Alvarez is an acoustic guitar brand founded in 1965 by St. Louis Music, a musical instrument distributor based in St. Louis, Missouri. The name was originally applied to a line of classical guitars, chosen for its Spanish resonance. In the late 1960s, company founder Gene Kornblum partnered with Japanese master luthier Kazuo Yairi to develop a line of steel-string acoustics, and the first Alvarez-Yairi instruments arrived in the United States in 1970. The Yairi family's generations of luthier expertise, combined with Alvarez's distribution reach, established the brand as a respected name in acoustic guitars.

The Alvarez lineup spans six guitar series: the entry-level Regent, the award-winning Artist and Artist Elite, the all-solid-wood Masterworks, the traditional Laureate, and the flagship Yairi series, which remains handmade at the Yairi factory in Kani, Japan. Body shapes range from dreadnought and grand auditorium to parlor, folk OM, jumbo, classical, baritone, and bass. The brand also produces ukuleles in soprano, concert, tenor, baritone, and bass sizes.

Alvarez guitars have been played by artists spanning a wide range of genres, including Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Carlos Santana, Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, Ani DiFranco, Joe Bonamassa, and Thom Yorke. Endorsed Alvarez artists include Richard Fortus of Guns N' Roses, country artist Josh Turner, and acoustic guitarist Monte Montgomery, who won Best Acoustic Guitar Player at the Austin Music Awards seven consecutive years.

Alvarez has 130 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Acoustic-Electric Guitars, Steel-string Acoustic Guitars, and Ukuleles. Their gear is featured by 14 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Folk, World, & Country, and Electronic. Notable users include Mike Inez, Dan Auerbach, and Kim Deal. Most Alvarez products fall in the mid-tier range — professional-grade without flagship pricing.