The Alvarez RD 20 S is a dreadnought acoustic guitar. It's not an acoustic-electric so there aren't any pick ups here. This is basically a beginner's guitar, but it's a good one at that. I don't know where they are making these guitars, but I don't think it's the US. The guitar has a sitka spruce top in addition to it's dreadnought body and rosewood fingerboard.

UTILIZATION

The Alvarez RD 20 S is a pretty nice playing guitar. You can definitely tell that it's meant for beginners, but for those users just starting out it will certainly be adequate. For a more experienced player like myself, you can tell it's not a professional guitar, but you can still play it for sure. It's an okay sounding guitar, and what you hear is what you get in terms of sound.

SOUNDS

While it's not the best sounding guitar when placed in the overall spectrum, the Alvarez RD 20 S is still a solid sounding guitar. It isn't the fullest or most pristine sounding, but for a beginner it will show you what an acoustic guitar can do. I haven't recorded with it, but I'm sure it would sound fine, just nothing to spectacular. I won't be using it for recording or otherwise, but again for someone who is just starting out, it's going to sound fine.

OVERALL OPINION

For the price, the Alvarez RD 20 S is worth a look for guitarists who are either beginners or who haven't been playing very long and want an upgrade from their $100 guitar. This won't cost you too much more than a few hundred US dollars, but it's an exceptional beginner's guitar and is fine for use even if you're not a true beginner. It's good cheap guitar, but if you want something better look at Martin's mid level guitars, which at a few hundred more than this will give you a pro's instrument.