Larrivee P-01K

[LawDogStrgsAttach]

I just received a used (2001) P-01K.  No body bindings, just ivoroid on fretboard - otherwise no decor.  Quality straight-grained spruce, nice aging color.  Koa is not flamed, but it has a lot of erratic figuring, kinda like bearclaw in some places.  Nice orange and darker gold streaking, but definitely "players quality."

This is my second P-01; I had the older model (no bindings at all) in mahogany.  That one, like this, sounded stellar - like a guitar much larger that it. 

Bass is great on the light touch, but can get drowned by the mids.  But the mids reverberate.  Wonderfully.  Treble is satisfactory, happily not "tingy" as can be the case in a small instrument.  Volume again is huge beyond its size...and of course the small size itself makes it tremendously comfortable to play.  Flawless construction, great action with plenty of room in the saddle.

Don't get me wrong...I love this guitar.  But what I do not understand is the deep love some have for koa.  Frankly, my original P-01 was a bit better balanced and a tinge louder, though both have super creamy tone overall.  Can others tell me what the hear in koa that makes it so well loved?  Or is it simply rarity and asthetics that draw its devotees?  I am not bashing the koa krowd...just wondering if my ears are doing me justice.  Granted, I've never played another Larry koa, but I have played many other higher-end koas and still cannot find that sweetness surpassing mahogany, a good rosewood, or walnut.

I bought this at a super-low price as an investment, but looks like it will be a keeper...but the koa devotion strikes me right now as I cannot see how it is much better than other woods.  I would like to try a P-01Walnut for comparison to be sure it is just not the parlor size that commands the similarity in tone.  May be I'll fish for a trade???

[Denis]

Nice catch...have you tried mediums on a parlor yet?  It's been said here before and I will echo the statement, mediums on a parlor are almost easier to play then lights on an OM/L/D...etc anything with a longer scale basically.  You should give it a try if you haven't already.

[sixpickn]

Having played a variety of koa bodies of various brands against other woods (apples to apples), I tend to agree (ducking).  Almost across the board the koas were quieter, which is curious, but that's what I hear.  While it can be some of the most exceptionally figured, the sound to me is merely Blackwood without the steroids.  :mellow:  Which to some may be the perfect sound.  It sure makes a pretty uke though.

[LawDogStrgsAttach]

Forgot to mention about the finish...it seems very nice and thin on the back to the point where you can feel the grain beneath.  Have others noticed this with their Larry satin guitars?

Yes...I am a fan of mediums as well.

[tak2larri]

Forgot to mention about the finish...it seems very nice and thin on the back to the point where you can feel the grain beneath.  Have others noticed this with their Larry satin guitars?

Yes, my D-03BW is the same way.  There are spots on the back where I can feel the grain pretty distinctly.  Kinda weirds me out/worries me, but I guess it's ok.   -_-

[mazareth]

I'm not a fan of Koa, too shimmery and not enough bass for me. From aesthetics though among the more common tonewoods, it's awesome. The only thing I like to drool over more looks-wise is flamed or quilted maple. My Washburn koa is going in for some warranty work and then is being sold... I have to say that the players who like koa seem to R E A L L Y like koa...

I have heard form several guitar guys and luthiers that Koa take longer to really open up...

[wyodeb]

I like the koa tone better in my parlor than I did in my OM. Maybe because the bridge placement in a 12-fret guitar adds some bass that koa would otherwise lack. How much had it been played before it came to you? I did notice that Koa seems to take a long time to "open up." My parlor sounds better now than it did when I got it. I like the way the koa darkens the tone compared to mahogany, without all the overtones of rosewood.

Deb