JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum I found a guitar I like (I bought one!)

I found a guitar I really like but before I buy it I wanted to ask you all about it. It's a new Alvarez MD6104 indcluding tax and a putting a set of Elixor strings on it's $437.63. I want to know if that's a fair price?

Thanks!!

Dottie

I see a MD6104 at e-bay for ~$400, so if it is local, then that is probably a fair price. I still think an acoustic/electric is the only way to go. For $400 you can get a lot.

Of course, if you have held it, played and loved it -- that could be a strong deciding factor.

Thanks Kevin,

He has an acoustic/electric I like too and it's a little cheaper but I don't have any use for electric since I just want to write songs with it. The alvarez will fit in my case too and the other one won't so I'd have to get another case for it. I really did like it too though. And he also has a smaller guitar that I like. I forgot the name but I think it starts with a c maybe cata or calax something not at all sure. But it wouldn't fit in my case either, lol I bought a nice case this year.

I did a search for the type guitar it is and it looks like Alvarez discontinued it, does that matter?

That looks like a fair price to me too. I saw them from $400 to $600 on the web.

Most of my guitars were discontinued about 25 years ago so I don't see that it matters unless you plan to sell it again soon.

Is this a store? If so, get them to throw in some kind of case, if needed. You never know what is in the future.No, I don't think that matters at all.

Kevin

Colin and Kevin,

Thank you very much!!

I wish I could remember the names of the other 2 liked.

Dottie, If you fall in love with how it plays and sounds, buy it!

That's exactly what I said after my disastrous appearance on Blind Date

Thanks Dan I think I might buy it.

LOL Nigel!

A couple of the main things to me are comfort...and sound...acoustic guitars can be deceiving...if you played a few and liked the feel of that one in your hand and your fingers working the things you do on the neck and the way it feels sitting on your leg it's probably a good fit...then the sound , does it project well or do you have to play the hell out of it to get any projection out of it?...just compare it from those perspectives cos a guitar you write on is something you spend quite a bit of time with. when I was a kid it was more about the look...ha...be well.

Hi Everyone,

I got my guitar yesterday. I bought the Alvarez MD6104 and I love it. I’ve always thought my mother’s old Yamaha was great and that I’d have to pay at least $1000 to come close to finding one that would sound that good but I didn’t. After playing hers for a while I began to notice it sounded twangy like it needed more bass and that’s what I love most about my new guitar. It sounds fuller, deeper like it has more bass. I’m in love with it!! I’m taking lessons starting Jan. 5th I can’t wait.

Dottie

Congratulations. Are you going to post your first guitar/vocal demo January 6th? Enjoy!!!!!

Hi Kevin,

Perhaps just me playing the guitar, I wouldn't want to scare folks away from this great site. I can just imagine someone joining and the 1st thing they hear is me singing, they would leave straight away!

I still can't believe you can buy a guitar that sounds this good for less than $500!!

Dottie

http://www.alvarezgtr.com/prod_page.php?SeriesID=1&ItemID=237


Looks real nice Dottie. And a great price for an all solid wood guitar.

Congratulations. A good guitar gets even better with a little time.

I have another question.

This Yamaha didn't sound right one night so I thought it's out of tune. I put the tuner on it and it should have been in perfect tune, but it still didn't sound right to me. I ended up breaking the top string. The guy at the guitar store put a new string on it for me (just that one string) and it sounds ok. I asked him to check the neck and make sure I didn't hurt it since it was the top string I popped, he said it was fine. He tuned it too, I got it home and thought well maybe my tuner is broke so I decided to see how it read while I knew it was in tune. The needle gets close to E (left side of E) then it bounces to D and goes all the way to the left. It does this everytime so I put the tuner on the new guitar and it didn't do that. My question is what would make it do that? It just does it on the top string, the one I broke. I'm scared to death that I hurt his guitar!!

Hi Moker,

I forgot to respond to your post. I think it's a great fit, well I'm not very big so it's a little big but I tried a smaller one and like the soound of this one better. Sound is the main thing I was looking for!

I don't think I could be any happy with any guitar at this point, I hope I'll still love it this much next month, year etc.!

Dottie

Hi John,

It really does sound good. At some point I may want to invest more money in a guitar but right now it might as well be a Gibson or Martin, lol I'm in love with it!!

Dottie

Hey Dottie,
When using an Electronic Tuner, (There is a ton of them) usually you use your finger, or thumb. After plucking the string, let it settle down a bit. Some have a needle that center's when the string is in tune and uses colors to indicate that the string is flat or sharp. Sometimes the Electronic Tuner will go haywire, so to speak and register another string. After getting the guitar in tune with the tuner check the strings against each other. Then strum the guitar to see if it sounds right. It takes practice but you will get it in a short time.

It could be one of several issues.

One, it could be your tuner...low batteries could cause the wonkiness, or it could simply be broken.

Another culprit is dead strings...

yet another is that it is picking up vibrations from an adjacent string....which you can remedy by lightly "barring" the adjacent strings so they cannot vibrate.

IF you are in the market for a new tuner, Colin sent me a Snark

http://www.snarktuners.com/sn2_front.html

which is a wonderful tool.

What worries me is that it doesn't do this on the new guitar. I guess I'm just too worried about hurting my brothers guitar! Can you hurt the neck by popping the top string, just once?

Oh and Snark is what I have the guy at the guitar store recommended it.

What kind of tuner do you have? The clip on contact tuners are great: http://www.sweetwater.com/c938--Guitar_Tuners I have the Sabine Zoid, but the Snark SN-2 has gotten a lot of good press (at least I think it was the snark????).

Tuning is weird. Intonation can be different depending on how hard you hit a string, where you hit, how hard you press down, .... If it didn't sound quite right, then it was probably off a little. Tuning, for most of us, is a non-exact science with tradeoffs and "split the differences" to be made to make sure everything sounds "in-tune".

Kevin

Oh No!!!!
You didn't buy an Alvarez?

Just Kidding.

Now it begins.
Vic

Here's to happy guitar days
A pickin' and a strummin'
You now thave somethin' that can help
Instead of simply hummin'

No! Breaking a string will not the hurt the guitar.

Your string can go out of tune for a number of reasons.

1. A new string could still be "seating".

2. It could be moving under the bridge because the pin that holds it in is not tight, or because the ball end was not pulled up tight against the pin.

3. It could be slipping on the post of the tuner if it was not thoroughly tightened when it was installed (also a part of seating).

4. It could be hanging up in the slot of the nut if the nut slot is too narrow for the size of the string.

5. It could be unwinding itself where it is twisted around the ball end under the bridge.

6. It could be getting longer or shorter based on temperature change.

Probably 1, 2 or 3. It will take care of itself after repeated adjustment.

Hi Kevin,

Snark is what I have the guy at the guitar store recommended it. I think I'm worrying for no reason it sounds fine!

Dottie

Vic,

Yes I did and me and this guitar are in LOVE, its ok cuz its mutual this guitar loves me too, I can tell. I just can’t put it down for more than a few minutes. It’s a very good thing that I already have calluses!

Hi Lynn,

Yes I do and I couldn’t be happier.

Hi Colin,

Thanks, I got up worrying about my brothers guitar this morning even though the guy at the music store told me it was fine. I think I’ll take it back up there and have him put a set of Elixir strings put on it too, after all he did let me keep if for a year.

Dottie

Dottie,

Glad you bought an Alvarez - I just celebrated 25 years with mine. The tone and action were very impressive.

Randall

Ray, John, Randall

Thank you all for your help!

Randall, they're supposed to get better with time too is that true?

Oh and welcome to JPF Randall!

Dottie

Congrats Dot welcome to the guitar nerd club :-) Looks like you've got yourself a little cracker of a guitar.

Dottie,

I have nothing but good things to say about my Alvarez....and I know how you feel....me and "Juanita"....are the best of friends.

I have a full size and I think that gives a much fuller sound and brings out the bass. I have always loved the sound of my guitar. I have played a few others in the price range., but they sounded tinny to me....there was no richness at all.

I was lucky enough to get a great deal on my Alvarez, because my son was a manager at a music store at the time. He got me a super good price on mine....which retailed at around $750.00 to begin with. I couldn't love "her" more.

It will serve you well for many, many years. There's nothing greater than your first good guitar.

Good luck with your lessons.

Jan

Hi Andy and Janice,

I tell you what I can't put this thing down for more than a few minutes at a time and even with calluses my fingers are hurting. Does that ever stop?

Yes, it absolutely does stop. The more you play, the tougher your fingers get. Of course, if you go awhile without playing, the calluses will peel off and your fingers may hurt again, but not as bad as when you first started. You are using the muscles in your fingers in a new, and repetitive way....so that makes them hurt, as well. Time and dedication....takes that away.

Sounds like you love playing, so that is the very best thing. Just keep playing and soon it will feel so natural. Not that I am any good on the guitar, but I can do what I want with it....and it certainly entertains..ME...at least...LOL.

Have fun....and don't be afraid to just improvise....I learned alot just by letting what I hear in my head, flow out of my brain and into my fingers. Keep your guitar humidified and keep it in the case when the furnace is roaring this winter (can't remember where you live).....but here in Mi. that is very important to keep a guitar humidifier in the case with my "baby". Don't want it to dry out.....really changes the tone and makes it tough to keep a tuning.

Dottie,

To answer your question, it sounds just as good as ever and I don't notice any change in the action. Of couse, my hearing probably has deteriorated over the years!

Randall