# General Mandolin Topics > Looking for Information About Mandolins >  Alvarez mandolins

## wireDGrass

I am looking to buy a new mandolin (middle-price range). The problem is that I live in small-town, Alabama and don't have access to trying many. I have a Kentucky, super-cheap beginner's model and would like to take the next step up (of course on a college student's budget). I have an Alvarez guitar which I really like and think the craftmanship is great for a middle-of-the-road price and was wondering if the same is true of their mandolins. I am specifically looking at the F3ANT and have found it priced for $769.99. Is it worth the price?

Thanks!

By His Grace,
.wireDGrass.

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## John Flynn

The difficulty in answering that question about brands like Alvarez, Kentucky and other importers is that they really aren't builders, so experience doesn't always mean a lot. So that model may be fine or it may not. The quality depends on who they have building it for them in Asia and what specs they are building to, either or both of which may change at any time, without the model # changing. I had a decent Alvarez A800 F-style for years and it was a good deal, but if I only had $770 to spend, I would not spend it on that instrument. That's just my choice. In that price range, I would buy used and I would buy and "A" style to get more instrument for my money. I would make sure I had an approval period and immediately have a local luthier check the instrument over and assuming it had no major flaws, have him set it up right for me. But if you are just dying to have that Alvarez, it seems like the specs on it are about par for the course in that price range, so go for it.

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## Timbofood

I have had my Alvarez since 1975, it has been used hard for all that time, I have some top sinking issues but, I have not always been the "kindest" to it. If you can find one I would say "Get it!"
I really can't say much about the newer ones, not a terribly popular item around Kalamazoo, sad to say.

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## Dave Cowles

I think it's important for you to consider the fact that the Alvarez mandolins are not built by Alvarez, per se. Most Asian production mandolins are made by one or two factories, most likely Daewon, and are essentially clones of one another, with the brand name added to the headstock. Hence, an Alvarez is the same as a Fender, Aria, etc., etc. when buying Asian mandos in this price range. Take a look at used Eastman mandos, or some of the Kentucky all solid wood models.

Dave

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## Caleb

On topic: I've played a really nice A-style Alvarez (cannot remember model number, but it's a very light-colored mandolin with spruce top and maples B/S). In fact, that was the first mandolin I'd ever played and I enjoyed it very much. It was worth every bit of the 5 bills they wanted for it, in my view. 

Just as a suggestion, if a person has almost 8 bills to spend, I'd seriously look at a Jade A-style mandolin or an Eastman A-style.

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## jim_n_virginia

Get an Eastman or Michael Kelly.

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## Steve Ostrander

Forget the MK, get an Eastman.

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Bill Kammerzell, 

ccravens

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## BlueMountain

I bought an Alvarez F3Ant second for a friend (and fixed a top crack done during the antiquing process, saving her hundreds). It was light and good-looking and nicely made. Once I had it set up right, it played like butter. It had a relatively good dryish bluegrass sound. But as is generally the case with PacRim mandolins, even a lot of Eastmans, it sounded thin. But it was a decent mandolin for the price and looked nice. In your price range, you sort of have to assume that you are not going to get great tone, but you can at least find solid wood (like the Alvarez), decent construction, and--after a good set-up--excellent playability. I think the playability is the most important, as it helps you learn to play better. You can move up to better tone later. But there are occasionally used A style hand-made mandolins American mandolins on our classified pages that SOUND much better than what you are looking at. The trouble is that it's hard to tell unless you try it.

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## Timbofood

Very nicely put, Blue mtn. Set up and playability can make or break the perception of the instrument. If it feels good, it will make you more at ease with it. I guess I would have to say "find the instrument, not always the Name" and see where that leads you.

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## Jim MacDaniel

> ...But there are occasionally used A style hand-made mandolins American mandolins on our classified pages that SOUND much better than what you are looking at. The trouble is that it's hard to tell unless you try it.


Agreed, but one of the best things about buying used, is that if you buy it for a fair market value price and don't like it, you should be able to turn around and sell it for what you paid for it -- but not so if you buy new. Buying used would also permit you to exercise a catch-and-release form of MAS without breaking the bank or loosing money on any given transaction -- and I gradually worked my way up to a used Arches using this method, after starting out with a used Kentucky for $85. (Each time I changed mandolins it cost me no more than one or two hundred dollars extra per transaction, which the wife didn't notice -- but she certainly would have noticed the dent in the budget if I went from the Kentucky to the Arches.  )

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## James Sanford

> I am looking to buy a new mandolin (middle-price range). #The problem is that I live in small-town, Alabama and don't have access to trying many. #


What part of Alabama are you in?

Fretted Instruments in Homewood (near Birmingham) has a good selection.

There is also The Fret Shop in Huntsville that handles Eastman.

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## wireDGrass

Well, I certainly appreciate all that you have said! I really wish that I could try a lot of different options, because I hate to put out any money without knowing what I am dealing with. That is why I wanted to know about Alvarez since I liked my guitar. I will start looking for used mandolins, though, since that is the general suggestion. I just stinks that there is nowhere nearby (that I know of, I'm in Auburn) to lay my hands on a few different brands. Birmingham is only 2 hours away, though, and I'll have to look into that store. Thanks again, and more suggestions are welcome--you are the experienced!

By His Grace,
Cody.

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## theCOOP

Sorry to reopen an old thread, but one of these Alvarez F3ANT has come up for sale locally (somewhat locally) for $500.

All I'm curious about is whether it's solid *& hand carved* or solid and pressed top/back? It has the hand-carved detail to the scroll that some other (pressed?) F-style mandolins don't have. It also appears to have a dovetail joint...or at least the detail of a dovetail joint (do people fake this?).

as a side note, a lot of the cheap F mandolins I see have very poor scroll and head detail, but this one looks properly proportioned all around.

Thanks for any additional help,
Coop

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## Folkmusician.com

The lines are somewhat blurred.  Most pressed mandolins do have some carving done. It is only the really low end instruments that have no carving at all.  Most will also have dovetail neck joints. The Alvarez there will come from THE main mandolin factory. Not that there is anything wrong with that.  The mandolins from the big factory in China are getting progressively better.

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lflngpicker

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## theCOOP

Thanks Robert. Upon closer inspection of the photo(s) of the mandolin n question, I guess I could say that the volute (I just learned that work today) carved(?) into the top looks a little soft, compared to others I've seen and know to be fully carved.

If it were _really_ close, I might have a look, ut it is otherwise about 2 hours away.

Do we know anything concrete about these _Factories_, and which mandolins are built in which? Do we know which mandolin directly cross references to another with a different name?

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lflngpicker

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## raycantu

I also have a A Alvarez Yairi guitar and love it, And with that said I bought a Mandoline that was a Alvarez thinking it would be the same...Boy was I wrong LUCKY me I sold it for what i paid for it...I bought a Kentucky KM-850 and it is a big step from the Alvarez I had.

For the amount of cash you want to spen you can get a KM-800 or KM-850 or a used Eastman,you can not go wrong with them and you can get your cash back if you ever wanted to get rid of it.....

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lflngpicker

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## Don

I would suggest keeping an eye on the classifieds here on Mandolin Cafe. Occasionally a Japanese made Alvarez or Kentucky F style shows up in your price range. If you aren't stuck on F style mandos there's usually a wider selection in the A style mandos. 

Don.

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## truck2242

Hi, new to the forum but wanted to chime in on this.  I have a Kentucky 650 that was made in the 80's in Japan.  They are fairly rare, but there is one on the classifieds now (not mine, I won't sell mine) at what I think is a good price.  Mine is a great sounding and playing instrument.  I have played better, but not many.  Maybe, this helps.

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lflngpicker

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## Irénée

It is a wonderfull brand !

I have one like this  :Cool: , It plays and sounds great !
Exactly like one F-type Gibson  :Grin:  Really  :Smile:  !!!

 

To-day, for this rare vintage model, its price on the US market is minimum $1300 usd  :Mandosmiley:

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lflngpicker

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## allenhopkins

Interesting how this thread keeps opening every few years.

Must be as Alvarez owners, or potential owners, Google "Alvarez mandolin.'

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Bill Kammerzell

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## Bill Kammerzell

In the $700.00 price range I would go Eastman or Kentucky A style used. You should be able to get a lot for your money. OOPS! Really old thread. Nothing to see here. Move right along folks.

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## Jeff Mando

Old thread, but I'm the same way -- every 5 or 6 years I like to talk about my Alvarez!  :Cool:

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Bill Kammerzell, 

lflngpicker

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## Bill Kammerzell

> Old thread, but I'm the same way -- every 5 or 6 years I like to talk about my Alvarez!


I have owned three. 2 Point Oval and an A-700 back in the mid 1970's until 1993 when I sold both. I'm a glutton for punishment and bought an A-800 last year. Sold it. Didn't have any punch.

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## Paul Merlo

well hey, I might as well chime in too.   I bought an Alvarez A-100 in 1998 partly because I really liked my Alvarez guitar and partly because that's what my local guitar store sold.  It served me very well until I found this forum and became enlightened about the vast differences between acoustic instruments as far as quality, solid wood vs/ laminate, etc etc etc...  

Anyway, I still have the little fella and it's great to take places that my Weber shouldn't go, like campfires and such.

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Bill Kammerzell

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## Timbofood

I have had one since '75 and have no intention of parting with it. It's got serious punch!

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lflngpicker

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## hellindc

My name in Dan and I'm an Alverezaholic. A900 built in Japan in 1982.  I'd be lucky to get $500 and would have to pay $2000 to get same quality sound and play-ability (not to speak of the rose vine inlay on the neck).

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Timbofood

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## Br1ck

I can't help but think if you bought a Kentucky KM 150 from one of our sponsors, you would get a really good sounding and playing mandolin that would be easy to sell when you upgrade. The one I played this week was really good. IMHO you need to go to the 900 and above to get a much better mandolin. Really a solid instrument.

I feel the same about the Eastmans. The 305 and 315 both give you a lot of mandolin for the money. Even my Michael Kelly sounds and plays good once set up. Set up is the key to anything you buy. A friend had a 70s Alverez guitar he got for $200 that was a monster.

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## Timbofood

Hi Dan!
I'm in the same boat,  I've had my A700 since new in 1975. It turns heads at jams, as a friend says of some instruments : 
"Some just WANT to speak!" I can't get anything close for the kind of money I have. Consequently, I'm not looking.
I know the ones I want and when the ship comes in(I'll be at the bus stop and, miss it) there will be some phone calls made!

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