Ideas for a Forum RS-4

[Mikeymac]

Okay, we've kicked this can around a bit, then Matthew Larrivee himself jumped in and lit the pilot light yesterday.

So let's start this discussion and see if we can get anywhere near a consensus on what we want for a Forum RS-4.

First of all, which Forum guitar will this really be? If it gets decided and ordered before the next acoustic Forum guitar, is this the Forum V? Or do we start again and call this the electric Forum I? (I'd go with the latter, just to keep things separate and simple.)

Here are some of the ideas/options that have been kicked around so far:

Mahogany topped guitar (could also add tortoise binding with this top)
Quilted mahogany top
Quilted mahogany or flamed maple neck
Or offer various solid colors (with tort binding)
Special headstock inlay, such as the original JCL logo
Ebony finger board
"Forum I" inlayed on the fingerboard (12th fret?)
10 series fretboard inlays instead of the "block/triangle" inlays
Choice of pickups (buckers, P-90's min-buckers, Seymour Duncan no solder system)
Single piece wrap around bridge (make this a customer choice - could also choose standard RS-4 bridge/tailpiece)
Bigsby trem
Gold or chrome hardware option
Locking Schaller tuners

There are some others as well - I can't remember them all; I'll let someone else chime in now!

Matthew can also chime in and tell us which options simply "are not going to happen".

**Edited to make a few changes - I misquoted some other folks' suggestions...

[unclrob]

 :cop:OH you just S**K I have no money for any guitar's right now and you start this.You had better grow eye's out the back of your head....




Maybe yes maybe NO   

[Cybercanyon]

Count me in on a forum electric.  I'd prefer to see a forum Bakersfield, however I will take any forum electric at this point.  Trying to get a consensus will be like herding cats.  I suggest the following:

1.)  Quilted maple top, possibly in a rootbeer burst.
2.)  Choice of gold or chrome hardware.
3.)  Standard RS4 bridge and tail piece, however I would like to see a Bigsby.
4.)  Schaller tuners, locking schallers if we can go the Bigsby route.
5.)  Choice of pups,  P90s or Humbuckers.
6.)  Choice of binding color, black or ivoroid.
7.)  Standard RS4 fretboard inlays, ebony board if possible with a Forum I and / or Monterey inlay.
8.)  Larrivee / Vine inlay on headstock.
9.)  Matthew's signature on back of headstock.

I am open to anything.  Maybe Matthew can offer some suggestions.

Mike

[iamjoe]

I would be in as well.

Gold Top
Wrap around bridge
p90's or humbuckers
Chrome hardware
Standard RS4 fretboard inlays, ebony board if possible with a Forum I
Special Headstock Inlay
Matthew's signature and number of production on back of headstock

I am also open to anything, but would prefer to keep it "affordable"

Joe

[StephenM]

oh man, I've always been more than satisfied with my current RS4... but the thought of a forum RS4 with a  hog top and the tortoise binding sounds way too appealing to pass up on

[JOYCEfromNS]

but the thought of a forum RS4 with a  hog top and the tortoise binding sounds way too appealing to pass up on

Like many of the options noted above and would go with them BUT like this one best

[kaos]

I too would like a forum Bakersfield.  Or a RS4 with the wider Bakersfield neck.

mary

[GA-ME]

I too would like a forum Bakersfield.  Or a RS4 with the wider Bakersfield neck.

mary

Yeah, the 1 3/4 nut spec on the Bakersfield will keep me busy watching for someone who grabs one then decides some other guitar will make them sound just like (insert someone famous) and sells it cheap....

[Mikeymac]

... but the thought of a forum RS4 with a  hog top and the tortoise binding sounds way too appealing to pass up on

I really like ^^this^^ option - but I also like the idea of:

all hog body/top
gold top finish
white binding
pups of choice
one piece wrap around bridge/tailpiece

I also like the idea of a 1 3/4" nut width! 

[PM33AUD]

Some forum-relevant suggestions:

Colour: #FF0000

Inlays: 

etc.

[tulk1]

I'd go with just about any of these suggestions, except a solid color. Especially not a Gold Top. Why hide a beautiful, one (or 100) of a kind guitar behind paint? My input, as if it would mean anything, is Burst finishes. And since it seems Rootbeer Burst is no longer a standard finish (just looked at the website), that could be a cool finish. Wonder how that'd look on a 'hog top, tho'?

[jrporter]

I'd go with just about any of these suggestions, except a solid color. Especially not a Gold Top. Why hide a beautiful, one (or 100) of a kind guitar behind paint? My input, as if it would mean anything, is Burst finishes. And since it seems Rootbeer Burst is no longer a standard finish (just looked at the website), that could be a cool finish. Wonder how that'd look on a 'hog top, tho'?

Amen on the rootbeer burst...

[mooseydoom]

I was having a hard time finding older posts.  Here's some links for posterity

Older Forum RS-4 discussion:
http://www.larriveeforum.com/smf/index.php?topic=31121.0

Matthew Larrivee quote:
http://www.larriveeforum.com/smf/index.php?topic=37877.20

Someone has to get thier act together and get a forum RS-4 going 

[JOYCEfromNS]

Problem with RB is that many of us already have it - thus we might want to lean towards something unique

[tulk1]

Problem with RB is that many of us already have it - thus we might want to lean towards something unique

Maybe something new and unique could be worked up by the plant. Heritage has colors called Almond Sunburst, Dark Almond and Old Style Sunburst (which is a super color). I have guitars in all those colors, so when I ordered my last one they sorta mixed them and came up with a different color. Just a thought.

[Cybercanyon]

I also think a burst finish would be the way to go.  I suggested rootbeer burst earlier but would be open to almost anything.   First I think we should decide on a top wood, be it a mahogany, maple, walnut, quilted, flame, plain or other.  The choice of top wood would then help dictate what finish choices we should consider.  What about using swamp ash like the Bakersfield.

Mike

[L07 Shooting Star]

Mahogany in a transparent Amber would be my vote.

Kurt

[unclrob]

OK I got the colour....Amber burst...

[Cybercanyon]

OK I got the colour....Amber burst...

I wouldn't mind it in amber burst.   

Mike

[JOYCEfromNS]

I wouldn't mind it in amber burst.   

Mike

I wouldn't either but between that, Charcoal and RB they are very popular here - I would say the Big Three