 Great midrange guitar! |
| Review Date: April 13, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Phillip E. Wiltzius, Mankato, MN |
The Alvarez RD20SC Acoustic Electric Guitar was a great purchase for me. I've been playing guitar off and on for a couple of years now (mostly electric), but I've been dying to get a nice acoustic for a good price.
The RD20SC had a couple of things that immediately attracted me to it. First of all, this guitar has solid wood everywhere. Spruce on top, mahogany on the bottom and sides. The guitar has a great amount of sustain to it when you play notes, and as the spruce wears in it'll sound even better. As well, the guitar was delivered with D'Addario strings, which are pretty solid and have a full tone to them. The action (the level of the strings from the fretboard) isn't too high, so I don't have a problem playing- but it's definitely a little more work than an electric.
A couple of things worth mentioning- the electric component on the side is the basic level system 200T, which includes the tuner and three controls for sound, treble, and bass. If you plan on extensively using this with an acoustic amp, I'd suggest you look at the AD60SC, which has the 600T Mk II system in it with more control options. For me, this guitar fringes on personal and semi-professional use, so I don't really need any fancy controls right now. As well, the bridge pins are plastic, but they're also a cheap and easy replacement.
Overall Points:
-This guitar is made out of some quality material, so expect a pretty full tone with decent sustain on it.
-In my opinion, this is a great mid-range acoustic electric. (mid-range being $400-800) It's definitely a step up from the cheap 200 dollar guitars with laminated bottoms.
-It has a gorgeous finish on it, and doesn't leave hand marks (but make sure to wipe it when you're done!)
-Alvarez makes quality guitars for a good price. Amazon offers this guitar at $200 currently, where other guitar stores who have it on "sale" list it for 390. Check Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, or your local music store.
-My only gripes- guitar didn't come with a pick, and they put the wrong electronic pre-amp manual in my box.
-If you're worried about ordering a guitar online, play it at a local store first to get a good feel for it. My guitar was wrapped well and didn't have a scratch on it when I got it from amazon.com.
For my needs, I definitely give this guitar 5 stars. Price, sound, and quality of materials definitely sealed the deal for me on this one.
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OLD FART'S GOT AN AXE - WATCH OUT!
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| Review Date: May 6, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Dale N. Scott, |
| Only Amazon would ship a set of pliers in a huge box with lots of packing paper and then send me a $300 guitar in a cheesy box that wouldn't survive a bus trip across town. The guitar is beautiful and it sounds really great but it got damaged in shipping and I have ro return it. I hope they'll replace it and not make me take a refund. It was a Lightning deal for $129 and I really, REALLY want it. |
Lucked into a Great Guitar
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| Review Date: May 12, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Bass Cadet, California |
Have you ever bought something on a whim, had severe buyer's remorse the next day (only to find it was too late to cancel), and then received the product, which ended up well exceeding all your expectations?
That describes me and this guitar.
It showed up as an Amazon Gold Box Lightning Deal and, sad that I missed a previous deal, put it in my shopping cart. I intended to research it more later and then reconsider. Day got busy and I ended up just completing checkout because I saw it wasn't in stock and figured I had a few weeks to really decide. The next day I decided I have way too much stuff and too little time to play with them anyways, so I went to cancel. BZZZT! Wrong, item was getting ready to ship and it was too late. I received it two days later.
I opened it and thought if there was *anything* even slightly out of whack, I'd return it. Well, it came double boxed in perfect condition. And it included a guitar cord, battery, built-in tuner, and D'Addario strings. I strummed it. The notes were all even and sounded very full and in tune. The notes were all slightly flat, but consistently so and it has held a tuning well since.
The built-in tuner may seem a little gimmicky but is in reality very convenient. The pickup and electronics are basic (volume, treble, and bass controls) but capture the acoustic sound extremely well. I don't claim to have a golden ear but I have played a lot of basses--electric, acoustic, and double--and can at least tell a horrible guitar sound from a competent one. This one has a very smooth and full sound. I would guess it came from a guitar costing twice as much.
As for the guitar's construction, it is made in China but appears to be made by well-trained luthiers. Alvarez does say each guitar is checked out by trained technicians. Regardless, they have the process down.
All the woods are even with no visible defects, the back of the neck is satin (good attention to playability and details), and the finish is flawless. The setup feels right.
Admittedly, if I were serious about buying a guitar, I would have gone to a music store to try some out. As it is, I am just interested in learning basic chords and playing around a little. I don't intend on switching instruments. So, for me, this is a fantastic acoustic-electric guitar which was an incredible deal. I totally lucked out.
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acoustic guitar
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| Review Date: May 14, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Robert Gardner, philo, ca USA |
| it would have been nice if they provided instructions on how to use the built in tuner. |
Excellent value for dollar
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| Review Date: June 5, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Douglas E. Stoiber, |
I have played recreationally for many years, and when I decided to buy myself another guitar, a musician friend told me of his admiration for the Alvarez and Yairi brands. When I saw the opportunity to get this gently used Alvarez RD20 (at a very good price), I jumped. What a treat!
The instrument is very good looking and well-built, with a warm sound in the lower registers. The action is outstanding - compared to the finger-buster I have been playing for ten years. No buzz or rattle. I love the onboard digital tuner, and found it so easy and intuitive to use ... you don't need instructions (just acute eyesight). The tuning machines are very responsive and the guitar holds tuning very well. I also like the neck location of the strap button (my preference for standing to play).
One note: I would always - ALWAYS - want to play a guitar before I bought it, no matter the brand. I will buy many items from Amazon or Ebay online, but when it comes to guitars, the feel and the sound are too important to leave to chance. |
A real bargain
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| Review Date: May 11, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Jim F. Wymore, |
| Alvarez RD8 Acoustic Guitar and Case, Natural This is a real bargain, quality-sound-looks-ease of playing right out of the box and on stage. This guitar will compete with others that cost much more. Has great sound through an amp for picking or rhythm and stands up to hard use day after day. |
Great Acoustic-Electric
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| Review Date: May 21, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Blackjack, Orange, CA |
Got this guitar about two weeks ago. Sounds great out of the box. Nice finish, except the headstock and fingerboard aren't polished up like the rest of the body (I don't know if it's supposed to be like that, but it makes these parts of the guitar look like cheap plastic). The built-in tuner is a nice feature. I haven't gotten around to plugging in the amp yet, so I can't say how the electronics on this system perform. The action is mid to high, but I think it might be from the new set of strings (you can sand down the bridge if you want). Tones are clear, a little too bright, almost sounds like a classical guitar. Nevertheless, it does have a bluegrass feel to it.
Problems: 1) The guitar came with two dings on the corners of the headstock. The shipping box was well padded and didn't show any signs of damage in that area, which makes me believe that these dings were most likely there prior to shipping 2) There's also a rattling noise whenever I move the guitar around, but it doesn't effect the guitar's acoustics (I don't know if the electronics have been affected) 3) There is no instruction manual for the electronics, though not needed (I think an elementary student could figure out how to use electronics within minutes).
I got this guitar from the 'deal of the day' ($150). Although its likely the guitar is listed as brand-new, there may have been some damage, defects, refurbishing, etc. that make it the 'deal of the day' (besides having too much inventory, there's no compelling reason to cut the cost of a guitar that retails at $369); so buyer beware.
Overall, I would say that this is a good beginner's guitar for someone who will eventually perform on stage (hence the electronics). In retrospect, I would have gone with a non-electric acoustic guitar since waking up the neighbors with an amp is not a bright idea. |
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