Guitar Review Alvarez RD20S

[jimmyd]

I bought the Alvarez RD20S for a whopping $220.00 to fill a need for a good playing/sounding beater. The RD20S has a solid spruce top, lam mahogany sides/back, rosewood fingerboard, cheap tuners, a 1.707in. shallow, think electric, neck, has a suprisingly nice inlaid rossette, and a gloss finish that looks like it was applied with a roller. Lots of laquer buildup around the neck joint. Neck is a nice satin finish. The nut and saddle appear to be Tusq and are very well shaped and fitted. Fret work is excellent. A straightedge reveals a perfectly set neck with no high or low frets. Edges are very smooth. The top is a uniform but strange color yellow with a lot of vertical brown mineral streaking. Setup is superb. Better than most factory guitars I've played including the high dollar stuff. A peek on the inside with an inspection mirror shows very well fitted and shaped traditional dread bracing. It does have a huge block under the fingerboadrd extension. There was a lot of glue squeeze out left on the underside of the top. The braces are well shaped but very rough to the touch. There were two of this model in the store. The first I tried had decent tone and projection. The one I selected did honestly shock me with it's projection and volume at the first strum. It has very nice tone but does not have the rounded bell like tone tone sometimes hear on really great mahogany dreads. For reference I'd say it's voice is closer to a Taylor or Larrivee than a Martin. I put a set of EXP17s on it, touched up the nut slots and now have a guitar that has no business sounding this good for so little money. It took a while to get used to the slender neck but the excellent playability made it easy to adjust to it. It responds well to a light touch and can really bark if you call on it. I'm much more satisfied with it that the Durango slope dread I traded for it. I guess it was just my lucky day when I went in there on a whim to see if I could trade off the Durango.

[Fredmando]

Jimmy--
I always drool over the Alvarez guitars at one shop I frequent. I can't believe the prices for what you get. I think I have played the guitar you bought and I think you made a great deal. In the "one that got away" category is a Yairi Dy-62C that I came close to buying. I was worried about how much it had been tampered with because the action was way off and when I talked to a tech at St. Louis Music he said the action was always checked and double-checked before they were shipped. So, I let that one go out of ignorance.
I played an Aria parlor again today and I can't believe the quality for the price on those.
--Fred

[Fstpicker]

One of the best Alvarez guitars I've ever played was a RD-20SSB model. It had a strong mid-range richness and punch, with a good firm bass, and clear trebles. Bought it for my father-in-law who later on gave it to his son.  :TON> :UND>

My Alvarez RD-20S 12 string was an awesome sounding guitar also.

Jeff

[ozrufus]

My RD8M is a fantastic guitar.  Solid mahogany top with laminate back and sides--all satin finished.  I have a bone saddle installed with Elixir PBs.  Strong, punchy tone with that airy openness that satin finished guitars are known for.

Alvarez = great deal.