sapele top Larrivee?

[Denis]

Many of us here on the forum are Larrivee MT fans.  I sent a message off to one of our online dealers asking this:

Since good quality sapele seems to be fairly inexpensive and readily available, will we be seeing an all sapele Larrivee(s)?

I know Martin's using sapele for their 15 series guitar now....

Just curious since Larrivee did all mahogany, and did it so well, if they will start making all sapele guitars now?

[hal537]

Yes that's an interesting thought, but, and I could well be mistaken, isn't there a certain blandness to sapele as a wood.  Kind of lacking character.  Looks should be secondary of course but unlike mahogany, I've not yet seen a sapele guitar that turned my head.  Apologies to all with a sapele guitar.  Martin 15 are fine at their price point but I'd rather have a Larrivee all mahogany any day.

[prof_stack]

Yes that's an interesting thought, but, and I could well be mistaken, isn't there a certain blandness to sapele as a wood.  Kind of lacking character.

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder here.  Some of the striping of sapele looks anything but bland.  I'd like to see a Larrivee sapele top.

Martin 15 are fine at their price point but I'd ...

I had two Larrivee hog-tops (L-03, L-05) but now have neither.  The Martin 000-15S is pretty special.

[Denis]

Yes that's an interesting thought, but, and I could well be mistaken, isn't there a certain blandness to sapele as a wood.  Kind of lacking character.  Looks should be secondary of course but unlike mahogany, I've not yet seen a sapele guitar that turned my head.  Apologies to all with a sapele guitar.  Martin 15 are fine at their price point but I'd rather have a Larrivee all mahogany any day.

Do you mean asthetically or as a tonewood? 

I've owned a sapele OM-03 that was excellent but the "OM" was not the right guitar for me.  I tried a sapele L-03 the other day that sounded every bit as good as my L-03 with mahogany back and sides...

I think in the looks department that some sapele guitars can be very attractive...stunning even:

http://www.guitaradoptions.com/store/product.php?productid=18441&cat=0&page=1

Can't tell me that's not pretty...I'd be willing to bet that it sounds pretty good too..

[sigurdd48]

looks like some 'swimming pool' maple that I've seen on the backs of Goodalls... except that this is colored!

[hal537]

Sirs

I stand corrected.

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder here.  Some of the striping of sapele looks anything but bland.  I'd like to see a Larrivee sapele top.

I do have to listen to someone with the taste to own a SD50!

and

Do you mean asthetically or as a tonewood? 

I did mean aesthetically/lookswise but that quilted sapele guitar is stunning, no two ways about it.

Now all that's left is for Larrivee to come out with an all sapele parlour that outshines the mahogany ones and I will eat humble pie. Meanwhile have one on me.   

[Denis]

Sirs

I stand corrected.

I do have to listen to someone with the taste to own a SD50!

and

I did mean aesthetically/lookswise but that quilted sapele guitar is stunning, no two ways about it.

Now all that's left is for Larrivee to come out with an all sapele parlour that outshines the mahogany ones and I will eat humble pie. Meanwhile have one on me.   

I asked one of the online dealers about all sapele and was told me that the cost sapele has actually risen quite a bit of late and that all sapele guitars will probably never materialize.  It would be difficult to make anything that outshines all mahogany Larrivees...parlors, SD-50's...etc any of them.