Alvarez Guitars
Encyclopedia
Alvarez is a guitar
manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri and founded in 1965. Along with manufacturing acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars, Alvarez also manufactures classical guitars. 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 Kazuo Yairi at the Yairi factory in Kani, Gifu
-Japan
.
Source: "Alvarez Guitars: Artists", Alvarez Guitars official website
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri and founded in 1965. Along with manufacturing acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars, Alvarez also manufactures classical guitars. Alvarez replaced Westone
Westone (guitars)
Westone is a brand of guitars and basses started in the late 1970s. Saint Louis Music acquired an interest in the company in 1981 and began importing the brand to the USA as a replacement brandname for the Custom Kraft-brand instruments manufactured by Kay and Valco in the mid-1950s. Electra was...
in 1991. Today, the brand is owned by LOUD Technologies
LOUD Technologies
LOUD Technologies, Inc. is an American professional audio company. It operates in the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Japan. Originally known as Mackie Designs, Inc., the name was changed to Loud Technologies, Inc. in 2003.-St. Louis Music:...
, which also owns Mackie
Mackie
Mackie is a brand of the United States-based company LOUD Technologies. The Mackie brand is used on professional music and recording equipment, such as mixing consoles, loudspeakers, and DAW control surfaces....
, Ampeg
Ampeg
Ampeg is primarily a musical instrument amplifier manufacturer headquartered in Woodinville, Washington, though they also manufacture guitars to a small extent...
, Crate and other music-related brands. While many of its models are produced in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, the top-tier Alvarez-Yairi instruments are hand-made by Kazuo Yairi at the Yairi factory in Kani, Gifu
Kani, Gifu
is a city located in Gifu, Japan.As of July 2011, the city has an estimated population of 97,435. The total area is 87.60 km².The city was founded on April 1, 1982 when the gained city status. The town of Kani was formed in 1955 by a merger of 7 towns and villages in the western part of Kani...
-Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Artists who use Alvarez Guitars
- Glen HansardGlen HansardGlen Hansard is the Academy Award–winning principal songwriter and vocalist/guitarist for Irish group The Frames and one half of folk rock duo, The Swell Season...
- Ani DiFrancoAni DiFrancoAni DiFranco is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist, poet, and songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums, and is widely considered a feminist icon.-Biography:...
- David CrosbyDavid CrosbyDavid Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
- Graham NashGraham NashGraham William Nash, OBE is an English singer-songwriter known for his light tenor vocals and for his songwriting contributions with the British pop group The Hollies, and with the folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Nash is a photography collector and a published photographer...
- Pete YornPete YornPeter Joseph Yorn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who first gained international recognition after his debut record, Musicforthemorningafter, was released to critical acclaim in 2001.-Early history:Yorn's father is a dentist and his mother is a former concert pianist who worked as a...
Source: "Alvarez Guitars: Artists", Alvarez Guitars official website
Models
- Alvarez Traditional
- Alvarez Regent
- Alvarez Artist
- Alvarez Professional Series
- Alvarez 12-String Professional
- Alvarez Fusion
- Alvarez Master Works
- Yairi Classical
- Yairi Signature Series
- Yairi Acoustic/Electric
- Yairi Standard Steel Strings
- Yairi Masterwork Steel Strings