Hi folks,
First post here, thanks for the forum. I just "discovered" Larrivee's the other day while buying strings at a local music store (L&M for my Canadian friends) - I was handed a D-03 Walnut and had a bit of an epiphony. I was totally impressed. I wasn't as impressed with the price, which I think was MSRP. The 12th Fret is one of my local stores, and I'm going to go there this week to see what they have - I've bought two of my guitars there - but I'm also hunting on Craigslist and Kijiji to see what I can find used.
In looking through the forums, I see a lot of people here buy their Larrivee's online...and I'm curious what the experience has been. I personally don't like buying sight unseen and unplayed. Are these guitars consistently good enough from the factory that nobody is unhappy with their online purchases? And they come set up well enough that they don't need tweaking from a shop?
And here's a six pack of maple glazed...a Canadian classic... :bgrin:
:donut :donut :donut :donut :donut :donut
I've bought Larrivees from Jason from Notable Guitars in Montana. He's an authorized dealer and his guitars are excellent and well taken care of. Good deals, to. With any guitar you haven't tried, you are taking the chance that the set-up may need altered. But, you can also get them cheaper than the local shop because of factors including no sales tax.
I've bought Larrivees from my local shop in the past. But, they never carry in stock what I want(didn't have a D-60 or OMV-5). So, I can't try it out anyway. They have to order it direct from the factory if you want to order it.
But, Jason is a dealer. Sometimes he has to order the guitar direct from Larrivee but he usually has a nice collection in his inventory.
Randy
I have had two great buying experiences working with Dave at Guitar Adoptions in Illinois (also an online authorized dealer). Excellent pricing and service both times (received the guitar the next day). My new L-03 is a remarkable instrument in every respect.
RBpicker
Here's another endorsement for Dave at Guitar Adoptions. I purchased my OM-03R from Dave about a year ago. He did a set-up for me before shipping and it arrived ready to play right out of the box. Others have reported similar satisfactory results from Jason at Notable Guitars as mentioned in another post.
The closest store that carries Larrivee guitars is an hours drive from me and they carry no leftys at all so I couldn't play one before buying. I've yet to hear anyone complain about poor service from the on-line dealers I mentioned.
Of course it's always best to play before you buy but sometimes it just isn't practical or even possible. You wil get great prices, great selection and great service if you go through one of these dealers. There's a couple more whom I can' t remember but I'm sure someone here will mention them as well.
I also have an L-10 which is a terriffic guitar that I purchased from another member (Bhika) You can't go wrong with an L series. If you're thinking of a used Larrivee I'd look on this forum before resorting to Craig's list.
I can't say enough about my dealings with Dave Schmidt @ Guitar Adoptions and Jason Brantley @ Notable Guitars. You couldn't ask for two more upstanding and reputable dealers.
I just received my 6th Larrivee, and I bought them all online. The attention to detail, in addition to the advent of the CNC machine makes consistency in quality highly reliable.
Buy with confidence.
Toasted
I was just at Twelfth Fret on Saturday and they've got good stock, even a few things that I haven't seen at other stores or on line yet. Dave's the Larrivee guy there. L&M downtown have decent stock too. Not sure if Johnny at Ring Music still carries Larrivee or not, but they used to be good to deal with.
I've bought a couple guitars on the internet and have had pleasant experiences both times. The closest shop that had the Larrivee SD-50 was about six hours away, so I ordered sight unseen from Gayl at Betterbilt Fretted Products. Same thing with my National. The closest shop that had the model I wanted was seven hours away so I bought it from Jim at Trinity guitars. That was another good experience.
Basically I've bought sight unseen twice and both times I've had a good experience.
Buying Larrivees online is just too easy. The guitars are so well built they all sound good.
I have one each from Dave (Guitar Adoptions) & Jason (Notable). Both great guys to work with, but unfortunately you can only pick one to buy from at a time.
Hello and welcome! Some stores have a return policy in case you're less than happy with the guitar.
I got my L-03 used from Bleumax a little over a year ago.
He was great to work with, and several people who had dealt with him before vouched for what a great guy he was to work with.
I communicated several times with him before I pulled the trigger--absolutely no regrets. Between forum comments and personal communication I really felt good about making the purchase.
A bandmate got a D-03 through one of the online dealers mentioned earlier in this thread and also was pleased.
Vern :donut :donut2 :donut
I purchased my LV-10 MR from Dave at Guitar Adoptions. He put up with a lot of questions and several phone calls. He also took the time to make sure I was comfortable with the purchase and followed up afterwards. Which led me to purchase a few pick ups from him, as well as experimenting with a dual source LR Baggs using an M1. Each and every time he was more than willing to talk guitar and give me excellent advice.
This is all good advice, folks, I appreciate it. :thumbsup
I will head over to the 12th Fret in the next few days to see what's in the shop this week - that's my first choice, but if I can find something online significantly cheaper I may go that route - it's good to hear that these guitars are consistently high quality right from the factory!
I'll keep you posted when I do pull the trigger...
:donut2 :coffee :donut
I also bought my guitar from Dave at Guitar Adoptions, had a great buying experience. The guitar did require a setup as it arrived with a string buzz. The action was a bit high as well. But I wouldn't trust most shops to do a setup for my guitar anyway. I have no local Larrivee dealers.
Love the ONE OF KIND OMV-03 that Dave had in stock. I know I wouldn't have found that within hundreds of miles.
Probably not all. So for me, the selection and price that Dave offered really made it a no brainer. Drive to another state to dealers with higher prices and less selection or buy online?
Also, any issues I would have had to drive back to the dealer again. Fortunately, a setup is something I have come to expect with any new guitar purchase. My daughter's Martin was an exception, we picked it up at the factory and setup was superb. With the internet or a dealer, the guitar has been shipped.
Good Luck
Good luck, Toasted. Hope you get your Larrivee soon. I'm glad you are asking questions and doing some research before buying one. Very smart.
Randy
Quote from: Toasted on September 03, 2007, 10:19:15 AM
In looking through the forums, I see a lot of people here buy their Larrivee's online...and I'm curious what the experience has been. I personally don't like buying sight unseen and unplayed.
Hey Toasted. I bought my first Larrivee at L&M in Winnipeg. I recently bought a second one (new) online from a reputable guitar store in Kansas at a much lower price than I would have paid at L&M, even after shipping costs, taxes, etc. I mailed in the warranty to Larrivee as soon as I got it. I remain somewhat uncertain as to how to proceed if I needed what I thought was warranty work. Several opinions have been presented on the forum ranging from sending it back to the dealer from where I got the guitar (at my expense) to simply asking Brian at Larrivee for a Repair Authorization number. Fortunately, I have not needed any such work, but do worry about the process if I did.
Does anyone have a clear answer about this issue?
Toasted;
I purchased a guitar from Jason @ Notable...great guy, great prices. I've also heard good things about Guitar Adoptions. Good luck in your search, keep us posted
Best
Paul
When you buy online just make sure you have pictures of the saddle height sent along with the string height measurements at the 12th fret. It could save some grief later on!
Amen to all of the previous posts about the other dealers who whilst I havent had any dealing with personally have excellent reputations. I got my L05 from Jim Holler at Trinity Guitars. He set the guitar up faultlessly and fitted a pickup to the same standard. He knows his way around a guitar and can thoroughly recommend Jim.
By the way welcome, and good to see another Musicman maestro :bgrin:l
I've purchased from both Jim Holler at Trinity and Dave at Guitar Adoptions and have only had good experiences so far. I've heard nothing but praise for Jason at Notable as well. If you buy your Larrivee from one of these guys, you're getting it at a awesome price and great service. No worries with any of them as far as I can tell.
I've purchased 5 guitars from this forum and all have been excellent. People here take great care of their guitars and all have been a pleasure to deal with.
Only problem is they all want money for their guitars..................
Quote from: GA-ME on September 05, 2007, 06:34:19 AM
When you buy online just make sure you have pictures of the saddle height sent along with the string height measurements at the 12th fret. It could save some grief later on!
This is important on a Larrivee. I like them a lot but you do need to look at the neck angle and the fret work carefully.
:donut :coffee
My saddle looks about the same as the picture with the penny beneath the high E string someone posted. This is after my Luthier lowered the saddle, lightly filed the nut string slots and did a truss rod adjustment. I guess if mine was one of the ones with the high bridges the problem would have been noted then. It plays great after the setup. Setup seems so subjective, I don't see how you can have someone do it the way you like it before you receive the guitar. I think factory setups tend to be a little high for my taste. Seems logical they would do it that way since it's much easier to lower the action. My guitar played nicely after my Luthier adjusted just the truss rod but played superbly after the entire setup. $45 dollars well spent.
What exactly is deal with the high bridges? Can't the saddle be lowered enough to correct this?
jimmyd, you are correct. Mine sounds incredible, but it certainly doesn't reflect well on Larrivee quality control for their higher-end instruments. A 000-60 is nearly at the top of the Larrivee food chain and you'd think it get proper attention before leaving the factory!
rakalm, mine is about like the one with the penny you are talking about. Mine plays very well also, at the moment, the problem is there is nothing left to do to set up later as the geometry of the guitar changes due to the stresses of the string tension. My nut is flawless, perfect height and saddle is as low as possible. Leaves just trus rod adjustments or shaving the bridge and neither is the proper way to fix an expensive, higher end factory box. Right now all is well but the guitar isn't even a year and a half old. What is to be done down the road when the geometry isn't correct? Neck resets by qualified people DO NOT COME CHEAP! At least Larrive finishes the neck prior to attatchment which makes a reset less likely to be very noticible!
Jason @ Notable Guitars and Jim Holler @ Trinity Gutars--- :thumb :thumb
I think I asked Jason to lay down the phone and play something badly on the 000-50 so I would know what I would sound like.
Quote from: Peter Cree on September 05, 2007, 08:38:19 AM
I've purchased 5 guitars from this forum and all have been excellent. People here take great care of their guitars and all have been a pleasure to deal with.
Only problem is they all want money for their guitars..................
Really? Money? Who'd a thunk it???
:wink:
I've actually found a used D-03R for sale locally which I am going to go check out tonight, it's a 2002 or 2003.
Sounds like I should bring my ruler along to check frets for level, for string height at the 12th to be around 4/64's, for height off the body to be about 24/64's, and for 3-4/64's at the bridge?
Other than that, are there any weaknesses to check for? Browsing the forums doesn't show me much as far as frequent problems with these boxes - which is one of the things I like about 'em.
:donut :donut :donut
There are several online dealers that are very good. However, if I lived in Toronto I would not consider buying anywhere else but the 12th Fret. The little extra you may spend will be more than made up if you have a problem with the guitar.
Speaking of which, did anyone else catch this posting. I'm liking the look. May have to nip in and try it out.
http://www.12fret.com/new/Larrivee_L-09_Lacewood_Custom_pg.html
Jason from Notable Guitars is awesome to deal with. I purchased many guitars over the last 23 years. Jason is hands down , the best. The only thing better than his prices is his customer service.
I can not recommend him enough.
edman (Hudman @ HCAG)
Well, I pulled the trigger, and am now the proud owner of a previously loved D-03R. Nice shape, a couple of "love bumps" on it, but just nice otherwise. I swapped on some new strings (Martin SP's), and pulled out the Tusq saddle...found a wooden shim glued to the bottom and removed it, and now the action is splendid. I also ordered a Larrivee bone saddle from the website and will wait patiently for its arrival.
So I can happily say I'm a proud owner.. of a :niceguitar:
Quote from: Toasted on September 06, 2007, 09:09:42 PM
Well, I pulled the trigger, and am now the proud owner of a previously loved D-03R. Nice shape, a couple of "love bumps" on it, but just nice otherwise. I swapped on some new strings (Martin SP's), and pulled out the Tusq saddle...found a wooden shim glued to the bottom and removed it, and now the action is splendid. I also ordered a Larrivee bone saddle from the website and will wait patiently for its arrival.
So I can happily say I'm a proud owner.. of a :niceguitar:
Congratulations on choosing a great guitar to add to your collection. You're going to love it I'm sure.
Hey, that's great :cheers
I know you will enjoy that guitar for years to come.
Welcome to the Larrivee family :smile:
Randy
I bought my guitar from SamAsh.com. I called them on the phone to beat a price and they were great. I was lucky enough to deal with a very knowledgeable person on the phone. It was evident that he knew a lot about guitars and really loved Larrivee guitars on top of it. Best of all I was able to get a brand new, never out of the box, P-09 for $975 shipped overnight, would have been $920 with normal shipping. If it had been out of the box before I would have hesitated. This was I can get it set up locally if I want. Also the return policy is great if I wasn't happy. It turned out great though because I love the guitar and it is perfect!! OK maybe the strings are a tad higher than I would like but other than that it is great.
Erik
:donut :coffee
Erikro: Enjoy! I got my new Larrivee Parlor today, too -- off of the FedEx truck. I'm very impressed in terms of finish & craftsmanship as well as tone. And with tone, it'll only get better!
New member, I just bought my first Larrivee an OMV 10E from Dave at Guitar adoptions.
The guitar came less than 72 hours after I ordered it. The condition was perfect. Dave responded to questions before and after the purchase expediantly and professionally.
The price was below most online dealers and essentially all retail locations by several hundred dollars.
Honestly, I had a lot of trepidation about buying a instrument of this caliber and price online. This has been an amazing experience and I would have no hesitation to purchase another Guitar from Dave at Guitar adoptions in the future. Maybe that G & L I have my eye on. But the OMV 10E already is for this Christmas! :bgrin:
I bet that's a fine instrument. Congratulations :thumb
I just recently got an L-10 from Jason at Notable Guitars. It could actually be the best guitar I've ever owned. It plays everything I need it to play and sounds fantastic. Gorgeous looking guitar, to. I've said it before but this is probably my last guitar for a long time to come. I'm saving for a piano now. 2 of my Larrivees came from Notable Guitars and one came from my local shop.
Randy
I received my first Larrivee (OM-03SP) just last week from Jason at Notable Guitars. Everything went very smooth. Great guy to work with and a very impressive guitar. I am not expert, but the setup and action seem quite good. The guitar certainly is much better than a beginner like me deserves.
:donut :donut :donut :donut :donut2
I'm not surprised to hear that. Glad you got your guitar. Jason is very good at what he does.
Randy
If anyone is thinking about buying a new guitar, email Dave at Guitar Adoptions for his Larrivee sale price list. Unbelievable! :thumb