Noone of my guitar heros plays larrivees, why?

[gskar]

Hello guys. I have this question because I have never seen a larrivee guitar beeing played by my guitar heros except Jackues Stotzem, who know plays Martins. Let me name a few: Ed Gerhard, Laurence Juber, Pierre Bensusan, Peppino d' Agostino, Alex de Grassi, Doyle Dykes, M. Hedges (ok he's gone but what a player), Andy mc Kee and many more, all use other guitar brands.
Let me guess. Maybe the flat and wide neck profile isn't favored by them? It makes barred chord difficult to grab? Or is it something else? Is it a coinsidense?
I have played more than ten larries and they sound really good. I also love my guitar with its limitations though.
Like to know what you think. Maybe your guitar heroes play larries. Greetings from Greece

[hal537]

I'm just guessing but maybe Larrivee sells plenty of guitars without feeling the need to spend money on endorsements.  A credit to Larrivee really.  I'm never really attracted to artist or signature models (the latest Martin L Juber model looks mighty fine tho') as I just feel I'd be telling everybody I wanna be a wannabe!  I sure hope I haven't offended anybody as I say many artist models are very fine guitars, but I just like the anonymity of Larrivee - part of its charm.

[DaveyO]

I know of 2 players that i admire that play Larrivees.
Brad Paisley ,who is a very good player and songwriter.
Raul Midon, who is blind and plays and writes great songs as well.

Maybe me in about 3 or 4 years .Just kidding , but i will get better.
David

[jeremy3220]

I guess thats something you would have to ask them.
But players with a more traditional sound are likely to play a 'traditional sounding' guitar. so that cuts out Larrivee.

Also famsous fingerstye players are going to play whatever they want, cost is probably a small factor. I imagine they would choose something made exactly how they want it from a boutique company or individual luthier. and Larrivee doesn't have a custom shop or the largest variety(unlike Martin who has a gagillion models with different bracing,necks,etc.)
Most modern fingerstylist are probably going with something that has a 'lighter build' <meaning the top and bracing design (nothing to do with overall weight) from some fancy pants builder.

Pop artist are more likely to have a deal with one of the bigger names (especially Gibson).

So the chances are that a guitar hero will choose a factory guitar thats not a Martin,Gibson or Taylor isn't so great. But there are some players (who are known for their chops) who have choosen Larrivee; Justin King is one, that guy that won the fingerstyle championship thing, also I've heard Norman Blake had a SD-50(maybe 60) for awhile. I don't know what any of the players you mentioned play (except I know Juber has that Martin)

[unclrob]

No big deal.None of my hero's play Guilds or Gibson BUT I do.

[sisi]

matt bellamy from "muse" plays a larry at acoustic sessions, peter ratzenbeck (austria) possesses one too, i think. some of the studio-musicians i know give their best on a larrivée.
and - important! - AY own a larrivée!   
really love the sound of my DV-05E.

[gskar]

Ok I forgot to mention to mention one of my closest friends in Thessaloniki, Giannis Gougourelas. He is a great bluegrass player and he uses a larrivee dreadnought, I don't remember the model but it has a bigger sounhole, along with martins and santacruz. Check him out athttp://www.greekbluegrass.com/
I think you are right  about the custom shop. Larrivee doesn't make signature models.

[moga]

They don't know what they are missing!!!!..let's put it that way!

[canoe65]

I don't know if they are my 'guitar heroes', but three artists that I really admire are Ed Robertson (Bare Naked Ladies), John Hiatt and Michelle Wright. They all play Larrivée guitars.

One of my all-time favourite singer / songwriter / guitarists is Bruce Cockburn.  He used to play Larrivée acoustics before moving to guitars made by Linda Manzer (who was an apprentice of Jean Larrivée).

[Mikeymac]

Yup, I was also gonna mention Cockburn, along with David Wilcox, a great songwriter and player with super chops; went from Guild to Larrivee to a 'custom' guitar, an Olson.  Ironically, now he doesn't like to travel with his Olson's when he has to fly, so he uses modified RainSongs!

Paisley has also switched to McPherson's, I believe. 

Oh, don't forget Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary, who played a Larrivee for years... 

[canoe65]

Yup, I was also gonna mention Cockburn, along with David Wilcox, a great songwriter and player with super chops;

Mikeymac, I didn't know that David Wilcox played a Larrivée.  I really like his style and his songs.  Thanks for bringing him up.

I also read that Peter Yarrow's Larrivée had been stolen some time back and recently it had been found and returned to him, very much to his pleasure.  Not only did he love the guitar's sound, but it held a lot of sentimental memories.

Acoustic Guitar magazine (December 2006 issue) featured a 1975 Jean Larrivée Cutaway as it's 'Great Acoustics' guitar just inside the back cover.  This guitar was made by Jean to Bruce Cockburn's exacting specifications. The article states that, "One of Larrivée's first steel-string customers was Bruce Cockburn, for whom he ultimately made three instruments, including his first cutaway model, ...".  I believe that it was the first cutaway for both Cockburn and Larrivée.

[Novalis]

". . .  maybe Larrivee sells plenty of guitars without feeling the need to spend money on endorsements. . . .  I just like the anonymity of Larrivee - part of its charm."

My feelings exactly. The cost of endorsements would certainly raises the price of the guitars. One of the deciding factors in my choosing a Larrivee was the cost/quality ratio: I could not find a better quality guitar in my price range than the Larrivee SD-50, in fact, no other guitar-maker came close to value of Larrivee. If Larrivee had endorsement deals with well-known players, they simply could not keep the cost down. I didn't buy my Larrivee because somebody I like played it, I bought it strictly due to the good reputation for sound, quality, and value that Larrivee represents.

And yeah, I like the "anonymity" factor, too, but this is quickly becoming a thing of the past. A lot of the chain dealers are stocking Larrivees these days.

[Mikeymac]

canoe65,

Wilcox is pictured with a Larrivee on his 1991 'Home Again' CD (inside; you can't tell from the cover photo).  Great CD, BTW, but I love all his stuff.  

We had him do a concert at our church, which was great, because I got to spend some time with him before and after the concert.  He played me a few new songs he was working on (afterwards, when he got done eating and was just relaxing), and wanted my opinion on them (as they had some 'theological content,' and I'm a minister).  It was a real treat for me to sit down with one of my favorite artists, one on one, and hear some of his thought process as he works out new stuff.

[ducktrapper]

Perhaps you've gathered the wrong group of heroes? Seriously Larrivée is making guitars for the unknown guitar heroes who need a break when buying a first rate guitar. Kudos to Jean et al. Paisley now plays a McPherson. Well, he has more money to throw around now. He's not going to impress anyone but us with a cheap ol' D10. ;)

[SlowFingers]

Not a guitar hero, but Kyle Riabko plays a Larrivee too.

[Daysailer]

Some of those heros listed above, may be on another builder's payroll

I know Doyle Dykes tours for Taylor, giving clinic/concerts.   
Didnt dampen my enjoyment of his extrordinary skills when I saw him recently.

ds

[kwakatak]

Tommy Emmanuel has mentioned on a couple interviews and appearances that he likes Larrivees. He probably owns at least one, but he's known mostly for playing his Matons which he endorses with a sense of "patriotism".

[gskar]

well, let me make a few comments. I am deep into to fingerstyle, so all the guitarist mentioned my me all fingerstylists. I also love Di Meola who plays his ovation signature. Muriel Anderson plays larrivees too. But thinking more about it most of them have signature models, Gerhard and Degrassi Breedloves, Stotzem and Juber Martins etc. So they might not play larrivees for commercial reasons. I agree with most of the comments. The fact that they don't play larrivees does not reduce the pleasure i feel listening to them. I would just like it if it happened. 

[Betterbilt Fretted Products]

We have sold Larrivee guitars to many Stars that you would know instantly.  I will not name names except one............Norman Blake, in fact, has purchased from Betterbilt Fretted Products with his own money an SD50 T.S.B. and a Custom made SD60 Sunburst with Brazilian Back and Sides and a few Norman type custom features.

Gayl

[lewivee]

A good friend of mine is a constantly traveling performer in the country music arena and he owns a Larrivee (and about 20 other guitars) and he really likes them but he said that he has to take a guitar with him on the road that has a little more durability to it than Larrivees might, typically. He plays a well-worn Goodall that he's had worked on a time or two, as sturdy as it is. I think in a lot of cases that's why you see so many Takamines on stage so often -- they're hardly the very best-sounding guitar on the planet (a perfectly fine brand I'm sure) but they do sound good, play and amplify well and hold up pretty well to the hardships of road travel. There are of course lots of exceptions to this theory but that's one position.