L Vs. Om

[jwsamuel]

Hi,

I have been looking for an OM or 000 size guitar to go with my Martin D28. I am not at all familiar with the Larrivee line and looked at an OM-03 the other day at a nearby store and was impressed by it. I want the guitar primarily for fingerpicking and light strumming as I will have my D28 for flatpicking.

The only Larrivees I have ever seen in perseon were the OM-03 and the D-03. From the sizes given on the Larrivee Web site, it looks like the L is somewhere in between.

My question is if the extra size of the L over the OM makes it less suitable for fingerpicking? I like the 1-3/4" nut. I am a fairly big person at 6-2, so I am not concerned about the guitar being physically too big but that the size will make it less suitable for fingerpicking.

And thoughts are welcome.

Thanks,

Jim

[Fredmando]

Welcome Jim: I think you came to the right place. You will get a a lot of good feedback here. I am not a fingerpicker, but I think that both the L and the OM are sought after by fingerpickers. I'm a flatpicker-wannabe and found the OM to be too small for my tastes.
I have an LSV-05 that does very well as a strummer/light picker, but I am sure it would sing as a fingerstyle guitar.
These are great guitars and a perfect companion to a Martin, in my opinion.
--Fred :D  

[pigtown]

That's a tough one.  The neck is the same on the L and OM.  The decision might depend on what body size you prefer.  The L is slightly larger, and I don't know that I dare say slightly louder, or just a bit more complex or "blended" in that the sound can bounce around in the box more before coming out the sound hole.  But I rarely use a pick and love the L, yet have an OM as well.  Honestly don't know what I'd do if it came down to one or the other.  What was available at the moment of purchase might influence me, as to which wood I wanted at the time such as koa over rosewood, etc., or if one had outrageous flame and the other was a plain jane.

[sawdustdave]

I have an OM, and had an L until recently. My main ax is my Martin JC, and the L is almost the same size - both have a 16" lower bout. The OM is smaller, but I can't say either was louder than the other. Different, but that's as much due to wood type as size.

[jwsamuel]

Dave,

Did you find that the L gave a nice sound for fingerstyle? Was the sound similar to the OM?

Jim

[Ratishna]

This topic seems to come up about once a week around here.  Check the archives for stimulating discussion of the L vs. OM body debate.

E. Shoaf

[jwieties]

The "L" is really designed as a fingerstyle guitar as it states on the Larrivee website.  It is essentially a oversized classical shape.  As luck would have it... it is also an excellent strummer. I truly think the "L" is perhaps the most versatile guitar on the market and a real gift that Larrivee offers to the acoustic guitar world.
-josh

[UoftheBlues]

I find the OM to have a little more note separation.  The L is more of a blended sounds as was mentioned above.  I like them both. I would select the L, if I had to pick only one, because it may be a little more versatile.

Wade

[jwsamuel]

This topic seems to come up about once a week around here.  Check the archives for stimulating discussion of the L vs. OM body debate.

E. Shoaf

I tried to search for that and could not come up with anything. I guess I used the wrong search terms.

JIm

[lewivee]

I described my playing in very much the same way about two years ago to Matthew Larrivee and he suggested the L body to me. I think he was right. Five months ago I finally bought an LV-03E and love it. But that's just me....

[freeindeed]

I play fingerstyle on my L but find that it is a little  better strummer. The Om just seems so much more responsive to a light touch so I play it fingerstyle almost exclusively. I honestly believe the L body can do both pretty well.

                               Chris

[jwsamuel]

The Om just seems so much more responsive to a light touch so I play it fingerstyle almost exclusively.

Thanks Chris. I think I'll wait to find an OM. I know and OM will do what I want. I'm afraid that if I settle for an L, I'll regret it and still want an OM.

Jim

[freeindeed]

Hey Jim,
 I don't know if you'd regret buying an L or not. I bought an L because I knew it was capable of being a fingerstyle guitar or a strummer/flatpicker. I do alot of strumming at church so the L does a great job. When I got an om03 it just seemed so much more natural to play it fingerstyle. I think alot has to do with the smaller body, just feels more comfortable. If you only play fingerstyle, go with the om (IMO). Don't get me wrong though, the om doesn't sound bad when strummed. It just isn't it's strong point. Just do what I did....buy both! B)

                                         Chris

[jwsamuel]

Chris, I already have a Martin D28 that I use for flatpicking. I want an OM-style for fingerpicking only, so that's why I think I am probably best off waiting to find what I want.

Jim

[freeindeed]

I gotcha. May I suggest the Om-03r :D

                           Chris

[jwsamuel]

I gotcha. May I suggest the Om-03r :D

                           Chris

I gotcha. May I suggest the Om-03r :D

That's one of the guitars on my list.

Jim

[jwsamuel]

Thanks to all for the opinions.

Notable Guitars had a good price on the OM-03R so I just ordered one of those.

Jim

[jwieties]

Thanks to all for the opinions.

Notable Guitars had a good price on the OM-03R so I just ordered one of those.

Jim

Great choice!!!
Looking forward to hearing a review.
-josh

[kwakatak]

Congratulations! That should be quite a pair of guitars you will have. You will not be disappointed.

[jwsamuel]

Congratulations! That should be quite a pair of guitars you will have. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks Neil. I wanted to make sure the second guitar was significantly different from the D28 in both tone and feel. I think the OM-03R will accomplish that.

Jim