Alvarez \"Dove\" 1968-69 prototype 5025.Rosewood back/sides.Spruce top.ORIGINAL
![Alvarez \](img-large/g/rn0AAOSwhMpT0Hdu/s-l1600/Alvarez-Dove-1968-69-prototype-5025-Rosewood-back-.jpg "Alvarez \")
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Alvarez \"Dove\" 1968-69 prototype 5025.Rosewood back/sides.Spruce top.ORIGINAL:
$750.00
RAREST ALVAREZ GUITAR YOU ARE LIKELY TO SEE.
This is a 1968-69 Alvarez \"Dove\" serial 3094 and model 5025
( The production model Dove is 5024 )
Before reading on,go to this site.
GIBSON LAMINATE FINGERBOARDS AND BRIDGES. I believe it was called Canada Guitar forum. If that doesnt make you appreciate the value of this guitar,I don\'t know what will.Gibson does not use the word \"laminate\" they call it \"layering\"
There is also a great point to be made in respect to the difference of \"plywood\" and actually bound layers of wood,like this guitar. There are two pieces of rosewood with another less expensive wood between the two pieces of rosewood.
Hence you have Brazilian Rosewood on outside and a layer in the middle and then the inside layer ,which is also rosewood.
I did my homework on how Gibson builds guitars. It was hard to get the facts straight and I still love Gibson\'s.
It is no contest in respect to woods used on this guitar and a Gibson Dove with Mahogany back and sides.
The Alvarez is superior by a long shot. MADE IN JAPAN IN LATE SIXTIES...
( LAST TWO PICTURES ARE OF A GIBSON 68 DOVE ).
LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WOOD.
THIS ALVAREZ IS BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD,THE GIBSON IS MAHOGANY.NOTICE THE INSIDE TAG WITH LUTE PLAYER WHICH WAS ABANDONED IN 1973-4 AND INLAID SCROLL HEADSTOCK,BOTH ARE THE EARLIEST ALVAREZ, BEFORE THE CHANGE TO THE \"A\" LOGO HEADSTOCK AND DIFFERENT INSIDE BROWN Flag-EAGLE TAG INSIDE SOUND HOLE.Here is what I could glean after giving this much research. In 1968 Gibson revised the way they braced the \"Dove\" which originally was created in 1962.
Gibson was having problems with the guitars falling apart.
In 1968 they totally reworked the bracings,which are what this guitar was based on.
Alvarez was right on top of it and took a Gibson apart by the looks of it ( Someone has posted an ALVAREZ that was cut in half to show bracings etc. at this very moment on E Bay ) and emulated the bracings and everything else. ( except ALVAREZ USED EXPENSIVE WOODS.)
This was never a production model \'Dove\" by Alvarez.
As Alvarez did not have a Dove in their product line at the time,they replicated the Gibson Dove at this time. But they used higher quality woods and it appears this guitar was a prototype.
I have looked everywhere for a 5025 Dove with the two piece rosewood back and sides,tune o matic bridge with Dove saddle and one piece mahogany neck with the parallelogram fingerboard inlays.
Could not find one.
It is a 5025 model,not the 5024 which became the \'DOVE\" Alvarez used the 5025 as a template and added a hand carved DOVE wood bridge with DOVE inlays and a Tune O Matic bridge,exactly the way Gibson had done it on their Doves like the GIBSON DOVE .
ALVAREZ also made the rosewood fingerboard inlays exactly and made the PARALLELOGRAM INLAYS.
The pickguard and the tuners were the only places on the guitar that was not as good as a Gibson quality wise.
On the last few pictures I show a close up of the backs of the Alvarez and the Gibson of the time ( 1968-69 ) The back with the two pieces ,MATCHED ROSEWOOD WITH MARQUETRY IS THE ALVAREZ 5025 DOVE.
The other mahogany back and sides are the 1968 GIBSON DOVE.
I changed the tuners to Klusens ,other than that that it is all original 1969 pre production ALVAREZ DOVE.
I wrote Alvarez and they were as bewildered as I was. They asked for pictures of the guitar for their files.
They declined to give me a value.
I will make comparisons here to the Gibson \"Dove\" versus the Alvarez 5025 \"Dove\". Many Gibson Doves used laminated back and sides,but it was sporadic.
1. GIBSON DOVE SPRUCE TOP,POSSIBLE LAMINATE
1.ALVAREZ SPRUCE TOP LAMINATED ( Cracks are just from sitting in the case for so many years. This guitar is clean. There is NO structural damage at all. )
2. GIBSON BACK AND SIDES MAHOGANY,POSSIBLE LAMINATE
2.ALVAREZ BACK AND SIDES BARZILIAN MATCHED ROSEWOOD LAMINATE ( THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE. THEY LAMINATED THE GUITAR WITH ANOTHER PIECE OF ROSEWOOD ON THE INSIDE AS WELL AS THE OUTSIDE,SO WILL SEE ROSEWOOD ON INSIDE AS WELL AS OUTSIDE OF GUITAR ).
THERE ARE NO CRACKS ANYWHERE IN THE ROSEWOOD
3. GIBSON NECK MAHOGANY.POSSIBLE TWO PIECE NECK JOINT AT BODY. AGAIN,NOT CONSISTENT .
3. ALVAREZ NECK MAHOGANY.ONE PIECE. YOU DON\'T SEE ANYTHING WHERE NECK JOINS BODY.
4. GIBSON TUNERS KLUSEN DELUXE ( BETTER THAN THE ALVAREZ STOCK TUNERS )
4. ALVAREZ TUNERS WERE STANDARD JAPANESE. THIS GUITAR NOW HAS KLUSEN DELUXE TUNERS AS WELL.
5. GIBSON SADDLE/BRIDGE ROSEWOOD INLAID WITH TUNE O MATIC BRIDGE
5. ALVAREZ SADDLE/BRIDGE ROSEWOOD INLAID AND ALSO CARVED WITH INLAY,MORE ELABORATE THAN THE GIBSON SADDLE.
BRIDGE TUNE O MATIC.
6. GIBSON HEADSTOCK OPEN BOOK/MUSTACHE
6. ALVAREZ HEADSTOCK OPEN BOOK/MUSTACHE.
7. GIBSON BINDINGS AROUND TOP AND BOTTOM OF BODY,SIX PLY.
7. ALVAREZ BINDINGS AROUND TOP AND BOTTOM OF BODY,SIX PLY.
8. GIBSON NECK BOUND
8. ALVAREZ NECK BOUND
9. GIBSON HEADSTOCK LOGO INLAID
9.ALVAREZ HEADSTOCK LOGO INLAID
10. GIBSON BRACING SIMILAR
10. ALVAREZ BRACING SIMILAR
11. GIBSON INLAYS ON NECK PARALLELOGRAM
11. ALVAREZ INLAYS ON NECK PARALLELOGRAM.
I believe the case is original,I bought it in 1971.
Those are the differences and similarities. Both are heavy guitars weight wise.
The condition of this guitar is remarkable for a 45 year old guitar. You will notice three finish cracks on spruce top . I am assuming this is laminated,as you can feel no cracks inside the guitar. It has no effect on the sound whatsoever.
When we get to the woods used to make the guitars,ALVAREZ BLOWS THE GIBSON AWAY. ALVAREZ HAS MATCHING ROSEWOOD ON BOTH SIDES AND BACK OF GUITAR,PERFECTLY MATCHED.
Look at the pictures of the backs of the guitars.
The GIBSON mahogany looks cheap as opposed to the ALVAREZ rosewood.
I had no idea this was laminated because when you look inside where the tag is,it is also rosewood.
I wrote the company and asked about this,they claim it was laminated with rosewood on both sides and apparently had another wood between the two pieces of rosewood. This makes no sense at all,they could have easily just used the rosewood solid pieces. The company said they had no France of reference for this guitar,other tah it was made in late sixties.
This is some of the prettiest rosewood you will see and the finish is super high quality. I play a Martin D-42 as my go to guitar and have to say,the Alvarez rosewood looks better,it darker and grain shows off well.
The finish cracks on spruce top mean nothing except aesthetically,no effect to the sound.The spruce top has a beautiful aged yellowing to it.
One last thing. I put a metal end pin in for strap. Stupid,I know. But you could unscrew it and fill the 1/8 inch hole and no one would notice. I wont do it myself,due diligence and all.
Sound. I could not begin to explain. Nothing like a Martin,it is not a bright guitar,more the perfect rhythm instrument,at which it shines especially for recording,no over tones or harmonics.
I love the neck and the playability is excellent.
This is a collectors AND players guitar.
Shipping. Will be in original case I got it in. Inexpensive hard-shell case. Only will ship in 48 states. UPS $75. with insurance.
Alvarez \"Dove\" 1968-69 prototype 5025.Rosewood back/sides.Spruce top.ORIGINAL:
$750.00