J-03

[Queequeg]

B-stock arrived yesterday.

[Queequeg]

LR Baggs Anthem to be installed next week.
It's big.
It's a Jumbo.
I like it.
 

[jasonchamb]

I love the Js. Thought hard about a used J-03R lefty on Reverb a couple of weeks ago. Too soon, though.

[B0WIE]

Looks fantastic! Larrivee makes the most underrated J in the business.

[StringPicker6]

Stunning!!!!! Congrats! I have never held a jumbo. Are they comfy?

[Queequeg]

It's a beauty.
I was delighted with the wood, both top and back.
Two cute little dimples, left & right on a beautiful piece of Sitka.
The deep bold voice I was hoping for from a J delivers the goods.
 

[B0WIE]

 My most fond memory of my Larrivee J is the way the unwound strings sound so rich and fat. That guitar had a really old piece of Sitka, like yours. I counted the rings once, out of boredom, and lost count around 300 per-side!

[Queequeg]

Stunning!!!!! Congrats! I have never held a jumbo. Are they comfy?

Lower bout is 17 inches.

Lots of people over 50 with shoulder issues complain that they are too big for them.
I'm fortunate that my shoulders are still in good shape.

[unclrob]

I had a J05 that I wish I never sold.I'd love to have one again but I would love a J03,BUT at my age and no more gigs for me and not having the quid I'll just droil.One thing about jumbo's they make you sit up right,though both of shoulder are f***ed the size never bothered me,


Congrats

[William2]

I've been curious about the jumbo for some time. Is it more powerful than a dreadnought? Does its tighter shape at the waist make it better for fingerstyle? I've seen players use it successfully with fingerstyle. Is the instrument more responsive with a mahogany tone wood or rosewood. And what bracing system would work best with an instrument this large?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOv9yKaouXM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms0O-E0ZKEw

[Queequeg]

I've been curious about the jumbo for some time. Is it more powerful than a dreadnought? Does its tighter shape at the waist make it better for fingerstyle? I've seen players use it successfully with fingerstyle. Is the instrument more responsive with a mahogany tone wood or rosewood. And what bracing system would work best with an instrument this large?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOv9yKaouXM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms0O-E0ZKEw

I've been playing this J-03 for only just two days, primarily tuned DGDGBE.
It's one inch wider than a dread, and deeper, too (4.875 vs 4.75). Scale length is the same (25.5).
So it would make sense to me, anyway, that it is louder with greater 'bottom end' than the dread but I don't have a dread to compare it to.
Jumbo is round shouldered vs square shouldered on a dread.

Personally I don't think one body style is better than another for fingerstyle. YMMV.
I'm never one to discuss bracing. I guess my ears are simply not sufficiently discrete, although I tried unsuccessfully for about 30 minutes to capture a photo of the bracing on this guitar.
All I succeeded in doing was dropping a 6 inch wooden skewer inside the body which I was attempting to manipulate my camera with.
That took me another 5 minutes or so to retrieve.

Just a quick note to add that this guitar arrived with a setup that is just right for me, although admittedly, I may have a somewhat greater tolerance for variation in this regard.

[StringPicker6]

From a Gibson standpoint, their jumbos are typically built with maple backs and sides. I'm not sure if they are long scale or short scale.

[Queequeg]

From a Gibson standpoint, their jumbos are typically built with maple backs and sides. I'm not sure if they are long scale or short scale.

J200 (or SJ200) is 25.5 scale.

[B0WIE]

 I found the Larrivee J to be louder than my Larrivee dreads, and comparable to Larrivee SDs. The jumbos go to a certain volume, then compress. It's quite easy to get them to be LOUD. The SDs have more dynamic punch with less compression, but you have to play them harder.
For comparison, Gibson jumbos sound more full in the midrange while Larrivees have more bass and highs, some of that being down to the scale.

I found it quite comfortable for the way I play, though most may not.
Mine had maple back and sides but it was surprisingly similar to the rosewood 09 I played. I've never heard two guitars with such different woods sound so similar.
I wouldn't even consider asking them to try different bracing as the top is so massive that getting a balanced tone is quite an achievement. It's hard to express just how much more resonant surface area there is compared to something like an L or OM unless you have them in-person. My J is the first guitar where I got a camera in to look at the braces because it fascinated me how they were able to balance that thing so well. 

[Queequeg]

Here it is again with the Anthem installed and the p/g removed.
Sustain on this guitar surpasses all my others by a wide margin.

[BlueBowman]

How do you like the Anthem? I have a guitar in route that has one installed. I know I've used other LR Baggs pickups in the past, but I'm blanking on the Anthem.

Looks great minus PG.

[Queequeg]

How do you like the Anthem? I have a guitar in route that has one installed. I know I've used other LR Baggs pickups in the past, but I'm blanking on the Anthem.

Looks great minus PG.

I've had the Anthem in a OMV40 for about a year now and I'm pleased with the output.
It's good for live play. Probably less suitable for recording.
I use it every week in a venue of approximately 60 overstuffed seats and tables with a 30 foot ceiling.

[Queequeg]

Inside the J-03.

[StringPicker6]

I could live inside that clean interior.

So, would you say your jumbo is comfortable to sit down and play with? I gave up on dreads because of their size, and I've never tried a jumbo.

[B0WIE]

I could live inside that clean interior.

So, would you say your jumbo is comfortable to sit down and play with? I gave up on dreads because of their size, and I've never tried a jumbo.

I won't speak for him but my experience was that it's a different experience. The 'waist' causes a jumbo to sit very differently on your leg and sort of fall into a pocket in a way dreads don't quite do. The massive lower bout is noticeable though and has to be worked around. I think it would present a challenge to those with even mild right shoulder problems. But, if you sit in classical position, the dynamic changes entirely. Then, the bout becomes irrelevant to the arm and you have to take on a wider seated position.

 Dreads have a bit of a clunky body shape and I do think the jumbo is a little more ergonomic. But, if you gave up on dreads I'd say a jumbo is a definite "try before you buy".