DV-05e - 1st Guitar

[clairelynchfan]

Hello to all you out there -

I am a 19 year old girl going of to college in August. Recently I bought a used 2001 DV-05e on Ebay for $800, I am still waiting to get it in the mail.  I bought a Larrivee because a guitar crazy friend of mine from Toronto raves about them, and he has a ton of instruments and seems to know his stuff pretty well. I chose a dreadnought because most of my musician friends have them, and they seem to be the ones best for bluegrass flat-picking. While I don't really need the pick-up on it I liked that it had the cut-away, purely for aesthetic purposes. The 05's also seem to be of slightly higher quality than the 03's and since this one was going for only about $200 more than the regular D-03's I thought I'd spring for it. My ideal guitar would have been this one, but with rosewood (like the 09), as I prefer a higher tone, but they were all above my price range.

It will be my first ever guitar, and I don't really know much about them.  I am wondering did I make a good choice overall? And for a first one?
[As of now the only things I can really play are Carter Family and Jean Ritchie songs on my Autoharp.]

Thanks.

[broKen]

You made a very good choice. And if you decide to change to another model later, yours has good trade value. I would have advised a smaller model for mere comfort, but you'll learn of all your options as time goes on. Stop in from time to time for any info you may want.

[nolifebutbmx]

hey, congratulations. i think as a first instrument, your getting an amazing tool to learn on and also something you wont want to get rid of once you know what your doing.

you first guitar is a beautiful thing. stick with playing and you will grow into as it becomes a part of you. hurray!

[LeftyBlake]

I wish my first guitar was a Larrivee. I had to wait about five years before I got one. Congrats.

[Riverbend]

You made an excellent choice, and as your ability and appreciation for fine instruments grows, you'll understand that even more. Be aware, though, that you've established a pretty high watermark for any future guitar aquisitions! IMHO, Larrivees are quite simply some of the very finest being made today, and dollar for dollar, perhaps the very best. Forty plus year player here, first Larrivee just recently, and I absolutely love it! I wish I'd know of them at your age. Congratulations, and thank your friend for solid advice.   

[teh]

You picked a nice model that can be used for everything from strumming to flatpicking and fingerstyle.  

I took my son, his brother in law (who owns and L-03R) and his buddy to Trinity Guitars about five years ago to find a guitar. After a couple of hours of playing a bunch of Martins and Larrivees he purchased a D-05 for some of the same reasons you mentioned and Larrivee does a great job with mahogany and venetian cutaways.

Since it's your first guitar, don't be afraid to start off with light gauge strings until the calluses on your fingers toughen up. I string all of my guitars with light gauge and they work fine for me. Since you bought it online, ask your guitar crazy friend to help you set it up (If he knows how to do that) or point you in the right direction. This will make a huge difference.

One more thing: Be careful with your guitar at college on several fronts. Store it in a safe place, make sure it's properly humidified and kept in the case.

P.S. You mentioned that you play the autoharp. I do hope you have been listening to Bryan Bowers too.

[Tuba Mike]

 Hello and welcome to the forum.    .   

As you might guess, you will get a somewhat biased few from this bunch but biases aside, you picked a great first guitar.  My first guitar was a Seagull S6 dread and after 5 years I wanted to trade up.  After a lot (and I mean a lot) of research and guitar trying, I settled on Larrivee.  You got it right the first time!  Enjoy your new toy when it arrives and may you have many years of pleasure with it. 

Tuba Mike

P.S.  It probably won't be your last Larrivee. 

[Koamon]

Trust me, you got a great guitar at a great price. The cutaway and the electronics even make your acquisition better.
It is a 12 year old guitar, so the woods should be openning up real nice. Don't fret about not getting a rosewood. Tone-wise
a mahogany body, is more balanced string to string and articulates better imho. The tone of rosewood bodies are darker and deeper sounding. They are both great tone woods that sound different, not necessarily better. Many think that rosewood guitars are better because they are more expensive. It's the cost of the wood is what drives the price. In the long run you my find you like the sound of mahogany better...

Congrats and welcome to the club! 

[L07 Shooting Star]

You picked a nice model that can be used for everything from strumming to flatpicking and fingerstyle.  

I took my son, his brother in law (who owns and L-03R) and his buddy to Trinity Guitars about five years ago to find a guitar. After a couple of hours of playing a bunch of Martins and Larrivees he purchased a D-05 for some of the same reasons you mentioned and Larrivee does a great job with mahogany and venetian cutaways.

Since it's your first guitar, don't be afraid to start off with light gauge strings until the calluses on your fingers toughen up. I string all of my guitars with light gauge and they work fine for me. Since you bought it online, ask your guitar crazy friend to help you set it up (If he knows how to do that) or point you in the right direction. This will make a huge difference.

One more thing: Be careful with your guitar at college on several fronts. Store it in a safe place, make sure it's properly humidified and kept in the case.
P.S. You mentioned that you play the autoharp. I do hope you have been listening to Bryan Bowers too.

I might be stating the obvious, but I will add that you should make it known from the start, to any and all your college friends (and anyone else for that matter), that they are not to handle your guitar without your permission and without your presence.

Welcome to the forum from Kurt in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

[brandon]

Great choice! It took me about five years to step up to a larrivee.you have a lifelong keeper guitar.

[CJ]

I'm quite fond of my 2001 DV-05E. You got a good deal on it. Cool thing about the electronics in that model, it has a stereo output. There's a switch on the control module that allows you to switch the output from mixed sources (the microphone and under saddle transducer) or separate outputs. To make use of separate outputs for recording, you just use a 1/4" TRS to Y 1/4" mono cable. Nice for being able to track your guitar output to 2 separate tracks to get a better sound during mixdown.

The sliders on mine needed a little TV Tuner cleaner (Radio Shack) to work more smoothly / silently. If ever I started playing out again, it would be my 'gigging' guitar ... I'd be afraid to take the other 2 out of the house.

[clairelynchfan]

Thank you all for your kind and helpfully remarks!

Unfortunately something came up today forcing me to sell by "new baby". 
Anyone care to buy it from me?
Make offer.