Alvarez began its partnership with master luthier Kazuo Yairi and the Yairi family of luthiers in the late 1960s, pioneering an enduring relationship based on compelling, ingenious craftsmanship. Acoustic artisans are continually impressed with the careful, handmade detailing of the Alvarez-Yairi Grand Auditorium's instrumental architecture, the innovative FST2 bracing system, and the expertly selected tonewoods. Naturally seasoned for years to decades, solid AA Sitka spruce tops this Alvarez-Yairi, with East Indian rosewood on the back and sides as well as a 1-piece mahogany neck topped with a rosewood fingerboard. Armed with an LR Baggs StagePro Element preamp/EQ and pickup alongside a direct-coupled bridge, you’ll experience tremendous resonance as you bring a half-century of knowledge, experience, and history to life — all with a sound precisely your own.