Larrivée

I was shopping around for a new acoustic, something used that I could pick up for around a grand. I already had Too Many Guitars, but I was gassing for something different. I already had a Blueridge BR-140, a Guild D-120CE all-mahogany and D-140CE sitka and mahogany, a couple Michael Kellys, an Alvarez AD-60, etc... But I still felt like I hadn't found That Guitar, you know, the one that you've always wanted, but thought you could never really get on your budget. For decades, I was happy with just a solid-topped Sigma. It didn't need to be all-wood. Then, a couple years ago, I bought my first electric, a Les Paul copy that just kicked butt and looked beautiful, and I was hooked. I had to have better and better guitars. I was up to over 20 for a while, and then I started selling my older ones so I could buy new ones. Anyways, I heard a Larrivee on Youtube, and thought it was the best sounding guitar I had ever heard for under $2,000. And it sounded better than a lot of guitars in that range. The bracing on Larrivees gives them a uniquely balanced sound, that blows Taylors away, and only the best Martins and Santa Cruzes can beat Larrivee's entry level D-03 mahogany backed or D-03R rosewood. These are amazing guitars. I finally feel like I've found that Final Guitar. Bluegrass players may complain that they don't have as heavy a bass as a Martin or Blueridge. Those guitars are heavy on the Bass end, and Taylors, which don't impress me, are heavy on the treble end. But Larrivees are balanced all the way across the tonal spectrum. They sound more like a Santa Cruz, but without the $4,500 price tag. Larrivees have been going up in price in recent years, especially since the video made with one on the Space Station. Used to be, a new one with a free case ran around $650. Now the price has almost doubled. But they are still really cheap for a guitar of that quality. I wouldn't trade mine for a Martin D-18, and that's saying a LOT. Check one out. They have the most dedicated fans of any guitar made. This guitar has no cons. And they are made in America (California or Canada). Go to Youtube and check one out, I think you'll be shocked, like me!

I've been playing acoustic guitar since 1997. Basically, I like to play folk and blues, but I also play a good deal of soft-rock. I don't play in any bands, however, in October 2006, I joined my church folk choir as a guitar accompanist and I manage to jam a little with some of my neighbours. I'm not good enough to quit my day job, but I do love to play this guitar for the pure joy of it. I bought my Larrivée L-03 in July 2006 for $960 CDN from Long & McQuade Musical Instruments in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Actually, I traded in a beloved Seagull S-6+ Cedar steel string and a La Patrie Etude nylon string (both previously purchased at Long & McQuade) plus a little cash. This guitar was made in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It produces a booming, but warm, tone right through the whole range from low E to high E strings. The resonance and sustain of each string is truly remarkable. The balanced sound is clean and discernible when played quietly practicing at home, but the sound can be thunderous and clear when you have the opportunity to really let loose. The original Larrivée setup was for light gauge strings and was perfect right out of the box. There is no fret buzz anywhere on the neck. The tone of my Larrivée was bright, loud and full from the minute I bought it. I have played it (at least for a few minutes, but usually longer) nearly every day since I got it and the sound just keeps getting better. And I consider it to still be 'new'. Once it ‘ages’, the sound will be just awesome. By the way, my previous steel string acoustics were all dreadnoughts. The L-series Larrivée has the same sized upper and lower bouts as does the D-series (i.e., dreadnoughts) but it has a more narrow waste. I think the L-series style is both more aesthetically pleasing and is more comfortable to play. There is nothing I don't like about this guitar. If there was something, I would not have bought it. My Larrivée L-03 is all solid wood construction. It has a Canadian Sitka spruce soundboard with an ebony fretboard and bridge plate. It has South American mahogany back, sides and neck and Canadian maple body binding, front and back. The bridge and nut are Tusq and the pickguard is bevelled Tortis. It has Ivroid fretboard binding and Ping tuners (18:1 ratio). The L-03 has symmetrical X-bracing and a solid dovetail neck joint. I love the satin lacquer finish on both the body and neck. I use Elixir Polyweb light or custom light strings on it. This is a high performance guitar and I just love it. For my money there is no better guitar available. As far as I am concerned my Larrivée L-03 sounds better than comparable Martin and Taylor models. It is better made and is a much better value. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

My story has come about because my trusty Alvarez 5225 some ten years old started doing some annoying things. The action among other problems was my biggest beef. Anyway so I went to my local Guitar Center and cheesed with a sales guy there for a couple of months before one day I noticed a really plain looking guitar (which I like. He told me it was a Larrivee, I had never heard of it. I picked it up and was able to play like it was my electric. 400.00 used no case, 60.00 for deluxe Larrivee case and I didnt have to sweat out the first year of humidity control, whichh is so crucial in solid wood guitars first year. The electronics was a bonus, I am so happy with this guitar. I love the thin neck for playability, and the tone is very warm. I would tell anyone looking for an acoustic to get a Larrivee. It is the most quality guitar for the money. If you have no budget......Well that obviously isnt the case if you came here. Oh and one more thing, I called the Larivee people and told them my story, they sent me a Truss rod wrench(unique to the Larrivee) no charge and even asked me to tell them the serial number, they in turn told me everything about the guitar when it was started, finished and when it left Vancouver. Its an entry level guitar that should be the first choice for professional musicians. Ill shut up now. Go get one! Its as simple as that. Tone, action, woods used in its contruction. No peg for strap. Top shelf. I think I already have...NOW GO GET ONE! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Been around the acoustic music scene since 1962 playing 6 & 12 string guitar(s) and 5 string banjo's. Am what you'd call "pro-lite" doing sits with Irish and other traditional groups. Bought the OM-9 new in Putnam, CT few months ago for $1400. (so low because shop was closing). It was an opportunity that just came along ... country boys just can't have too many trucks, guitars or dogs, eh? I know little about Canadian luthiers and only heard of Larrivee a couple of years ago. Being a long time owner of high end vintage Martins & Gibsons I was simply a snob for older American wood. I was asked to play an OM-9 at a pro gig last year. While on-mike, the action stood out as superb and the amplified sound was nice. But when I was playing it in the back room between sets I was able to really hear what the guitar can do acoustically ... it has a magnificant deep & round vintage sound. (as nice as a Santa Cruz's high end OM ... that's the opinion of a devoted Santa Cruz playing friend). Any negatives? The fret edges are not as smooth as I am used too. They don't catch or anything but they are different than my old axes. Had I not gotten the guitar at such a low price I might have passed on it due to the feel of the fret edges ... and that would have been a shame because now that I am used to them there is no complaint. The sides and back are a lively complex grained rosewood(expensive but I believe only way to get professional warmth & projection). Wood bindings, abalone rosette, mahogany neck, ebony fret board, etc.: the workmanship on this one is flawless. Larrivee's selection of sound woods appears second to none and they don't glue on a thick plastic pick guard like Martin, Santa Cruz, etc ... the OM-9's micro-thin clear plastic adhesive attached (replacable) guard can't interfere with the resonance of the solid spruce top. You don't even see the pick guard so the guitar has a distinctive look to it. (have always thought pick guards' ugly) The case that came with it is model matched so that there is no movement of the body or neck within ... at all. (Folks who make a living on the road ... in the air ... know what this means and spend a lot making their cases this good.) As I said, I got into this guitar on an opportunity buy. Now that I've played it for a few months I pick it up more than the others (6 in all) in my collection. If you demand professional vintage sound consider one of these. The Larrivee OM-9 (list $2100) compares equally or favorably in all ways to Santa Cruz and Martin OM's which sell (usually on back order) for $3,000 plus. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchased this Larrivee D-03E online from E.M.Shorts in Wichita, Kansas, since there are no "local" Larrivee dealers. I've been looking for about 5 years for an acoustic that had the quality tone and construction that wouldn't break your pocketbook. This wonderful guitar only cost me $771.00 including shipping and the Deluxe Larrivee case! The best thing I like about my Larrivee is the sound: Rich, full, deep, resonant with alot of sustain, clear, bell-like tone with a really deep and tight bass. Tone is balanced and keeps opening up more and more the longer I play it. The construction is very durable and solid with no glue marks or bad frets. The intonation is perfect all the way up the neck. The only thing that I had to do when I received it was take it to my local luthier to have the action lowered to my liking. I flatpick and I like the action high enough so it won't buzz, but low enough that it is not too tiring to play for several hours (like I do!) As mentioned above the construction is very solid. The satin finish is very durable and seems to ward off most "bumps" quite well. I only have put on a couple very minute dings since I got it. The fretboard and bridge are made from high quality ebony. The guitar is made of all solid woods: Sitka spruce top, Mahogany back/sides/neck. Great chrome tuners that work really well. Mine has the factory installed Fishman Prefix Plus w/EQ hookup. It sounds great plugged in at church with a nice true "acoustic" tone; not an "electric" sound unless you want it to. I'm so sold on Larrivees now even more since I've bought mine. They are truly wonderfully made guitars that rival Martin, Taylor, Gibson, Tacoma for their sound and their value for the money. I've had many guitar players say how nice my guitar sounds. Many haven't heard of Larrivees or seen them in person so they are amazed at how good they sound. Jean Larrivee has done us such a valuable service by making high end quality made and sounding guitars at such an affordable price for the working musician! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Purchased for about $1800 CDN (~$1200 US) from local music store. Great sound. I tried Martins and Taylors sitting right beside the Larrivee, and the Larrivee was right in there for tone and clarity. The bonus was the trim was much nicer, in my opinion. The "L" body style is part dreadnaught, part classical, sort of. What is seems to do is reduce the booming that dreadnaughts seem to have, in my opinion. The whole spectrum seems much more balanced. The workmanship is top notch, at least in my sample. With only a few quibbles (see below). The guitar is beautiful, and sounds great. Going to the 05 trim level affords a wider spaced nut. This was a big concern for me, as I have/had real troubles properly chording patterns in the past. My fingers always seem to mute a couple extra strings. Immediately upon playing the L-05, I was able to rapidly switch chords, and not smack strings I was not supposed to. I need the extra room, and am thankful I paid for it. Little. Other than the price (hey, I am cheap, I admit it.), Only two things really bug me. One, the Low E string seems to have a buzzing fret way up at fret 16. I will never play up there (way up on the soundboard), but for a $2000 guitar, I want perfection. I suspect a luthier will take all of 5 minutes to either reseat the fret, or sand it down a ting. Not a big deal in reality, just an annoyance. The other thing is on my particular guitar, during the bookmatching of the mahogany sides, it seems there was a small hole/sap pocket/void, the size of a side dot marker. This was filled with something, and results in two identical off colour dots, on either side of the neck, about 2 inches onto the shoulder of the body. Not a big deal, since wood is an imperfect medium, but they filled it with a non-mahogany fill (maple?) A mahogany pin would have been invisible. Again, a minor cosmetic blemish I did not see in ANY other samples. Not a flaw by any means, but I wish the guitar came with some sort of stap studs installed. Nothing was installed in either the neck/shoulder, nor the tail. Since I like playing standing up at times, this means I am going to have to have them installed. Oh well. Some might consider haveing studs on a high price acoustic blasphemy, and they may be right. I want them however. Construction seems excellent. Aside from two minor quirks mentioned above, looks good. The flame maple wood binding is flawless, and really looks cool. The abalone rosette is cool and perfectly done. All binding and glue seams appear invisible, just the way they are supposed to be. The sterling silver headstock border inlay has invisible joints, and looks really neat. The ebony (?) bridge could be a little darker/polished, but that is more personal preferance. The guitar sports a really nice transparent pickguard. From a few feet you cannot even tell it is there. Seriously. Look close, and it looks like a long fine scratch, until you realise it is the pickguard edge. Looking at this guitar, essentially without a pickguard, makes me look at all other guitars WITH those disgusting dark brown odd shaped things stuck on the soundboard and make me think, "What the hell are you thinking!". The non-pickguard pickguard method has won me over forever, it looks that good. The guitar came with a really nice hardshell case, truss adjustment tool, picks, polishing cloth, and some instruction/warranty stuff. Altogether well built, with only a few expected blemishes. A solid value when put up against Taylors and Martins in the same price range. Build quality and finish are all there, perhaps more so compared to the Taylors and Martins in the same price point. Sound is a highly personal thing, the guitar essentially becomes your voice. Larrivee has it's own sound. Not drastically different from those, but different, especially going with the L-shape body from a dreadnaught. If you are planning to move into a guitar like this, do yourself a favour. Lock youself in a sound room with the Larrivee, Taylor, Martin, Guild, ..., and play them all. I think the Larrivee will put up a really good show. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchased my Larrivee OMV-03 over the phone at First Quality Music. Paid $839.95 including original Larrivee hard shell case, truss rod adjustment tool (Larrivee has a special shaped tool to reach the nut), they threw in a free set of Elixir's and shipping was free. Received it in 2 days by fed-ex just as explained. Ahhhh, have you seen this beautiful piece of wood!!! Some people say these guitars are plain, I say they're gorgeous. I had played a DV-03 at a local guitar store, but when mine arrived and I opened the case I think I got a little wood (if you know what I mean)just looking at the beautiful wood in front of me. Definitely surpassed my expectations for looks. The construction is absolutely flawless. Mine is all mahogany. Very resonant. Even though the OM body is a little smaller than the L or D body, don't be afraid of lack of sound. This thing absolutely sings for me. I have'nt played in many years and I have to admit the first night I played for about 3 hours until my fingers practically bled, Just couldn't put it down. Did I mention I couldn't put it down? Seriously, I did look at alot of others. Martins, Taylors, Takamine's, Tacoma's. They don't even come close in sound, construction, value and playability. The action came very playable right out of the case. They give you a very nice case also. I'm sure the price on these Canadian beauties is not going to last so get one as soon as you can. Absolutely NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING!!!!!! Other than it should be 3 times the price. SHHHHHH don't tell anyone..... Spruce top, Mahagony sides and back, solid, not laminated like lower grade Martins (they should be ashamed of themselves for the crappy laminated and fake looking sides in their lower models) Satin finish, Ebony fingerboard, Microdot inlays which i particularly like. Quality is first class, no glue anywhere. Came with Elixir's which soulnd great. Very balances sound. Nice bass ,clean highs, and everywhere in between. If someone stole my OMV-03 I'd probably be in jail if I found them. Nuff said. Just go buy one before these things catch on and Larrivee jacks the price through the roof. ENJOY!!!!!!I know you will....... This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

guitar center beat every ones price- maybe because they messed up the order 3 times and delayed ordering this guitar for 6 months. It was ordered out of denver for $1800 We revied all the acoustic guitars we could find in 2 years at any price, but not one of a kind. Martins performed well- all of them, but the only magic (playability, feel, sound etc) came in the 28-45 series; lowdens-too quiet; lakewoods - excellent overall, but not enough magic; Santa Cruz- like Martins with the occasional sublime instrument, Froggy Bottom-sweet, but playability is not perfect. I list these to show the caliber of Larrivee: perfect and inspiring sound naturally or amped, Fort Knox solid, and the playability...Beethoven to Jimi Hendrix, Woody Guthery to Phish, Pink Floyd to well just slapping it around Larrivee Guitars shine at every thing. It was the ONLY guitar to be able be played sweetly or with rage and still sound...sublime. This guitar will move you. This is why we had to invent the Zuni Guitar Strap's - guitar of the year award and name Larrivee the winner. We are in no way connected with the Canadian company, so take the time to see what we mean and play one. Dislikes: well to be honest the ease at which this guitar is played tends to bring out the best of my ability leaving me wishing I could play more difficult pieces. Solid- You can find reviews back 10 years. they have no real complants. Short of one of a kind or rediculosly priced instruments Larrivee is the best out there. The good news is all larrivee models have this sublime quality so you budget may dictate to trim level, but not the quality. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Rosewood Back & Sides (Indian) Single Piece Mahogany Neck (S. American) Canadian Sitka Spruce Soundboard African Ebony Fretboard & Bridge Multi Layer Maple Body Binding Herringbone Rosette Symmetrical X-Bracing Rosewood headstock overlay Dovetail Neck Joint Mother of Pearl Headstock Logo Ping open gear engraved Tuners (18:1 Ratio) Ivoroid Fretboard Binding Microdot Fretboard Inlays Ebony Bridge Pins w/ Abalone Center Traditional Larrivee Tortis Pickguard Cleartone Light Gauge Strings Will Handle Medium Gauge Strings Limited Lifetime Warranty UTILIZATION I was very hesitant about buying this guitar at first, because as a primarily strumming type of player, I didn't think I was comfortable getting a guitar that obviously was made for finger style. Anyway, the guitar looks great. It's got a super classic look to it that reminds you of those vintage martins from the early 1900s. The neck is super comfy and there is no detail overlooked. I really can't find anything on here to get mad about. The fretwork is great. The body is beautiful. Everything is very nice. It's interesting to note that the OM60 is a bit bigger overall than your typical OM guitar. I think Larrivee designed this to look a lot like a classic OM but to sound a little big bigger with a bit more bass maybe. The only thing I can possibly say annoys me is the hard to access truss bolt. That's a real pain to be honest. SOUNDS The thing is, it sounds great for finger style, but since I only play finger style maybe a third of the time, I needed a smaller guitar that could handle the strumming. I'm happy to say the OM60 handles strumming surprisingly well to the point where I like it better than some dread shapes I have. It doesn't have super boomy bass, so if you want raw power this is not your instrument. But if you want a really focused and warm sound, I can't think of a better contender. It will handle basically any style of play... Just don't go pete townsend on the thing. OVERALL OPINION Larrivee is making some incredible stuff here. It's up there with Martins that cost hundreds more. Sure it sounds really nice but the craftsmanship on these is pretty ridiculous. Holding it in your hands, you will get what I mean. It's a no brainer to recommend this to a finger style player but I would also say look at it if you constantly change styles because it handles multiple playing types better than most. I am happy to say this guitar shocked me in every way and I think I'll be holding onto it for a while.

These Larrivee guitars are straight out of the handbook/ playbook of the 80s guitarist. These look sound and feel exactly like someone from the 80's would play. It has a defined 80s look and 80's sound which isn't bad but it is very particular to the 80's style of music that you would think or believe to hear this guitar. UTILIZATION These guitars features a humbucker pickup in the bridge and then a single coil and another single coil in the middle in the neck positions. It also has a volume control knob any tone control knob as well as a pick up selector. I really like the headstock on this guitar because it's a pointy head stock which makes me really think about the 80 styles of hair metal music. It has 22 frets and is a pretty long scale length neck. Overall it is a very impressive looking guitar to me. SOUNDS This guitar is a cool guitar when you play with the nice high gain amplifier such as a Marshall amplifier or something like that. Also and ADA preamp would work well with his guitar. I'm mentioning those amps and this preamp primarily because the 80s sound is in these heavily used pieces of that equipment that they were in the 80s. This is it going to be a guitar that you can play Coldplay music with, this is something that you're going to rip out some Van Halen type of tones or some Motley Crue with. OVERALL OPINION I recommend this guitar to anyone he's in love with the 80s and really likes just likes to style and look at the 80's sound. These guitars are fairly hard to find, but if you're so lucky at a decent price but certainly not the prices of some modern 80s guitar style builders or custom shop builders. It is a cool guitar and something that would be an alternative to a Kramer or a Charvel.