Greetings to any who may read this.
  I am new to the forum and to Larrivees altogether. Some of the previous posts have been helpful, thank you.
  It all started when it seemed as though the airlines may have lost my guitar. I have since gotten it back, but i had already started the search for a replacement just in case. That is when i came across a mint Larrivee D-03R for sale. I remebered hearing of Larrivees from the man who sold me my Seagull Artist. So i started researching and came across this forum  and other reviews and began the obsession of 'wow, it sound like maybe this will be a better guitar than mine for even less $'. Or something like that.
  Then i started to look in the yellow pages for the local guitar shops to see if they might have one of these D-03R's. I opened the book to the exact page and took it to be a sign that maybe i was doing the right thing. Anyway, i did get to play one and it seemed louder than my Seagull with a very balanced tone.
  So , i have not yet played the Larrivee i am going to buy. I am currently down south but am going to Philly dec. 28th to visit inlaws and pick up the D03R. I came across it for sale there at what seems to be a very good price and committed to buying it unseen.
  To get to the point, i am seeking opinions/advice from anyone who is familiar with both a Seagull Artist Studio (rosewood/spruce) and Larrivee D03R's. The Seagull Artist series is their top line at about $900-41000 brand new
  Bottom line is that i can not keep both. The Seagull has a nice gloss with  electronics, neither of which i really care about. I am just concerned with the quality of instruments and the sound. So my question is, can i start trying to sell the Seagull before i get the Larrivee to compare, without second guessing afterward.
Thank you for any help and advice. sincerely, christopher
p.s. Thanks for bearing with all the words. I promise that my next posts will be much shorter.
Also, to the family with a new baby. Wow! and GOD BLess you! What a Christmas present.

Hard to say for certain which you will prefer. I will say this though, I have a Larrivee OM-3MT and a Seagull M6, which is not supposed to be as nice as your Artist. I much, much prefer my Seagull over that Larrivee. In fact, there are some S6's at the local shop that I also prefer over my Larrivee. Does this mean I think Larrivee makes bad guitars? Not by any stretch. But, I have found that this one is just not right for me. This one you ordered may in fact be perfect for you. I would hold on to the Gull for a little bit just to be sure. I may end up being willing to buy that Artist from you (or trade you an OM-3 MT for it) if you find you like Larrivees better.

D-03R no question about ti. :GRN>

Quote from: SlowFingers on December 20, 2005, 08:43:13 PM
I have a Larrivee OM-3MT and a Seagull M6,

That's a bit of an apples and oranges comparison: a mahogany topped OM and a spruce topped dread.

I've loved every Larrivee I've played (don't get me started on the L-05MT I played at a store recently) and I like the Seagull S and M models (hmmm.. that sounds funny) I've only played a few Artist models, but I seem to remember them not being as full bodied as a Larrivee D.
In my experience Larrivees are quite consistent in tone so if you liked one D-03, you'll problably like others.

The whole Seagull/Simon & Patrick clan of guitars are well made and good value, especially lower down the range.  However, I'm not fond of their neck profiles and I believe it's the case that they all have 1 3/4" nut widths (I'm open to correction on this), as opposed to the 1 11/16" on the D03 series Larrivees. 

Personally, I find the Larrivees much more immediately pleasing in terms of playing comfort and overall sound.  If it were my choice and I could have a Larrivee for less money than a Seagull, it would be an easy decision.  If it so happens that you're fond of the Seagull's idiosyncracies, such as the neck profile, you may want to factor that in. 

Good luck! 

Actually, I believe the nut width on Seagulls is 1.8".

If I'm correct in my interpretation of your circumstances, it sounds like you already have the Seagull and will soon have the D-03R in hand.  I realize that you can't keep them both, but perhaps circumstances will allow you to have them both for a brief period of time.  That will allow you to decide which you prefer and then you can sell the other.  Since the D-03R is already used, then you won't lose any money on the deal when it's all over.

BTW, my prediction...   you will keep the D-03R.   -_-    But let us know how it turns out.

Thanks for the replies. I have decided to hold on to the  Seagull until i have gotten to compare them both for a little while, and then one will definately have to go. I'm gonna pay $580 for the Larrivee and it is supposedly in mint condition and the guy says a very nice D-03R, i guess he has played a few. He said he is only selling it because he got a deal on a Gibson (not sure what model) from a family member. I paid $820 for the Seagull Artisit brand new, which was a really good price so i hope not to lose any money on which ever i decide to keep. I am looking forward to picking up the Larrivee.
Thanks again for the input and i will let you know how it goes.
God bless you all.

Do Seagull guitars have short scale necks? That is, the distance from nut to bridge is about 24.9 inches rather than the 25.5 inches of Larrivees. Perhaps someone can correct me if I am wrong. If I am right, you will find that the strings on the Larrivee are harder to fret because of the higher tension (assuming the action is the same height). The higher tension also changes tone and volume.

The nut width is another consideration. The Seagull is 1 & 8/10 inches at the nut, and the D03 is 1 & 11/16. This is a big difference. If you find the Larrivee nut width too narrow, why not try an L series Larrivee with 1 & 3/4 inch nut, which is closer to the Seagull.

Best to own both for a while. Good luck and enjoy these two guitars!

Bill.

I've never met any Seagull that could compare to any Larrivee. Period. IMHO, of course!  :WNK>

I have played both, and had an L-03R for a while.  Larrivees are nice.  They play much better than the seagulls, but I find the Seagulls (The M's and the artist) better in terms of sound.  I can adjust to playability but I cannot make an instrument sound any better.

I owned a Seagull Artist in mahogany once for a few years. I sold it a few years back to a soldier in Iraq. I was happy it was going to a good cause, but man do I miss that guitar. Its the only guitar Iv sold and keep kicking myself over. It sounded great. Had beautiful woods and the finish has sooo nice. But the tone and feel is what I realy miss. I sounded soooo good. Realy think hard about that. I have a D-03R and I love it. But its got nothing on my old Seagull. But wonderful guitars in there own right. But If I had the choice I would trade my D-03R for my old Seagull in a second...............................but that also my be because I have a D-60 to call upon when I want. 

It's good to see that you are getting a lot of varying opinions on what you should do. I would recommend that you spend some time with both and find what works best for you. Forget the name on the headstock, the one that speaks to you is the keeper.

ronmac is right, of course; our opinions are just that; OUR opinions.  I've just never been able to bond with a Seagull, and I've checked out quite a few (I will give them credit for making lots of lefties).  Almost every Larrivee I pick up impresses me in quality of woods, workmanship and tone.

Again, just MHO. Play both, if possible, and follow your hands, ears and heart.

I have to agree with those that say play em and decide.  I have both an L05MT and a Seagull Folk (artist).  Fot me, there a a number of things I really like about the Seagull.  It was very reasonably priced (bought it used from someone in the area), it is a size I think I can travel with (so I sold my baby taylor), it is a comfortable size to hold and play, like the neck, sounds good to me, and its loud.  in addition, I don't worry about it as much as my "el" since it was barely over 25% of the cost.  ... and I like playing it.  I am a perpetual novice and only really play with my teacher, so I don't think about playing in a band, or in a public setting that might change the equation.

That said, just because I like the Seagull, it doesn't have the same sound I love hearing out of my el, it isn't as attractive, and I don't think I enjoy playing it as much .. but that is a personal thing. 

For me, I need to play them to decide which to have NOW.  Later on, if all goes well, we get to decide all over again ... do I trade, add, ...

good luck and enjoy.

jeff 

Hi. i'm the one who started this post and am very grateful to get different opinions. i guess what i was maybe expecting was a unanimous 'sell the Seagull, you won't regret it'. i  was thinking that right before xmas could have been a good time to sell. The seagull is basically brand new still. i've had it about two months. But now, i will definately just wait and compare. I should be getting the Seagull in about a week and will share the outcome then.
Thanks.

I think you have to wait to compare them. I have played some really nice Seagulls & S&Ps (I'm fond of their cedar topped guitars). Live with them both for a while and see which you prefer.

What type of music do you play? Do I remember the Artist is a smaller body than a Dred? If so you may find the Seagull better for fingerstyle (and the wider neck will be better). But if you flatpick/strum then a dread body may be better.

Cheers

Mike

Hey, thanks for taking the time to respond to my questions. As you would probably have discerned, i am a novice in the world of acoustic guitar. But it seems the more i learn and play, the more interested i become.{ My wife thinks i am becoming a little obsessive.}
Anyway, yeah i think i knew all along that it is only a decision that i can make after i have compared the guitars side by side. And then have some play them at me with my back turned.
The Seagull is a dreadnought, however their dreads are a little smaller than the standard, perhaps a little narrower in upper bout.
As for my playing style, it is still developing. But i tend to flatpick and strum more than fingerstyle. But i do very much also like to play fingerstyle. So basically, for now i am just looking for just the right guitar for me for all around playing.
I am hoping and planning to make this my last guitar for about a year and hopefully much longer. At least a guitar that will keep me from thinking of others for that long, until i can justify something better and when i can play better to truly appreciate and discern what that better might be.
  Thanks alot and peace to all.
christopher.

Hi -
I've heard good things about Seagulls and ended up playing one (a mahogany dreadnought artist with cedar top, £580 uk price, c. £900 US) today. Whilst I didn't find it as playable as my LV-09 (or in fact most Larrivee's I've played), the satin mahogany looked amazing (shimmery and 3D, almost like koa without the flames) and the tone - wow! A true tone monster (although this may partly have been due to the wooden panneled room I was playing in... still, the reflections have to start with a decent source, right.

This has be somewhat confused in my (largely unfinanced) quest for a mahogany guitar... with a preference for satin, plain looks and a smallish body, I was thinking OM03 (or S/H OMV-03, ideally)... an LSV-05 has me tempted though.... and now this.... what next! (all three is clearly the answer + a parlour; I mean, everyone needs a parlour, right?). Of course, then there's Koa, MT, BW.... argh!

Anyways, I think you made the right choice to wait and see....

My problem is I can't bear to part with guitars, even when I probably should... I guess that's part of GAS (after all, it's acquisition syndrome, not high guitar thru-put syndrome?)

Best of luck,
Dan

  Hello all. I started this one with my question about 1 1/2 months ago. Just thought i would say how it turned out. Well the moment i pulled the D-03R out of the case, i was falling in love with it. And then it only grew. The Seagull Artist is a very , very nice guitar, but there was just something about the Larrivee that i was leaning toward.
   I do not try to analyze it too much, but like i said i was just drawn more and more to the Larrivee and actually felt like it was helping me to play better. I did notice more resonance and some overtones and just sounded better to me.
Also i like the feel of the neck on the Larrivee better, and i like the ebony fingerboard more than rosewood. I took a little bit of a loss on the Seagull, but got a great deal on the Larrivee and have absolutely no regrets.
  Before i ever knew the definition of GAS, i figured it out, because i had contracted it. I just knew that it was Guitar Aquisition Syndrome.
  But now i feel pretty well relieved of that disease for a while at least.
Thanks to all as i have learned alot from your input. I probably have wasted alot of time as well. I hope to be turning from reading about guitar to just studying and playing.
Peace.

Congrants on your new guitar.  Gotta love those -03's eh? 

Mikey

   Hello,

      Congrats on your new guitar ! I just ordered a D-03R myself. I have tried the Seagull M6 gloss and it didnt match the Larrivee. I am left handed and they dont make the "artist" series for lefty. I did try the top of the line Norman guitar; the ST-68 (spruce/ rosewood) from the same company as Seagulls (Godin) and you could not compare it to the Larrivee product IMHO. Ebony fretboard over rosewood a much better neck and easier to play. I do find that Seagull has a wide neck.....although I'm quite used to the neck of my Norman B-18 (12 string cedar top). Godin does make an incredible guitar and does magic with their cedar tops but the sound from the Larrivee guitars I heard and played outdoes them. I trust them to the point that I ordered one onlline....sight unseen.....that tells it all...

Good for you. Glad you found a guitar that helps you play better. That is what its all about...getting (or keeping) the guitar that "speaks" to you. The D-03R are fantastic sounding guitars IMO. I own a D-03 with mahogany B&S and it sounds great also.


Jeff

  I have an artist rw and I would say it compares closely to the L series larrivee.  The D series Larrivee will have more bass because it is bigger.  If either dosen't sound good it's not the guitars fault.  I got the seagull and would say it is a better finger picker.  It pretty much comes down to the neck width and style of play.  Both will amaze you :GRN>