How did you discover Larrivee?

[rosborn]

Hello all,
I don't know if this topic has come up before and, right now, I'm too darn sick to search...doggone sinuses.  I am curious to know how y'all discovered Larrivee guitars.  After all, they don't immediately show up on the radar when searching for guitars.  I first learned of them on the Acoustic Guitar Forum.  I think I asked a question about affordable solid wood guitars and someone mentioned Larrivee.  That prompted me to go to their website and look up some YouTube clips.  I was hooked and from that moment on I knew I just had to have a Larrivee.  What is your story?
Rob

[ducktrapper]

Hello all,
I don't know if this topic has come up before and, right now, I'm too darn sick to search...doggone sinuses.  I am curious to know how y'all discovered Larrivee guitars.  After all, they don't immediately show up on the radar when searching for guitars.  I first learned of them on the Acoustic Guitar Forum.  I think I asked a question about affordable solid wood guitars and someone mentioned Larrivee.  That prompted me to go to their website and look up some YouTube clips.  I was hooked and from that moment on I knew I just had to have a Larrivee.  What is your story?
Rob

If you asked about Larrivée on the old Acoustic Guitar Magazine forum, I quite probably was the guy who responded. Me? Bruce Cockburn was playing one and they had become fairly popular in and around Montreal, where I was living at the time. So I've been playing one since 1976 and long before this forum existed was, as far as I could tell, the one lonely voice out here in the cyber void asking, "Have you tried a Larrivée?" It's been a long time since the response was, "What the **** is a Larva?"   

[CycleBob]

About 7-8 years ago a small group of friends I played guitar with decided to take a road trip into central Massachusetts to check out some guitar shops. We were in Amherst and went into a brick and mortar shop  that was on the 2nd floor of this older building.  Walked in and saw a bunch of Martins, Taylors and others including Larrivees. I had just maybe 4 months earlier purchased my Taylor 310ce and had just gone along for the ride as 2 of the other guys were more in a buying mode. I was looking at the Taylors and Martins and the sales rep walked over and asked me if I wanted to play a real nice guitar that he personally felt blew away the T's and M's. He handed me one of the Larrivees, cant remember the model sat down and played. I remember think Wow! I brought the guitar over to my buddy to try and while he was playing it I just kept thnking I wish I had waited a few months before I pulled the trigger on a new guitar. I ended up selling the Taylor a year or so later as I was laid off and needed money but promised myself that when I got back on my feet again I'd buy a Larrivee. And here I am......

[rosborn]

If you asked about Larrivée on the old Acoustic Guitar Magazine forum, I quite probably was the guy who responded. Me? Bruce Cockburn was playing one and they had become fairly popular in and around Montreal, where I was living at the time. So I've been playing one since 1976 and long before this forum existed was, as far as I could tell, the one lonely voice out here in the cyber void asking, "Have you tried a Larrivée?" It's been a long time since the response was, "What the **** is a Larva?"   

I don't know. Do you go by the same handle there?  Love it...What the **** is a Larva?  Once I got my L-03R I started wondering if I should have waited to buy a Martin D-18 (I had purchased my D-18 about a month prior).  I love my D-18 but, to be quite honest, the L-03R is gold to my ears and, quite literally, everything I hoped for.

[Riverbend]

I'm one of those folks who knew nothing about Larrivees until my latest guitar shopping quest about two years ago. Stumbled across a few in a small music store in Michigan where they had perhaps a half dozen. All "D"'s as I recall, and all had been hanging in his shop for seven years. Played one and fell in love, then went home and plied the internet for info. Loved the story, and the reviews, and kept searching until I found the "one for me". Very few near my neck of the woods so I bought mine via phone from a reputable and well recognized dealer with an amazing assortment of custom Larrivees. I'm a believer...  

[rosborn]

I'm one of those folks who knew nothing about Larrivees until my latest guitar shopping quest about two years ago. Stumbled across a few in a small music store in Michigan where they had perhaps a half dozen. All "D"'s as I recall, and all had been hanging in his shop for seven years. Played one and fell in love, then went home and plied the internet for info. Loved the story, and the reviews, and kept searching until I found the "one for me". Very few near my neck of the woods so I bought mine via phone from a reputable and well recognized dealer with an amazing assortment of custom Larrivees. I'm a believer...  

Riverbend,
Where are you in Michigan?  I live in Chelsea, near Ann Arbor.
I lusted after a used L-03 that was on consignment at Elderly in Lansing. The owner wouldn't come down on his price and I don't blame him.  It is a nice guitar. However, it is still at Elderly.  I ended up buying a brand new L-03R for about $125 more than the 2007 used L-03.  I too am a believer.
Rob

[B0WIE]

I've recorded a lot of acoustics in the studio but none ever wow'd me.  One of my customers had a Larrivee and I said to myself, "Whatever that is, I'm getting one".  Since, I've bought at least half a dozen and want more.  I was never even into acoustic guitars (I had one that I played once a year) until I found Larrivee.  Now I play an hour a day, every day.

[AZLiberty]

In 1997 Jean decided to do an experiment.

He built a short run of guitars with a satin finish, and called them the -03 series.  At the time, they represented an outstanding value in an all solid wood guitar.  This was not necessarily supposed to be a permanent series mind you, it was an experiment to see how the market would respond.

Now, we didn't have these fancy forums back then with graphic user interfaces and such, but we did have a thing called usenet.  Yes it's true young whippersnapper, at one time the internet was ascii text only.  You young punks with your mice and icons and....  Sorry, I degrees,  anyway...

A bunch of us were hanging out on RMMGA (rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic) back then, and the general consensus was that this Larrivee guy made a heck of a good guitar for a great value.  We had a couple of Larrivee dealers here in Phoenix so I went and bought one. (My OM-03RE)  Next day my wife went and bought one for herself. (her OM-03)

If Larrivee hadn't introduced the -03 series I'd probably be playing Guilds or something like that.

[Riverbend]

Rob,
I'm over on the west side, little place called Pentwater. Had to drive to Grand Rapids to find more Larrivees, which is where I found the LV size. The store owner there kept handing me Taylors while wearing his khaki Taylor embroidered shirt, but all I wanted at that point was a Larrivee. Bought mine in O-HI-O. Heck of a deal for a brand new one with a few upgrades from a standard 03 series.

[webberink]

Neat thread, Kinda like where did you meet your first serious love interest.  In 1977 in a music store in the hamlet of Nelson BC.  Nelson was a music hot bed at the time and I was searching for something as nice as the Gibson ES 150 I had learned on and my Dad had sold out from under me when I went off to college in the late 60s early 70's.  Guy plopped a Larrivee L in my lap and I was sold.  It took another few years to actually get one. A D-09.
Dave

[eded]

Great question, but I'm not sure if I know exactly.  I'm sure I first heard the name on rmmga.  Some of the west coast rmmga'ers were talking them up pretty big.  I'm not sure if I first played one locally or at the first east coast rmmga gathering.  In 99 the rmmga Brazilian RW Parlor run was done.  Soon after there was the first production runs of parlors.  That was the first Larrivee I bought.

Ed

[fongie]

My first love was a C-05 and still my most favourite except I sold it. But I wouldn't hesitate in purchasing another.

I have never heard of Larrivee at the time, just by luck a seller here in Australia was selling one and I fell for that Florentine cutaway look.

Since then, I've own 10 and did I mentioned the C-05 was my favourite? What about the L-01? Yup, that too.

[teh]

A friend from work took me to Trinity Guitars in 2004 when Jim Holler ran the shop from the basement of his house which was much nicer than my neighbor's basement with the regulation sized pool table. Time always stopped in that basement.

He had 5 parlors including two mahogany, 2 rosewood and 1 flamed maple that I played back and forth over the next 90 minutes.

Since we were on the downward slide of getting all three kids through college and I had $50 in my pocket, I laid it down on deposit, went home and talked to my wife and came back the next day and ultimately picked up the flamed maple model. Jean Larrivee turned the clock back over 100 years with that satin finish parlor model and 20 years on the price for that solid wood guitar.

[L07 Shooting Star]

This topic has indeed been done before.  I found my old post on here from 2010 wherein I described how I discovered Larrivee guitars.  Here it is again:

OK, here's MY story.  First heard a Larrivee being played at a free concert for school kids in Worsley, Alberta given by the Canadian Artist, Valdy.  It had individual sensors under each string in the saddle and he played it plugged directly into his PA amp. along with his vocal mike.  I was blown away by the sound of that guitar.  I got to talk to him about it after the concert and he even let me strum it.  He told me all about Larrivee guitars, their maker being canadian, woods used, etc.  That was in 1984.

Not long after, in Jan. 1985, I took a musician friend with me to Edmonton to help me choose my "ultimate guitar".  I had a pre-existing bias, based on name only, that I would get a Martin if I could afford one.  But I wasn't adverse to getting a Larrivee like Valdy's either.  We didn't find any Larrivees at the first few places we went.  We ended up at D. A. Cameron guitar repair.  Mr. Cameron had a L-07 model hanging there that he had taken in as a trade on something else.  He strongly suggested I compare it with a couple of Martins and a Gibson he had there.  My friend (who's mostly a fiddler and mandolin player) kept nodding approvingly whenever I would play the Larrivee.  Mr. Cameron also kept steering my toward it too.  He also pointed out that, being used, his price was only half of what a new one went for then, and way less than the Martins he had.  I ended up buying it for $650.00 CAD.  I still have the bill of sale for it.  It was the best guitar purchase I ever made.  I am ever thankful for his honest recommendation and for my friend's help in choosing the guitar.

I've since determined it was made in late 82 or early 83.  See the "nice JCL GTOM" thread for more pics and specs.

Like Ducktrapper says' they weren't well known or famous guitars at the time.  It's the discovery of how great they are when you play them that sells them (as it should be).  And they are still a great value for the money besides.  I guess there would have been a few thousand more Larrivee players by the time I bought mine (ten years after you got yours).  (I was referring to Ducktrapper's 1970's L-Model when I originally posted this)

Kurt in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

[Bas]

It's great fun to to share those stories. I quoted mine from my first post (posted a year ago):

When I bought my first guitar about one and a half year ago, the salesperson showed me a Larrivée L-03. He did so because I asked him about the difference between a good and a great guitar. I was amazed by the tonal qualities and told myself that the next guitar I would buy would be a Larrivée. Half a year ago, I really couldn't resist waiting any longer and went back to the store to swap that first guitar - which I never really got used to - for the same L-03 he had showed back then. The 'magic' was still there so I didn't take me long to decide to take it home.

In the meanwhile I have installed an Anthem SL and replaced the original nut, saddle and bridge pins by their bone equivalents. The guitar seems to be sounding better and better every day— a keeper it is!

Currently I love this guitar even more. Especially since I've heard a higher number of guitars and have been reminded of their (read: Larrivée) quality almost every time I played one. My L-03 is definitely a keeper!

[ducktrapper]

I don't know. Do you go by the same handle there?  Love it...What the **** is a Larva?  Once I got my L-03R I started wondering if I should have waited to buy a Martin D-18 (I had purchased my D-18 about a month prior).  I love my D-18 but, to be quite honest, the L-03R is gold to my ears and, quite literally, everything I hoped for.

Yep, I've been trapping ducks and touting L's for a long time now. 

[ducktrapper]

In 1997 Jean decided to do an experiment.

He built a short run of guitars with a satin finish, and called them the -03 series.  At the time, they represented an outstanding value in an all solid wood guitar.  This was not necessarily supposed to be a permanent series mind you, it was an experiment to see how the market would respond.

Now, we didn't have these fancy forums back then with graphic user interfaces and such, but we did have a thing called usenet.  Yes it's true young whippersnapper, at one time the internet was ascii text only.  You young punks with your mice and icons and....  Sorry, I degrees,  anyway...

A bunch of us were hanging out on RMMGA (rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic) back then, and the general consensus was that this Larrivee guy made a heck of a good guitar for a great value.  We had a couple of Larrivee dealers here in Phoenix so I went and bought one. (My OM-03RE)  Next day my wife went and bought one for herself. (her OM-03)

If Larrivee hadn't introduced the -03 series I'd probably be playing Guilds or something like that.

I was on RMMGA for a while but had a falling out with one of the mods who couldn't help trying to control every thread according to his views. Several of us moved on to the AG forum. Then they shut down the Talk Talk Talk forum and many migrated to a place called the Soundhole Guitar Forum which, for the most part despite the name, is no longer a guitar forum. This is the only guitar forum I visit these days. We should thank the mods here for keeping politics to the minimum and, other than keeping things civil, not controlling the discussions otherwise. Yes, I've learned my lesson.     

[eded]

I was on RMMGA for a while but had a falling out with one of the mods who couldn't help trying to control every thread according to his views.  

It was Usenet so there were never any moderators (officially).  There were people with strong opinions and there was a strong group bully thing going.  Once you got on "the list", it didn't matter what you said.  There were people who would attack.  I floated in and out of the group over the years.  Then with the demise of support from the isp's and Google taking over, it is more of a hassle to follow than it's worth.  A bunch of folks still talk on Facebook.  I made some friends there...  and some enemies.  Lol!

Ed

[mattwood]

I walked into a guitar store in San Antonio, Texas early last fall while I was visiting there.  The shop was going to close in 15 minutes and I didn't go in there with any design on purchasing a guitar.  Just window shopping.  Now Larrivee sightings are about as common as Bigfoot in my neck of the woods.  I had always read a lot about them but never had a chance to play one.  There was a Larrivee hanging on the wall and I was first drawn to it because of it's unique coloring of the back and sides, and then because of the shape of the guitar.  I had moved away from the old dread shape and had been playing an OM style which I have grown to love.  I pulled the guitar, an L-05, off the wall and began to fingerpick it a little, under the watchful eye of one of the employees.  Now I certainly don't consider myself a great guitar player, and I don't like playing with someone watching me, but something about the sound of the guitar really struck me.  The employee came over and we started to discuss this guitar and I wasn't even sure what type of wood it was due to the coloring.  I've had an old 67' D-18 for years and to be honest I never have truly bonded with it and have become more of a rosewood guy to the point I won't even hardly play mahogany guitars.  I was shocked when he told me it was mahogany!  It seemed deeper and richer than mahogany and almost had a rosewood like quality to it.  I had him play it for me and he was quite good, and I kept swearing that I was hearing overtones.  Well, I left the store kind of haunted by the tone.  I went to another store that has a large selection of Eastmans which I really like as well, but every one I picked up just didn't have that same quality that I heard from that L-05.  Well I was going to be traveling back to SA in a few weeks and I called the store and started to see what kind of price I could get.  I pretty much convinced myself that when I went back and played it again, if it sounded just as good, I was going to buy it and figure out how to pay for it later.  As fate would have it, I ran across another L-05 at a really good price that was absolutely pristine even though it was a 2009 model.  No chance to play it, but I bought it and then started to agonize if I had done the right thing.  What if it didn't sound as good as the one I had played?  When it finally came in, I tuned it up and pretty quickly realized that it had the same exact quality, which I find difficult to articulate, that the one I played had.  Everytime I pick it up to play it I hear that characteristic that kicked me in the gut the first time I played it.  It's definitely the most beautiful guitar I've ever owned with absolutely flawless fit and finish.  Fingerstyle, flatpick, strumming, it does it all!  Now I am going back to SA in a few weeks and maybe they have a rosewood model.  Hmmm!

P.S.  Legend has it that the very guitar I played ended up in the hands of another forum member.

[Big.Al]

If you asked about Larrivée on the old Acoustic Guitar Magazine forum, I quite probably was the guy who responded. Me? Bruce Cockburn was playing one and they had become fairly popular in and around Montreal, where I was living at the time. So I've been playing one since 1976 and long before this forum existed was, as far as I could tell, the one lonely voice out here in the cyber void asking, "Have you tried a Larrivée?" It's been a long time since the response was, "What the **** is a Larva?"   

Yep . . . it was you, Duck . . . on the old AG Magazine Forum. I miss that place. It was a friendly bunch . . . or at least it seemed that way. Maybe the moderators just kept things civil. I occasionally check in at the Soundhole and to say hi to the old AGMF folks, but mostly not. The discussions there can get  . . . well . . . unpleasant. I'd rather spend my forum time talking about guitars.