Annual Larrivee Output

[Dotneck]

Hi guys..its been a minute since Ive been here. I read a comment on another guitar forum....the guys said that Larrivee's annual output is 30-40K units per year. Seemed high to me. Does anybody have a more accurate number?

[markj]

That's 575 - 769 guitars a week!

I would say that is way too high.  Maybe at their absolute peak they were doing this volume, but even then, that sounds really high.

In 1991, when the Acoustic market had made a full come back, Larrivée moved to a bigger building. At first it seemed a little difficult to fill 11000 square feet. (At the time only 25 guitars a day were being made by 35 people) However, it soon became apparent that that 11000 square feet wasn't enough...

In early March 1998, Larrivée Guitars moved to a new 33000 square foot facility in the heart of Vancouver, where 100 highly skilled people in the Guitar industry make 60 guitars a day. Many of our people are respected guitar builders in their own right. A combination of old world craftsmanship and modern high technology combine to produce instruments prized around the world for their beauty, function, and lasting value.

http://www.edroman.com/guitars/larrivee/history.htm

60 * 365 = 21,900 guitars every year but were they producing that many, 7 days a week?  Probably not.

That all being said, I have no idea about their current output.

[mike in lytle]

A good read.... will partially answer some questions....
https://guitar.com/features/interviews/the-industry-interview-jean-larrivee-guitars-acoustic/
From May 2021.
Mike

[markj]

Looks like about 12k per year to me. That's impressive IMO.

[Jamolay]

Hi guys..its been a minute since Ive been here. I read a comment on another guitar forum....the guys said that Larrivee's annual output is 30-40K units per year. Seemed high to me. Does anybody have a more accurate number?

I was reading that same thread in the other forum.

About "Boutique" guitars.

I guess I wouldn't consider Larrivee "boutique", but it is a smaller batch producer, quite special and well established excellence.

My issue with all the lovely "boutique" guitars out there is: how do you know which ones play well?

There is exotic and wonderful woodwork out there, but none of that matters if the guitar doesn't hold up to the music played on it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mike in lytle]

Hi guys..its been a minute since Ive been here. I read a comment on another guitar forum....the guys said that Larrivee's annual output is 30-40K units per year. Seemed high to me. Does anybody have a more accurate number?

So, being me, I just had to go and find this...
To your everlasting credit, you were skeptical of that figure. You have been around here a LONG time and have a better sense for stuff like that.
That 30-40k number seems to go back to an AGF thread from back in 2011 (which I found), and later that poster said he couldn't remember where he got that number.
All I know, for a fact, is that Larrivee will produce "at least" 15 (fifteen) guitars this year 
Mike

[Rockysdad]

All I know, for a fact, is that Larrivee will produce "at least" 15 (fifteen) guitars this year 
Mike

Yes, 15 *special* guitars. 

[Mikeymac]

All I know, for a fact, is that Larrivee will produce "at least" 15 (fifteen) guitars this year 

Yes, 15 *special* guitars. 

You mean...??? Our Forum VI guitars will be done on Friday (tomorrow)?! Yippee!!!

[Hooked]

"THis year" not "this month". Danggit.

[Mikeymac]

"THis year" not "this month". Danggit.

Oops... I saw what I wanted to see there...

Oh well...

[markj]

I just paid mine off. Now all I need to do is wait.  For Santa?

[headsup]

some great reading in the article, not a lot of new info, but some nice info around tone woods.

Clearly, the family knows how to run it's business with-out going over the top.
That's just smart ownership.

In 1972 the Toronto Folklore centre and Rufus Guita shop in Montreal were the only two stores selling Jeans guitars.

He would bring them to Montreal, usually 2 at a time.

It was always a big day for us, passing them around the shop with utmost admiration.

I still feel that way, playing any one of mine, and handing it over to a fellow player, any given jam or gig, a mere 50 years later....

[Silence Dogood]

I know it's a great big world, but I always wonder, even with a company like Larrivee that doesn't make as many guitars as Martin and Taylor: Where do all the guitars go?  Not only is it hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that EVERY guitar Larrivee (et al) makes get sold, but also that the demand is even higher than the supply.   I wonder if NEW players are coming on the scene, or is it already-established players just buying more guitars, or BOTH?  It's quite fascinating to me. 

I know I'm not the average guitar customer a company is looking for.  I've had my (only) Larrivee for almost 20 years now and don't plan to buy another unless something happens to mine.  I also don't really buy that much stuff in general anymore.  The older I get, the less I want, and the more I want to hang on to my money.  At some point collecting $100 bills became more fun than collecting new stuff, but it took me till my 40s to get there.  OTOH I know people who buy guitars all the time, keep them for a bit, and then start saving and dreaming of the next one.  I guess it must be the same way in the world of knives, guns, cars, etc, etc. 

[Mikeymac]

I know I'm not the average guitar customer a company is looking for.  I've had my (only) Larrivee for almost 20 years now and don't plan to buy another unless something happens to mine.  I also don't really buy that much stuff in general anymore.  The older I get, the less I want, and the more I want to hang on to my money.  At some point collecting $100 bills became more fun than collecting new stuff, but it took me till my 40s to get there.  OTOH I know people who buy guitars all the time, keep them for a bit, and then start saving and dreaming of the next one. 

I guess it must be the same way in the world of knives, guns, cars, etc, etc.

Yeah - I was at a local Gun & Knife Show this morning (an annual event here) and it was pretty busy. You can bet that 95% or more of the people at those shows are repeat customers, not first time gun (knife) buyers. I did pick up my first shotgun, though (a Maverick 88); but I already have three pistols...

Back on topic: it would be interesting to know how many guitars Larrivee is currently building each week/month/year - and how many people they employ in Oxnard; I'm betting it's not as many as they did in the past. I do wonder what it feels like compared to when they also had the large shop in Canada - if it feels good to be somewhat "down-sized". That just seems more like Larrivee's modus operandi or "company culture". Seems like Jean (and the rest of the family members) are happy still being very hands on and keeping it all very real.

[JOYCEfromNS]

Yeah - I was at a local Gun & Knife Show this morning (an annual event here) and it was pretty busy. You can bet that 95% or more of the people at those shows are repeat customers, not first time gun (knife) buyers. I did pick up my first shotgun, though (a Maverick 88); but I already have three pistols...

Back on topic: it would be interesting to know how many guitars Larrivee is currently building each week/month/year - and how many people they employ in Oxnard; I'm betting it's not as many as they did in the past. I do wonder what it feels like compared to when they also had the large shop in Canada - if it feels good to be somewhat "down-sized". That just seems more like Larrivee's modus operandi or "company culture". Seems like Jean (and the rest of the family members) are happy still being very hands on and keeping it all very real.

modus operandi or "company culture" in terms of output has forever fluctuated like the weather