would like a 1 3/4" neck, but this one is average width. There is a great deal to like about it - the sound is outstanding and the look is elegant. The general "feel" is light, balanced and vibrant - you can easily feel the woods vibrating at top and back. There are some other good guitars similar prices, maybe a bit more, from Tacoma, Martin, Larrivee, Guild. The MD80/90 seems to have a balance of qualities that add up to a more high-end sophisticated sound. They are exceptional guitars and an unusual value. A prince in pauper's clothing, if you will. Highly reccommended!

Made in China. Don't know what year but looks new. Came with extra strings, straps, picks, tuner and soft case. Other features, as stated above.

This guitar is great for rhythm/chords as well as fingerpicking. I use Martin light strings. Chords sound rich and well blended. It has enough sustain for fingerpicking up and down the neck. It doesn't fretted notes don't lose much sustain, so open and fretted notes can blend. Mine has a minor buzz on 3rd fret 1st string, but that can be easily adjusted by raising the contact between the first string and the nut. I tried all guitars under $500 at guitar center and they all sounded dull. The only one that sounded great was a Taylor. I got this off of ebay for 300 and it comes very close to a Taylor. I can't say that it sounds exactly as a Taylor but no other guitar comes as close.

The action is great compared to what i was playing before, which was a classical guitar. The finish is beautiful. This guitar stands out as a very expensive guitar. I love the rosette. I've never seen a rosette like it. Its understated and at the same time modern.

This guitar is solid. The finish is thick. I got this guitar used and it looks new. At an angle i can see alot of scratches up close but they are not noticeable because of the great finish

Dunno never needed to call them. They have a good site at www.alvarezgtr.com

I have played for 5 years. I have a Fender Stratocaster and a Jackson shredder type guitar. If someone stole this guitar I would break his hands so he would never play guitar again.

Body Style Dreadnought
Back/Sides Solid Mahogany
Top Solid Spruce
Finish Natural Gloss
Body Binding Maple
Fingerboard Rosewood
Fingerboard Inlay Green Abalone
Tuning Machines Nickel Die Cast
Bridge Rosewood
Neck width at nut 1-11/16"
The only thing I would have liked on this guitar was possibly an ebony fingerboard, but this guitar is simple and beautiful. I believe this are made in China, mine's a 2001 I think.

I play a combination of strumming, fingerpicking, and blues. For me this guitar sounds great in all styles. Other acoustics I have owned were an Ovation Celebrity, Ovation Elite, and an Alvarez Yairi DY-45. This guitar blows them all away in pure acoustic tone. The Ovation Elite had a great neck and sounded great plugged in, but suffered acoustically. I wanted somwething that sounded better unplugged and with a back that you could feel vibrate. While costing much more, the DY-45 just doesn't compare. I played many guitars before buying this so I wouldn't have to go looking again. These included Martin's (D-16, OM-15, 000-15s), Larrivee's, Tacoma's, and Taylor's.
The Martin's were disappointing until you spent nearly $2000. The Larrivee's are nice but don't have the warmth or crisp bass response of the MD80. Taylor's have a great neck but I just don't care for their sound. I was very close to buying a Tacoma DM-9 or DM-10 as these sound quite a bit like the MD-80. To me the sound can be described as wonderfully resonant and airy, with excellent balance and volume. It doesn't have the complex overtones as a high end Martin but as I mostly Travis style fingerpick and wanted something with tight balanced sound, but more volume than an OM style. The bass response on this guitar is the best for me of any acoustic I've played. When fingerpicking with a thumbpick it is sharp and resonant, not rounded or muddy like the Martin's I played. Very dynamic as well. And the neck shape fits my hand perfectly. I use Ernie Ball's Earthwood bronze med lights and the action is low with no buzzing. And you can play it all the way up the neck without losing tone. I have not yet played it amplified. I also don't play bluegrass so I can't comment on how well it's suited for that.

I purchased this guitar with a small crack in the back that was repaired. It has not been a problem and I am very pleased with the rest of the guitar. Beautiful tight grained solid spruce top and the mahogany sides and back are a gorgeous reddish brown. The neck is very smooth and the frets are smooth and even, maybe a couple sharp edges here and there that could have been dressed. As I stated before the action is great up and down the neck. Low enough for some blues noodling and yet still provides good volume without buzzing.

I have had it about three months and it seems very solid. I do not play out much though so I can't say how well it would hold up under constant gigging.

Nothing to report here - no problems.

For me this was a dream come true. I got this for a great price for the guitar alone, much less with the I-beam pickup and hardshell case. I was constantly trying out different acoustics before buying the MD80 but haven't played another one since. I am completely happy with this guitar and think Alvarez has a super guitar for the price. I would like to try an MD90 (rosewood) to see if it has the more complex overtones when strummed. I have been playing for 20 years, not professionally but I do record at home and play out occasionally.
Anyone I've shown this too have been very impressed, especially when I tell them what I paid. Even at the normal $400-$500 for these I think they can't be beat!

Body Style: Dreadnought
Back/Sides: Solid Mahogany
Top: Solid Spruce
Finish: Natural Gloss
Body Binding: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Fingerboard Inlay: Green Abalone
Tuning Machines: Nickel Die Cast
Bridge: Rosewood

I love the sound of this guitar, really bright, really stands out, esp on the treble...

Draw back: Buzzing sound on high E on 2 different frets... was there when I purchased, had repaired immediatly, and has returned (3 weeks later)..

The buzzing is not TERRIBLE and people listening probably won't notice, but I do... otherwise I would have given sound a 10

I love the action on this guitar, easy to hold/grip/jam... great...

but again, but guitar contained a flaw that causes this buzz i metioned above

Seems sturdy.

Playing about 5 years a strat and a lower end alvarez acoustic...to be honest this was a spur of the moment purhase, and besides the customer service of the store I purchased from, I am very happy with this guitar...

I paid $400 new on EBay...no case. Nice looking guitar, very clean workmanship and details per the other guys reviewing here.

Only negative is a minor quibble about a knot in the lower side bass bout...somebody was obviously not being too picky about wood when they built this guitar. Back's perfect, however, and the tops better than Guilds and Martins I've seen at arount 3X the price.

Sound's not as barky as I'd like. I don't like mellow guitars, and that's what this one is. Dullish bass even with big flatpicking heavies (I play Jack Elliott style or jazz, none of that r&r/folk stuff). No good at all for fingerpicking, but I don't like fingerpicking anyway and who'd use a dreadnaught for that anyway?

Sounds a LOT better (more bluegrass capable, if that's your thing), sharper bass, with my home-made coconut flatpicks. LOTS better, like a decent old D-18 maybe. Picks make a big difference with some guitars, and this is one of them. Maybe I should get a sawzall and make it into a Clarence White?

Everything perfect except that the nut and saddle are some kind of plastic. Beautiful finish.

Alvarez is especially hip in not sticking a pick guard on this instrument. Better sound no doubt, better looking. Who cares if it gets chopped up a little? Heck, it's made by slaves in China, not by sainted hillbillies in PA.

It's going to last forever, or until I somehow destroy it brutally.

I have a 1977 Yamaha 838S (jumbo, solid spruce, nato lam) that's louder by far, has a much better bass, and a more comfortable neck. The Alvarez feels a little skinny, neckwise, by comparison. The Alvarez is new, will get better...and it's got more complex and sweet tones...but the Yamaha blows it away, probably partially cause it's old and also cause dreadnaughts are dullards by comparison to good jumbos.

JK

Not sure what year it was made in, it was made in China. It has a solid top. The body is of very pretty Mahogany. It's got a fairly thin neck. It did not come with any accessories.

The sound of this guitar is very good, I liked it better than the more expensive guitars in the same line. It has a rich sound. This was the best sounding guitar they had at the music store.

There were no flaws whatsoever.

I think it would definately withstand live playing, it's very dependable, and I think you would do fine without a backup.

Haven't contacted Customer Support!

I have just started playing recently, but I'm picking it up very quickly! There isn't anything I wish I had asked before buying this guitar. If it were stolen or lost, I'd buy this model of guitar again! I did compare it to other guitars, some were much more expensive than this one, this one was by far the best sounding guitar in the store!

This a brand new 2001 Alvarez MD80, made in China. Dreadnought bodystyle,solid spruce top, solid mahogany back/sides and neck.It has rosewood bridge and fingerboard.This a good looking guitar,with a glossy finish.I like the neck on this guitar, its not to thin or to chunky,just about right for me.Its fingerboard is pretty plain with no dot markers on top,some kind of fancy inlay at the 12th fret is all.,but i like it!nice abalone inlay around sound hole and maple purfing.

It sounds great and is suited for all types of music. I have dean Markley medium lights on it and is still pretty loud. nice full sound on bass side and bright trebles.

The action was just about right for me , medium/ low.Tuners work smoothly and stays tuned! I beleive the frets could have been polished better, but nothing to complain about.The top is nicely bookmatched with tight grain the back and sides also are nice.

The guitar is built solid and seems to be holding up.I think its well suited for live playing.And wouldnt be ashamed to play it in front of a croud .

havent dealt with customer support!

i have been playing only for 3 or 4 years, but know a good guitar when i see one. Ive had many guitars. Lower end Gibsons,Guilds,Seagulls,Alvarez Yairi,etc.This has been the best one yet.In my opinion its the best you can buy for under $1000 bucks. Others just dont compare!If you can get over it being made in China, I would suggest you go out and try one.