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Post by Lefty Rev on Feb 11, 2020 10:53:59 GMT -5
We might as well have some "brand specific" threads around here! It might make it easier to find and share info (and attract other owners / enthusiasts of various brands).
I believe I'm entitled to start the Larrivee Thread as I've owned (at least one) Larrivee now for over 27 years:
1. I ordered my first, a left-handed OM-05 (Sitka/Mahogany) in 1992, and it still get's played regularly...it's one of those "take to the grave" guitars.
2. I also have a 1979 L-19 that I rescued (for $1,000) from a shop (The Podium) in the twin cities right before they closed for good. It then got converted to lefty, then I sent it (back to the cities) to Hoffmann Guitars where they radiused the fretboard (16" radius) and refretted it with compression frets to deal with its lack of an adjustable truss rod (thankfully it didn't need a neck reset). Now it plays wonderful, and sounds awesome - 40 year old Sitka on top of beautiful old IRW that you just don't see anymore - it *looks* just like Brazilian, but it isn't.
3. My other current Larry acoustic is a 2015 (or so) L-05 Custom. This guitar has a sketchy past; here's what I mean: I ordered this guitar from Larrivee as a custom with Mahogany top, back and sides, ebony board, etc. Except for the Sitka braces and kurfing, everything on this guitar was supposed to be Mahogany/Ebony (heelcap, faceplate, binding - everything!).
The magic day arrived with it came in to the dealer, and I came in the store to both unbox it and be the first to open the case. When I opened the case I was greeted with incredulity and disappointment: it had a Sitka top - NOT the Mahogany I ordered! The dealer checked the order; sure enough, supposed to be a Mahogany top. Every other detail of the guitar, from the diamond fretboard inlays to the open backed tuners was PERFECT. But they blew the most important detail...
...so, the guitar went back to Larrivee, I got my money back, and decided to get a Gibson J-45 (which was about the same price as the custom Larrivee). I was so upset I didn't even play the guitar for 5 minutes!
About a year later, I saw the guitar listed on Reverb at a much reduced price from what I ordered it for (it was listed by a Larrivee employee who used to sell some of their stuff on Reverb - still came with factory warranty, but not listed by Larrivee - weird, I know). I hemmed and hawed - every other detail of the guitar was designed by me, for me. I finally made an offer and bought it for about 2/3 of what the original price would have been.
It is a fantastic sounding guitar - I think it's my best sounding, best playing Larrivee (yes, even better sounding than the 40 year old L-19!). So I don't regret buying it - but I do still wonder what it would've been like with a hog top!
4. I also currently have one Larry electric, a 2010 (or so) RS-4 - one of their Les Paul style guitars from a decade ago.
Other Larrivee's I've owned over they years (all left-handed):
LV-09
D-03R
00-03 (Forum IV - all mahogany)
D-03
C-10 (Italian Spruce/Silver Oak)
RS-4 (a different one!)
RS-2 (w P-90's)
Bakersfield (Tele style electric)
My daughter also still has an early P-01 parlor which I gave her for her 14th b-d - she's now 34 years old! It lives with her in Japan.
What's your Larrivee story?
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Post by bluzcat on Feb 11, 2020 22:15:56 GMT -5
I’ve never owned one but there is a D-40R hanging in a local shop. I’ve picked it up every time I’m there. Nice feel (satin finish, Sitka and rw) sounds great but I’m really wanting a 000 body. It has inspired me to play closer attention to Larrivee for sure.
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Post by jefe46 on Feb 12, 2020 12:15:53 GMT -5
I always liked the Larrivves ( pre US made)
The one that got away was a new C-05 with all koa top, backs and sides an no figure what ever. Great sounding and playing guitar ( with an adult 1 3/4 nut width). Price was $1300.. shoulda bought it.
I also like their interpretation of the Martin D-18S models.
There is an L-05 with , unfortunately, some sort of factory installed pickup and pod nailed to it for controls, but sounds great as an acoustic.
Sadly it has one 1 1/2 inch side crack and grossly over priced at $1100. I offered $800, no deal, it's been sitting in the store for over a year. Price right, it would move.
This shop has a consignment policy where they search the web and their blue book, then ad 30%.
Not the way everyone else does it which is why they have guitars languishing for years. Not fair to the seller, or potential buyer.
If they were fir, I'd own a Larrivee.
Maybe one day.
Oh I did own one of their Parlors, all flamed Koa.. backs, sides top etc. They swore it was a 1 3/4 nut. Based on that I ordered and paid for it.
It arrived a 1 11/16ths minus. .
When I called Larrivee ( this is back when they were selling direct from Vancouver)...they laughed and said it was a Canadian 1 3/4".
I did not think it was humorous. They simply lied and this was Larrivees's kid. That cost me $125 not to own it. I wrote them off for new guitars.
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jeffscott
Wholenote
Rickenbacker Guru..............
Posts: 138
Age: GOF
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Post by jeffscott on Feb 13, 2020 16:08:46 GMT -5
Although I have played a few over the years, I've only owned one, an extremely limited edition LV-19 Special Vine Edition made in '02. A good friend of mine is the current caretaker of it.
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Post by Opie on Feb 13, 2020 16:31:51 GMT -5
Only ever played one, and it wasn't what I would call good. Not slammin the brand, just that the one I played wasn't special in any way.
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Post by jefe46 on Feb 13, 2020 21:08:44 GMT -5
Part of their "signature" sound is the 90 degree X bracing.
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Post by orrk01 on Feb 22, 2020 21:38:36 GMT -5
I have a 2004 L-03 that sounds really nice. However, every other guitar I have ever owned has had a 1 11/16 nut. I have small hands and it has been hard for me to adjust to the 1 3/4 nut so, consequently, it doesn't get as much playing time as it should. I'm impressed with the build quality though.
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dlxrev
Halfnote
Posts: 60
Formerly Known As: DLXREV
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Post by dlxrev on Mar 25, 2020 21:17:44 GMT -5
I have an L-01 which was a limited special run and a D-03. I bought them both used and damaged but still very playable.
An acquaintance has a beautiful OM.
I love Larry’s and am jonesing for a rosewood OM.
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Post by jefe46 on Mar 26, 2020 8:12:22 GMT -5
LV-19 was a fine looking and playing machine but, as with some other Larrivee models, I could not hang with the gender impaired genie and jester inlays.
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jeffscott
Wholenote
Rickenbacker Guru..............
Posts: 138
Age: GOF
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Post by jeffscott on Mar 26, 2020 12:10:17 GMT -5
LV-19 was a fine looking and playing machine but, as with some other Larrivee models, I could not hang with the gender impaired genie and jester inlays. Mine did not have those kinds of inlays. Mine had the wonderful vine inlays, on the headstock, fingerboard, and bridge.  |
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Post by jefe46 on Mar 26, 2020 23:07:48 GMT -5
You lucked out : )
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Post by Ragtop on Mar 27, 2020 7:18:57 GMT -5
Weird, I know, but I do not like bound necks. And Larrivee guitars always seem to have a bound neck, so I pass them by.
A few guys whose opinions I respect (including yourself, mikey) really like their Larrivees, but I guess I just never ran across the right one. Their parlors, especially, get rave reviews.
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Post by jefe46 on Mar 27, 2020 16:03:40 GMT -5
I ordered one of the first Parlors..
Mentioned before it was all flamed koa.. but they lied..
the nut width was 1 11/16ths, not 1 3/4".
And it was dead as a door-nail, which is hard to do with koa.
Additionally it was a child's scale length.
They only bound fingerboard I have owned was a 1969 Martin D-35S.
I wold not normally owned a bound neck, this particular guitar was an exception.
Speak about lied.. I did , in fact, own another bound neck/fingerboard guitar..
an Epiphone Elitist Byrdland.. but I'll claim exemption as it was an electric.
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Post by tiller2 on Mar 30, 2020 18:08:44 GMT -5
I have two Larrivees, and OM-03 and an OM-40R Legacy. They are exactly the same OM size, which is pretty much my ideal. The OM-03 is what got me started on guitar; my wife bought it for me new when I turned 35, in 1995, from DC's late great "Guitar Shop" on Connecticut Avenue. With a mahogany body and sitka top, black body binding, and an ebony fingerboard, it is the best playing acoustic I've tried, with a beautifully balanced full-spectrum sound. I moved it to our vacation place and often wonder why I let it leave my side.
The newer OM-40R is meant to fill that void; the body is rosewood, top Sitka, fingerboard ebony, ivory-colored neck and body binding. It has a more focused midrange sound--a bit of a trumpet, in guitar terms, if that makes sense. It is a little harder to play, but I've improved it by working on the nut.
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Post by Lefty Rev on Apr 8, 2020 10:58:30 GMT -5
Yesterday was NLLGD X 2: New Lefty Larrivee Guitar Day times Two: I bought one Larrivee, and ordered another one (yikes!). Hear me out...I talked with one dealer online, and even talked to John Larrivee, Jr. at the factory ( actually, he was working from home; could hear his kids playing in the background...). In the process of these conversations, I learned it will be a while before another lefty Tommy Emmanuel C-03R-TE Signature guitar is available, but I went ahead and placed a deposit on one - looking at 6-8 months for sure, maybe even a year ( thank you, COVID-19!). But I am at the front of the queue now to get one: Tommy Emmanuel Signature LarriveeBut this order led to a great price on a lefty OM-40R Legacy model (R = Rosewood). That will be here Monday; it will be interesting to compare it to my Martin OM-21; we'll see which one stays in the herd: Larrivee OM-40R Legacy SeriesI'll try to get some a review and some pics up on the OM-40R next week - supposed to arrive on Monday via Fed-Ex; we'll see how accurate tracking and delivery is these days...
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Post by langford on Apr 9, 2020 10:14:07 GMT -5
I used to own an OM-1 and have checked other models in stores or through friends. Overall, I think Larrivee is my favourite guitar (in the price range) for sound... but you have to fight for it. I usually like a little bit of that in a guitar, but the OM-1 I owned fought back too hard and left me with a nasty case of tennis elbow. I still love Larrivees, but I'm more careful around them now.
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jellybones
Wholenote
Posts: 181
Formerly Known As: Gelee Bon (en francais)
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Post by jellybones on Apr 9, 2020 18:12:07 GMT -5
I have a lefty DV-09 that is my main acoustic. I put 13's on it just for a little extra BOOM! I love this guitar.
I put an LR Baggs Anthem in it. Sounds excellent.
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Post by Lefty Rev on Jun 10, 2020 11:46:57 GMT -5
Just bought another interesting Larrivee yesterday on Reverb - an L-09FM (Flamed Maple b&s). Seller is a store in Wisconsin, I'm not too far from there in Minnesota, so it won't have to travel far. The serial number was a mystery until he sent me a pick of it (on the neck block). Larrivee has had some quirky SN systems over the years, and this was one of those. The store thought it was a 2001 (they had tried to find out from Larrivee, as did I initially). Once I finally "translated" the SN (04 84xx) with a space in it, it came right up on Larrivee's serial number look-up on their website: it's dated Dec. 27, 1988 - much older than the store thought. Being a Larrivee nerd (for those of you still reading - hah!), I was suspicious of the 2001 date, since several features of the guitar looked more like late 80's/early 90's (I have a '92 with many similar features): a clear pick guard, mosaic rosette, Schaller tuners and large fingerboard dots - all pointed to an older guitar. Anyway, here's a link to the Reverb ad which has some pics. I got it for a bit less than the asking price. It is right-handed, so my plan - assuming I think it's worth it - is to have it convert to a lefty (saddle, nut, side neck dots). Then I will have three Larrivee L-bodied guitars, Rosewood, Mahogany and Maple (with two of the three - the Rosewood and Maple - being conversions). Thanks for reading... |
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Post by Lefty Rev on Jun 13, 2020 14:49:04 GMT -5
Weird, I know, but I do not like bound necks. And Larrivee guitars always seem to have a bound neck, so I pass them by. Yeah, I get it... especially when it comes to Martins, I'm more of a non-binding guy. I'm getting ready to order another Martin Custom, and it won't have binding on the (Ebony) fretboard... Larrivee has used it for so long that I'm just used to it... BUT, and this is a BIG BUT (heh, heh); I do NOT like the Maple wood neck binding Larrivee has moved to in recent years. To me, it always looks dirty, and therefore, "butt-ugly". The OM-40R I just got has it, and I'm really not a fan (yep - looks dirty to me); the Tommy Emmanuel signature guitar I ordered will have it, too, and I'll live with it on that one because of the other features of the guitar (L-body with a cutaway and a 12-fret neck joint - the features I want way more than Tommy Emmanuel's signature inside, even though I am a fan of his music). I guess I could call Larrivee and see if they'd let me make a change on a signature model...they'd be more likely to do this than Martin and some other larger companies... I ordered a custom Larrivee L-05 a few years ago, and one must-have feature on that was no visible binding on the neck. (Ironically, with Larrivee, you have to order some kind of binding, so I ordered Ebony binding on an Ebony fretboard!). I plan to do another custom Larrivee order down the road someday/year, and it will have some other binding other than the Maple...most likely either Ivoroid (since that's what Larrivee traditionally used) or Ebony on Ebony again... Thanks for listening to me jabber on about nothin'... |
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Post by Lefty Rev on Jun 18, 2020 12:19:56 GMT -5
I've been playing this '88 Larrivee L-09 FM for a couple days now, and I've finally nailed down it's tone. It has that Maple clarity that sounds "warm" without sounding "woofy" or "thick"... IOW, there's room around each note, giving each note more power and voice, and they maintain their sonic space without overlapping and cancelling each other out.
Then it hit me - the tone is similar to the new Taylor V-braced guitars: very loud and clear, including as you play up the neck: notes don't lose their distinctiveness or woof out; they stay clear, and the volume is still there too right up the neck, and even on the wound strings. This is what I've heard when I've played some of the Taylor V's (the ones that sounded good; a few were underwhelming, but others DID have a nice clear voice - I can see why a finger stylist would like them).
I've heard this tone on Taylor 600 Series (Maple) guitars, too, and those are really the only Taylors that appeals to me.
So that's it! For under $1K, I got the tone (and playability and quality) of a $3-4K Taylor!
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Post by insanecooker on Jun 19, 2020 19:31:41 GMT -5
My first "serious" acoustic, and still my favorite, is my OMV-03E (old enough to be made in Canada). Yeah, it's a cutaway and it has a piezo that I never use, but it just felt and sounded so good. I bought it for my 18th birthday at The Twelfth Fret in Toronto. This was after being pretty sure I'd buy a Taylor when I walked in (having only had reviews of both brands up until that point).
A few years ago I played a P-09 at Chicago Music Exchange that I really should have bought...
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Post by Lefty Rev on Oct 9, 2020 0:40:33 GMT -5
Well wouldn't you know. Because my next custom order Martin isn't going to get here till April of next year, and I had no clue when my Larrivee Tommy Emmanuel would get done, I bought the Martin OMCPA4 mentioned in the 1833 Club thread.
And then I got a call this afternoon - my Tommy Emmanuel (C03R-TE) is finished and will be ready to ship to me in a few days! Good thing I had just returned the G&L Doheny (with the wacky wiring and badly cut nut).
So...I'll post a NGD thread when it arrives...two guitars in about a weeks time?! Both Sitka/Rosewood with cutaways! I'm wondering if one (the Martin?) might get returned, or sold on later...I also have a couple others that could be sold if both of these are keepers.
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Post by Lefty Rev on Jun 3, 2021 11:26:14 GMT -5
Pulling this Larrivee thread up from Page 2 to announce that folks over on the Larrivee Guitar Forum are designing another Larrivee Forum Guitar; this one will be Forum VI (the sixth forum build). It will have some unique specs, in case anyone here might be interested in getting one. You do have to be a member of that Forum to order a Forum guitar - easy-peasy; you just register as a member of the Larrivee Forum.
Here are the current suggested specs (the finished guitar should be pretty close to these; it's starting to get focused in pretty well):
LS body size (small L body: 15 1/8" lower bout; 4" deep at heel)
Hybrid (Martin style) top bracing
Moonwood Euro Spruce top
Walnut b&s
12-fret neck (1 3/4" nut; 16" radius)
Wood/Walnut rosette
"VI" inlay at 12th fret
Tortoise pick guard (put in case)
Hardshell case
Venetian cutaway (extra cost option)
Pickup options (extra cost option)
Left-handed (no cost option)
Those are the likely specs now - the top *could* end up being Sitka (which I'm fine with) but most folks want something more unique, and I get that.
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Post by Lefty Rev on Jun 22, 2021 14:38:09 GMT -5
The specs for the Larrivee Forum VI have been firmed up (and are almost exactly as listed above, except that the rosette will be Herringbone, not wood/walnut; sides and back will be American Walnut, top confirmed as Alpine Spruce "Moonwood"). Base price w/o options is $2,199. You can see price options for cutaway and pickups at the link below. You can order one (don't know now long orders will stay open) on the Larrivee Forum here. |
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Post by Mike the marksman on Sept 1, 2021 7:17:48 GMT -5
I've gotten the acoustic bug and am really interested in a Larrivee, probably an OM-40R. I've never owned an acoustic before.
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Post by Lefty Rev on Sept 6, 2021 13:48:48 GMT -5
The OM-40R is a very balanced guitar; you'd be stepping up to a very nice first acoustic.
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