B-stock arrived yesterday.

LR Baggs Anthem to be installed next week.
It's big. :thumb
It's a Jumbo. :thumb
I like it.
 :smile:

I love the Js. Thought hard about a used J-03R lefty on Reverb a couple of weeks ago. Too soon, though.

Looks fantastic! Larrivee makes the most underrated J in the business.

Stunning!!!!! Congrats! I have never held a jumbo. Are they comfy?

It's a beauty.
I was delighted with the wood, both top and back.
Two cute little dimples, left & right on a beautiful piece of Sitka.
The deep bold voice I was hoping for from a J delivers the goods.
 :nice guitar:

 My most fond memory of my Larrivee J is the way the unwound strings sound so rich and fat. That guitar had a really old piece of Sitka, like yours. I counted the rings once, out of boredom, and lost count around 300 per-side!

Quote from: StringPicker6 on April 07, 2026, 06:32:03 PMStunning!!!!! Congrats! I have never held a jumbo. Are they comfy?

Lower bout is 17 inches.

Lots of people over 50 with shoulder issues complain that they are too big for them.
I'm fortunate that my shoulders are still in good shape.

I had a J05 that I wish I never sold.I'd love to have one again but I would love a J03,BUT at my age and no more gigs for me and not having the quid I'll just droil.One thing about jumbo's they make you sit up right,though both of shoulder are f***ed the size never bothered me,


Congrats

I've been curious about the jumbo for some time. Is it more powerful than a dreadnought? Does its tighter shape at the waist make it better for fingerstyle? I've seen players use it successfully with fingerstyle. Is the instrument more responsive with a mahogany tone wood or rosewood. And what bracing system would work best with an instrument this large?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOv9yKaouXM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms0O-E0ZKEw

Quote from: William2 on April 08, 2026, 09:23:06 AMI've been curious about the jumbo for some time. Is it more powerful than a dreadnought? Does its tighter shape at the waist make it better for fingerstyle? I've seen players use it successfully with fingerstyle. Is the instrument more responsive with a mahogany tone wood or rosewood. And what bracing system would work best with an instrument this large?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOv9yKaouXM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms0O-E0ZKEw

I've been playing this J-03 for only just two days, primarily tuned DGDGBE.
It's one inch wider than a dread, and deeper, too (4.875 vs 4.75). Scale length is the same (25.5).
So it would make sense to me, anyway, that it is louder with greater 'bottom end' than the dread but I don't have a dread to compare it to.
Jumbo is round shouldered vs square shouldered on a dread.

Personally I don't think one body style is better than another for fingerstyle. YMMV.
I'm never one to discuss bracing. I guess my ears are simply not sufficiently discrete, although I tried unsuccessfully for about 30 minutes to capture a photo of the bracing on this guitar.
All I succeeded in doing was dropping a 6 inch wooden skewer inside the body which I was attempting to manipulate my camera with.
That took me another 5 minutes or so to retrieve. :smile:

Just a quick note to add that this guitar arrived with a setup that is just right for me, although admittedly, I may have a somewhat greater tolerance for variation in this regard.

From a Gibson standpoint, their jumbos are typically built with maple backs and sides. I'm not sure if they are long scale or short scale.

Quote from: StringPicker6 on April 08, 2026, 01:57:31 PMFrom a Gibson standpoint, their jumbos are typically built with maple backs and sides. I'm not sure if they are long scale or short scale.

J200 (or SJ200) is 25.5 scale.

 I found the Larrivee J to be louder than my Larrivee dreads, and comparable to Larrivee SDs. The jumbos go to a certain volume, then compress. It's quite easy to get them to be LOUD. The SDs have more dynamic punch with less compression, but you have to play them harder.
For comparison, Gibson jumbos sound more full in the midrange while Larrivees have more bass and highs, some of that being down to the scale.

I found it quite comfortable for the way I play, though most may not.
Mine had maple back and sides but it was surprisingly similar to the rosewood 09 I played. I've never heard two guitars with such different woods sound so similar.
I wouldn't even consider asking them to try different bracing as the top is so massive that getting a balanced tone is quite an achievement. It's hard to express just how much more resonant surface area there is compared to something like an L or OM unless you have them in-person. My J is the first guitar where I got a camera in to look at the braces because it fascinated me how they were able to balance that thing so well. 

Here it is again with the Anthem installed and the p/g removed.
Sustain on this guitar surpasses all my others by a wide margin.

How do you like the Anthem? I have a guitar in route that has one installed. I know I've used other LR Baggs pickups in the past, but I'm blanking on the Anthem.

Looks great minus PG.

Quote from: BlueBowman on April 14, 2026, 02:38:30 PMHow do you like the Anthem? I have a guitar in route that has one installed. I know I've used other LR Baggs pickups in the past, but I'm blanking on the Anthem.

Looks great minus PG.

I've had the Anthem in a OMV40 for about a year now and I'm pleased with the output.
It's good for live play. Probably less suitable for recording.
I use it every week in a venue of approximately 60 overstuffed seats and tables with a 30 foot ceiling.

Inside the J-03.

I could live inside that clean interior.

So, would you say your jumbo is comfortable to sit down and play with? I gave up on dreads because of their size, and I've never tried a jumbo.

Quote from: StringPicker6 on April 22, 2026, 09:20:43 PMI could live inside that clean interior.

So, would you say your jumbo is comfortable to sit down and play with? I gave up on dreads because of their size, and I've never tried a jumbo.

I won't speak for him but my experience was that it's a different experience. The 'waist' causes a jumbo to sit very differently on your leg and sort of fall into a pocket in a way dreads don't quite do. The massive lower bout is noticeable though and has to be worked around. I think it would present a challenge to those with even mild right shoulder problems. But, if you sit in classical position, the dynamic changes entirely. Then, the bout becomes irrelevant to the arm and you have to take on a wider seated position.

 Dreads have a bit of a clunky body shape and I do think the jumbo is a little more ergonomic. But, if you gave up on dreads I'd say a jumbo is a definite "try before you buy".

A jumbo is not your couch guitar.
If you're accustomed to placing the waist of the instrument on your thigh like this guy with a dreadnaught, your shoulder will be really out of kilter and your upper arm resting way up on the lower bout of the guitar. See how much higher his right shoulder is than his left?
This will very likely result in pain over time.

(https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/young-man-playing-guitar-acoustic-sitting-chair-isolated-white-background-34742521.jpg)

And not like this:
(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/56/d6/60/56d660885fdad9748b60012ad38c95d6.jpg)


You'll have to assume a more classical style position, as B0WIE suggests, in order to play a jumbo while seated, with the lower bout resting between your thighs, which is how I hold all guitars, anyway.
OK, this guy has a dread, but note how his right shoulder has dropped to a normal position, more in line with his left shoulder.
(https://guitardomination.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/guitar-posture.jpg)
Compare the position of the elbows, left & right in each photo.

All good advice!  I have tried the classical position a few times, and it is indeed more comfortable.  However, it's just not "rock and roll" enough, so I would never do it in front of my groupies or my dog (I have neither). 
One day I will try a jumbo guitar if I see one in the wild.  They must sound magnificent!

Quote from: StringPicker6 on April 23, 2026, 02:03:06 PMAll good advice!  I have tried the classical position a few times, and it is indeed more comfortable.  However, it's just not "rock and roll" enough, so I would never do it in front of my groupies or my dog (I have neither). 
One day I will try a jumbo guitar if I see one in the wild.  They must sound magnificent!

Ah, but if you're the only one playing in the classical position (while everyone else is on the right knee), that is rock and roll  :winkin:

Here is my favorite jumbo demo. I love a jumbo in rosewood. I also think his sitting position looks very natural. And I'm a recovering classical guitarist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOv9yKaouXM&t=3s

FWIW, classical position is actually becoming quite modern. I've seen a lot of younger players, particularly in the electric world, picking it up. And, some of the new headless electric guitar designs are being made to accommodate classical position by cutting away some of the lower right bout.

Not that we're seriously debating this or anything. I just found it interesting.

Get a nice chair, place feet flat on the ground, sit upright,play guitar on one leg,hold head high and enjoy.

For those with shoulder pain, you could also try the strap and sit method. Just like it sounds, throw a strap over the shoulder while sitting. It allows the guitar to be angled away from the right shoulder a little bit, maybe enough to reduce or remove the pain. Not as much as the classical position, but better than nothing.

If you're sitting down is it still Rockn'Roll?
(Keyboard players notwithstanding)
 :humour: