The only reason this is for sale is that a group of wonderful AGF'ers banded together to buy back my Charis Koa for me.
This may be the best sounding factory built instrument I've owned......no joke. I just love it, but having three steel strings here right now just isn't in the plan for me.
Sitka top, EIR back and sides, abalone top trim, rosette and inlays on fingerboard and bridge wings. 1 3/4 nut - 2 3/16 saddle and 25.5 scale.
I've spent countless hours getting this guitar as close to perfect as I can. I've added a port, which has really increased the volume and "roundness" of the tone. I've installed a bone saddle that I've intonated to near perfection. Replaced the plastic bridge pins that came with it with Planet Waves ebony/abalone. I evened out and lowered the nut slots so they are perfect. The entire body has been buffed out 2-3 times to get the luster as good as possible. I've also re-reamed the endpin hole out and installed the standard Larrivee endpin. It arrived with a weird light colored wooden endpin that had a sleeve glued in so it would fit. I also pulled the nasty tortoise pickguard and have been "tanning" the area where it was (I'll put the template in the shipping box that I made for this) I have the pickguard, but there is no adhesive on it. I'll also include it.
I also took this to Elderly last weekend and had the frets reseated/reglued/dressed and leveled.
Regarding condition, this guitar had a neck repair. Many Larrivees get the neck crack at the nut during shipping if they aren't detuned and have the headstock supported inside the case. I'm assuming that is what happened here. The repair is very clean and tidy - you can feel it, but barely see it. I took pics with no flash and had to take them with flash to get it to show up. Structurally it's a non-issue - stronger than it was originally. Cosmetically you'll forget about it quickly once you play it!;)
Outside of the neck repair, I'd give it a 8 or 8.5 for condition. Here's the list of imperfections. The biggest mark is on the lower bout (pictured) it's a round ding about 1/4" - it doesn't break the finish and it was hard to picture. It's definitely easier to see in person. There are some minor marks on the back of the neck that you can feel a very little bit. Also on the lower bout are some very shallow, very thin and long "squiggly" dents - you have to really look to see them and I tried to picture them but couldn't. Looking straight down on the guitar you can't see them. There are some tiny marks on the binding in a couple places, a couple of pinhole dings near the soundhole on the bass side, and a tiny rift in the finish on the back about 1" long that I believe was a defect during the application of the finish (I have that pictured)
That's really about it, being very thorough as I always am!
The case is about a 7.5 or 8/10 - I spent a bit of time cleaning up the outside - it had stickers on it and there are some imperfections. All latches work 100% and the inside is near perfect.
All in all this is a wonderful players guitar that it's going to be really hard to part with, but having my Charis back and having the cutaway niche filled make it overkill. Someone is going to LOVE this guitar!!
Price is 1100 and actual shipping on my FedEx account to the lower 48 only. Add 25 for Paypal and I'll cover the rest. As always, will ship polished up, clean fingerboard/polished frets, and a fresh set of EJ16's installed.
****PRICE DROP TO 1000 PLUS SHIPPING/PAYPAL
If it were in near perfect condition it would be priced in the 1600 range - the cutaways are very rare in this model (and discontinued now)
fitstop@charter.net
(http://i60.tinypic.com/2akbfux.jpg)
sorry for the reflection of the picture frame on the wall!
(http://i58.tinypic.com/j6ptu0.jpg)
(http://i61.tinypic.com/2cf34mf.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/2vt87bt.jpg)
(http://i58.tinypic.com/25r1ix3.jpg)
(http://i61.tinypic.com/e9gc5s.jpg)
reflection of my arms on the lower bout
(http://i59.tinypic.com/m9by3l.jpg)
(http://i57.tinypic.com/25p49vm.jpg)
Here's the best I could do with the ding on the top (center of the pic)
(http://i60.tinypic.com/5x0d1h.jpg)
and a picture of the neck repair with and without flash.....
Also, regarding the soundport, I'd recommend using tung oil and a Q-tip to put some layers of finish (will come out looking like satin) on the exposed edges. I'd have done that but I didn't have any tung oil here. I did rub some fingerboard oil in a couple of times to keep it moist.
(http://i58.tinypic.com/4r88t4.jpg)
Todd, i thought this one had been sold already, but if not, i'd love to get in the lineup, PM to be sent shortly
dermot.shane AT gmail....
Payment received and boxed up ready for shipping tomorrow. Still can't believe I'm selling this guitar for so little.