I try to read quite a few of the topics here and as I do , I hear alot of people mention they have owned other high end guitars before they found or tried Larrivee . I have heard names like Taylor , Martin , Collings , Guild , Santa Cruz and others . So this is the question . How many Larrivee players here don't just own a Larrivee as part of their "herd " but actuall dropped the other brands of guitars  and now own ONLY Larrivees ? I mean as their " good " guitars , not counting the $50.00 yard sale special that some keep to play around the campfire or whatever .I am NOT trying to knock ANY guitar builder here , as guitars are a matter of taste and there are certainly those who prefeer the sound of a Martin or Taylor  or some other brand . I'm just curious to see how many here feel Larrivee is so right for them that they don't play any other makes now .

On a personal note my first real guitar was a Fender 12 string acoustic that I had for a short time and then bought my first Larrivee . I have only owned one of the other brands and that was a Guild 12 string , that I brought back to life but it was no match for my 12 string Larrivee so I sold it after I had it all done .

snacks anyone ?  :donut :donut2 :donut :donut2

I do have just Larrivee acoustics, OM-03R and L-03.  However... I am quite sure that if I had a Martin, Santa Cruz, or Bourgeois, I wouldn't be getting rid of it.

:bowdown: Especially the Bourgeois.

But, you know what?...if I ever got another guitar, it would probably be a hog top Larrivee.  So I guess that might make me a semi-convert.

I went thru quite a few as teenager/early 20's, yamahas, epeiphones ect. Then I got a pretty nice guitar. It was a Hohner probably when I was about 19. It was shaped pretty much like an L body Larrivee, had some inlay and a wide neck. We'll just say it had an accident. As soon as I got a decent job in a year or so I went lookin for a really good  guitar. I found the L-10 in spring of 81 and spent some time comparing to Martins and Gibsons. About a week later I got it and it's the only acoustic guitar I've owned since. Have gone thru 2nd guitars but have had baby Taylor for 5 or 6 years now. I was lucky. Wouldn't mind having a good Martin and Gibson if they were the right ones when I have extra money. I really liked the shape of the hohner
and it was so cool to find a guitar shaped the same with wide neck but much better tone.

Quote from: Dream_0n on June 17, 2007, 06:57:19 PM
I try to read quite a few of the topics here and as I do , I hear alot of people mention they have owned other high end guitars before they found or tried Larrivee . I have heard names like Taylor , Martin , Collings , Guild , Santa Cruz and others . So this is the question . How many Larrivee players here don't just own a Larrivee as part of their "herd " but actually dropped the other brands of guitars  and now own ONLY Larrivees ? ....

As my signature shows, I have other brands.  Different flavors, different strokes, and all that.  Actually, I've had four Larrivees, two Martins and one Guild among several Asian guitars (Takamine, Yamaha, Yamaki, etc.) and a few others.  Would like to bring home a Gibson someday...

Point is, variety is good.

I have four Larrivees and (of all things) a beater Martin (DXB).

My head is frequently turned by J-45s and D-18s and various Santa Cruzes and Dana Bs, so I would never say never when it comes to other brands.

Well I didn't mean that someone would never own any other brand , I just meant that like myself , some of use don't have many guitars and it's often a choice between one guitar or the other as opposed to simply adding one more to the gang so we have one of everything . I'd actually LIKE to get a Martin D 35 ( love that back ) or a D 28 . but just can't find one for a price I'm willing to pay at the moment . I got my first Larrivee , a 12 string many years ago when one guitar was all I thought I needed . Two years ago I hit on a no brainer good deal on a Larrivee D-02 on Ebay . I REALLY like my D-02 and when I look at the price of a Martin or Taylor or Gibson , I just can't see how it could be THAT much sweeter than my D-02 . So for now at least , I'm pretty much just a Larrivee guy .

and damn happy to be lol  :nana_guitar

I'm actually moving in the opposite direction. I've owned five Larrivees over the past two years but after playing a number of luthier-built guitars, I've passed all but one of my Larrivees on to help finance some custom builds. That last Larrivee is going to the office with me tomorrow, hopefully to be sold to a coworker.

They've all been great guitars and I don't hesitate to recommend Larrivee to someone looking to purchase a new guitar for under $1500, 'specially the -03 series - I'm just finding that the custom builds match up with my tonal preferences a little better than the Larrivees. That's not to say I'll never buy another Larrivee... I am still really curious about the 000-60, but that baby's not cheap!  :tongue:

Quote from: dotpitch on June 17, 2007, 11:01:11 PM
... I am still really curious about the 000-60, but that baby's not cheap!  :tongue:

Compared to a custom, the 000-60 MUST be a bargain!

Who are the luthiers of the custom(s) you are looking at?

Quote from: prof_stack on June 17, 2007, 11:44:38 PM
Compared to a custom, the 000-60 MUST be a bargain!

Who are the luthiers of the custom(s) you are looking at?

That's what I thought before I started looking into it, but there are actually a large number of reputable small luthiers who have base prices that are *well* within reach. There's a list on the AGF in a thread titled, "A short list of less expensive builders".

I have a Kronbauer on order which I'm hoping to see in about a month and I have a beautiful cedar/walnut Fay that leaves me grinning every time I play it. I snagged a 26+ year-old Laughlin a couple weeks ago and it's replaced the OM-03R as my "go to" guitar (and didn't really cost me much more than the OM). It doesn't quite have the action of the OM, but it's a slightly shorter scale, so it plays almost just as well and the tone.... oooooh!  :drool:

I've owned Martin, Santa Cruz and Taylor in the past. But, now I've got 2 Larrivee guitars and plan on adding a third next year. The other brands are good but there is something about the balance, tone, quality and affordability that led me to being strictly a Larrivee owner at this point in time. Things can change but it's obvious there's something special about Larrivee that keeps grabbing my fancy :bgrin:

My fingers and ears don't lie. They honestly tell me Larrivee and I were meant to be :thumbsup

Randy

I've always owned just one guitar at the time. Why? It's making me more creative. There are no other options. You have to do it with just one guitar. That's pushing your/my creative borders. Right now it's a 0M 03. Of all the guitars I have owned in the past (Seagull S6, Taylor 214, Loweden 0 10, Lowden 0 32 and a Taylor 714) this ones pleases me the most. Why? It isn't making me neurotic like those really expensive guitars and...it makes wanna play guitar and create songs. Besides that I love the simplicity of it. Less is more....and it is affordable.

The only guitar I wanna own in the future next to mine Larrivee is a Martin 00 15 or a Larrivee L 03. But those are hard to get in Holland especially second hand.

I recently sold a Taylor 812ce to finance the acquisition of a hogtop Larrivee. This makes for my 5th Larrivee. I sold my only Gibson last year. I have never been a Gibson fan. I sold the CFM 00-15 last year. I still have a few CF Martins, but they're not getting much out-of-the-case time these days. Still, I will probably only sell one more of those. The Larrivees pretty much take care of it for me, now.

In 1997, I started off with an Ibanez PF-10, which I traded in to buy a Seagull S6+ Cedar, in 2002.

I then also bought a La Patrie Etude classical guitar in 2003.

I traded in the Seagull and the La Patrie in 2006 to buy my Larrivée L-03, which is now my only real guitar ... and I am now converted FOREVER to Larrivée acoustic guitars.

PS. I have a Martin Backpacker for hiking and canoeing, but I don't count that as a REAL guitar.    :bgrin:

Quote from: canoe65 on June 18, 2007, 11:02:32 AM
PS. I have a Martin Backpacker for hiking and canoeing, but I don't count that as a REAL guitar.    :bgrin:

:humour:
Do you use it for paddling ?
I have an Applause (fiberglass back) I take sailing, my friends joke whether it doubles as a paddle or flotation device.

Quote from: PortHueneme on June 18, 2007, 11:36:39 AM
:humour:
Do you use it for paddling ?
I have an Applause (fiberglass back) I take sailing, my friends joke whether it doubles as a paddle or flotation device.

:humour:
Very funny, girl.  No, I don't use it as a paddle ... but now that I think about it, I suppose I could if I had to.

When you play your 'Applause' around others, do you hear 'applause'?

Really, though PortH-ette, I DO like your sense of humour ... that what makes this Forum as likeable as it is.    :cheers

Quote from: dotpitch on June 17, 2007, 11:01:11 PM
I'm actually moving in the opposite direction.

Me too, a year or two ago I had three Larrivee's as my only acoustics. I realized they sounded way too much alike, I felt like I had three of the same guitar with different features. 

Quote from: canoe65 on June 18, 2007, 12:13:36 PM
:humour:
When you play your 'Applause' around others, do you hear 'applause'?

Really, though PortH-ette, I DO like your sense of humour ... that what makes this Forum as likeable as it is.    :cheers

Years ago I bought the Applause for a camping & carry around guitar. It was pre-Baby T's and decent parlors. My job had me traveling by car around my sales territory and I did want to tote my Gibson. Being I dislike the bar scene I wanted to play guitar in my motel room at night. The Applause is a good sounding/playing guitar and seemed durable too.
My playing has never been good enough to receive an "Ovation" so I opted for the under brand Applause. I still drag it out for campfire song sessions, but when someone asks me to play a little guitar I use my Larrivee "O".

BTW thanks for the complement on my humor, I am sometimes afraid I will hurt someones feelings, since they can't see me smiling while I am writing. I really do enjoy the forum and get a kick out of many of the posts. For most of us playing is for pure enjoyment and if I can contribute any humor to the cause,  it pleases me.

Quote from: Dream_0n on June 17, 2007, 06:57:19 PM
. I'm just curious to see how many here feel Larrivee is so right for them that they don't play any other makes now .

i am one for sure. Spent most of my guitar playing life playing martins, and then a very brief irrelevent period with taylor, now i am blessed to be a total and irevocable Larry convert. cool post!

:donut :donut2 :coffee

For me I only look at purchasing Larrivee now (0-3 line).  To me, the Larrivee line is the most consistent brand out there.  I can grab ANY 03 and know that it will be an AMAZING sounding guitar!  I can't always say the same about other guitar brands that compete in the 03 price range.  I only choose the 03 line because I  prefer the simplicity of satin, less bling, and beautiful tone for a killer price.  I've grabbed Martins, Taylors, Seagulls, Bluerigdge, Guilds, etc.  but for me, NOTHING compares to the Larrivee line in the 0-3 price range.  I can't say the same for the upper line of Larrivee with other upper line brands because I honestly do not grab a Larrivee over the 0-3 price line, so I can't even say how they would compare in the 2 grand and up range.  I'm sure they more than compete.

But yes, for me, it is only Larrivee.......3 in my house.....2 are mine and 1 is my wife's.

Though I do own other guitars, like my 57 Martin 5-18, which I will not part with, I perform only wirh Larrivees. They just sound right to me.

Even though I really enjoy my 000-50, if it came to keeping only 1, it would be my Bourgeois Vint-D.

In my case, although having my mind set on a Martin, I stumbled onto this odd Canadian made guitar and ended up buying it. That was in 1976 and I've just never looked back.

I'm glad this post has created such interest . Seems MANY of us always come to the same conclusion , you just CAN'T find a better  ( or as good for that matter ) guitar for the money . With a Larrivee you get ALL solid wood construction , top back AND sides . You get a ONE Piece neck and real black ebony fingerboard and bridge . And all this on even Larrivee's entry level guitars . You need to climb the ladder some to get these apointments with the other high end builders and that comes with quite a price tag . The price of used guitars is especially atractive with Larrivee and I guess thats what keeps me a Larrivee guy . I just don't think I can get anything that will feel and sound like my D-02 even , without paying at least 3 times the price I paid for it .

so .................... LUCKY US !!!  :nana_guitar everybody siiiiiiiiiiiiing

Everyone finds a degree of happiness in the price/value/tone categories in which they are comfortable.  Most wouldn't mind trying extremely expensive guitars given the chance, but they certainly aren't necessary to play well and have a good sound.  I have had so many acoustics and found my niche with Tacoma. Like many others I was "curious" about other solid wood guitars and tried a Taylor and Larrivee along side my Tacomas. Both were great guitars with great sound and playability, but I found myself sticking to the Tacomas due to whatever reasons got me there in the first place which was value/feel/sound and the availability of extremely different sound/feeling & playing models.

It's O.K. to have brand loyalty as we do it with everything in our lives from pants, shoes, cars & guitars!

I just don't want to spend more than $1000-1200 on a guitar, and for that kind of money, Larrivee rules.  I really don't find many Martins or Taylors that float my boat in that price range, but the Larrivees are consistently good sounding, and for $1000-1200, you could get pretty much any 05 or 09 series used, and probably even 2 03's  :drool: 

Since I 'discovered' Larrivee in 1992 (quite by happy accident), I've owned two very nice ones (profile; the Parlor is my daughter's). 

I did own a Lowden for a brief time before my OM-05, but it was a righty that I converted for awhile.  Nice guitars; that one had more of a midrange tone to it.  But a new lefty would have been so expensive that I'd never be able to justify it (without incurring the wrath of you-know-who!).

I've gone back and forth between love and ambivalence about my LV-09.  (I even put it up for sale once here on the forum, but no takers.)  It's a beautiful guitar, but it doesn't 'grab' me the way my 05 does. 

Also own an Ovation Legend 1777, which is up for sale right now, but actually, sometimes I like it's very different tone; more 'in your face' and louder than the Larry's...plus I don't worry near as much when I use it publicly about abuse/accidents.  So it may come back home after a couple months on consignment locally (which can be hard on your guitar!). 

There are so many wonderful guitars out there, it's just silly to say Larrivee is 'the best' (whatever that is), but I agree it seems to be the most consistent mid-price range guitar...every once in a while I play a Martin or a Gibson that really moves me, but it's rare, and they're usually the $3,500 on up models, and I've played lots of them that - at least while new - didn't sound worth the $$.

Maybe another thread that might be a good follow up to this one (and I know it's been done before) would be:

"What will your next guitar purchase be (Larrivee or non-Larrivee)?"

QuoteThe other brands are good but there is something about the balance, tone, quality and affordability that led me to being strictly a Larrivee owner at this point in time. Things can change but it's obvious there's something special about Larrivee that keeps grabbing my fancy

I have an OM-03MQ and I love the sound and construction of the guitar they are both first class.  I love to flatpick and I seem to gravitate to a SD-60 and a D-60 as my next choice.  I have thought about a Martin but I always come back to the Larrivee's.  I also am able to only afford one or two guitars and I feel that combination would be it for me.  So I guess you can put me down as a complete convert. 

Proud to be a Larrivee owner.  :guitar

I have a D-60. I've owned a Martin D-28 in the past. The Larrivee is just as good and is my personal choice. Of course, the price of these two dreads are pretty much the same.

Randy

In the end, I've stuck with what works. Fender, Larrivée, Yamaha, Boss, D'Addario. That's pretty much it. Price is an intersting thing. If I wanted a Ryan or a Lowden or vintage Martin I could wrangle it price wise. I don't play the only guitar I can afford. Price difference and qualtiy difference is a funny thing. For instance, in the old days some thought that you bought a D18 'cos you couldn't afford a D28. What? You prefer mahogany? Since getting my L09 in 1976 I've had a soft spot for Larrivées. I've bought several. I've tried every well known brand you can name almost. And still the Larrivées. The thing is, I feel no compunction about having done so. No regrets, no remorse. <cue> Ode to Joy.

Relatively new guy here, and have to echo what Ducktrapper said.  I started with an OM-03, then had to "have a martin."  Found the classic used D-28, and loved the sound but coudnt make the size or small neck work.  Karma struck when I walked into my local dealer and an OMV-60 just sucked me in, looks, sound, butterbean tuners....life was good and the D-28 went on the consignment wall.  Couple of months later an SD-50 followed me home and the group is complete.  I truly stopped looking at other "temptresses"

I'm nearly a complete Larry convert. My Larri's are the only steel string guitars I regularly play.

I do have a 1999 Taylor 510 but don't really play it. I must say it's well made, great tone and very light ... but the neck isn't as comfortable (bit too slim) and it's too narrow (1 11/16ths) - we're it not for that, I'd be less tempted to sell it, but I think it's got to go.

That said, if I were to buy another acoustic (who am I kidding? WHEN I buy another acoustic) I doubt it'll be a Larry - just for varieties' sake! I'll probably go custom, or possibly Breedlove / Taylor / Martin / something else... Keen to have something with a different voicing really (though the same neck'd and playability would be sweet!).

D

the only problem with being a larry convert because of my L-03 WL is that GAS is gone for what feels like forever. i miss wanting another gutar, but then i pull out the larry walnutter and realize i just dont need anything else.  :donut

We can only hope that this will pass with time and you'll return to normal. ;)

Quote from: ducktrapper on June 25, 2007, 12:15:29 PM
We can only hope that this will pass with time and you'll return to normal. ;)

hehehehe. let's hope so! but i was playing my larry walnutter last night before bed, and the d'addario pb 12s are almost a week old and really borken in now, and i just couldnt believe that GAS was dead.

Half of the fun of playing is owning different guitars of different makes - i have many fine instruments that i would never get rid of - no matter how much i loved my Larrivee - If i ever even though about this , id expect someone to put me in the nut house - I think thats where anyone belongs who gets rid of high end instruments and puts all their eggs in one basket . Im not counting beaters you take camping either - Their sound is different from one another !

I thank God for Larrivee.

:cheers

I got my first Larrivee - a lefty OMV-03 - about a month ago, and was sure I'd found the brand I'd stick with after being a bit disappointed with my old Martin D-15. But then I stumbled upon a Martin 000-28 in a shop at the weekend and couldn't turn it down...lefty 000-28s are pretty hard to come by in my neck of the woods.

So I'm not a complete convert...I couldn't resist the 000-28's gloss finish on that lovely rosewood back and sides, and that deep, dark sound! But I still think Larrivees are amazing guitars and will definitely be buying one again. I feel a D-05 calling out to me...

Quote from: lorenzo on June 26, 2007, 07:55:04 PM
I got my first Larrivee - a lefty OMV-03 - about a month ago, and was sure I'd found the brand I'd stick with after being a bit disappointed with my old Martin D-15. But then I stumbled upon a Martin 000-28 in a shop at the weekend and couldn't turn it down...lefty 000-28s are pretty hard to come by in my neck of the woods.

So I'm not a complete convert...I couldn't resist the 000-28's gloss finish on that lovely rosewood back and sides, and that deep, dark sound! But I still think Larrivees are amazing guitars and will definitely be buying one again. I feel a D-05 calling out to me...

Greetings Lorenzo and Welcome, let me know if you ever get sick of that Lefty 000-28.  :drool: