How did you find Larrivee?

[Rockysdad]

I grew up in the Toronto area, a friend of mine got one and later on when I became more serious about all things guitar, I started to acquire them.

[teh]

Congratulations on a nice find. As the owner of a custom shop build it's important to remember that these guitars are built by Martin's most experienced employees. They also put extra effort into selecting better grades of wood for their custom builds. My custom 000 has a Sitka spruce top that is listed on the build sheet as grade 5/6 which is better than a standard 18 series guitar. The three piece mahogany back/sides are a cut above the standard grade too.

Having said that, I'm confident that the wood selected for each of my Larrivees was hand selected and/or  inspected by Jean, John Jr. or Matthew Larrivee. While I've never been bothered by the plastic used on my Martins, the maple binding used on my Larrivees is a cut above. It's also interesting to read about the development of the orchestra model between banjo player Perry Bechtel and C.F. Martin III back in the 1930s. The Sitka/Rosewood wood combination used on my OM-35 makes it a keeper but I won't part with any of my Larrivees either.

[guitarman001]

Oooohhh I would LOVE to hear demos of your Sitka/hog if you have any? My ears seem to favour adi+EIR and Sitka+hog. I think Sitka is mellower, warmer, deeper bass and suits mahogany really well. Agree that the custom shop models have always been a cut above. I think the reason I'm liking the EIR is that the bracing coupled with the adi top is giving the guitar a real thrum which is incredibly similar to the type of thrum that I like in mahogany guitars (I find my OM05 and newly acquired om28 sound ironically quite similar, in many ways). The plastic binding isn't great.

They are all winners. Dying to see what the 60th model will be (and hoping I have the $$$ to consider a buy)

[B0WIE]

Probably worth mentioning, Martin isn't grading woods on tone but on cosmetics, which is also what Larrivee does for gloss vs satin models. Visual quality can sometimes indicate things that lend to stiffness but, generally speaking, you're not getting a better sounding top. That's why the lower level Larrivees are such fantastic value.

[guitarman001]

Totally agree and great point. It's amazing that we get tops like moon spruce on 03 models..

[Silence Dogood]

Probably worth mentioning, Martin isn't grading woods on tone but on cosmetics, which is also what Larrivee does for gloss vs satin models. Visual quality can sometimes indicate things that lend to stiffness but, generally speaking, you're not getting a better sounding top. That's why the lower level Larrivees are such fantastic value.

This is one of the things that stood out to me when I discovered Larrivee guitars back in the day.  I would always wonder how an 03 model could sound as good (or better) than the much fancier and more expensive guitars on the shop wall?  I didn't realize back then that good tone didn't have anything to do with aesthetics. 

I miss seeing Larrivees in my local shops.  Around here, there is really only Charley's in Dallas where I'll sometimes see a used one on the wall, and sometimes I'll see a used one in the Arlington GC.  But on the other hand, the rarity makes it a lot of fun when I do run across one.  I remember a few years ago at Charley's someone had a whole slew of Larrivees on consignment.  All of them were from the late 90s/early 2000s.  I played a few of them and they were all great. 

[guitarman001]

I can't get over how truly, truly, TRULY awesome the p-03 is. I think the parlours might be my favourite guitars. 24" scale warmth, the compression that comes with the smaller body (which gives the unique sound), the solid build quality, the amazing Larrivee mahogany tone, 12 fret lower bridge placement goodness and the thin satin finish. I honestly love these little things.

[BlueBowman]

I can't get over how truly, truly, TRULY awesome the p-03 is. I think the parlours might be my favourite guitars. 24" scale warmth, the compression that comes with the smaller body (which gives the unique sound), the solid build quality, the amazing Larrivee mahogany tone, 12 fret lower bridge placement goodness and the thin satin finish. I honestly love these little things.

The parlor is the only model from Larrivee I've yet to play, but I know people really love them. A 00 I'm in for, but I wonder if a parlor might be a bridge too far for me size-wise.

Congrats on your OM-28. The best (and most articulate) Martin I owned was an OM-18V. The first two days after a string change, that guitar would sing. But after that, it got too "muddy" for me (I finger pick with bare flesh). I am now Martin-less, but that was a wonderful sounding guitar, and if
I only played in the open position, I'd probably still have it. Hope you enjoy yours!

[guitarman001]

Thank you, Sir (and it's great to be able to mention the big "M" here without any judgement).
Sound clip (phone recording) of the OM28 here if interested!
This is basically the same but a OOO.

For some time I've hankered for that punchy sound in the bass so when I tried it and found it to be something special, I put the credit card down. Insanely expensive, though. What will be interesting, is comparing the Martin and Larrivee over a period of time. I tried the L-05 and OM-40 to try and get that touch more punch but I vastly preferred the sound of my OM-02/05 and P-03 to those. I tried the adi-topped OM18s with GE bracing -> really nice but I think mahogany goes better with sitka, personally. I find sitka to be warmer and with a deeper bass which I think complements the mahogany well (I quite like adi with rosewood... I feel rosewood is a harder wood and having the harder top really brings it alive - maybe also why I love my moon spruce P-03R as the moon spruce can be hit hard).

I'm still the "mahogany man" but I find this OM28 to be very, very close to mahogany (or at least Martin's build sound gets there). The punchy bass of these guitars can die out quickly unless hit hard and I found their mahogany guitars (with inherently less bass) saw the bass drop off quite quickly. With the rosewood back & sides, the bass is that bit deeper (so it doesn't die away) and with the GE bracing there is a real thrum to it, sort of like mahogany - plus there's the richness of rosewood there. Rosewood = deep, mahogany = warm. I think with mahogany, the softer wood absorbs some of the sound waves and they swirl around before they come out of the guitar. It has its own resonance and melds the notes together, and coupled with that growl, is easier and more interesting to my ear (generally). Only some builders can make it sound rich and Larrivee imo is still one of the best (if not THE best) for mahogany. My OM05 and OM28 bear remarkable tonal similarities.

Compare this OOO18 to the OM05.
OOO18
OM05

The Martin has the nice nasally tone but imo the Larrivee (and yes it's a bigger body) has more presence, I'd arguably say as much bass (and longer sustaining), and more volume. I'd give the Larrivee 10/10 there and the Martin 6-7/10. There is a remarkable (truly) mids-treble richness in the tone of the Larrivee traditionally braced guitars which I can hear from a mile off.

I did try an OM18 with sitka top (and GE bracing) once but passed on it (probably since it was so close to my Larrivee being same woods). I probably should have bought it. I think the rosewood OM28 and mahogany OM05 is a great combo. Rosewood imo can sometimes lack punch. Mahogany inherently has punch (which is why I think it works so well on traditionally braced Larrivee's). The added punch from the Martin bracing on the rosewood is really what makes it (saying this I saw a "Guitar Gallery" demo of a moon spruce OM60 vs sitka OM28 and imo the OM60 was the better guitar). I reckon Larrivee 12 fret rosewoods achieve similar punch (this LSV-09 sounds insanely good, for example).

I know what you mean about the sound muffling on your old OM18 after some days... those guitars can really sing until the strings start to die out a bit. It's funny as some (only some) vintage Martins can sound incredible but many more, to my ears, sound flat. However, MOST "vintage" Larrivee's I hear mature into having a really, REALLY nice sound. They age incredibly well.

So re body size...

- The L was (for me) too deep and the sound "too much" (I have a touch of tinnitus and was too loud)

- The OM has less bass but more mid-range thrum/roar which I love.

- I only have a Northwood (deep body) OO (adi/hog) with lower bridge placement and interestingly, the sound-hole to bridge distance is maintained as the bridge moves down (on Larrivee, the distance increases because the sound-hole stays put). I do notice a hell of a lot of thrum from this guitar (listen here) but the slightly shorter scale and smaller body size means less of a bass punch than my OM05 (also no scalloping).

- P-03 is incredible. Hog = warm and what can be warmer than pairing it with sitka and reducing the scale length to 24" (plus the wide-distance sound-hole to bridge spacing plus the lower bridge placement). The scale length reduction really makes it. There is an O-18 in my local store which I might try out today (14 fret, though) to compare. I think I might actually like this the best of all (on some days... other days the OM05 I think is the best all-rounder). They're like little collectibles, take up very little room and I just cannot stop playing the parlours when I pick them up. Compare the OM-10 below to the (wild grain, private reserve) P-09... I have to say that I prefer the sound of the P-09 by some margin. Just did a phone recording of the p-03 (all fingers, excuse the playing!!) here. Listen that that spongey/punchy/plosive sou0nd - love it! For good measure, here is the P-03R JCL with moon top (I am more and more starting to appreciate rosewood)

OM10
P-09 wild grain



--> I just re-read what I wrote here and I realise I need to get a 12 fret Larrivee rosewood or similar (well, other than my P-03R which sounds exactly like this, for completeness - what a sound). Roll on the 60th model!!

[guitarman001]

I first Larrivee after 10-15 years of solid electric playing.

I started on a classical and I guess I came full circle back to some form of acoustic playing.

It was at some random store and I swear I tried nearly every guitar in there, no exaggeration.

I almost left the store but then the store owner said I should try this new brand that they got in stock.
He handed me my OM-02 and it was love at first hold / strum. I played that for 10+ years until lockdown when I acquired lots more.

[Queequeg]

I first Larrivee after 10-15 years of solid electric playing.

I started on a classical and I guess I came full circle back to some form of acoustic playing.

It was at some random store and I swear I tried nearly every guitar in there, no exaggeration.

I almost left the store but then the store owner said I should try this new brand that they got in stock.
He handed me my OM-02 and it was love at first hold / strum. I played that for 10+ years until lockdown when I acquired lots more.

"Lockdown" sure was good for the guitar industry, 
  
Anyone who didn't buy a guitar back then got a puppy.

[guitarman001]

Very true!! 

[teh]

Blue Bowman

FWIW, my first good guitar was a dreadnought which I played almost every day from 1997 to 2004 until I bought my second good, make that great, guitar: a Larrivee Parlor. Built during the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, I spent more than a year looking and played over 100 guitars before I bought my Martin D-35 for my 21st birthday for $600. 27 years later, I walked into a room filled with Larrivee Guitars including five Parlors and walked out with my first Larrivee, a Special Edition model for $570 including an upgraded hardshell case. Based on 21 years of playing a parlor, I have observed that people either love them or they don't. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground but I happen to love mine. It's the perfect porch picking/travel guitar on the opposite end of the spectrum from a dreadnought. My parlor spends a lot of time at my son's house because it's his favorite guitar of mine. YMMV.

[Silence Dogood]

I spent more than a year looking and played over 100 guitars before I bought my Martin D-35 for my 21st birthday for $600.

That's the exact price I paid for my D-03BW back in 2003.  I've spent a ton more on strings and things for that guitar since.   Hard to believe I've gotten so much enjoyment out of that simple purchase.  My love of this guitar and the way it has enriched my playing life is beyond any price tag.  Even crazy expensive guitars are bargains when seen in this way. 

[guitarman001]

I think Sitka, in particular, pairs well with mahogany. Both woods are warm and the Sitka melds the notes together nicely and adds a little bass as compared to Adirondack. The 24" scale of the parlour adds even MORE warmth. And then the 12 fret lower bridge placement adds even MORE warmth plus a bit of that plosive sound (but since not scalloped, the note lasts longer and the mids aren't hollowed out). It might just be the best mahogany guitar ever!

[Pilgrim]

I think I first took notice of Larrivee many years ago when Little Brother (Doug Jones) was speaking highly of them.

[nctom]

I ran into Larrivee guitars totally by accident back in the early 90's. I was casting around, buying all sorts of Martin's, Gibsons , and others, but was dissatisfied. I ordered a used, early 80' L09 from Guitar Center and was gobsmacked. It was beautiful and sounded better than anything I had played in more than 20 years of searching. I foolishly sold it, but have owned other, usually smaller, models since then. Larrivee truly builds great guitars for less money than any other maker working.

[BlueBowman]

Blue Bowman

FWIW, my first good guitar was a dreadnought which I played almost every day from 1997 to 2004 until I bought my second good, make that great, guitar: a Larrivee Parlor. Built during the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, I spent more than a year looking and played over 100 guitars before I bought my Martin D-35 for my 21st birthday for $600. 27 years later, I walked into a room filled with Larrivee Guitars including five Parlors and walked out with my first Larrivee, a Special Edition model for $570 including an upgraded hardshell case. Based on 21 years of playing a parlor, I have observed that people either love them or they don't. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground but I happen to love mine. It's the perfect porch picking/travel guitar on the opposite end of the spectrum from a dreadnought. My parlor spends a lot of time at my son's house because it's his favorite guitar of mine. YMMV.

A guitar player who owns both a parlor and a dread? Respect 

[guitarman001]

I've been through quite a lot of their mahogany guitars and to cut a long story short, I've been on and off re selling the one that started it all - my now-aged OM02, because I have an OM05. But played it today and what a guitar... As I say, it's aged really well, I put a k&k in it and basically it's not worth selling this beast when it's outplaying instruments costing 10x what I paid.

[StringPicker6]

This is the voice of reason: Keep that OM-02!!!!