Larrivee?

[cooktimj1]

Anyone here play a Larrivee? I'm curious as to any issues, problems, plusses, etc.

[getbent]

I love my Larrivee... it is a beautiful sounding, great playing guitar that I would buy, beg or steal in a minute... several of my friends have since bought them and we all love them... I'm eyeing a D60 for christmas... They are really, really good instruments...

[studio1087]

I just bought a L-03R at FQMS in Louisville on a business trip. I had a basic Mahagony - Spruce Parlor for years but it was too subdued for my taste. Other than soft fingerstyle, the Parlor was not very useful.

The Larrivee Dreads, L's and OM's are fantastic guitars. I am partial to Martin's and I have 5 of them. Larrivees sound unusually open for a new guitar much like the Martin 16 series. Larrivees have more bottom than a Taylor but not as much bottom as a Martin. Larrivees have more top end than a Martin but not as much as a Taylor. All in all, Larrivees are full and balanced.

You can buy a 03 series Larrivee for about $800 USD new and it will have.......

-solid top
-solid back
-solid sides
-ebony fretboard
-real rosette
-a real dovetail neck set (not a bolted mortise and tenon like a Martin 16 or a Taylor)
-scalloped X bracing
-nice hard case

That's the real deal. Even a Martin D-15 at $800 doesn't have a dovetail neck set or an ebony fretboard.

If you like the tone, the Larrivee line in general is a great guitar at a great price.

[6942]

I do not own one.
But I have friends that do.
And they SWEAR by them!
Good luck!!

[dieselten]

I have a magnificent Larrivee D10 purchased second-hand (and nicely played-in) and I wouldn't trade for any other acoustic made. Bright, tonally balanced, easy-to-play, beautifully made - a sheer delight to the eye and ear.

These Canadian guitars may well acquire the same reputation as the 40s Martins, but it's gonna take another 60 years to find out. For the money they are fantastic instruments. Play a few and take home the one that sounds best to your ears. (Buying an acoustic is a very personal decision.)

[telel6s]

I have yet to play a bad Larivee. Great guitars and definitely one of the best values available today, whether buying new or used.

[getbent]

Originally Posted by dieselten

I have a magnificent Larrivee D10 purchased second-hand (and nicely played-in) and I wouldn't trade for any other acoustic made. Bright, tonally balanced, easy-to-play, beautifully made - a sheer delight to the eye and ear.

These Canadian guitars may well acquire the same reputation as the 40s Martins, but it's gonna take another 60 years to find out. For the money they are fantastic instruments. Play a few and take home the one that sounds best to your ears. (Buying an acoustic is a very personal decision.)

Ooooooooo those D10's are cool! What a great guitar!

[tjalla]

Originally Posted by studio1087

I just bought a L-03R at FQMS in Louisville on a business trip. I had a basic Mahagony - Spruce Parlor for years but it was too subdued for my taste. Other than soft fingerstyle, the Parlor was not very useful.

The Larrivee Dreads, L's and OM's are fantastic guitars. I am partial to Martin's and I have 5 of them. Larrivees sound unusually open for a new guitar much like the Martin 16 series. Larrivees have more bottom than a Taylor but not as much bottom as a Martin. Larrivees have more top end than a Martin but not as much as a Taylor. All in all, Larrivees are full and balanced.

You can buy a 03 series Larrivee for about $800 USD new and it will have.......

-solid top
-solid back
-solid sides
-ebony fretboard
-real rosette
-a real dovetail neck set (not a bolted mortise and tenon like a Martin 16 or a Taylor)
-scalloped X bracing
-nice hard case

That's the real deal. Even a Martin D-15 at $800 doesn't have a dovetail neck set or an ebony fretboard.

If you like the tone, the Larrivee line in general is a great guitar at a great price.

+1

I've got the standard L-03, spruce/mahogany with BBand pups, and I'm completely spoiled by it... I can't pickup any other guitars now, even a few high end Taylors and Martins I've played don't really blow me away compared to my Larrivee.

When I save up more coin, I'm gonna get a spruce/rosewood version with a cutaway. I would have loved to try their jumbos, but they're discontinued,

Cheers,
Trevor

[Tim Bowen]

Absolutely love my D-03 with rosewood back and sides. It's the only acoustic (-electric) guitar that I own, but that's only because I haven't put the scratch together to buy another Larrivee. I played Gibsons, Martins, Taylors, Guilds, and whatnots (many of which were at a significantly higher price point), and easily chose the Larrivee, hands down.

I gig and record this guitar on a regular basis. I agree with Studio 1087, the EQ curve is exceptional, and is quite conducive to a wide variety of stylistic approaches. Engineers love this guitar. One guy that I work with commented that "this guitar records itself."

[cooktimj1]

I have a D-03 mahogany and a D-05 mahogany. Absolutely love them... For the money, there is no other guitar. I also aquired a Taylor 310 recently... Both Larrivees play circles around it acoustically and electrified!

[BB]

Originally Posted by getbent

I love my Larrivee... it is a beautiful sounding, great playing guitar that I would buy, beg or steal in a minute... several of my friends have since bought them and we all love them... I'm eyeing a D60 for christmas... They are really, really good instruments...

GB...I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love that Pete model you have! While I'm very happy with my old L-09, I'd love to have one of these babies!

[Alex W]

My Larrivee L-09 was the first nice acoustic I ever bought. I had been looking at Martin, Huss and Dalton, Collings, Gibson and other high end brands before arriving at Larrivee as the most bang for the buck. One store in particular, Guitar Emporium in Louisville, had a lot of guitars that I got to compare, and the Larrivee was in the same ballpark tone-wise as guitars costing two or three thousand more. I've had it about 9 years now and it is still great. My particular guitar is more suited to fingerstyle playing in terms of the string spacing and the top bracing.

The newer Larrivees are even nicer from I have seen. The new -60 line of guitars are super nice. I just played the OM-60 last week in Lexington and it was fantastic. The same store had had one of their new baritones, but it had just sold, so I didn't get to try it out. I'd like to see and play some of the -50 series as I am more in the market for a mahogany guitar at the moment.

[Bluesgtr20]

Here is my larrivee D-04. Its the best acoustic I have ever played:

[getbent]

BB, thanks man! I'll play'er a little extra this weekend in your honor!

I agree on the 60's! they are sweet!

And that is one pretty D-04!

[zook]

I have had an OM 03 for about four years now. It's an amazing guitar and I'm very happy with it. I have a Martin Dreadnaught that I bought new (D76, the bicentennial model) 30 years ago but I find myself playing the Larrivee a lot.

Winnie

[Colo Springs E]

.....like others, I've never played a bad Larrivee.

Here's mine:

[4mal]

I'm 8 months into a new L-03 and no issues. Just a great guitar. The L body style is a really nice compromise between parlour and dread. Very even tonally. If I'd been a little better informed, I would have bought one without the electronics on board and then would have done either a Schertler or a K&K setup. As it is the BBand is OK - I just don't like the appearance of that honkin huge blemish of a control box in the side ...

[Smokin' Joe Picante]

I have an LV-09 that I just love. I bought it over Taylor, Martin, and Gibson offerings regardless of price. I especially love the L series shape/sound. Lots of focus for fingerpicking but plenty of depth for hard strumming.

[BB]

A friend came over for dinner last night. I won't bore you with the details, but after losing touch with each other for 33 yeas, we were able to re-connect.
He is a fabulous bass player and over the years has become an equally fab guitar player. He has a nice old Martin D-28 that has been by his side for many moons.

After dinner, I brought the herd out for him to peruse. After the 7th electric or so, he asked...."where's your acoustics?" So, I grabbed the Larrivee case and slid it over to him. He absolutley flipped! He did not put it down for the rest of the evening. I let him take it to enjoy for the rest of his stay. It will be interesting to hear his comments after spending some quality time with it.

Suffice to say, I think we have a new Larrivee convert on our hands!

[cooktimj1]

Here's what I think is hilarious. On another thread, (I think the $500-$800 range) Someone is comparing the Epi Masterbuilt series to Larrivees! Now, I know that it is all relative, and a matter of opinion, but the only thing that is comparable is the price! I've played them at the music store (with new strings) and they sound and feel like any other Epiphone. They just look better and cost a lot more.


Here's a pic of my D-05E in action..

[getbent]

Originally Posted by cooktimj1

Here's what I think is hilarious. On another thread, (I think the $500-$800 range) Someone is comparing the Epi Masterbuilt series to Larrivees! Now, I know that it is all relative, and a matter of opinion, but the only thing that is comparable is the price! I've played them at the music store (with new strings) and they sound and feel like any other Epiphone. They just look better and cost a lot more.


Here's a pic of my D-05E in action..

Nice! I saw those posts too and just shrugged. If they play them both side by side, I think they'll hear the difference. If not, just as well.

[Tim Armstrong]

I have a D-03 that is my lifetime acoustic guitar. Amazing sounding, great playing, quite lovely (in a plain Jane way...).

Cheers, Tim

[Davey265]

I went to a local music shop and spent several hours trying out their mid-price acoustics. I tried Martins, Taylors, a Guild and and a Takamine. None came close to the Larrivee (an OM03 I think) for playability, tone and just feeling right. Now I've just got to find the cash. . .

[odiemann]

parlor model great for soft playing

[Ian]

Love my L-05, even more so since I put a John Pearse set on in place of Elixirs.

[Alex W]

Originally Posted by cooktimj1

Here's what I think is hilarious. On another thread, (I think the $500-$800 range) Someone is comparing the Epi Masterbuilt series to Larrivees! Now, I know that it is all relative, and a matter of opinion, but the only thing that is comparable is the price! I've played them at the music store (with new strings) and they sound and feel like any other Epiphone. They just look better and cost a lot more.

In another thread specifically started on the Epi MB line, I wrote "They are nice guitars for the money and I would definitely consider them alongside the Larrivee -03 series. My impression is they are worth checking out. In this price range I would try before I buy." In other words I, who own two Larrivee guitars and zero Epiphones (so far), recommend that before the poster purchased an Epiphone masterbuilt model, he also check out the Larrivee 03 series.

That said, the Larrivee 03 series is now a lot nicer than it was when it first came out, and its price is now two or three hundred higher than the Epis. If they were the same price I would expect 9 times out of 10 a Larrivee guitar would be far superior to an Epi guitar. I haven't seen D-03 truly in the $550 range. On the other hand it is probably better to save up a little more and get the D-03 anyway.

Getting back to this thread's original topic, I think the high end models (05, 09, 10, 50 and 60) are superb guitars. I've recently purchased the BT-60 baritone guitar and I'm very happy with it. If you like the traditional look of old Martins with her