Main Forums => Larrivée Guitars => Topic started by: rrgguitarman on June 25, 2007, 03:22:09 PM

Title: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: rrgguitarman on June 25, 2007, 03:22:09 PM
My L-03WL seems to make the strings look old, almost rusty. I don't do anything different as far as humidifying it Vs my other guitars.
Oh, there is one thing that is different, I use Mediums on this guitar. Any thoughts?
Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: woodruff on June 25, 2007, 03:26:41 PM
hey ruben, i got a WL too, congrats!

love my L-03WL!!!

i have not noticed this phenomenon on mine, but i do use light gauge strings and prefereable, D'addario PB 12-53s.

hope this helps!
i aslo noticed that the 80/20s sound good too, but i prefer phosphor bronze in the end. really keeps the walnutter mellow.  :donut
Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: PortHueneme on June 25, 2007, 03:56:53 PM
If you don't have one get a hygrometer (Radio Shack as a nice one for about $20) and check the humidity in the case. I had a mandolin that the strings did the same thing.
I checked the case humidity and it was about 75%. I figured it must have soaked up moisture before I got it. I let is air outside for a few days and it was all better and the strings quit weathering.
Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: rrgguitarman on June 25, 2007, 04:12:07 PM
Quote from: PortHueneme on June 25, 2007, 03:56:53 PM
If you don't have one get a hygrometer (Radio Shack as a nice one for about $20) and check the humidity in the case. I had a mandolin that the strings did the same thing.
I checked the case humidity and it was about 75%. I figured it must have soaked up moisture before I got it. I let is air outside for a few days and it was all better and the strings quit weathering.

I do have hygrometer for RS that has a remote module to put in the case. Thank you, i'll give that a shot.

Hey woodruff, I love this guitar too  and to my ears the Martin P/B Mediums sound the best.
Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: LawDogStrgsAttach on June 25, 2007, 04:15:15 PM
I also love my L03WL...and I know it is sacrilege, but I have YET to even put mediums on!!  I had a surplus of lights....

I think acoustic players as a whole (myself included) have been overexposed to coated strings (all brands and variants), that the traditional shelf life of "regular" strings seems to be brief before they turn rusty...
Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: woodruff on June 25, 2007, 04:40:14 PM
Quote from: LawDogStrgsAttach on June 25, 2007, 04:15:15 PM
I also love my L03WL...and I know it is sacrilege, but I have YET to even put mediums on!!  I had a surplus of lights....

I think acoustic players as a whole (myself included) have been overexposed to coated strings (all brands and variants), that the traditional shelf life of "regular" strings seems to be brief before they turn rusty...

totally agree, luckily for me i grew up back in the day when all there was was uncoateds, so my ears are partial uncoated strings....i can get a couple three weeeks out of the regular D'addario pb 12s, so i just stick with that brand. i played mediums for a while too, but thatwas on an old D-35 Martin, and i just find the L body to jive well with lights. plus, the D'addario PB tension is more like a light medium gauge anyway....their 13-56 just too stiff for me....but i bet those and downtuned a half step would really get my walnutter growling more than she does now. that migth scare the ever living crap out of me.......
Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: rrgguitarman on June 25, 2007, 04:51:50 PM
You guys may be correct, I may expecting too much from a uncoated string.
I have this guitar set up for Mediums so they that do not feel any stiffer than the Lights.
I hear you about the growling...I LIKE IT!
Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: woodruff on June 25, 2007, 05:08:30 PM
Quote from: rrgguitarman on June 25, 2007, 04:51:50 PM
You guys may be correct, I may expecting too much from a uncoated string.
I have this guitar set up for Mediums so they that do not feel any stiffer than the Lights.
I hear you about the growling...I LIKE IT!

i might have to try that ruben, get my larry walnutter setup for meds and move up to some more growlin'. i mostly fingerpick and solo, but more volume would be welcome.

rule of thumb, if your unocated strings arent looking a bit dull after a week, you arent playing enough....hehehehe! i actually like the d'addarios after 2 weeks, then change them every 3....they are definitely dead after 3 weeks, but not rusty or anything like that....

hey ruben, how or what is the setup for medium stings?

Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: rrgguitarman on June 25, 2007, 05:28:27 PM
Quotehey ruben, how or what is the setup for medium stings?

I bought this set of files, followed the instructions and sanded my saddle to 5/64 on the low E at the 12th fret. Piece of cake.
Oh, I almost forgot, the relief on the neck is almost straight, just a hair of relief.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=020&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=300105973760&rd=1&rd=1
Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: stuco on June 25, 2007, 07:40:14 PM
 :ph34r:

To think that a particular guitar is turning your strings rusty is a little absurd, don't you think?  It's the strings you're using and the humidity/temp
Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: rrgguitarman on June 25, 2007, 07:49:14 PM
Quote from: stuco on June 25, 2007, 07:40:14 PM
:ph34r:

To think that a particular guitar is turning your strings rusty is a little absurd, don't you think?  It's the strings you're using and the humidity/temp

That's what I thought but, I use Martin strings, same PW humidifier and at the same temp with the rest of my guitars.  I do not think that the guitar is to blame by the way. I'm thinking that maybe the case is absorbing excesive moisture...maybe?
Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: stuco on June 25, 2007, 08:39:53 PM
Quote from: rrgguitarman on June 25, 2007, 07:49:14 PM
That's what I thought but, I use Martin strings, same PW humidifier and at the same temp with the rest of my guitars.  I do not think that the guitar is to blame by the way. I'm thinking that maybe the case is absorbing excesive moisture...maybe?

I suppose stranger things have happened.  I suppose you could try leaving it on a stand and keeping the room it's in at a good temp/humidity. 
Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: Justified on June 26, 2007, 04:36:13 AM
QuoteI'm thinking that maybe the case is absorbing excesive moisture...maybe?

I also had this exact problem with my beater acoustic guitar.  I couldn't figure out why it was only happening to that one guitar for the longest time.  Finally, it all made sense after we moved into a new house.  As it turns out, the old house we were living in had leaky windows that were letting moisture in the room that my guitars were in - so badly, that I found slight evidence of mold on the wall behind a dresser while moving out.  Now that we're in a new house, with new double pain windows, the problem is gone.  For some reason, that one guitar case let the moisture in, and the others kept it out.
Title: Re: Has anyone experienced this with their Larrivee?
Post by: bluesman67 on June 26, 2007, 08:15:40 AM
I think it's Gremlins.