Have any of you who once owned high-end guitar come back to Larrivee???

[SongMan]

Have any of you who once owned high end guitar(1500 or less build per year) come back to Larrivee???
IF yes,
Any regrets?
What highend guitar did you own?
Why did you make such a switch?

I for one just sold my Collings Dread and have Larrivee LV-09E on the way. My main reason was the size. THe dread is bit too big and OM is bit too small.
I owned mutiple Collings and Santa Cruz guitars at diffferent times. I always sold my Larrivees to finance Collings and sold Collings to to finance Larrivee.
It seems as if everytime I have a nice Larrivee guitar, I want Collings or Santa Cruz and vice versa.
I'm kind of curious to how many of you made the switch from highend guitar to Larrivee.

[Walkerman]

My Larrivees ARE highend guitars....

[bhika]

My Larrivees ARE highend guitars....

[SongMan]

My Larrivees ARE highend guitars....

OK, Let me correct my question.
Those who once onwned guitars from a compny who builds less than 1500 guitars a year.

[Steve]

OK, Let me correct my question.
Those who once onwned guitars from a compny who builds less than 1500 guitars a year.

Just because they are small companies doesn't mean they make a better guitar than Larrivee.


I also think my Larrivees are high end guitars.

[oiof2001]

Welcom back Songman..~~

[Blue in VT]

My Larrivees ARE highend guitars....

I doubt I'll ever own a guitar fancier than my 05MT....or one that sounds better...

Glad to hear that you keep coming back to Larrivee...just stay this time!!!



Blue

[bigmo]

My collar is not only blue, but has grease on it! Larrivee is high end here too    I can't even say Froggy Bottom, Olson or Collings without putting on my best leisure suit 

[bluesman67]

If you want better sound from a guitar, play it better.

[canoe65]

Hey SongMan, just to be difficult, I consider that my Larrivée is THE high-end guitar.

Many big name guitar companies may make guitars that are more expensive, but they don't make them better.

The way I see it, you don't come 'back' to Larrivée ..... you come 'up' to a Larrivée.

[imwjl]

Have any of you who once owned high end guitar(1500 or less build per year) come back to Larrivee???
IF yes,
Any regrets?
What highend guitar did you own?
Why did you make such a switch?

I for one just sold my Collings Dread and have Larrivee LV-09E on the way. My main reason was the size. THe dread is bit too big and OM is bit too small.
I owned mutiple Collings and Santa Cruz guitars at diffferent times. I always sold my Larrivees to finance Collings and sold Collings to to finance Larrivee.
It seems as if everytime I have a nice Larrivee guitar, I want Collings or Santa Cruz and vice versa.
I'm kind of curious to how many of you made the switch from highend guitar to Larrivee.

I would have to agree with the other posts. Maybe you meant boutique, small maker or custom. My 3 series is not fancy, but it played and sounded better than some guitars more than twice it's price. Some credit might be due to the shop that is a repair specialist and makes a point of going over all the guitars they sell, but I could only find trim as a real difference between it and more expensive models.

Sound is subjective, and I might be crazy by some because I also chose sapele over same thing in rosewood and walnut. It was not because of price because I started out shopping for rosewood Martins that were much more expensive. Maybe my loud and lively sound is wrong, but I like it and my wife does not banish me to the basement as is the case with my Strat and Ovation.

[SongMan]

Guys!
I really didn't mean to ask if Larrivee was highend guitar or not. I know where Larrivee is in terms of quality and craftsmanship.
So, if you are stating Larrivee is highend because of this that and that, plesase remember that I am asking to those who came back or"up" to Larrivee.

[dberch]

OK, here is a serious answer.

I have a Collings D1A and two Larrivees.  I play the Larrivees more. 

It's all good!

[Celticjam]

I have a Morgan and play my Larrivees more.  Does that count?

[Old Geezer]

Uhhhhh, SongMan?  Larrivee IS a high end guitar. I own Taylors, a Lowden, and have ALWAYS had more than one Larrivee in the fold!
So, I guess I'd have to say that I've never had a reason to come back..I've always been here!

OG

[LawDogStrgsAttach]

C'mon - give him a break.  yes, Larrivee is high-end, but we know what he means...

I never have had a custom/small shop/low production...but I did play a Santa Cruz D/PW and OM/PW recently.  I must say, the tone beats my Larrivees, but cannot touch them when you combine looks/service/and value!  (Tone/price value, that is).  I'm love to add the D/pW one day, but the Larrys more than compensate.

[prof_stack]

After reading this thread a couple of times I stopped at the local Larrivee shop and played a bunch of Larrys.  The nicest to my ears was the D-03R, OM-09 and L-03R.  Something about Larrivees and rosewood that is reallly nice.  But the L-05 and LV-05 were outstanding.  The still-not-sold (and I don't know why) L-05MT was bassier than my Martin hog-top and pretty sweet all around.  The 00-50 was boxy sounding and not as sweet as I would expect it to be. 

Back home I got out the SD-50 and was reminded why I love the guitar.  It would be hard to leave Larrivee as I don't ever want to sell it.  A finer guitar would be hard to find, at any price.

[expatCanuck]

Have any of you who once owned high end guitar(1500 or less build per year) come back to Larrivee???
IF yes,
Any regrets?
What highend guitar did you own?
Why did you make such a switch?

> Have any of you who once owned high end guitar(1500 or less build per year) come back to Larrivee???
> What highend guitar did you own?
> Why did you make such a switch?
Yep.  I sold an '89 Beneteau Sitka/Mahogany (which I bought new back in the day for about a $Cdn1K from John Laroque at Toronto's Ring Music) to finance the purchase of an L-09FM.  Just fell in love with the FM and felt it was time for a change. 

> Any regrets?
Hell, yeah.  I have since sold the FM.  I miss 'em both.  Much.
But fiscal reality and domestic harmony don't always see eye to eye with one's woodly desires.  I yield to the former.
But I still have my choice of 4 guitars which range between nice, very nice, sweet and remarkable (and a KILLER custom Weber Bridger mando), so you won't hear me whining.  Much.

But if anyone is considering a trade of L-09FM for an L-09 (plus a modest sum) ...

- Richard

[Walkerman]

What do you call "high end"

[jeremy3220]

Have any of you who once owned high end guitar(1500 or less build per year) come back to Larrivee???

Nope, and I doubt it will happen. If you like Larrivee's tone enough, I could see someone choosing it over a boutique company or individual luthier. but I think the boutique builders are in a different league than most factory guitars can compete with. Factories have to produce guitars in volume, and compromise in areas; heavier build to cut down on warranty issues, and cheap tuners to cut cost, less attention to fret ends, and other little touches. Most of the boutique companies voice their tops; I imagine all Larrivees are cut to a thickness that yields the best sound on average and maybe a safe thickness. I know some hand shape braces depending on the top and how flexible it is.

There is a song I play called "Birthday Blues" by Bert Jansch, it uses a lot of single notes in the higher frets. It isn't hard to play but it's hard to get the tone I want, but I noticed one day how much smoother it sounded on the Larrivee. The OM/PW is so sensitive it is hard to control the dynamics sometimes, in addition to showcasing all the other imperfections in my playing.

If I were trying to be an objective guitar critic I would say the boutique's are better guitars, but Larrivees sound so great I wouldn't think much of it if someone picked one over a Collings or Huss and Dalton etc. I still need to play an SD-50, from what I've heard it could give some boutiques a run for their money.