D 50

[sutton]

I don't see much in the the threads about the D 50 ....I've never played one and I have a D 03 that i really like as much-if not more than my Martin  D 18 V...Anybody have one that can tell me a little about how they play and sound.... I'm thinking of mail ordering one from Wisconsin....?  Any thoughts are much appreciated....Jon :)

[Old Neil]

As it happens, I was playing one of these a few days ago. Beautiful fit and finish including engraved tuners and flamed maple binding.
Tone wise, It has a nice sharp attack with that mahogany bite and sparkle. The sustain envelope is typically Larrivée with a smooth, uncluttered finish.
This guitar would be a great choice for lead lines, bluegrass and light strumming. Harder strumming might make it sound a touch harsh - at least while the guitar is new. That is, it may well mellow a bit with age and playing time. Overall its sound is balanced but still good bass. The SD-50 would be a choice if you want more boom and resonance to the bass frequencies. The D-50's bass is better for faster playing as it 'gets out of the way' faster after its initial impressive attack.
Things to consider: The 1&11/16" neck is often the preference for lead line flatpickers but may feel cramped to others. The sound from the large sound hole can be deceptive to the player so I'd recommend testing one with a friend so you can listen to it from a distance in front of the guitar as well. Other than those considerations "its all good" as Ari from Entourage would say...

[jwsamuel]

I have a D-50 and it is my favorite guitar of all I have owned. In comparison, I have also owned a Larrivee D-03 and D-03R, a martin D28 and a Martin D35.

The D-50 has the most balanced sound of all of them. It is equally strong across every string and has a loud sound with a lot of depth to it. It has more bass than the D-03 I had and more trebles than the D-03R. The D-50 does not have the bass of the Martin D-28 or D-35, but it also does not have the muddiness of either of those two. The D-50 has plenty of bass, so don't think it is lacking in that department. The D-50, like most Larrivees I have played, is crisper than either of the Martins I 've owned.

The D-50 has a 1-11/16" nut but it has fairly wide string spacing and is very easy to play. In contrast, I have a Guild D-50 Bluegrass Special that also has a 1-11/16" nut with much narrower string spacing. I am going to put a new nut on the Guild to match the Larrivee. I've gone through a lot of guitars in the past couple years trying to find one that is right for me. I've found it in the D-50 and this looks like it will be the one I keep. It's the one I pick up 90% of the time when I am going to play.

The build quality and finish on them is really good. And, they are priced right.

Jim