why aren't Larrivees more popular ?

[AZLiberty]

Where did you get this information? I'm not trying to question it, but I'd like a source, because it doesn't seem likely to me.

One of the interviews with Ren Ferguson.  He let slip that Montana was making 200 instruments total a week. (that includes mandolins).

Gibson's US acoustic production is tiny.  8000-10,000 a year.  They sell a lot of electrics and crate after crate of imports under their Epiphone line.  I don't know where people get the idea that Gibson is some sort of large manufacturer of acoustics.

The wildcard for #3 would be Cordoba/Guild if they can ever get their act together with their California Factory. (and convince people to pay Martin Prices for Guilds)

[B0WIE]

I don't know where people get the idea that Gibson is some sort of large manufacturer of acoustics.

Well... Because they are a major name, available in many major stores and online retailers than Larrivee, and everyone has heard of them whereas Larrivee is an, "Oh, I think I heard of them" brand.

It's not unreasonable for people to think of Gibson as being a bigger acoustic brand than Larrivee.

[rockstar_not]

In the late 90's/early 2000's our church had a subscription to Worship Leader magazine.  I recall seeing exactly one acoustic guitar brand advertised in that magazine:  Taylor.

In fact, I can't recall any other instrument, period, being marketed in that magazine.  No keyboards, no other guitars.  I would not be surprised, if the magazine still exists, that Taylor has continued advertising in it.

Since early 2000's I have had a side gig doing A/V instruction and training for a company called Portable Church Industries - they help churches that are meeting in rented spaces do worship services every week.

I have been in probably 50 different churches over that time; most of which have had at least one acoustic guitar in the band.  I lost track of how many Taylor branded Grand Auditorium shaped and to a lesser extent, Dreads, and even a couple T-hybrids.  I've never seen a Larry.  There was even one church where the guy had a 'zagerized' cheapo dread.  But not a single Larry.

Our worship pastor that just took another role after 2+ years at our church had an L-05 and then bought a Gibson J-45, which had to be returned due to intonation issues - eventually got it back and he played that more than the Larry.  He also had a PRS gold-top that was heavier than my Ibanez SR655 5-string bass.

My Taylor in my signature line was free to me.  Won in a drawing, believe it or not.  Hated playing it until I fixed a string spacing issue with the nut.  Now, when I'm playing out and have to plug into a PA, I actually prefer it over my Larry with a Mini Pure Western K+K pup.  The Taylor has a cutout and my Larry doesn't and I've been able to tweak a patch in my Zoom G5 processor so that it sounds VERY close to mic'ed.

As to the electrics, particularly the Strat-o-Vée and Tele-Vée (I don't remember the model names), they had to compete in a market with thousands of other brands selling strat and tele shaped guitars, let alone Fender.  You have to REALLY stand-out with tone, quality, etc. to gain a reputation to drive sales; which my understanding the Larry's are; but dang that's a hard market to compete in.  Even G&L resorted to getting their stuff made overseas.  I know that the Tele-Vée had a belly and fore-arm cut, compensated saddles, custom wound pups, etc. but how does average Joe, or even high-dollar Joe ever find out about that?  High Dollar Joe's first choice is going to be an American strat for a Tele.  Average Joe is gonna go for a Squier or if he's feeling a little on the self-pampering side might spring the extra $150 for a MIM.  Larrivée even copied the spaghetti font of Fender on at least one of those models.  If you are gonna fake the logo, why wouldn't joe buyer just go for a Fender - the real-deal?

That said, when I got really fortunate on a Saturday in Cali and drove up to Oxnard, just to see if I could dumpster-dive and get a piece of scrap wood and ended up getting a personal tour of the Oxnard facility by none-other than Jean himself, he gave a high compliment to Bob Taylor when he was showing me the CNC machine where they rough-cut the necks.  Jean said that Bob Taylor showed him how to implement CNC for cutting necks.  He didn't have to say that, and I didn't ask when he started using CNC, Jean came right out with it.

My Epiphone in my signature has incredible build quality and tone variety and sustain for ages.  I have two complaints with it: I wish it had a forearm bevel, and the push/pull tone knob that taps the humbuckers, has developed a case of the statics!  But other than that, it's a better strat than a strat, with the glued in neck and tilt-back headstock and weighs very little - like an SG instead of an LP.  That model, however, never really caught on in Gibson, nor Epiphone brand - cuz it's not an LP, or ES-335, or SG, etc.  Simply killer guitar, but not a popular model.

My next electric is gonna be a franken-strat-Dano.  Squier strat body and neck that I've dressed frets, smoothed out finish, etc. with a custom made pickguard and dan-o-lectric lipstick tube pups with switchable series/parallel wiring, switchable tone caps, both pups slanted to match the angle of the top of a typical strat pickguard, knobs in-line with tail pup, etc.  I'm about 1/3 way done with it.

After that, I'm probably gonna go for one of Eastwood/Airline's crazier models.  Might even spring for a Backlund.  https://eastwoodguitars.com/collections/backlund  The Katalina model with the slanted Dano pups is sort of where I'm going with the Squier project, but with more steep angle to the pups.

[JSpe]

I think its because Larrivee isn't comfortable with flooding the market like Taylor and Martin do. Jean just likes to keep his quality spot on, instead of expanding  left, right, and center and expecting his dealers to take and push huge piles of his stock.
It seems also that he works without threatening or going prematurely into his wood supply, in order to keep his products as ideal as possible.

[ST]

"why aren't Larrivees more popular ?"

I have to think the Larrivée family has chosen not to be.

[markj]

For the money I spent on the 50th Anniversary LV-10, I could have easily purchased a 45 series Martin or a 9 series Taylor but I bought the Larrivee instead.  Why? Why didn't I want to be more "popular"?  

I know that the high end Martins and Taylors are wonderful guitars, built to the highest standard the companies know how to produce. I have played the the entire range of models of all three manufacturers. I would rather have a 01 series Larrivee than any low end Taylor or Martin.

What sold me on the LV-10 was the fact that I already owned a L-03. I knew first hand about the quality of product, and of course the history of the company, which basically summoned me to sample their products. I had also played a few LV-xx models at the local dealer so I knew the approximate "tone palette" that I could expect. The only thing that was a variable was the Alpine "Moon wood" Spruce top and bracing which was done by Matthew and made from the same Alpine Spruce as the top.

Every member of the family has a hand in crafting not just my guitar, but most of what leaves the factory. That just adds to the sense of family I feel whenever I pick it up any of my Larrivee guitars. I don't think I would have that same feeling with a Martin or a Taylor. Maybe a Collings, or some other boutique builder could bring that to the table, but even then, those are mostly one person builds, which is cool in its own right, but to have an entire family build your guitar is just, I don't know, a very nice feeling. It seems like to me, that more love goes into building it. My wife says that the secret ingredient in her brownies, is love.

Larrivee is not just a company. It's a family. When you purchase a guitar from the family you sort of become part of it, and from that point on, you are always part of it. Even when or if you sell your Larrivee, you have a piece of the family in your memories. Most people that I hear who speak of selling a Larrivee, also tell of the regret that went along with that sale.

I sold my first Larrivee. A gorgeous L-03 custom. The fact that I still own three of them, lessens that feeling of regret. A little...

As far as popularity goes, I have always avoided it in products that I buy. I want to be different than most. I avoid signature models like the plague, I do not relate to most "pop" or "top 40" music.

The Larrivee family produce a product that is second to none. They also provide world class customer service.  I will take these things, with the added bonus of that "feeling of family",  over a "more popular" brand, any day.

[B0WIE]

I don't buy the argument that they don't want to be more popular. Being more popular doesn't mean that you necessarily have to make more guitars. If the demand was greater they could simply charge more if they didn't want to expand. If they don't want more money and don't want to put lower quality guitars on the market then someone please explain Leho guitars...

There's nothing wrong with their current popularity. They're a great success. I just disagree that their current popularity is self limited due to some noble ethic.

[flatlander]

I don't buy the argument that they don't want to be more popular........I just disagree that their current popularity is self limited due to some noble ethic.

Maybe but I'll say this. That was definitely true in the 80's. Not from speculation but from reading an interview with Jean in Frets magazine back then. He just wanted to stick with making L styles and a few classicals. Wanted to concentrate on making quality guitars in fewer numbers. Guitars that he thought had the best design. In the early 90's or so they started advertising with the "You talked, we listened" campaign. (something like that) One of the first things they introduced was an adjustable truss rod. Soon they had more and more models. But still they had Larrivee bracing and sound. Eventually, much, much later, they start with the hybrid bracing which still held on to aspects of Larrivee sound while giving more bass. So of course I don't know for sure, but I have the feeling that there is still some degree of holding on to their core ideas, even if they see it as just good business model for them, as opposed to just selling more instruments. Either way they have been quite successful.

[DaveyO]

This is the Op Dave
Darn ,I sure opened up a can of worms!
Just to be clear,I don't care if Larrivee is popular as long
As I know and appreciate how awesome  they are
It's nice to see so much passion and love for these fantastic
Guitars,carry on.

[B0WIE]

Maybe but I'll say this. That was definitely true in the 80's. Not from speculation but from reading an interview with Jean in Frets magazine back then. He just wanted to stick with making L styles and a few classicals. Wanted to concentrate on making quality guitars in fewer numbers. Guitars that he thought had the best design. In the early 90's or so they started advertising with the "You talked, we listened" campaign. (something like that) One of the first things they introduced was an adjustable truss rod. Soon they had more and more models. But still they had Larrivee bracing and sound. Eventually, much, much later, they start with the hybrid bracing which still held on to aspects of Larrivee sound while giving more bass. So of course I don't know for sure, but I have the feeling that there is still some degree of holding on to their core ideas, even if they see it as just good business model for them, as opposed to just selling more instruments. Either way they have been quite successful.

If I recall correctly, they were struggling in the 80's because acoustics weren't selling. That's why they started making electrics in the first place.

[Mikeymac]

In the early 90's or so they started advertising with the "You talked, we listened" campaign. (something like that) One of the first things they introduced was an adjustable truss rod.

Actually, I believe the adjustable truss rod was first used in the mid-80's (around the same time Martin started using them). Just to be accurate.

Sometime in the '80's, they started building lower priced 05 Series Mahogany-body L's (I'm still not sure what year?), then introduced dreads and OM's, jumbos, 12-strings and finally the parlor. The Venetian (LV) cutaway replaced the Florentine (C) one for awhile, then the Florentine started being offered (or ordered?) again...

[flatlander]

If I recall correctly, they were struggling in the 80's because acoustics weren't selling. That's why they started making electrics in the first place.

That's right. That's in their history blurb. But never the less Jean wanted to stick with L's early on. I can't remember exactly when that interview was in Frets. Long time ago! Sometime in the 80's.

[flatlander]

Actually, I believe the adjustable truss rod was first used in the mid-80's (around the same time Martin started using them). Just to be accurate.

Sometime in the '80's, they started building lower priced 05 Series Mahogany-body L's (I'm still not sure what year?), then introduced dreads and OM's, jumbos, 12-strings and finally the parlor. The Venetian (LV) cutaway replaced the Florentine (C) one for awhile, then the Florentine started being offered (or ordered?) again...

Yea long time ago and my times might have been off. I needed a a bigger "OR SO"  :) I think John Larrivee did say mid 80's somewhere on adjustables. Thanks

[Sabatini]

I think Jean wants to build guitars a certain way and at a certain quality level. He doesn't like anything that threatens his ability to do those things. I met him at Wildwood Music five years ago and he talked to 40 or so of us about his company. He told us that he had at one time grown the company to a size that made him uncomfortable. It got hard to oversee quality and created pressure to market and distribute guitars to support the workforce. He shrunk the company back to where he was comfortable. He doesn't want to make the most guitars.

[canada]

I think that Larrivee wanted more success and transferred the whole operation to the US

Also started concentrating on Martin style body and headstock shapes shapes like the D and the OM.

The L body has never really caught on in the US.

And now with the bracing designs emulating Martin ,Larrivee is going after that market.

As a Canadian I was sad that he left Canada,,however I understand that the US is a huge market and he wants more of it.

[AZLiberty]

I think that Larrivee wanted more success and transferred the whole operation to the US

Also started concentrating on Martin style body and headstock shapes shapes like the D and the OM.

The L body has never really caught on in the US.

Even when they were primarily in Canada, most of their sales were in the US.   The big issue was import inspection fees.  No duties under NAFTA, but they still had to pay Lacy act inspection fees on each order.  As a small builder, those fees got expensive since they are per shipment.

I agree about the L body never being popular.  I bought my first Larrivee in 1998 (an OM), my second was a dread, and the third was one of Matt's original run of Parlors.   I don't think I ever saw an L body in person for a decade or more after that.

[mike in lytle]

The L body has never really caught on in the US.

I was late to the Larrivee party. An L-05, hanging on the wall in San Antonio in October 2014.
The L-body totally sold me, and now I have six of them. The L-body got me off Martins.
The OM-03 laurel I recently got just snagged me on it's tone. Otherwise, I would have not have bought a non-L-body.
I might consider a D model, but I just don't like the look of dreads anymore. The L-body is better looking.
My humble opinion is Larrivee is as popular as it needs to be. I think everyone who wants one can get one.
Mike

[skyline]

A friend was ready to buy a new guitar. He'd played and liked my OM-03 and SD-03  so we looked up our local national store who are a Larrivee dealer and they apparently had five Larrivees in stock. I called to verify and the clerk said yes, they had five guitars in stock,so off we went to the store.

When we arrived, there was one left hand D on the wall. They had to bring the other four in from a store room, including two 09 series guitars...

[ollaimh]

considering that the quality across the line is the best at every price point i do find it odd that larrivees aren't more popular. but the american market drives guitars and most american guitar buyers have very conventional tastes.  the L series are fantastic, i have had five and presently have two from 74 and 75 which are really cool, but the later ones always impress me no matter what a seventies snob i try to be.  but the L series isn't a very american style guitar.    the dreads are also great and they make many more now but they don't sound like gibsons and martins or taylors. i like them better but they are different. i recently traded for a D 09, with a top crack.  repaired the crack, and it is a very good guitar, and i'm a snob. to get a better tone than my beat up old d you'd have to pay thousands, i paid a few hundred. we are lucky they aren't more popular.  i have the world's best beach guitar in my cracked D 09!!!.

[AZLiberty]

the american market drives guitars and most american guitar buyers have very conventional tastes.  the L series are fantastic, i have had five and presently have two from 74 and 75 which are really cool, but the later ones always impress me no matter what a seventies snob i try to be.  but the L series isn't a very american style guitar. 

Agreed.  I owned Larrivees for at least a dozen years before I ever even saw an L body.