Mahogany top Larrivees

[flaggerphil]

I love all mahogany guitars.  I find the tone to be very pleasing and more versatile (particularly larrivees)  then most give it credit for.  It is also great for open tunings.  I prefer my hog top parlor to all other guitars I have owned.
-josh

Sigh...I do miss that guitar.

[Blue in VT]

She is a sweetheart....the P-05MT listed in your sig must be some consolation though eh?.... :rolleyes:

Blue

[Denis]

She is a sweetheart....the P-05MT listed in your sig must be some consolation though eh?.... :rolleyes:

Blue

I was thinkin' the same thing!!!  Still, an 03 hog top parlor...mmmm, nice.

[dberch]

I can't add much to what others have said about hog-tops, other than this: Mine's not for sale! : )

dberch heading off to a show....

David

[bazookajoe]

hm, i still a bit confused about the descriptions of mahogany top guitars,
i read they are darker, mellower..
but i also read they sound brighter, even tinny, as far as i can hear through the computer speakers
the soundsamples on this forum would rather go in that direction.
i never had the chance to compare similar guitars with spruce and mahogany tops.

i am dreaming about a larrivee parlor for some time, i live in europe and theres no nearby dealer who has one in stock,
(not to speak of different woods to compare), so i would probably order from guitar adoptions.
(btw including shipment and customs fees it would cost me about 1850 USD - and thats considerably cheaper than
ordering from a local dealer)

i tended to choose rosewood, because i dont have a rosewood guitar yet, but different people on this forum
raved about the mahogany tops, and guitaradoptions just stocks "some of the last ones ever".

i own a Harmony H165 OM Size All Mahogany which i like for its dry Lightnin Hopkins Sound,
also an all Mahogany Stromberg Voisinet Parlor from the 20s which really sings (mainly due to the very thin woods i think),
other All Mahoganys i heard was a Gibson LG0 which had a very bright rather thin sound i did not like,
and a Martin 00-15 which i cant exactly say why i did not like.

Other Guitars i own are a 1916 Gibson L3, a Regal and A Harmony Parlor with floating bridge, a Takamine New Yorker (Cedar/Mahogany),
A National and a Epiphone Resonator, a very light built European Parlor, two AMI Parlors though the cheapest they are still my favourites,
and who knows what else , so maybe i should spent more time playing than thinking about another guitar.

if anybody can lead me to a decision considering the wood i would still be grateful.

[prof_stack]

A good person to contact would be Jim Holler at http://www.trinityguitars.com

Jim is a luthier who also sells new Martins and Larrivees.  He has mahagony tops from both makers.  Jim can email you some helpful information.  His prices are as good or better than GA.  I have purchased a Martin and Larrivee from him.

Personally, I owned two Larrivee hog-tops and didn't keep either.  The Martin 000-15s I have now I prefer to either of those.  Why?  The midrange is exceptional and the clarity up and down the fretboard is excellent.

Good luck.

[Randy_R]

I personally think the Larrivee OM-03MT (forum Guitar) is one of the exceptional guitars in my collection. Great volume, the tones are softened a bit over sitka (I certainly would NOT call it bright or tinny), very pleasing guitar to play and hear.

[jeremy3220]

hm, i still a bit confused about the descriptions of mahogany top guitars,
i read they are darker, mellower..
but i also read they sound brighter, even tinny, as far as i can hear through the computer speakers
the soundsamples on this forum would rather go in that direction.
i never had the chance to compare similar guitars with spruce and mahogany tops.

Well darker, mellower, brighter, and tinny aren't exactly objective terms. I wouldn't consider the hog tops brighter or tinny compared to their spruce counterparts. The MT's have less high end than the spruce but more midrange. They also have louder bass, usually. As for as mellow, I believe the MT's are generally more mellow. However when all out strummed the punchy midrange can sound harsh(which some may take for bright). With that said Larrivee's are brighter guitars, not what I would consider mellow. So Larrivee Mt's are on the brighter side, their power is consintrated in the mid to high frequencies as opposed to something like a OM with scalloped and forward shifted bracing.

[mrrinse]

Hi bazookajoe,
Not sure whereabouts you are in Europe, but if you're ever in London you'd be welcome to try my L-05 MT, L-09 or mahogany parlour...
Dan