Choosing the right guitar model

[rikstar]

I want to buy my first high end guitar. Any advice on how to choose a model?

[GeeNorm]

First of all, welcome to the Larrivee Forum. On your next post practice the initiate's secret handshake and include some cartoon donuts.  

There are almost as many factors in answering your question as there are guitar players on earth. Certain musical styles lead to choices of body size and wood selection. Personal preference will lead to trim levels regarding inlays, rosettes, or other "bling."

Why don't you share a little about your playing style and likes?

Norman

[ncognito]

If I were in your position I'd go to a store with alot of choices in guitars.  For example, Cathedral Music in Troy, NY is nice because they are a Martin and Larrivee dealer, and they also carry a fair amount of high end instruments built by smaller shop luthiers, and even a hand full of nice used instruments.  It's a bit of a ride for me, but worth the trip.  If there is a place like this near you go there and try many guitars.  Refrain from being impulsive.  Try to establish a budget.  Identify the tone you like.  Determine what feels comfortable in terms of body shape and size, and neck profile as well as string spacing.  Go for tone and comfort, and try not to get too distracted by all the gorgeous wood and bling which are nice, but really just icing.

Welcome to the forum.

        DAVE   

           

[jeremy3220]

Play as many different guitars as possible. Also I don't know what you consider high end but try some really expensive guitars (like $4000 and up) just so you know what's out there.

[sayheyjeff]

Another vote for playing as many as possible.  Give yourself the best chance to know your preferences.

jeff

[JOYCEfromNS]

I want to buy my first high end guitar. Any advice on how to choose a model?

rikstar

Acoustic or Larrivee RS 4    

  Don't forget to give the rules a read and tell us about yourself ( Rik - as in Rickenbacker??)

[OutWithTheBlue]

Again, play as many as you can. If your near southern cali by anychance make your way to buffalo brothers in carlsbad. they have quite the array of high end guitars. But you CANNOT go wrong with choosing a Larrivee : )

[bluesman67]

What's your style? What kind of music do you like or would like to play? 

[maLavvo]

Hello RikStar,

All the suggestions above are true.  Just want to share my experience.  I was on the same bout as you are early this year.  I accidentally tumble on a guitar in one of the local stores here and just few strums of an L-03 being sold as used got me to go for a Larrivee. 

I ended up getting a brand new LV-09, then OO-03  then a used OM-03RSH.  My earlier guitars are a jumbo Breedlove and a Passport Full Scale Breedlove.

But like everyone suggested, play as many brand/sizes as you could to avoid getting multiple sizes (like I did).  Or maybe it's a good thing!

Happy hunting!

[OutWithTheBlue]

Hello RikStar,

All the suggestions above are true.  Just want to share my experience.  I was on the same bout as you are early this year.  I accidentally tumble on a guitar in one of the local stores here and just few strums of an L-03 being sold as used got me to go for a Larrivee. 

I ended up getting a brand new LV-09, then OO-03  then a used OM-03RSH.  My earlier guitars are a jumbo Breedlove and a Passport Full Scale Breedlove.

But like everyone suggested, play as many brand/sizes as you could to avoid getting multiple sizes (like I did).  Or maybe it's a good thing!

Happy hunting!
:

Can never have too many of anything that deals with guitars! hahah.

[rikstar]

  wow! Thanks for all the replies! All good advice- I really appreciate it. I am Rick. My current guitar is a DO2E I bought in 2000. I'm a 45 yo father of three and live near Atlanta. I play acoustic rock and folk and try to play as many open mic nights as my wife will allow. I play covers of whatever artist I am obsessed with at the time...currently it' s Gregory Alan Isakov- check him out- he is a great singer/ songwriter . My favorite band however is Wilco. Lately I've been rediscovering Townes Van Zandt as well. I want to play Pancho and Lefty at open Mic this week...I hope it flies with the crowd...we'll see. Again , thanks for the welcome to the forum.   

[eded]

Things to consider...  nut width, neck profile, neck join (12 or 14 fret), cutaway or not, body size, string spacing at the bridge, body depth.  Then there is back and sides wood (or composite (?)).  And, top wood...  and if spruce, which one.  Fingerboard and bridge material, nut and saddle material, binding, bound fingerboard or not, rosette material and layout, tuners (along with slotted or paddle headstock)....  Not necessarily in that order an surely an incomplete list.  Oh, and fwiw, I think it's all personal preference.  I don't buy into the idea of certain styles of guitars fitting certain styles of music.

Or, go out and play as many guitars in your budget as you possibly can.  Let us know where you are.  I'd bet someone here will know of a good local shop to try.  And, though I kind of hate to put a qualifier likes on it, "high end" means different things to different people, a dollar value would help in making a suggestion of makes and models to try.

Oh, have fun with the process.

Ed

[leftync]

As with most products, unless you're willing to pay for a custom job, the offerings are arbitrary. I loved the sound of Larrivee's least expensive guitar (at the time), the D-03R, as much as any guitar I'd heard, but the neck wasn't a good fit for me. I owned an L-03RE with a better neck for me, but I didn't like it as much as I did the dread. I did find what I wanted in another Larrivee dread, but it's an older one no longer available. I'm fortunate to have found the features and sound I wanted built by a company I regard highly. But if I hadn't found it in a Larrivee, I'd have looked at Taylor or Martin etc. (and likely paid more). The most important name in this equation is yours, not JCL's, Bob Taylor's, Chris Martin's or Bill Collings'. Members of this forum love Larrivees, but get what makes you happy playing. 

[ffinke]

Just want to throw my 'Howdy' into the mix. 

You play a good mix of tunes and your dread (D-02E) is still a good (or even great) guitar. You might want to go toward a different wood B/S like Rosewood or you may want to stay with Mahogany and get the bling, ala -05s or -50s. I love my L-03 because of it's size and the Sapele is great to sing with. Another consideration with a high end instrument is can you afford to have it damaged at an open mic night or, worse, stolen when you're out gigging? A lot of musicians I know (well 2 anyway) have 'beaters' just for that reason.

It's all in the preference but when you find the right one it'll let you know!!!

Again, welcome to the forum.
f

[L07 Shooting Star]

............................ Another consideration with a high end instrument is can you afford to have it damaged at an open mic night or, worse, stolen when you're out gigging? A lot of musicians I know (well 2 anyway) have 'beaters' just for that reason......................

Not to hijack, and I understand the (unfortunate) circumstances that require musicians being forced to perform with "lesser" instruments or risk losing their guitars.  But what then constitutes a "beater"?  For professional gigging, I assume even a "beater" would need to have the tone and playability that makes the performer happy and helps him or her perform at their best.  So, the "beater" could easily end up having to be a "high end" guitar. (I think it better if I start a new thread about this topic)

Kurt