Great story on Linda Manzer

[headsup]

Linda was the woman who put the "Group of Seven" show together, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Larrivee guitar building.
(Assembling the original "group of seven" builders working with Jean in Toronto ).

It was a spectacular show, and there is a wonderful DVD of it (available from Larrivee)- and the guitars each one built, how and why.

I was fortunate enough to be at the opening to say hi to Jean, Tony Duggan-Smith, David Wren, after not seeing any of them for many years.
Linda & David both had their hands on duck trappers bz build that Jean sent to me when i was working at Rufus Guitar shop early/mid seventies in Montreal.
As well as the 1976 L build I still play.

Cleary her apprenticeship with Jean has allowed her to carry on her own legacy.
read for yourselves....

https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2019/10/02/how-torontos-master-guitar-maker-brings-a-new-instrument-to-life-and-why-she-worries.html

[Mikeymac]

Thanks - that was a good read. Lots of admiration for her talent... though I've never been near one of her instruments... just heard others play them. 

[ducktrapper]

I am indeed honored to have a LarriManzer!

[unclrob]

"I'll probably slow down and be found slumped over my bench one night. That's not a bad way to go."


That's what my wife says about me.

Great read..Thanks.

[ducktrapper]

Here is my Manzer story. In 2003, I played at the Live From the Rock Folk Festival and, while there, ran into the guitar player (Alex Sinclair?) from the band Tamarack. He was playing a guitar that looked almost identical to my 1975 Larrivée which turned out to be a 1976 Manzer. I didn't know much about the apprentices at that time and the fellow clued me in. I ended up contacting Manzer by email and asking her about my guitar, telling her as much as I knew about its provenance. She emailed me back saying she was just leaving on a trip, didn't have any time, but saying that indeed she built the guitar. I didn't and still don't know exactly what to make of that. It is, after all, signed by Jean Larrivée and there's a chance she was being a little facetious. Maybe Kevin can help us here. How extensive was the work of the apprentices? Did they actually build guitars from start to finish? Is it likely that JCL merely signed the guitar and Manzer actually built it? Obviously, a year later, she was capable of doing just that. Is there any way of knowing?        

[Rockysdad]

Thanks for posting this article, yes, it is a great read.

[headsup]

Here is my Manzer story. In 2003, I played at the Live From the Rock Folk Festival and, while there, ran into the guitar player (Alex Sinclair?) from the band Tamarack. He was playing a guitar that looked almost identical to my 1975 Larrivée which turned out to be a 1976 Manzer. I didn't know much about the apprentices at that time and the fellow clued me in. I ended up contacting Manzer by email and asking her about my guitar, telling her as much as I knew about its provenance. She emailed me back saying she was just leaving on a trip, didn't have any time, but saying that indeed she built the guitar. I didn't and still don't know exactly what to make of that. It is, after all, signed by Jean Larrivée and there's a chance she was being a little facetious. Maybe Kevin can help us here. How extensive was the work of the apprentices? Did they actually build guitars from start to finish? Is it likely that JCL merely signed the guitar and Manzer actually built it? Obviously, a year later, she was capable of doing just that. Is there any way of knowing?        

Yes Alex Sinclair was Tamarac, he also signed me to his record label much later, and did a dandy job of getting one of my songs a good deal of airplay across Canada and in Europe .
Yes, other people worked on guitars with JCL in Toronto, the "group of Seven". David Wren ( a master builder himself) was working with Jean around the same time Linda was.
It stands to reason; who-ever Jean took on as apprentices, were, just that.

Maybe they sanded, put braces on the guitars, shaped necks, did the fret work, just as Jean was doing I'm sure.

His shop, his name on their cheque come payday, his name on the guitars.
Personally, from what I know, what i have read, and the stories i have heard, I think it's a very cool thing to have had any number of that Group of Sevens' hands on my Toronto builds.

For me, the more the better. Linda & David, and certainly Grit Laskin are the "master" builders of the lot.

Tony Duggan-smith, who i met in Nova Scotia when he was at art college is a brilliant artist, inventor and builder, Chuck Grey ( who i don't know personally) has some stunning guitars at twelfth fret in Toronto where he is house tech.

For the record, here's a little story on Tony , he ordered one of Jeans guitars, and it was shippeded to Nova Scotia.
Like a few of us back then, he didn't like the heavier classical neck profile. ( Duck's BZ was re-shaped by me for the same reason-amid personal condemnation).
The story Tony tells is, when he went back to Toronto after NSCAD he had a fight with Jean about the neck profile, and the outcome was, jean hired him.Tony built guitars and was a brilliant inlay artist (still is) and it was he who came up with the silver border headstock on thousands of of Larrivee guitars.

Jean was trained by a master, in turn, he helped those others become masters.

The wheel goes on.

[ducktrapper]

Thanks Kevin. Sort of what I thought but still confused as to why Manzer would say she built my guitar. Perhaps she was being sarcastic. It is a Larrivée, after all. Since I don't know her, I couldn't say. I can't actually remember what I asked her in my message. Except that Sinclair's '76 Manzer was extremely similar, both beautiful instruments, and I commented and I'm sure I complimented her on it.

By the way, all those who condemned you for adjusting the neck profile on my guitar have long ago been proven to be wrong but the ironic thing is I would never have been able to buy it at the time had they not all felt that way. There I was ... the clueless fool on the hill who actually bought the damn thing. Silly me!    

[Mikeymac]

These are all great stories...thanks for the Larrivee history lessons!

My old L-19 is a '79 - sounds like Linda was gone by then. Does anyone know who among these early luthiers was still in Jean's shop in '79?

The most recent (as in 5 minutes ago) pick of ol' '79 L-19 (converted from righty to lefty, as you can easily see from the pickguard shadow)...