2007 | $160 | excellent | Ray Cooper | |
2011 | $399 | excellent | | |
2012 | $200 | good | | silver anniversary edition |
1972 | $60.00 | excellent | Lois Alvarez | I bought mine used from a young man who bought it new several months before he decided to sell it. I don;t know what he paid, but he asked 60 dollars for it |
1970 | $104.04 | new | | I still have it and it still sounds great and is easy to play. |
1977 | $250 | new | Mikie | Did I get ripped off? Looks like I can't hardly even sell it for that much now. I really do love this guitar, but it's sad I never really became very accomplished, I'm hoping to trade for an easier-to-play 6-string. |
2012 | $125 | excellent | Harry | |
1978 | $150 | good | | |
2013 | $200 | good | Daniel Meyer | Sounds great |
1994 | $850 | excellent | | |
2013 | $250.00 | good | | |
2013 | $50 | poor | Mike chirhart | Replaced tuners, adjusted truss rod and replaced nut. Plays like dream. 50 dollars well spent.
|
1993 | $250.00 | good | | |
1979 | $300 | new | | |
2012 | $199.00 | good | | |
1972 | $125.00 | new | Ol' Sarge | Awesome voice & playability, has only improved with age! |
1984 | $500 | new | Randi | Has held up very well. Have only had to change strings maybe three times in almost thirty years |
2014 | $350 | good | | Bought it at a estate sale and think I got a great deal |
1974 | $250 | new | Bill | Great guitar. Made much more enjoyable with the onset of digital tuners! |
1974 | $75 | poor | Bryan | The guitar was in a cardboard case, no strings, the bridge was pulling from the body, and it was covered in grime. I took to a guy who built Chet Atkin's Yakkity Ax and he charged me $14 to fix the bridge and give a cleanup job. I bought a set of a Martin Marquis strings, and at the first chord I knew the guitar was special! I still have the guitar and will probably be buried with it. |
2014 | $0 | poor | Jacob | This is a mid seventies dreadnought 12 string acoustic Alvarez guitar. It's missing 1 of the tuning pegs and has minor body damage. |
1974 | $275 | new | | |
2015 | $40 | poor | | Needs a lot of work, reviews make it sound worth the effort, though. Can't wait to play it!
|
1976 | $280 | new | | |
1975 | $150 | excellent | | |
2000 | $0 | excellent | | This guitar was left to me by my Dad when he passed in 2000. He very rarely played this guitar, but when he did it was beautiful. He said
he received it in a trade. He preferred his 6 string, which I also have. I think tuning it was his problem, so he never bothered with it much.
I don't play this guitar and it has been in its hard case for the past 15 years. I took it and had it cleaned up a few times over the years, just to keep it
in it's excellent shape. I am considering selling it, for I feel like it's beauty is being wasted. It's a 5021 AO1267 Japan. |
1979 | $450.00 | new | | |
1980 | $28.00 | excellent | | This guitar is in every good condition, no diets, dings or scratches. S/N 00351 |
2017 | $100 | good | | |
2017 | $199 | good | | 1974 model I found on Ebay. Excellent condition with just a bit of belly that you'd expect in a 40+ year old 12 string. Took to my local guy who gave it a fret dressing. She's a beautiful addition to my Alvarez collection.... |
1984 | $250 | new | mike | excellent condition |
1976 | $230 | new | | |
2015 | $300 | good | Joe | Bought a 1979 with an original case for $300. Absolutely love it. Best sounding acoustic I've played. These should be a lot more expensive than they are. |
2018 | $50.00 | poor | | |
1981 | $250 | new | Skunkbeard | I bought it new in '81. It has never been set up, has been tuned to pitch for the last 37 years, and endured all sorts of environmental conditions, and it still plays and sounds like a dream. It was the only guitar I owned for a very long time got played a lot. A few frets are worn and it has a few nicks and scratches but is still a prize. The only thing I've done is put on better tuners and added a bridge pickup. It is 2nd only to my Martin D28 and rates higher than the Ovation 12. Best $250 bucks I ever spent. |
2018 | $200 | good | | Great sounding guitar - a few dings but nothing to affect play-ability and tone. Excellent action for an older 12 string.
Also received an Alv 5023 with this purchase that was in very poor condition (hazy/flaking refinished on top & broken headstock) - both guitars are ~1972 vintage. |
1981 | $200 | new | | |
1973 | $250 | new | Bert | Bought this in college and still have it. Neck is straight, frets are flat, and it stays in tune well. It sounds very full- can't tell much difference compared to a Martin at 10x the price. |
1991 | $75 | excellent | Bert | Yardsale deal of a lifetime |
2018 | $150.00 | good | Steve Y | Purchase March 2021\ SN: 41383 |
2018 | $500 | worn | | April of 2021, great 12 string. sounds amazing! |
2018 | $450 | good | | bought this in january of 2021, and I've been playing it nonstop ever since! |
2018 | $200 | good | | |
2018 | $200 | good | jf | Script Alvarez logo (1972, I believe). Put on a set of new strings; now it plays and sounds great. For the price, the seller threw in a beat up Alvz 5023 that had a peeling refinished top, not the original tuning machines, and had a badly repaired broken neck at the headstock - made the deal even better, since the tuning machines were Grovers. |
1975 | $000.00 | new | Judy | I have no idea what my parents paid for it new, probably between 1974-1975. I used it all though High School with our youth group, then hardly ever after. It could almost be sold as new. There's a shallow thin one inch scratch on the back near the neck, but I almost didn't see it. |
2018 | $299.99 | excellent | | |
1977 | $200 | new | Paul Olde | I bought this guitar new in September 1977 in Houston, Texas. I still have and play it. One of the best purchases I have ever made. Great tone and playability. |
13 Comments
my Alvarez 5021 has a solid spruce top
Submitted by John (not verified) on
My 1990 Alvarez 5021 12-string has a solid spruce top as far as I can tell by looking at the edge of the sound hole. I can not see any sign of it being a plywood top. I specifically insisted on a solid top 12-string of a good name brand when I was shopping for it.
5054 solid spruce and rosewood
Submitted by Thomas (not verified) on
According to information on the inside of my guitar, it was made October 22, 1980 (22-10-80), it is a solid spruce top with rosewood back, sides, and fretboard, and a mahogany neck. the headstock has the mirrored A logo. Made in Japan. Stays in tune remarkably well over time for a 12 string. Am looking to get a Rickenbacker electric 12 string now.
Year
Submitted by Danbo (not verified) on
My 5021 has the serial number 40465. Can the date it was made be found from this number? If so, can anyone tell me the date it was made?
12 String Alvarez
Submitted by John Peters (not verified) on
My serial is in the low 100's. Purchased it in the late 70's. Had some fret and neck work done a few years ago and she still sounds beautiful. They don't make them like this anymore.
Alvarez 12-String Model 5021
Submitted by Bill (not verified) on
In excellent condition Feb 2018
Alvarez 5021
Submitted by E. Herring (not verified) on
Mine appears to be from 1978 and has the tortoise shell pick guard and the mirrored 'A' on the headstock. Just picked it up dirt cheap and looks like with a little TLC, it will fit in my 'zoo' just fine. Intonation up high is just a little off, but the action and playability down low are great. I need to see if I can get the neck adjusted just a bit to bring the whole thing into line.
Top not solid
Submitted by Mark DiGennaro (not verified) on
I hve been in contact with an Alvarez dealer. Gave him a detailed description of the 5021 I was thinking of buying (no the one shown). Open gears, metal saddle, low serial # (four digits), made in Japan. Head stock had the Alvarez "A", not the cursive name written across the top. I was particularly interested in the top. This post states the guitar has a SOLID spruce top. His comment: "All of our records show the 5021 to have a LAMINATE spruce top with LAMINATE mahogony back and sides, regardless of age.". Again, this is from an ALVAREZ dealer - St. Louis Music, not just some guitar store.
Alverez 5021
Submitted by Joe D. (not verified) on
Mine is a '71 model...definately laminated
Alvarez 5021
Submitted by Rick Murchison (not verified) on
Bought mine new in early '72 at a music shop in Corpus Christi.
SN 0871 with script logo.
Definitely laminated top, back & sides.
Over the years I've installed pickups (currently K&K Ultra Pure 12 string), a bridge doctor, bone nut, saddle & pins...
I don't plan on selling it :)
Alvarez 5021
Submitted by Jeff Hancock (not verified) on
I saw your post about the work you have done on your 5021. I just bought a 1974 vintage. It needs a Bridge Doctor. I have that on order and can do that work. I have ordered bone nut and saddle. Is there anything I need to look out for on the bridge? I haven't taken it apart yet but the screws on the ends puzzle me. Can you tell me how they work?
Alvarez 5021 Technical Question
Submitted by JHancock0125 on
I just purchased a 1974 vintage 5021. It needs much of the work you have described doing to yours. I have ordered a Bridge Doctor and am confident about installing that. I have ordered a new nut and saddle. I have installed acoustic nuts and saddles before but I don't understand what is happening with the two screws and the metal plates in the bridge. Is there something that I need to know that you could tell me?
Alvarez 5021 Top
Submitted by Rob M. (not verified) on
So what if it's laminate? A solid spruce top on a 12-string of that age would be a roller-coaster by now anyway. Also, Kazuo Yairi was renowned for his techniques for making thinner, lighter, stronger laminates out of good quality wood that could rival the tonal qualities of many of the solid-tops of the day, while being much more forgiving of temperature and humidity fluctuations, abuse, and neglect. These techniques carried over into the factory-made Alvarezes.
I concur
Submitted by Lowell (not verified) on
I own three (1 6 string, and 2 12s). I’ve heard all the wrangling about tops, for years, and I’ve realized it just doesn't matter. These late 70s/ early 80s Japanese models are as good as I could want.