I've been looking over (read, drooling over) some of the pictures of mahogany topped Larrivee OMs. Since these are not regular catalog items, where do you find them? Custom orders? Special editions? Fill me in, please.
I think you can order one from a Larrivee dealer. A few Larrivee dealers may have a couple in stock. Or they may be able to order one that is 'done' but hasn't been ordered from a dealer, meaning your wait time would only be a week or so. Check with a Larrivee dealer that you trust, and have them call their supplier to see what's available.
I keep gassing for one of these too, but my office manager (AKA wife) says, "No more guitars!"
:<>
I ordered mine from Guitar Adoptions.
Have you played a mahogany top guitar? They are not just prettier versions of the spruce top guitars. They have a unique sound that alot of people don't care for. that said, they are my favorite of the Larrivee line up.
http://www.guitaradoptions.com/store/product.php?productid=17850&cat=257&page=5
Also try Jim at http://www.trinityguitars.com
Or Jason at http://www.notableguitars.com
Good luck!
Yes, I have played a mahogany topped guitar - I own Martin D-15! The only thing that might stop me from getting another mahogany guitar is I might not want two guitars with the same sort of sound.
But, I REALLY like the sound of my D-15, so a OM would be just fine with me.
I'll be happy to let you try my L05MT if you are in the washington dc area. Its a beauty.
jeff
QuoteYes, I have played a mahogany topped guitar - I own Martin D-15! The only thing that might stop me from getting another mahogany guitar is I might not want two guitars with the same sort of sound.
But, I REALLY like the sound of my D-15, so a OM would be just fine with me.
D15s are amongst the best Martins in my opinion; I was close to getting one before I encountered Larrivee guitars. I may be biassed but I think my D-03MT is the best sounding acoustic I've played! (I'm allowed to be proud of my instruments, right?!)
The all-mahogany D-03 has the qualities that make Larrivees sound so good with that wonderful mahogany tone added to the mix. Let me reiterate, I have a great fondness for the Martin 15 series; however, in my opinion Larrivee's mahogany models are better in many ways.
There is a new L that just showed up at Twelfth Fret that Dave is gushing over.
QuoteActually, I would go beyond "good" and say that this particular instrument is one of the nicest sounding 03-series guitars to come through in a while!
http://www.12fret.com/new/larrivee_L-03_MT_Mahogany_Top_pg.html
I was looking at Martin guitars before I bought my all Mahogany D03. I played an all Mahogany Martin at our local guitar shop and it sounded great. I guess I chose the Larrivee D03 because I thought it looked a little better. Never had played a Larrivee until I bought this one from Natableguitars. I am very pleased with it. :GRN> Teddeo1000
Quote from: sayheyjeff on July 07, 2006, 07:36:24 PM
I'll be happy to let you try my L05MT if you are in the washington dc area. Its a beauty.
jeff
That's nice of you; a year or two ago, I might have taken you up on your offer, as I used to travel to the DC area quite a bit on business. Alas, no more - I live in central Kentucky.
Do you prefer the L body to the OM?
I hope I won't offend hog top Martin owners, but to me the Larrivée hog tops are much more easthetically pleasing. I guess Martin stains the mahogany to make it dark, but why do that?
Quotebut to me the Larrivée hog tops are much more aesthetically pleasing. I guess Martin stains the mahogany to make it dark, but why do that?
Good question. I liked the looks of my L-03MT a lot. But I like the sound of my 000-15S better, which is why I sold the L. YMMV.
Those Martin 000-15S 12 fretters got me looking at a Hog Top. I tried to make a custom Martin to my specs but it was just getting very pricey.
I ended up with a L-05MT and although it does not sound exactly like the 15S Martin, it has a very nice Mahogany sound! Larrivée does not stain there mahogany at all. Pure natural color.
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http://www.guitaradoptions.com/store/product.php?productid=18241&cat=0&page=1
Dear Santa....
Steve K is right...just as Larrivee's don't sound like Martin's, Larrivee hog tops don't sound like Martin hog tops...at least that has been my experience, too...
I went with Om-O3-Mt's
The twins as I refer to them. A 6 string first and then I added a 12 string. Both are smooth sounding and balanced but the 6 string can have nice overtones when I dig in when playing fingerstyle.They are my go to instruments and just seem to do it for me for solo singer songwriting material. I also have the rosewood/sitka combination which is sweet but doesn't get the play time that the all mahogany's do.
I adopted them all!! And he still has some. Larrivee discontinued the Mt's in the O3 series.
The 05's sure are pretty all dressed up,just were out of my range for a gigging guitar.
Rick
Quote from: SteveK on July 08, 2006, 01:17:04 AM
Those Martin 000-15S 12 fretters got me looking at a Hog Top. I tried to make a custom Martin to my specs but it was just getting very pricey.
I ended up with a L-05MT and although it does not sound exactly like the 15S Martin, it has a very nice Mahogany sound! Larrivée does not stain there mahogany at all. Pure natural color.
Yeah, I like the idea of a Martin 000-15S with body/fretboard binding and no ugly stain to muck up the aesthetics. I'm guessing that that's too much to ask without having to pay the piper.
To keep it on-topic though, somebody planted the idea of a satin Larrivee 000-50 MT and I have to say that (although I know it's a pipe dream) I'm intrigued.
I love all mahogany guitars. I find the tone to be very pleasing and more versatile (particularly larrivees) then most give it credit for. It is also great for open tunings. I prefer my hog top parlor to all other guitars I have owned.
-josh
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v394/larriveeforumpics/DSC03285.jpg)
I recommend giving the L05MT that is in the for sale section some consideration. Don't know the seller or the particular guitar, but I know I love mine. I feel like anything I am capable of playing at this point maxes out on sound and tone on it. Bought mine over a year ago after watching the Little Brother vids at the AGF. Mine is from Jason at Notable and was priced (used) similarly to what is being asked. For me the L is more useful than the OM because I already have a smaller guitar and needed something with a little more umph and depth. Can't say buying a guitar you don't and can't try from someone you don't know is the easiest thing to do, but to me, this model in this price range has some big pluses.
jeff
The more I play my Hog top the more I lover her....I think that for fingerstyle blues it is the funkiest guitar I've had the chance to play. While I appreciate the brightness and clarity of my spruce topped parlor...the richness and thick tone of my OM really make my mouth water. ITs funny...I'll sit down with the parlor and be grooveing along and think....man that sounds great....it couldn't sound better on the OM could it? Of course the body shape makes a difference...the the tone....oh th tone....It really adds another flavor to each note.
Oh....and its gorgeous too.... :wacko:
cheers,
Blue
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Quote from: jwieties on July 08, 2006, 04:55:36 PM
I love all mahogany guitars. I find the tone to be very pleasing and more versatile (particularly larrivees) then most give it credit for. It is also great for open tunings. I prefer my hog top parlor to all other guitars I have owned.
-josh
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v394/larriveeforumpics/DSC03285.jpg)
Sigh...I do miss that guitar.
She is a sweetheart....the P-05MT listed in your sig must be some consolation though eh?.... :rolleyes:
Blue
Quote from: Blue in VT on July 10, 2006, 04:06:52 PM
She is a sweetheart....the P-05MT listed in your sig must be some consolation though eh?.... :rolleyes:
Blue
I was thinkin' the same thing!!! Still, an 03 hog top parlor...mmmm, nice.
I can't add much to what others have said about hog-tops, other than this: Mine's not for sale! : )
dberch heading off to a show....
(http://davidberchtold.com/db3/00256/davidberchtold.com/_uimages/dberch11-26-2005small.JPG)
David
hm, i still a bit confused about the descriptions of mahogany top guitars,
i read they are darker, mellower..
but i also read they sound brighter, even tinny, as far as i can hear through the computer speakers
the soundsamples on this forum would rather go in that direction.
i never had the chance to compare similar guitars with spruce and mahogany tops.
i am dreaming about a larrivee parlor for some time, i live in europe and theres no nearby dealer who has one in stock,
(not to speak of different woods to compare), so i would probably order from guitar adoptions.
(btw including shipment and customs fees it would cost me about 1850 USD - and thats considerably cheaper than
ordering from a local dealer)
i tended to choose rosewood, because i dont have a rosewood guitar yet, but different people on this forum
raved about the mahogany tops, and guitaradoptions just stocks "some of the last ones ever".
i own a Harmony H165 OM Size All Mahogany which i like for its dry Lightnin Hopkins Sound,
also an all Mahogany Stromberg Voisinet Parlor from the 20s which really sings (mainly due to the very thin woods i think),
other All Mahoganys i heard was a Gibson LG0 which had a very bright rather thin sound i did not like,
and a Martin 00-15 which i cant exactly say why i did not like.
Other Guitars i own are a 1916 Gibson L3, a Regal and A Harmony Parlor with floating bridge, a Takamine New Yorker (Cedar/Mahogany),
A National and a Epiphone Resonator, a very light built European Parlor, two AMI Parlors though the cheapest they are still my favourites,
and who knows what else , so maybe i should spent more time playing than thinking about another guitar.
if anybody can lead me to a decision considering the wood i would still be grateful.
A good person to contact would be Jim Holler at http://www.trinityguitars.com
Jim is a luthier who also sells new Martins and Larrivees. He has mahagony tops from both makers. Jim can email you some helpful information. His prices are as good or better than GA. I have purchased a Martin and Larrivee from him.
Personally, I owned two Larrivee hog-tops and didn't keep either. The Martin 000-15s I have now I prefer to either of those. Why? The midrange is exceptional and the clarity up and down the fretboard is excellent.
Good luck.
I personally think the Larrivee OM-03MT (forum Guitar) is one of the exceptional guitars in my collection. Great volume, the tones are softened a bit over sitka (I certainly would NOT call it bright or tinny), very pleasing guitar to play and hear.
Quote from: bazookajoe on July 31, 2006, 03:06:09 PM
hm, i still a bit confused about the descriptions of mahogany top guitars,
i read they are darker, mellower..
but i also read they sound brighter, even tinny, as far as i can hear through the computer speakers
the soundsamples on this forum would rather go in that direction.
i never had the chance to compare similar guitars with spruce and mahogany tops.
Well darker, mellower, brighter, and tinny aren't exactly objective terms. I wouldn't consider the hog tops brighter or tinny compared to their spruce counterparts. The MT's have less high end than the spruce but more midrange. They also have louder bass, usually. As for as mellow, I believe the MT's are generally more mellow. However when all out strummed the punchy midrange can sound harsh(which some may take for bright). With that said Larrivee's are brighter guitars, not what I would consider mellow. So Larrivee Mt's are on the brighter side, their power is consintrated in the mid to high frequencies as opposed to something like a OM with scalloped and forward shifted bracing.
Hi bazookajoe,
Not sure whereabouts you are in Europe, but if you're ever in London you'd be welcome to try my L-05 MT, L-09 or mahogany parlour...
Dan