alvarez guitars?

Question

are these 2 good alvarez acoustic guitars? a good bargain for the money? which on is better?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alvarez-Artist-Series-AF60S-Grand-Concert-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=518736
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alvarez-Artist-Series-AD60S-Dreadnought-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=518737

Answer 1

well, "good" is a relative term in the world of acoustic guitars.

to be honest, musiciansfriend (which is owned by Guitar Center, btw) is a cool catalog to check out new products, but buying a guitar is like buying a pair of shoes, you really need to see what the individual fit is like. something might look good, but when you try it on, it might feel like crap. i'd really recommend going to your local music store, and just pick up a few guitars. musicians friend and guitar center are cool in that they have one of everything in every color, but try asking a question there. most of the time its just some kid who was working at Taco Bell 2 weeks ago and doesnt know much about music in general. not ALWAYS, but often enough that many musicians will avoid that place like the plague.

anyhow, i own 2 alvarez guitars, and i love them, BUT they're both in a different price range than you're looking at. the ones that you're checking out will be similar to any guitar that has a solid top (the face of the guitar is a solid piece of wood, not plywood - which has glue in it that will absorb vibration and make your tone weaker, the more solid woods, the fuller a guitar tends to sound).

for the money, you might want to check out Yamaha guitars, they have a lot of guitars similar to that one for the same money or less. theres a company called Seagull, that is a real good mellow guitar in that price range, and another brand called Walden (owned by the same ppl as Seagull) that are a little brighter.

the size is different of those things as well. the smaller size (the first one) is usually a little "boxy" sounding. the other one (dreadnaught size) should have a little more low end, but maybe not as much of a "sparkle" to it. thats not always the case though, and you cant be sure till you pick up the instrument.

if you want to eliminate all the guesswork from getting an instrument, go to your local music store, see what lines they carry. pick up a few and find one you like. check out the prices online, the store will almost certainly match them (or come close, try calling musicians friend about their "free" shipping, you'd be surprised how often "free" means "$24.95").

theres nothing like hearing it and feeling it for yourself. anytime anyone tells you that you need to use a certain brand of guitars, amps, strings, picks, etc.... thats like me telling you only drink diet cherry coke, never drink sprite, only use spicy mustard, dont use mayo, only wear orange sneakers, never blue... etc.
just because something is right for one person doesnt mean its right for everyone. decide for yourself, and ignore reviews online. pick up something and experience it for yourself.

Answer 2

If you are going to buy from Musicians Friend; I personally would skip on the Alvarez and go with the $59 Rouge. I own one, and cannot believe the quality. I would put it up against any guitar within the $300-$500 price range.

Answer 3

Yes, you can price check here
http://www.fretland.com/alvarezguitars.html


you can also get good user reviews on harmonycentral.com