Alvarez History

Alvarez is a high-quality acoustic guitar manufacturer which consistently ranks among the most popular acoustic instrument brands in the world. They also manufacture classical guitars, such as the Alvarez Yairi line. In the past, Alvarez also manufactured a line of electric guitars, many of which were copies of more prominent brands, though there were a few original designs in their line-up (including the strange Dana Scoop, a superstrat-like guitar with a single triple-coil humbucking pickup in the bridge position and a single-coil pickup in the neck position, 5-way switching, Floyd Rose vibrato, 6-in-line drooped/pointy or 3+3 "blade" headstocks, maple (or rosewood) fretboard with black (or white) rectangular block fingerboard inlays and a radically elongated lower cutaway). Some Scoops were available with a pickguard and a conventional SSS pickup configuration.

Alvarez replaced Westone in 1991. Today, the brand is owned by LOUD Technologies, which also owns Mackie, Ampeg, Crate and other music-related brands. While many of its models are produced in China, the top-tier Alvarez-Yairi instruments are hand-made by Kazou Yairi at the Yairi factory in Kani, Gifu-Japan.

• Aaron Lewis
• Adam Gardner
• Alejandro Escovedo
• Ani DiFranco
• Bob Weir
• Bret Michaels
• Carlos Santana
• Chris Cagle
• Dai Nagao
• Dave King
• Dave Mason
• David Crosby
• David Grissom
• Duncan Sheik
• Felicia Collins
• Graham Nash
• Jimmy Herring
• Justin Furstenfeld
• Kip Winger
• Lo-Pro
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• Mike Herrera
• Mike Mushok
• Monte Montgomery
• Pete Yorn
• Ritchie Blackmore
• Ryan Miller
• Seether
• Warren Haynes
• Zakk Wylde