NAD Vintage Alvarez 5054 12-string

[ETMusic777]

I had posted a thread here last week regarding best 12 string for recording, for less than $500. Thank you to everyone who responded to that thread with some great ideas. I ended up buying a "vintage" 70s or 80s Alvarez MIJ 5054 from guitar center used online section. With tax and shipping to CA it came out to around $380. The day after I ordered, I called the GC store which was on the East Coast and talked to the shipping manager. He said that it did not come with a case or gig bag, but he would try to find one for me.

The guitar came in today and its great! See photos. He found a nice padded gig bag for it. For a 30/40 year old instrument its in great condition. The only thing is there is a lot of clouding on the back side. It has gorgeous wood under it and also on the headstock. Im not too concerned about clouding because from what I understand it comes from moisture. In the photo, you can see it on the back edge. The reflections are from the overhead lights. If anyone has any tips on how to remove it please let me know.

The action is very low...best that Ive ever seen or played on a 12 string! Its a pretty balanced guitar with a tiny bit of neck dive but most of them have that. I used to have a MIJ Daion 12 string which was beautiful but there was way too much neck dive on it so I sold it. The sound on this Alvarez is what I would say "balanced". Its not overly rich, however I am going to use it for recording and laying in with rock/pop mixes so balanced is what I was looking for anyway.

Im unsure if this is a 70s or 80s build. The serial number is "89" however its my understanding that Alvarez moved production to Korea in the 80s so who knows?

So here it is! Thanks again for everyone's thoughts. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

[ETMusic777]

This is turning in to a review post of a 30+ year old 12 string guitar. I played it a bit yesterday and this guitar is flat out amazing. I have it tuned in natural E and there are no dead spots on the neck at all. The action is low and true up and down the neck. I can actually solo and rip off fast leads anywhere on this neck with very little difficulty. I've never played a 12 string that can be solo'd on so effortlessly. The sound is actually very rich, but balanced. Just wanted to mention that this guitar is killer for the price and anyone looking at a good budget 12 string should consider a vintage Alvarez 5054.

 

[Wallaby]

That's a nice looking guitar, thanks for the write-up!

I've always wanted a 12-string, but I've never been serious enough to actually buy one.

Congratulations!

 

[Ed Storer]

Im unsure if this is a 70s or 80s build. The serial number is "89" however its my understanding that Alvarez moved production to Korea in the 80s so who knows?

It's not Korean. The label photo clearly says "Made in Japan". Not that MIK is bad, I have two excellent guitars that were made in Korea.

 

[playforfun]

Congrats I’m looking for a 12 string and happen to be an alvarez/yairi fan. Definitely appreciate your review and will be looking.

 

[ETMusic777]

It's not Korean. The label photo clearly says "Made in Japan". Not that MIK is bad, I have two excellent guitars that were made in Korea.

Thank you. I should have elaborated more in my post above. I know it is Japanese and I said "MIJ" in the post. What is not clear, however is the serial number. I looked up several other 5054s online and none have a serial number which is that high, or starts with the possible date of "89". Some Japanese manufacturers in the 80s and later Korean manufacturers, such as Samick for example, tend to start the serial number with the first 2 digits as the date. So to see "89" as the serial number (if that is the date), is odd because I have read elsewhere that Alvarez had switched production of this model to Korea by then. However, obviously it is NOT Korean made.

Either way its an awesome guitar. One of the interesting things about getting an older guitar in your hands, that has not been played much and is not "broken in" is that you are breaking in a guitar that has older wood in it, and typically more hands-on craftsmanship to it. It feels really good to be "breaking in" a "vintage" instrument. It will only get better as I play it more.