Alvarez is a guitar manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri and founded in 1965. Along with manufacturing acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars, Alvarez also manufactures classical guitars. Alvarez replaced Westone in 1991. Today, the brand is owned by LOUD Technologies, which also owns Mackie, Ampeg, Crate and other music-related brands. While many of its models are produced in China, the top-tier Alvarez-Yairi instruments are hand-made by Kazuo Yairi at the Yairi factory in Kani, Gifu-Japan.
Source: "Alvarez Guitars: Artists", Alvarez Guitars official website