I may be on the wrong thread here, but I like my Alverez. Got it new for $400, have had it for 15 years, play it a lot. I take it to the beach, take it camping, don't worry about scratches, salt air or a little rain. Every once in a while, I go in for strings and they have some great looking guitar there for big bucks, but I just wouldn't be comfortable going around with a real expensive one.