1990s Alvarez RF20C Cutaway 000 Acoustic/Electric Guitar

This is a customer's guitar and I'm posting it as a semi-review for those seeing these in the used market. My point of view on Alvarez products -- they're almost always fairly stable, can be shop-adjusted to play excellently without much fuss, the necks are "electric slim and fast," and they hold up well.  So -- from a design point of view -- they're winners at their price point and make great student guitars.

This one was well-traveled when it came in and needed a laundry-list of stuff done: bridge reglue, replacement bone saddle (the original plastic one tilted too much), string ramps at the bridge, and a fret level/dress and general setup. For an all-laminate guitar, however, it sounds and plays well after work and the sound is "just fine." The pickup, like most undersaddle units, is uninspiring (I yank them out on my own guitars), but perfectly useful.

This very-rounded bridge shape, coupled with some peeling top layer of laminate spruce, meant regluing it was slightly tricky at first, but it went back down well enough.