Our Incredible 2024 Yairi Masterworks Guitars - Why We Made The Changes - Alvarez TV

[@lhvent]

Chris Meikle has done some amazing things with Alvarez and Yairi. The continuous improvement across the product lines is evident.

[@752brickie]

Thank you guys for the beautiful tune !!! Two amazing men. Chris you have done an amazing job with Alvarez-Yairi !

[@scottfishkind5335]

That Honduran OM in on my VERY short list of dream OMs

[@lhvent]

I would take a Yairi over a Martin any day of the week. Next year.

[@gui-texzan7477]

In March, I finally got to the point that I was going to buy the HD-28 I always wanted. Had the kids' college paid and wife's approval -- everything. Then I watched an Alvarez video with these guys playing the new 2024 models with FST6 bracing. After hearing a single video and researching Yairi, I bought a DYM74 instead. (Redwood top/East Indian Rosewood back and sides.) I received the guitar three weeks ago and haven't thought about the HD-28 since. The Yairi is as good as a new guitar can be: beautiful attention to detail and lovely tone. If you buy a Yairi, you will not be disappointed.✌️

[@UmeshJoshi-pg9rp]

😮​@@gui-texzan7477

[@lefthandpath1587]

@AlvarezGuitarsOfficial Do have questions: Given the demand for these, how much longer do you believe the 50 year old Honduran mahogany will hold out, and what's in queue to replace it?

[@Euthymia2020]

I like the no pickguard Look

[@752brickie]

Me too I hate the pick guard look !! These are fantastic instruments ! I have owned at least 8 Alvarez' over the years and thay have ALL been amazing ! I play them a lot more than my Martins and Taylor !

[@triples4good]

Sounding great. You guys should record these jams. Brilliant. I have to say I’m really wanting that Yairi mahogany guitar. Such a beautiful voice.

[@lefthandpath1587]

I was torn between that and the 60HD. If you go to the Alvarez website, you can do a direct A/B compare of them being chorded / strummed / fingerpicked. I went with the 60HD ultimately after listening: the 66HD (all mahogany) is warmer, but the 60HD (sikta) is much more precise and so more versatile.

[@triples4good]

@@lefthandpath1587 yeah the new comparison on their website is fantastic. I’ll definitely check that out.

[@mk-wv6yv]

Fantastic, as always...love to hear you gentlemen jam together. New tune for met to try on my "old" FYM66HD.

[@Tshdb-74737]

@Alvarez Guitars I love your videos and am always looking forward to the next. Would you consider doing a video on the topic of saddle material choice, and why you choose TUSQ mainly. I have come to like bone after A/B testing with my own 4 masterworks yairis. EDIT: I just realized on your website the 2024 Masterworks come with bone saddles! Hurrah! Thank you 🙏🏼 I made my own bone saddles for 4 of my 5 FST2 masterworks Yairis.

[@andrewhnorris1]

The FYM 66 is the best guitar I've ever owned. Beats my old Martin OM28 and 00015 hands down.

[@Tshdb-74737]

FST6 or FST2?

[@andrewhnorris1]

@@Tshdb-74737 FST2

[@kamarienedwards1757]

Yknow what’s crazy? I’ve been looking at these 3 guitars, I own an om-28 and thought about getting a 00015sm or Alvarez fym66hd. Why do you like your Alvarez more? Sweetwater will get one of the new models soon so I’ll try it out when I go! Perks of living in Indy🤪

[@andrewhnorris1]

@@kamarienedwards1757 I'll just list the reasons - a fair bit of it is personal preference: tone - more balanced eq with clear highs and no muddiness. OM shorter scale with reduced string tension for more comfortable playing. Slightly wider nut for better fingerstyle fingering. Stunning refined looks. Real 50 year old Honduran rather than African mahogany. I love the neck profile. Love the hidden pick guard. Love that there are no fret board dots - just side dots. Gotoh 510 tuners. Hand crafted in Japan.

[@srt8speed]

Last years models are going to be a fantastic value now

[@lefthandpath1587]

This is an amazing achievement Chris. I've an FYM60HD FST6 and a Guild D-55E - about the same played-in time. The Yairi OM can go as loud as the Guild dreadnought, while maintaining bell-like clarity. No Taylor / Martin OM I've played can similarly match a dread, while delivering OM's quieter passage finesse. If you want one guitar no compromise, thiis FYM is it.

[@kamarienedwards1757]

I’ve been wanting a guild d55 but if this is true I’m going to opt for the yairi. Thank you so much both are dream guitars to own!

[@BurningHearts70]

Sounds wonderful. I bought the Laureate but love how the Honduran Yairi sounds…

[@chlorine7935]

Is the you bought laureate of good quality? Saw some people in other comment sections talking about bad experiences with the fretboard and other faulty structural components.

[@BurningHearts70]

It sounds beautiful and the fit and finish are excellent. Worth every penny, I highly recommend.

[@edwardgarner1299]

@@chlorine7935 I agree with BuningHearts. Construction of the Laureate LF70e I have is on a par to the best boutique guitars I also own.

[@lefthandpath1587]

Chris himself has stated, on a video comparing the Yairi Masterworks to Alvarez factory built, that the top tier Alvarez line built now give you probably 85% to 90% of what you get from the Yairi luthier built Masterworks. At around 1/2 the price that's an amazing deal - most people wouldn't hear the difference.

[@johnjones-uc3ni]

I've owned the original FST2 Fym60hd for a year and a half. It is the most comfortable, easy to play guitar I've ever experienced. Wonderful sustain. More than enough bass. Then I heard Alveraz was changing to FST6 bracing and a deeper body. My first thought was if it ain't broke why fix it. Then I compared my Fym60hd to my Furch yellow OM. Same body depth. So the original Fym60hd is a normal OM guitar. I went to the Furch website and I saw that they too make a deep body OM. So I think both sizes are fine. But I think the original Fym60hd would be more comfortable and easier to play for older people. Especially if that person has shoulder issues. So I'm definitely hanging on to my Fym60hd.

[@user-fv2ko5jz3k]

It must have mystical to have worked with Mr Yairi

[@kurt8805]

Great strides in product development with Chris at the helm of Alvarez. Now to get innovative with distribution and product placement. Limited supply of Yairi models can be understood but Laureate and even Masterworks Alvarez models are difficult to find.

[@BurningHearts70]

I bought a Masterworks Bluegrass for 26 bucks used damaged, repaired the damage and have a beautiful guitar at an insane deal.

[@lefthandpath1587]

They're in Sweetwater heavy now, and are increasingly popping up at small shops run by folks who know the value for quality Yairi's offer (checkout Musicians Madness in TX, they cut me a great deal).

[@lefthandpath1587]

Also: It takes time to break through the "label junkie" mentality of guitarists (eg. folks who've been buying the Gibson label for the past 40 yrs, paying jacked up pricing for garbage fit, finish, and tuning stability). Collings used to be less well known / hard to find until about 15 years ago, and 2009 pricing reflected that. Try to find a Collings now for what you would have paid then🤣 That's Yairi's trajectory.

[@lamarmourad]

❤❤❤❤

[@scottfishkind5335]

Incredible guitars, the best acoustic guitar content anywhere!! I am always happy to see a new Alvarez TV video on my KZbin feed!! Chris and Dee are the best and you can see their passion is a reflection of the passion that goes into these beautiful instruments!!

[@bluemooncanoe]

Awesome!

[@TheSingingDoctor325]

When will Alvarez come out with a small body 12 fret guitar with a cutaway and armrest bevel similar to the 812ce?

[@martinbrazier690]

Maybe even something to take down the Taylor K24ce or the K21… I own a FYM66HD and it’s better than all the big name OM’s I’ve played.. immediately wondered what a cutaway could be like for a DYM60HD🤙🏽

[@billurban3940]

The sound of the guitar is one point but the thinness of the neck is the other point. Not 6th to 1 st string width but back to fretboard wise. I was gonna buy a hd28 but the neck felt too thick compared to my Taylor , it’s not part of their 100-900 series

[@camodup]

Love the sound of these guitars as I lean toward a more balanced midtone sound, with a bassier sound when picking...perfect tone to me, love it! What is the price range? I actually like that sound a bit better than my Taylor.

[@lefthandpath1587]

The FYM60HD sales history on Reverb shows between $2400 (used mint) to $3300 (new). The FYM66HD sales history on Reverb shows between $2200 (used mint) to $3000 (new). Note: Sellers have to pay 5% of the purchase price to Reverb, and they build that into their price - so you can negotiate that away if you buy from the seller's own website, not Reverb.

[@camodup]

@@lefthandpath1587 thank you

[@lefthandpath1587]

My own experience: bought a brand new FYM66HD FST6 direct from a small seller in Feb 2024 and was able to negotiate the 5% and other terms favorable to him to get it for $2,700, all in. However, this was before the current shortage - there were at least 10 then listed on Reverb. But, small sellers will neogitate. Strongly recommend my guy if you're looking Kyle at Musicians Madness, in Crowley Tx.

[@billphillips9772]

@@lefthandpath1587 How are you liking the FST6 (2024)? I've seen several videos with the old (FST2) bracing that sound amazing--loud and with great sustain. How would you describe the tone of yours? (tough to tell sometimes in these videos-lots of variables). I ordered a new 2024 model and hope it sounds as good as some of these videos (including videos of the old FST2 version). Thanks

[@edwardgarner1299]

Beautiful sounding guitars. Don't know if you can respond here, but could you suggest the best replacement strings (brand and size wire) for the two Alvarez guitars I own: a Laureate LF70e and an all mahogany Yairi FYM66HD.

[@lefthandpath1587]

According to the Alvarez site, they use D'Addario XS Light 1253 for the LF70e and D'Addario EXP16 on all the Yairi Masterworks