There's a post over on the Acoustic Guitar website wher a guy says he played 6 (all they had) Larrivee models at a Sam Ash store and didn't care for a single one of them, as follows:

"I've heard so much about Larrivee guitars lately that I decided to go down to King Of Prussia Sam Ash and try some for myself.  So here's my impression.  Value for the $$ only fair and I'd put my money into a Martin or Taylor of the same price range.  I played every Larrivee they had there, some twice after trying various Gibsons Martins and Taylors to use for reference.  I wasn't attracted to the Larrivee sound at all.  To my ear they are way too thin and stringy sounding, all highs and no bottom.  They made the Taylors sound downright lush.  I had the sense that its the strings making all the sound and not the wood.  I took objection the fretwork on  every one that I played which was all of them on display.  All of the fret ends felt like little barbs  and I was not impressed with the single bevel they are using.  Tri-beveled fret ends are more in keeping with quality instruments.  Some of the guitars buzzed quite badly as you played up the neck and some buzzed in the middle as well.  The overall build quality looked good, although one (L-05)  seemed to have only a partially finished neck or some sort of poorly done touch up that showed near the neck heel.  Today at least Martin and Taylor won my favor and the most impressive guitar of the day was a big sunburst Taylor 714 Jumbo...."

Kinda weird, eh??? Sounds like the store may have some set-up, maintenance and humidity problems, but the poster later said too that all the OTHER brands of guitars seemed to play well. Hmmmm....  

 

Can't win 'em all.

Well all I know is I played my Larrivee D-09 against a Martin D-28 and  Taylor at a weekend retreat and was told by those in the room (about 50 or so) that my D-09 blew the other two guitars away.

sounds like a classic case of poor in-store humidity control and overall lack of care and feeding of the instruments, which I've seen in all the major chain stores I've been in.

as to why the Larrivees seemed worse off than the others, my guess is that since this is a mass-market-oriented store and Larrivee is not as well-known a brand to the average Joe as Taylor Gibson, Martin, etc., the Larrivees had been around in-store a lot longer than many of the others, and so reflect degradation and damage of a longer stay in adverse conditions.

That plus the fact that the average mass-market store clerk will only naturally be most neglectful of the guitars they know least about (read "see least on MTV") and/or judge least likely to sell to the aforementioned average Joe's...

QuoteAll of the fret ends felt like little barbs  and I was not impressed with the single bevel they are using....Some of the guitars buzzed quite badly as you played up the neck and some buzzed in the middle as well.

Yeah, sounds like old Sammy takes real good care of the acoustic instruments...NOT!  Can't please everyone.  Keep buying Gibbys and Martins, leave the Larrys for us.  

Yeah I read that too. All I can say is that I had a Martin OM-16GT and Larrivee OM-03R.........I still have the Larrivee.........

BTW I do own a Martin and a Taylor also

Quotesounds like a classic case of poor in-store humidity control and overall lack of care and feeding of the instruments, which I've seen in all the major chain stores I've been in.

I would agree with that.  I've been in several chain stores and have seen the same thing, walls of starving guitars.  It's like no one in the store knew the first thing about basic guitar maintainance.  Pretty sad... :(  

I read that whole thread and was amazed by the people who knocked Larrivee owners for stating their opinions. I especially like the post from the guy who stated that Martin owners would never behave that way. Hopefully by his winking smiley, he was being facetious, but he is a Martin owner (wait, I own one....never mind). :D  

A couple of items:

1) He said (and I am grossly paraphrasing) that he didn't care for any. Therefore:

De gustibus non disputandum est.

I guess some people just won't like Larrivees, no matter how much we like them.

2) In any superstore, the odds are pretty good that the guitars, particularly the higher end ones are not going to be well maintained.

Almost all Larrivees I've played in stores have been in small, well run stores. The guitars have been well cared for. I personally find that the Martins and Taylors in the bigger stores are unimpressive because they are generally pretty beat up. The ones in the small store generally play and sound better.

Paolo

I agree... or is it.... disagree.....
I went to a Sam Ash store a few years ago and checked out a few Larrivees and they all sucked. I owned a Taylor 610ce at that time and said to myself..."SEE? Taylor does make the best guitar"...
However, I wouldn't trade the Larrivee I have now for any Taylor.
There may be better guitars out there..... but I'll not likely run into them in my neck of the woods.


Brad

Brad,

I completely agree. I go to the local Guitar Cnter and pick up what they have in there and they are typcially beat. Visited a store which was a 45 minute plus drive and everything was top notch there. From the humidified room to the sales staff, they just did it right (Caruso Music in CT). I was able to actually sit down and make the best comparison I could with a used Larrivee LV-09, a Martin HD-28 and a Taylor (forget the model), but I was hooked right then and there on the Larry.

OK, Sam Ash = poor humidity control, bad care and feeding of inventory...no doubt.  But why did the guy notice shabby fret ends on the Larrivee guitars and not the others?  If it's just humidity why wouldn't the the other brands be similarly affected?  I know I keep harping on this, but I really do think Larrivee has a production issue with their fret finishing and I hate to see that happening.  They go to all the trouble of doing everything right, then in one of the final steps of production they falter.  It's a shame.  I wish I'd brought it up to them at NAMM.

I agree with all the above, essentially. I bought an LV-03E after shopping around for 9 months and playing every Taylor and Martin and Gibson I could, and the result speaks for itself. I get a great sound out of it (even with me playing it!) and I culdn't be happier -- and I know that Larrivees are about as consistent a brand as you'll find (can't say that AT ALL about the Martins and Gibsons I played, though Taylors are pretty darn good there). Of course that's just my ears and my eyes, based on those particular guitars. But this sure is a weird occurence, if it's accurate -- though some good explanations are posed here. Hardly scientific though -- lots of variables!

Actually, Larrivee makes nice guitars, and certainly in terms of value.  If you compare a D-18 to a D-05, you may take you choice, as both are fine guitars.  You would pay a bit more for a D-18, and it will retain its resale value well.

However if you compare on the basis of price point, Martin -16 series vs. a standard Larrivee D-05, the D-05 is substantially better.  I've played the -16 series and to me they are much the lesser guitar, a different classifiction, "semi-fine guitar".

For instance, the fretboard is micarta on -16, rosewood on the D-18, and ebony on the D-05.  Ebony is much the better choice of the three.

OK, Sam Ash = poor humidity control, bad care and feeding of inventory...no doubt.

I agree,but we have to admit that the guy just
might not like the Larrivee sound.

I have owned and played Martins for some thirty
years and am a recent convert to the Larrivee
guitar.I love the Larrivee voice and bought one
because it didn't sound like a Martin.

 Too many makers these days are trying to make
a better Martin than Martin and I like the fact that
Larrivee hasn't jumped on that bandwagon!.Or maybe
they have with the new traditional models.

 I personally would like to see the the fret bevel
edges a little less sharp also.

  Mike

 

QuoteToo many makers these days are trying to make
a better Martin than Martin and I like the fact that
Larrivee hasn't jumped on that bandwagon!.Or maybe
they have with the new traditional models.

From talking with Mr. Larrivee at NAMM, and watching that little video link the other day on the Larrivee site, it's clear to me that he believes in his basic non-bandwagon "L" body design as much or more than ever--versatile enough to work in virtually any setting.  How many other guitar designs can make that claim?  But he also wants to sell guitars (can you blame him?) and if the Bluegrass market can't have a Martin in fact, it wants something that looks just like one.  Hence, the Traditional series.  So, rather than a jump onto the bandwagon, I'd say it's more like a cautious climb up the ladder.

Two words... Set-Up... When I first bought my two Larry's I liked the factory set-up, but after having them professionally set-up to my taste and style, I can honestly say no other guitar can even come close!! At least not a guitar that I have played yet... And my friends that try my guitars, become INSTANT Larrivee fans!! I have converted three poeple so far  B)  

Hmph! A megamart neglecting their inventory? Who'd a thunk it?!? It sounds to me like the guy had an agenda going in and he was just looking for an excuse - never mind that he was wasn't being presented with an adequate example.  

QuoteTwo words... Set-Up...

One word:  BALONEY!  I really disagree with the notion that the buyer of a new Larrivee guitar should have to pay another $40 or more for a "set-up."  Suiting the tastes of an individual player is one thing, and a player with distinctive requirements can reasonably expect to pay extra for that.  But no one should have to contend with ragged fret ends on a new guitar.  No, no, no!  That just ain't right.

I love all 3 of my Larrivees, but have had to re-shape the fret-ends on all 3  to a more gentle rounded-over profile to get them comfortable for me, so I guess I'd concur that the stock finish on the fret-ends is a little steep - but that's for me, tho, & presumably most are happy as is; but has anyone done a comparison with other brands to know if there's a substantial difference?
I can see that sharp-feeling fretends might be off-putting to a potential buyer in a store, so it might be a point worth considering?

I am guessing this guy had his mind made up before he even had the guitars in his hand.  Thats cool though, lots of guitars out there for all of us.

As far as the frets go... My L-09 needs some minor filing but I got it used.  In shops I have never seen anything that caused me any concern, unless it was just a a mistreated guitar.
-josh

I forgot to mention that I had a similar experience of protruding fretends with a few Taylors (214 and 314) at the local Guitar Center last year. I still really like Taylor Grand Auditorium guitars, but I have to say that that experience really soured the milk for me. It sounds like this guy had the same thing happen for him.

Pity!  <_<  

I hate to add to this, but....

I was recently at The Podium in St. Paul, MN.  I went there specifically to play a D-60.  I was looking for a great rosewood bluegrass dread.  Well, I played about 10-12 guitars and the D-60 was the worst, IMO.  Everything I read on this forum and others said that the D-60 had a nice, lively tone with a bit more bass than a "regular" Larrivee.  This one sounded like "cardboard".  I was shocked, actually.  Every other guitar I played sounded better..Collings D-2, Bourgeois D, Martin HD28V, Santa Cruz D-PW, Santa Cruz Podium D, Huss & Dalton T-DR, and various others.  The Santa Cruz D-PW was the best I played that day.  

Could it have been that I had played a "dud"?

The up-side to the story is that I did find my perfect bluegrass guitar: A 2001 Gibson AJ.  A sonic beast!  I had heard so many horror stories about Gibson but this one was a "good one" as they say.  Even Marty at The Podium was envious.  

I should also add that I have played many other Larrivee's that were great, mostly OM's.

Greg

QuoteDe gustibus non disputandum est.

practicing the latin ey?  (beauty is in the eye of the beholder)

You're right, you win some, and you lose some.  I'm just trying my darn near best trying to convince my friends to get Larrivee over Taylor...and they won't budge.  Well? what are you going to do?

Hi,

I auditioned many acoustic guitars just before Christmas in a variety of guitar stores.  At one time during my search I might have agreed with the statements in the original post on this thread, the Larrivee's sounded thin with no bottom and often the Taylors sounded great.  After a while I realized that I was playing these guitars in a very poor environment, that is, small airless rooms or large busy showrooms.  I had the opportunity to be alone in a medium sized, well ventilated room of Larrivees and soon began to appreciate their sound.  I then tried the Taylors, Martins, Guilds and Gibsons in the same environment and found that the Larrivee's did not sound thin at all, they had sparkle and responsiveness that the others lacked.  Most of the other brands were very bottom heavy and boxy sounding.

I urge anyone looking for a new guitar to listen to them in an appropriate room, it makes all the difference.

Actually translates as, in matters of taste...there is no dispute.
I detected an anti-L agenda but gave the guy the BOTD. Although it's not likely that all the other guitars in those conditions would be fine and dandy. I would question anyone who out of nowhere announces that ALL of one make of guitar sucked. Whether Seagull or Goodall. I think the guy just got tired of all the good news and happy-happy about Larrivées. Like I said if everyone was praising the Beatles, this guy (or someone like him) would say, they sucked. So 99 people like it and one doesn't. Is this a useful piece of info? If you're shopping at the Guitar Superstore, I guess.  

I'd rather rag on Sam Ashe than on any particular brand of guitar. Last time (and it ought to be the LAST time, if you catch my drift) I played a cheapie that sounded pretty good...even with the 5 or 6 kids obscuring my hearing - trying to out do each other in the room, and lo and behold, a hole had been punched in the lower bout half the size of a penny. My son picked up another and says "Here...try this." It had cracked top - right down the middle. Hey....I was 2 for 2. Does this reflect on the guitar companies, or their product? Or on the store? Well....I have my opinion.

EVERY time i'm in town, Santa Fe, i stop into my fav. guitar store (High Desert).

EVERY time the guitars sound a bit different.   I've come to the conclusion that I can only figure out how a guitar really sounds by playing it in my l-room for a month.

Kind of a problem.  When I first played my parlour it had a very boxy tone and a buzz.  got a good deal on it and brought it home and did a set-up.

One of the best buys I ever made.   go figure.